Page 217 of On Wings of Blood

I felt nothing. Certainly not guilt.

I turned and walked out of the clearing, Blake’s blood still pulsing in my ears.

I stood at the top of a hill, looking down at the scene in front of me.

A domed stone building lay in the distance, silhouetted against the sea. A dock lay behind it with small boats tied up. I assumed this was how they were getting us home. Those of us who made it that far, anyhow.

Below, I could see Visha and Evander waiting near the entrance. They weren’t alone. There was a line of other consorts ahead of them. All anxiously awaiting their turn.

As I came down the hill, Visha rushed up. “Have you seen Regan?”

I blinked. “You told me to avoid her.”

Still, the guilt must have shown on my face.

Visha’s eyes narrowed. “But you didn’t, did you?”

“I had no choice,” I admitted. “She ambushed me. Gretchen and Quinn were with her.”

The hint of a smile crossed Visha’s face. “Gretchen limped down here a while ago, looking a little worse for wear. Her consort is furious at her.” She tilted her head. “But Regan? You didn’t kill her, did you? I sure hope not, because you're going to need her.”

My eyes widened. “What? Please tell me you’re joking. I thought you said you or Evander would help me.”

“Is she dead or not?”

“No, but I knocked her out. I left her back there.” I gestured to the forest behind me. “Way back there.”

Visha cast a quick glance at the line of consorts. “Well, you’d better go get her. You need your consort for the next test and a substitute won’t cut it. Both of you need to spill a drop of blood into some bowl before you’re allowed to enter the dome. And once you enter, you don’t come out again. If you can’t find Regan, you’re both going to be screwed. Evander and I can’t help you." She had the decency to look sympathetic but that wasn’t much consolation.

“Fuck,” I swore. “I can’t believe this.”

Visha chewed her lip. “I’d help you go and get her if I could. But Evander...”

The tall, silver-haired boy was standing at the end of the line, watching Visha and I.

I nodded. “I understand. It’s not fair to him.” Just like being paired with Regan had never been fair to me. I glanced over at the domed building. “What’s waiting for us in there anyhow?”

Visha hesitated. For a moment, the fierce, unshakeable girl looked uncertain. “I don’t know exactly.” But something in her voice told me she did know. She just didn’t want to tell me. “But I have a bad feeling about it.”

I ran a hand over my hair, brushing loose tendrils off my forehead. “Great. Fantastic.”

I turned away, my boots digging into the dirt as I started my trek back up the hill.

“What are you going to do?” Visha called.

“Get Regan,” I shouted from over my shoulder. “I’ll drag her back here if I have to.”

But when I arrived at the clearing, it was empty.

Regan and Quinn were gone.

I cursed under my breath, eyes narrowing as I scanned the ground.

Broken twigs. Flattened earth. Quinn’s blood on the grass.

I crouched down, touching the spot where I’d knocked Regan out. If only I’d made her bleed a little. Would dried blood count for the next challenge? Quinn had left plenty but it wasn’t hers I needed.

I took a deep breath, inhaling, my senses prickling with clarity.

---