Page 45 of Spirit Trials
“Me too,” Kinsley says. We slowly make our way over to the horses. It takes me three times to mount mine because of my bum leg, but I refuse Lox’s help when he offers. Finally, I make it up, and then we’re off.
“I thought you weren’t with the prince,” Harper says loud enough for me to hear.
“I’m not, not like that.”
She gives me a look. “Right.”
Kinsley asks a hundred questions on the way, and Harper even throws in one or two-mostly in reference to the prince’s house. When we finally get to Rysden’s castle, an odd feeling ofrelief flares up, but I immediately squash it.This is not home, I remind myself. And just like that, the pain of missing my mom and brother flares up. I turn my gaze towards the path that leads back to the entrance to the city. It’s futile. Not only would I not be able to escape, but in my current condition, I wouldn’t last long. Besides, I need to finish these trials. A bone-deep weariness settles over me, and all of a sudden, all the pain I’ve been pushing down comes roaring back with a vengeance. We ride up to the front of the castle, and I watch as Lox dismounts easily. Harper and Kinsley manage too as well. Meanwhile, I feel like I can’t move a muscle. Literally, every muscle feels like it’s locked up.
“Do you want help?” Lox asks but doesn’t reach out to help me.
“No.” I make myself move. I pretty much just fall off the side of the horse, but thankfully, I don’t faceplant. My breathing is shallow, and those black dots appear in my vision again. My leg and wrist are causing me so much pain, I can barely move. I slowly follow Lox inside and focus on just putting one foot in front of the other. Jamik comes down the stairs and stops when he sees me. He makes a move to come forward and help me, but Lox puts a hand out, stopping him.
I frown but keep moving forward. “Is it okay if the girls stay in my room? It’s big enough.”
Lox nods. “Of course.”
“This way,” I call out over my shoulder. When I don’t hear any footsteps behind me, I turn back around. Harper and Kinsley are both standing in the middle of the huge entryway with mouths open. I take the first step up the stairs and nearly fall over from the pain. I gasp and grab my leg and try to keep my breathing even, so I don’t pass out.
Chapter 25
“Farrah, you need to get that arrow out,” Lox says.
Realizing I’m not going to be able to climb these steps in the shape I’m in, I head back towards him. “I know. I just need a cloth so I can wrap it.” I take one slow step after another back into the entryway. Jamik disappears and comes back soon with a cloth and a big man. “Hey, Hector,” I say with a tight smile.
“You made it back.”
“I told you I would,” I remind him. He looks down at the arrow in my leg pointedly. “I know.” By this point, I’m in so much pain between my wrist and my leg, I feel like I’m going to just pass out right here. I tug at the arrow but can’t get it to budge. “Lox,” I say in a breath of air. “Can you get it?” He looks at the arrow and then back to me. When he makes no move to come help me, I feel my face burn. “Never mind. I’ll get it.”
“I’ll help you,” Harper says suddenly, sounding angry. She stops in front of me. She starts to tug at it, and agony erupts inside of me. I’m pretty sure this one is deep in my bone.
“Here, let me,” Lox says suddenly.
“Oh, sure now you want to help,” Harper says snidely.
Lox looks over at the front door, and I watch as he sniffs the air a moment. “We should have time.” His words don’t mean anything to me, but not much does at this point.
“Farrah,” Kinsley says, gripping my shoulder. I can hear the worry in her voice. I want to reassure her, but the room is sort of spinning.
“Sit down before you fall over,” Lox says, pushing me down gently into a chair that Jamik carried over. Hector walks over tous, carrying a cloth and two bottles of something. Lox kneels on the floor next to my injured leg. “Ready? This is going to hurt.”
“You don’t tell people that,” Harper says, shaking her head.
Lox looks up at me. “Ready?” I nod. “One, two...”
I hear the front door open just as Lox pulls. Pain explodes in my leg, and I scream and grab my leg in utter agony as chaos erupts around me. I hear a huge crash and sounds of a scuffle. I'm gushing blood, so I grab the strips of cloth and tie them tightly around my leg before looking up. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Rysden has Lox pinned to the wall. Jamik grabs Rysden, but Rysden flings him off far too easily. Even Hector gets in on it. Together, he and Jamik each get an arm. For just a moment, they pull Rysden’s arms back. I watch in horror as Lox drops to the ground, holding his throat.Was Rysden choking him?Rysden throws Jamik and Hector off him like they weigh next to nothing. I watch in horror as Rysden goes after Lox again. I think it’s shock that makes me call out his name. “Rysden!” It comes out weaker than I thought it would, but it has the effect of a shout in a silent room. His entire body stiffens and seems to lock up. I manage to get to my feet, hissing through my teeth as I do. But when I go to take a step, my injured leg goes out from under me; it’s like the muscle is just dead. The floor comes rushing up at me, but strong arms keep me from hitting the ground. The world spins around me, but I know that it’s Rysden that lifts me. He shifts me, and I cry out in pain when it causes my leg to bump into my other one. He goes still for a moment, and then we’re moving. He whistles low and slow one time. I close my eyes because I feel like I’m going to throw up. I keep my eyes closed as he carries me up the stairs, mostly because I’m worried I’m going to throw up all over him. Finally, he sets me down gently, and I moan and lean my head back.
“Gentle, Shade.” I hear Rysden say in his deep rumble. His words confuse me until I feel something wet and cold on myleg. I jump and jerk my leg, causing pain to explode in my leg again. Rysden puts his hand on my leg. “Stay still, Farrah.” His voice is so low and deep with a raspiness to it that I don’t really remember. “Shade is going to help heal your leg.” I open my eyes and stare at the huge wolf in front of me. He’s got a dark gray coat that matches his dark gray eyes. Those are the same eyes I remember from the night in the forest. I thought I was dreaming, but now I know for sure I wasn’t. I mean the girls told me, but it was hard to believe. Even now, I don’t know what to do but stare at the wolf. I tense as he opens his mouth. “Easy,” Rysden says in a calm voice. Shade, as Rysden calls him, licks my leg again. Instantly, I feel relief. After three more licks, I can barely keep my eyes open.
“You should find a way to bottle that up and sell it.” My words sound garbled even to my own ears. “What’s happening?” I manage to get out.
“Shade’s saliva has healing properties in it that also acts as a kind of sedative. It’s going to knock you out.” His voice still doesn’t really sound normal. I think he says something more, but I feel myself slipping away.
“My fr—iends,” I say slowly.
“They’ll be safe here.”
“Ammm...I?” I finally get out.
