Page 64 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
“Speaking of which, we’re late, and Peggy’s still not here.” I face the gates, dread coiling in my gut at the thought of crossing the moat. Is that flowing water, I hear?
“She’s not coming.”
Bodin’s deep voice snaps my attention back. His rich leather-and-spice scent curls my toes. To keep from ripping his collar and sinking my fangs into his neck, I bite my lip. Bad move—his eyes darken and fixate on my mouth.
“Why isn’t she coming?” Max’s question breaks the spell.
Geraldine looks expectantly at Bodin.
“I’ve tasked her with my duties here while I’m”—Bodin’s eyes flick to me—“reassigned to conduct training at the Nexus.”
“Won’t that hurt her chances in the trials?” I ask.
“Peggy’s withdrawn from the exhibition.” His gaze slides to Geraldine and Max. “The offer extends to you. There’s work here at the keep.”
My heart plummets. I hope this isn’t just another ploy to keep my friends from weighing me down. “But they’d be safe from deportation to Nocturna?”
Bodin nods. “They’re no longer Nothings. We need trusted staff.”
My eyes narrow. “You mean you need them here so other Radiants can’t pull secrets from their minds.”
“That too,” he admits.
Max and Geraldine are stunned.
“It’s safer here,” I say, trying to mask my disappointment. Facing the Nexus without friends is daunting but better than risking their lives.
“What if we want to win?” Geraldine asks.
“You think you can beat our Shadow?” Bodin grumbles, gesturing at me. “There is only one winner.”
I bristle at the implication I’d hurt them to win. “I know people die a lot in the trials, but many still survive, right?”
Doubt flickers in his expression. Before I can retort, Max puffs out his chest. “Who says it can’t be a team effort?”
“Only one dream becomes reality.” Bodin’s eyes meet mine—a warning to them, a reminder to me. Win and free Fox. That’s what matters.
“We don’t care about the prize.” Geraldine touches her new scar-free face, then meets Bodin’s hard gaze. “I don’t even care if I get scarred and wounded again. Willow needs allies. It’s not like you can enter the trials to protect her.”
“How do you not care about the prize?” His eyes narrow.
“It’s not like Titania can actually turn back time.”
“She can’t?” I gasp. “I thought this was an all-encompassing wish.”
“We’ve been looking into it,” Geraldine replies. “There are parameters to the prize. Isn’t that right, Sir?”
I catch a glimmer of respect in Bodin’s eyes as he nods. Not just for their loyalty but for Geraldine’s cleverness.“Naturally, it must be within her power to grant.”
She turns to me and explains, “Titania can’t even raise our loved ones from the dead—that was you, not her. So if we can’t have our family back, we make the most of this one.” At my teary eyes, she adds, “Shit happens, Willow. We need to move on.”
Bodin produces small onyx skulls on delicate chains from his pocket, pinning them to their uniforms.
“This charm,” he explains, “blocks mind-reading and eavesdropping on private thoughts. Wear it always outside the keep. Touch to activate a silencing ward. Anyone you want to be included must touch you or activate their own ward.”
When it’s my turn, I ask quietly, “Where did you get these?”
His eyes meet mine briefly before focusing on pinning. “Styx gathered them last night.”
