Page 70 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
“Willow,” she whispers, barely audible. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Lady Selene ends the lesson, saving me from answering. Guilt and fear storm inside me, and I am the first to leave down the winding stairwell. Geraldine catches up, eyes stark with pain.
“I get it, you can’t talk about your past,” she says. “Just promise me you’ll make things better.”
“Bodin’s just outside,” I mumble. “He’ll heal you.”
“That’s not what I?—”
She stops when Alfie and his entourage approach, descending the stairwell with Puck behind them.
“Let’s go.” I grab Geraldine’s good hand and hasten my exit.
Bodin pushes off the wall and immediately demands an explanation of why he smells blood. I quickly point him in Geraldine’s direction. It’s not until he’s halfway through healing her that I remember something odd from the lesson. Alfie tapped his Chaser charm minutes before Puck turned up and singled me out with a challenge highlighting my violent skills.
How much has Alfie told his mentor about me?
Chapter 29
Willow
Max joins us on the way to combat class at the House of Shadow Tower. Geraldine’s just finished recounting the medical lesson, and he shakes his head. “How do they expect anyone to survive long enough to join their war?”
“They don’t,” Bodin grunts behind us.
“Have you seen Colin?” I ask.
His worried look chills me. What’s happened to the teen?
Bodin arrives first at the tower. Instead of allowing us entrance, he stands guard, arms folded, inspecting each arriving exhibitor like an enemy.
“Are we going in?” I ask quietly.
“When it’s safe,” he replies.
I retreat to wait with the others, hugging my cape against the cold. Most of us are eager to prepare for the Winter Solstice Ball. Flyers around campus detail proper attire, etiquette, and expected rituals. It’s also Yule, and we’re expected to bring an offer to the gods representing hope, resilience, and the promise of the sun’s return. Since we’re exchanging gifts at home, I’ve wrapped a few stolen treasures but need time to finish.
Tonight, the dragon-bonded Shining Host gathers for the first time since the Pageant of Prowess. The ball is meant tocelebrate the longest night and herald the next stage in the Gentle Interlude. For us exhibitors, it means we are about to get serious with training.
I hope so. Nothing we’ve learned will prepare us for the trials less than two moon turns away. Soon, I’ll likely go into heat, forcing me to miss classes or risk being mobbed by every male nearby. Bodin will hate the added attention. I can just hear him complaining about my calamity. I’ve been too nervous to discuss it with Legion, who’s busy dealing with Terrors appearing around Avorlorna.
A shriek pierces the air, followed by a crash inside the tower. Bodin’s jaw clenches, but he remains still until someone speaks to him at the door. He glares at me, clearly saying, “Don’t go anywhere,” then repeats it to the crowd before slipping inside.
Geraldine whispers, “I know we’re not supposed to gossip, but this is weird, right?”
Max tenses. “That sounds like?—”
“A Terror inside,” I finish, surprised by my certainty.
Geraldine raises an eyebrow. “How do you know?”
I shrug, uncomfortable. “I’m not sure. It just . . . feels right.”
Max grins, nudging me. “See? You’re learning. That special dusty tome is coming in handy after all.”
My smile drops when I hear Alfie call my name.
He stands slightly aside, half-turned as if ready to bolt. In the growing darkness, his red hair looks almost black.
