Page 72 of The Shadow Heir

The lattice of crisscrossing stairwells, balconies, and narrow paths on the side of the mountain led us upward until we reached a set of stairs so narrow and coated with ice that they appeared forgotten. These impossibly narrow steps lacked a railing, and my fingertips grew numb as I braced my weight against the stone wall to my left. Behind me, Ivy whimpered quietly as she climbed. Eudoria managed to climb on Samuel’s back, but I couldn’t watch as he carried her up the treacherous path.

Eventually, the stairs became so steep that I had to use my hands to climb, like I did as a child in my father’s house. Sadness pricked at my insides as I thought of what my father must be going through, thinking I would never return to him.I’m coming, Papá. Just a little longer.

At the top of the stairs, a flat terrace opened before us, banked on two sides by a low rock wall that drew my eye upward. The foundations of an ancient castle were perched atop the highest point on the mountain. This area must have once served as acourtyard. As my eyes scanned the moonlit space, I detected black statues gleaming faintly in the night, some with missing limbs and others toppled onto the wide space like downed soldiers. From this close, I could see that the windows in the castle were empty holes, dark sockets in a once grand façade.

A wave of nausea rocked my body as I looked around—there was nowhere to hide unless we could put our backs against the stone wall and somehow fend off the angry dragons. The rocks glistened from a thin layer of snow.

“Stand over there,” Erik commanded us, forcing us past him on the stair. My stomach dropped as I maneuvered around him. “There are weapons waiting for you at the base of the wall. If you can make it that far.”

He didn’t accompany us onto the platform. As soon as all five of us stood on the exposed flat rock, Erik slipped into shadow and shot straight into the air. I quickly lost sight of his form against the star-studded backdrop, but I noted a wisp of black slither into one of the castle’s open windows. Perhaps that was where the fae would watch this trial, safely in the comfort of their stone fortress.

I walked slowly, carefully, cautious of any movements or unusual sounds. After a few steps, the entrance to a massive cave came into view. It had been hidden by the outcropping of rock that formed the castle’s foundation. A step later, I heard the sound of wingbeats.

“Ivy,” I hissed, drawing her toward me. She was shaking so hard, I feared we might both fall on the slick rock. Samuel, who had already set Eudoria down, quickly took her elderly frame in his arms and attempted to run back toward the stairs that had led us here.

Tomas took a defensive stance beside Ivy and me. My heart soared at the sight.

“Know anything else about these beasts?” Tomas asked over his shoulder as a dragon’s massive head came into view over the edge of the cliff.

For a moment, I couldn’t respond as I stared at the enormous creature.

The glint of steel beckoned me toward the rock wall, but the sight of the dragon’s yellowed eyes anchored my feet to the slick courtyard.

“They think I stole from them,” I admitted. I’d already told the entertainers everything else I knew about the dragons, save this one detail.

Tomas shot me a concerned look, and Ivy’s nails dug into my skin briefly before she dropped my arm and stepped back.

“Probably best,” I said, pushing her behind me so that I stood between her and the dragon. Samuel had paused on the platform, his gaze cast back at the dragon.

The beast hovered in the air, sniffing with loud breaths.

For a moment, all five of us stood paralyzed.

Then Samuel cursed as he took another step and slipped on a slick patch of stone. He and Eudoria went down hard.

The dragon’s head cocked to the side and its nostrils flared as it followed the sound and the movement. A strange rattling noise preceded the dragon opening his large jaws. Ivy gasped and dropped to the ground. Tomas and I lunged for the weapons.

Claws clattered on stone, and a strong breeze blasted my long white tunic up around my knees. I grabbed the hilt of a sword, its comforting weight offset by the blinding light of the flames that flared against the rock wall and reflected off the steel.

Instinctively, I lifted my hands to my face. Heat rushed over the terrace and knocked the air from my lungs. Ivy whimpered, and Samuel’s deep voice bellowed in agony.

Tomas locked eyes with me.

Then I spun. The dragon perched on an old statue, one taloned foot wrapped around the shoulders of a stately figure, the other gripping its crowned head. Its wings were half-extended over the courtyard, and smoke curled from its snout. Its nose was lowered in the direction of the stairwell, where a few flames still licked a few stray spots of lichen on the rocks.

My chest knotted and I thought vomit might spew from my mouth. I couldn’t see Samuel or Eudoria anymore. Samuel’s screams told me he’d not moved fast enough.

Cas, hurry.

He thought I could survive this. He’d thought wrong.

If he didn’t arrive with a stone, and soon, we would all be ashes and teeth.

“Ivy!” I whispered, trying not to draw the creature’s attention.

From her crouched position, she pulled her hands from over her head and peeked up at me. She was a body length from the animal’s wingtip. I waved her toward the wall, but as soon as she moved, the dragon turned.

A choked scream leaped from my throat.

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