Page 83 of The Shadow Heir

“Someone fell,” I finished.

As I scanned the steps where fae were already assembling, I couldn’t see Cas, or his sister. The fae filed onto the steps, laughing loudly as they clinked wine glasses and wobbled into their seats where they would happily watch us die. The air bit at my shoulders and swirled around my feet. Ivy crushed my hand in a death grip as we paraded out onto the terrace.

“The heir isn’t here,” I observed, trying to sound casual. If he wasn’t here, he couldn’t save me. I’d have to survive this one on my own.

Tomas turned a deep frown toward us. “The heir didn’t order this trial. His father did.”

“His father?” I parroted.

Ivy was trembling and staring blankly at the cliff’s edge.

Tomas nodded. “The Shadow King is returning. He ordered that no entertainers be alive upon his arrival at midnight.”

The blood in my veins pumped hard, barely enough to counter the cold air surging around me. Casimiro would die upon his father’s arrival. Even if I somehow survived tonight, he wouldn’t.

A hollow sensation filled me, pushing aside the cold, fear, and confusion that clogged my senses. My gaze traveled to the stands, where one seat in the center stood out from the rest of the stone benches. It was clearly the seat of honor. And it was empty.

Empty like the void inside me that expanded as memories of Cas flooded through me.

My stomach knotted and flipped, and I sucked in a desperate breath. If I never saw him again, I’d never know what it felt like to kiss him, and I suddenly wanted very badly to do so.

As we waited on the moonlit terrace for instructions, I tried to take in as many details of our new arena as I could. There was a sheer drop, unguarded by any railings, on my right and stands on my left. At the far end of the platform, a dark tunnel waited ominously. The platform was exposed, a perfect landing site fordragons. But the dragons hadn’t killed me, which was why the fae were angry, so I doubted that was what they had in mind tonight.

Erik rose to his feet. “Shadow Lords and Ladies,” he shouted, drawing everyone’s attention. “Tonight we have some special entertainment certain to delight you.” Several cheers rose from the crowd. “As ordered by our sovereign, all five remaining entertainers must die by midnight.”

“Five?” Ivy asked, glancing between me and Tomas.

Just then, a burly fae with long black hair walked out onto the terrace, carrying a bandaged Samuel. To my horror, he dropped Samuel without ceremony onto the stone. Samuel barely rocked but his moans pierced my sanity.

I lurched toward him, but Tomas was faster. He reached Samuel and scooped him up. Tomas was shorter than lanky Samuel, but his chest was like a barrel, and he hefted him over to us.

The fae had dressed us all in extravagant white clothing tonight, perhaps angry with our previous choice to avoid wearing enchanted clothes, and we stood like ghosts in the moonlit darkness.

By the time Erik sat down once more, my chest had started to shake from bone-deep cold. The ruffled dress they’d given me pressed against my body in the wind, doing next to nothing to stave off the stinging ache rising in my calves and arms.

I glanced at Ivy, but her face was fixed on the ground near her feet. Her body was trembling. They’d given her a pretty white dress to wear, as well. It was looser than mine, not cut for a flamenco dance, but more the thin, drapey dress that would be worn during a tango. She looked mortified with the slits that went halfway up her thighs.

I heard the hooves before I saw what approached. A thunderous sound echoed through the belly of the mountain.Then, out of a dark archway at the end of the terrace, a bull larger than I’d ever seen barreled forward.

In Leor, I’d seen bullfights. I’d just never once imagined I’d beinone.

“Don’t run,” I yelled over the wind and the hoofbeats. But it was no use.

Ivy darted away, and Tomas staggered with Samuel, clearly at a loss for what to do. Ivy’s flashing white dress caught the bull’s eye. As it charged, the skin on its neck sloshed from side to side, and its horns reached out and forward, directly toward my friend.

“Turn!” I shouted. Bullfighters never ran away from the bulls. They stood their ground. They even held out capes to attract the bull toward them. Unfortunately, Ivy had nothing but her wispy white dress and the cliff to one side.

As the animal charged toward Ivy, I turned aside.

At the chorus of boos, I yanked my head back around and yelped. Ivy was on the ground, lying on her stomach at the cliff’s edge. Her hands were clamped over her head, but I couldn’t see any blood.

Still supporting Samuel, Tomas whooped victoriously as the bull arced around for another charge. As he shuffled toward Ivy, I realized what she’d done. And it wasbrilliant. Tomas hurried for the cliff edge with Samuel limping along beside him, but they were too slow. The bull clattered a few more steps as it slowed, then laboriously turned around and grunted, angry that it had missed its target.

It focused on Tomas and Samuel and charged.

“No!”

Tomas couldn’t outrun or outmaneuver the bull while helping another man.

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