Page 102 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
“A Terror?” I ask a little too eagerly.
He squints ahead and replies, “Just a regular boar.”
We walk in companionable silence for a few more minutes, the crunch of snow beneath our feet the only sound. I’m hyper-aware of his presence beside me.
To cool my hormones, I return to the magical winter landscape, the Abhainn, a ribbon of darkness slashing through the glittering land to our right. Its cascading waters should cause fear to ripple through me at being this close, but I’m not afraid. Not with Bodin, Legion, and Styx nearby. In the end, Emrys didn’t come. I suspect Legion sent him off to keep an eye on Puck. I’ll ask later when I get a private moment.
Something ripples in the waters, and my breath hitches. But then I see the shimmering scales of the Dread Hunt close to the surface and whip my gaze to Bodin.
His lips curve. “The dragons gain power from their elements. The Hollow Hunt will be out tonight.”
“How does the Fever Hunt draw power?”
Bodin looks up at the sun.
“Ah.” I shake my head. “I assumed it was fire.”
“That too.”
“The Wild Hunt?” I tentatively ask.
“Death, chaos, darkness—souls.”
That makes sense.
Finally, I work up the courage to ask him, “What happened to Colin?”
He glances at me and keeps walking. He opens his mouth, shuts it, and then exhales through his teeth. “He and other young and inexperienced were tasked with tower chores.”
“Okay . . . go on,” I prompt.
“They had little time for the rest,” he explains dryly. “He missed multiple classes and the ball. When I found him, his fingers were raw and blistered.”
My gaze narrows. “He’s from the House of Embers, right?”
He gives a curt nod.
“What about the other two young ones?”
“Found them the same,” he replies. “House of Tides.”
“Did Colin remember anything of the night at Burn After Reading?” I ask, although I know the answer.
“No, nor did he have the patch I handed to him. He was set upon the moment he left. He wasn’t even aware of what his house members confiscated.”
Anger and fury well within me, hot and potent. “We can’t send him back to that after this.”
His eyes flick ahead as he says, “I’m working on it.”
The injustice of it all makes my blood boil. These kids came here for a chance, and instead, they’re being exploited and abused. It’s wrong, and I’m determined to do something about it. But how? The enormity of the task ahead feels overwhelming, but I push the feeling aside—one step at a time.
Our troop is one of seven walking along the river in a line, so it’s not hard for me to see further down the train to where the House of Embers Lord, Ignarius, guides his troop. He barely blinked at the smoking carcass except to bark an order. Probably to claim the food rights, but I really hope he’ll send some fresh meat our way. It smells good.
“He’s not a good person, is he?” I ask Bodin.
“If you have to ask that question . . .”
“Yeah, yeah,” I reply. “I know the answer.”
