Page 132 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

No. Those aren’t tendrils. They’re roots from trees and other vegetation surrounding the arena, which isn’t much better.

“Climb!” While Nick, Abel, and Olive are on my tail, the other unit is too.

“Shit!” Olive dodges an opponent’s throwing star, then uses her air magic to stir up dust, creating a tornado that surrounds the prick who hurled the weapon, blinding and choking him with dirt.

“Watch out!” The roots keep following me and the others no matter how high we fly, which is two hundred yards or more above the field, the ground beneath us covered in these vegetation-type predators. One root wraps around Solara’s hind leg. She kicks to break free but can’t.

A quick burst of fire magic burns through the restraint, liberating the alicorn. “Higher. Gohigher.”

“So the roots follow? Fuck that.” Abel unleashes his own earth magic, creating deep gorges in the ground with quicksand at the base. Several roots struggle against the intense sucking motions, but then drop into the openings and disappear. Others persist in their pursuit of my unit and our opponents.

Unlike us, some of those fledglings still prod their alicorns to climb with the roots in pursuit. Others veer to the right or left, attempting to trick the vegetation which dogs them. Fledglings shriek as the roots wind around their alicorns’ legs and yank the animals down.

“Screw these fuckers following us.” With his upper lip curled, Nick uses his ice magic to freeze those roots nearest us. As they glisten in the sun like gems, Olive’s air magic blows them to bits. I set the remaining roots on fire.

Applause breaks out in the stands.

Our opponents use our tactics to free themselves…or they try. The vegetation has somehow learned what to expect and dodges their fire, air, water, and earth magic, writhing away from those elements—or releasing more roots—to return and attack again.

I gape. Olive heaves. Nick and Abel curse.

One by one, the roots wrench each screaming fledgling and snorting alicorn toward the ground for them to crash into the surface or be crushed far beneath.

I cringe. “We should do something to help them.”

“So we lose?” Nick sniffs. “No, thanks.”

“Lark’s right.” Olive flies to my side. “I’ll help you…what the hells?”

The roots retreat on their own.

My team flies toward the next column. The air changes well before I reach it…as it did with the ice magic in the last column. Here, intense heat stings my face. “Fire magic!”

Afraid Zephyr’s feathers will burst into flame, I prod him into a series of somersaults to roll away from the column. The crowd gasps at my maneuver, while the pillar’s heat follows us. Shit. “Nick, ice!”

He freezes the column, but the unbearable heat only grows hotter, nearly blistering my skin.

Stunned, I prod Zephyr into a climb toward the higher, cooler air. The heat races after us and transforms into orange flames.

When Zephyr and I near the pillar, he snorts and rears. Startled, I clamp my thighs against his body to avoid falling from my saddle, my leg throbbing from where the rock hit. There’s also a gash in my shoulder, blood streaming from the wound. How and when that happened, I don’t know.

“Easy, Zephyr.” I stroke his mane.

He rears again.

“Guys, careful!” I twist in my saddle to holler at the others who’ve almost reached me. Behind them, the opposing team gains ground toward us. “Zephyr’s spooked. He?—”

A thunderous moan assaults my ears. I wince then gulp. From the ground in front of the column, a stone wall rises mere inches from Zephyr’s wing, reaching high into the sky.

I wheel Zephyr around to fly in the other direction.

Another stone wall rises there, as tall as the first, boxing Zephyr and me in.

My pulse jumps. Sweat stings my eyes. “Olive! Nick! Abel!”

They fly to either side of the two stone walls. “Come here.” Paler than she’s ever been, Olive extends her trembling hand, urging me to join her. “Now!”

I prod Zephyr to fly as fast as he can, his wings almost grazing the opposite walls. When he and I get close enough for me to almost touch Olive’s fingers, a third wall rises, cutting off my exit. Olive’s hand jerks back, her face freezing in terror at what’s happening.

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