Page 151 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
Varen bites him. Scratches Bodin. It shocks them enough to weaken their hold. Varen lunges at me, once again shoving me against the wall.
His manic eyes bore into mine, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “And the worst part? They have pheromones, too. They leave a trail leading their entire nest to the weakened hive. It becomes a massacre, a complete and utter destruction of everything the bees have built.”
The fight leaves him. He has nothing left but sadness when they pluck him from me and drag him out of the dining room. I slump against the wall, my mind reeling. How much of that was relevant? How much was madness?
Styx finds me first. I’m a trembling mess, leaning against the wall for support, tears streaming down my face. My body is a mix of feverish hormones and dismay. Sitting on Varen’s lap moments ago felt comforting, safe, and even alluring. Those sensations have now been corrupted, twisted into a sickening helplessness and fear.
Styx, usually so quick with barbed words, asks gently, “Are you okay?”
Those three little words hold the power to open floodgates. My emotions break free. I launch into his arms, clutching him like he might float away on a dandelion drift.
His arms circle around, holding me as tightly as I do him. He says nothing, but I feel it in his firm touch. Hefeelsfor me even if he can’t act like it. We will be okay. We have to be.
“Willow.” Legion’s voice cuts through, insistent yet respectful. “If you don’t leave now, it will be too late.”
I pull back from Styx, dashing tears away with my hand. Nodding, I manage, “I’m coming.”
Rory’s dagger is at my feet, the wrapping torn. Max’s gift is there too. I pick them up and follow them out. I have to bury the doubt worming its way into me. My friends can’t see this weakness. I must be strong to show our enemies not to mess with us. So I use the cool castle air to anchor me. It gives me the strength to suppress any rogue attempts of fever trying to rise up.
By the time I reach the foyer, I’ve composed myself enough to dismiss my blotchy face as an aftereffect of my biology. My womb, however, is clenching in tight cramps. It’s as though all my doubt, fear, and worry have collected there and knotted. I give Geraldine a trembling smile and hand her the gift. I hand Max his.
“These might come in handy,” I explain.
“Open them on the way,” Legion says gruffly.
Cricket and Finch give me quick hugs and wishes of good luck. Peggy holds me tight, using her strong arms to trap me as she whispers, “Do it for Bob.”
“You don’t have to go?” I ask, hesitant.
She glances at Legion and replies, “He fixed it, so I don’t.”
Then we’re off, walking at a breakneck pace out of Shadowfall Keep and back into the Nexus. The sky is already purple. The wind is harsh. Sunrise is minutes away.
We’re in the woods when Geraldine opens her gift and finds Rory’s dagger. She turns to me, her voice thick with emotion. “You stupid cow, you were supposed to keep this!”
“It’s yours,” I tell her. “At least for this trial. Whether or not the steel remains afterward is up to the Guardians.”
“But it means so much to you,” she whispers, her eyes glimmering.
I take her hand and squeeze it tight. “You mean more to me.”
Legion and Styx stride ahead. I guess Bodin and Emrys will catch up once they settle Varen.
“Open your gift, Max,” I tell him. “I think you’ll like it.”
He’s too nervous to reply, his hands shaking as he unwraps the package to reveal the thin gloves I took from Titania’s temple.
Max gives me a dubious look. “They look a little girly, no offense.”
I laugh. “Maybe, but they won’t act very ladylike once you put them on. Trust me.”
Something in the magic tells me they’re for protecting the weak.
“Do I put them on now?” he asks.
“Wait until we start.”
The curved walls of the fort come into view between the trees. The sounds of the crowd fill the air, cheering between music designed to make hearts beat faster. Tension knots in my stomach—or maybe it’s the cramps.
