Page 47 of Spirit Trials
I turn back to Shade, who hasn’t moved this entire time. “I’m starving; I’m going to go eat.” I walk over to the door and open it and step out into the hallway. Before I can close it, he slips out next to me. “Oh, you’re going too? I bet you’re hungry as well.”
Chapter 26
When I get downstairs, I follow the heavenly smells to the kitchen. I don’t have to look over my shoulder to know that Shade is shadowing my every step. He sort of terrifies me and yet makes me feel safe at the same time. The first two people I see when I get to the huge dining area are Harper and Kinsley. They’re wrapped in furs, sitting at the table and drinking steaming mugs of something. I’m going to guess tea. They both freeze when they see the wolf at my side. “Hey,” I pause. “This is Shade.”
“Yeaaaah,” Harper draws out. “We’ve met him.”
“You’re alive,” Kinsley says, changing the subject.
“Did you think I wasn’t?” I ask with a smile.
“Well, with the way you were carried out of here,” Harper says, giving me a questioning look.
SinceIdon’t even know what that was all about, I ignore it. “I passed out for a few hours; sorry about that. How about you girls?”
“Oh, we totally crashed,” Harper says after taking another sip. “In your room.” Again, she watches me as she says it.
“Good. How are your injuries?”
Harper shrugs, and I know her well enough by now to know that means her injuries are still bothering her. I look down at the wolf for a moment, considering. I don’t really know if he would lick their wounds, and I don’t know if my friends would go for that. “Hector,” I say instead and walk over to where he’s standing at the wood-burning stove stirring and take a deep sniff. “Whatever that is, it smells amazing. Are there any kind of healing herbs or anything here that I can use for my friends?” Henods at the shelf to my left. I reach up and grab a tall bottle of some kind of green stuff. “This?” He nods.
“That’s Hector’s magic healing potion,” Lox says with a grin. “I have no idea what’s in it, but it’s miracle working. It can heal anything.”
“Can I use it on them?” I ask Hector, and he nods. “Thank you.” I pick up the bottle carefully from the shelf. “Do you need any help with that?” I nod toward the pot he’s stirring. He shakes his head, and I leave him to his cooking. Shade stands in the doorway, alert, as I walk past him to the table. “When you’re done eating, we’ll put some of this on your wounds.”
“What is it?” Kinsley asks, scrunching up her nose.
“I don’t really know, but Lox says it heals everything,” I tell her.
“And you believe him?” Harper asks.
“Hey, I’m a trustworthy guy,” Lox says as he walks to the table, carrying a large wooden board with a loaf of bread on it. Hector follows a moment later with the huge pot. My stomach growls loudly as I head back into the kitchen to grab bowls and spoons. Hector ladles out some for everybody gathered.
I groan out loud when I take my first bite of the fish stew. “This is soooo good, Hector. Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you,” Kinsley echoes.
I feel like I can’t eat fast enough; I don’t ever remember being this hungry. It takes me a minute to realize that the room has gone silent. I look up and see that Rysden’s in the room, which is surprising because he never joins us for meals. His eyes are on me. “Make sure you eat enough.” Before I can say anything, he turns around and leaves.
“I will,” Harper calls out after him. It’s exactly what we need to cut the tension. I laugh along with the others and go back to eating, but my mind is still on Rysden. I can’t figure him out. He acts like he hates me one minute but then takes care of me thenext. I eat until I can’t eat another bite. Then I fill another bowl to the brim and grab a spoon.
“I’ll be back.” I walk from the room, and as I’d hoped, Shade follows me. “Where is he, Shade? Where’s Rysden?” I ask softly. He leads the way, and I follow. I can’t really believe that this is my life right now; I’m asking a wolf to guide me. Shade leads me upstairs to the door at the end of the hallway. When he stops, I open the door and step out onto the balcony that wraps around the entire back of the house and spot Rysden immediately. He’s leaning over the railing, staring out. I walk over to him. “I brought you some food.”
He doesn’t turn to me. “You didn’t need to.” His voice is still low and intense like it was earlier.
“Yeah, well Shade told me to,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood. “Speaking of Shade, I have a bone to pick with you.” He doesn’t react in any way. “You lied to me. You said you won without a spirit animal, but you had Shade.”
He turns his head to face me. “I didn’t lie. They didn’t allow Shade to enter the competition with me, and they cut off the bond between us, just for the trials. So, I won the trials completely on my own.” I take in his words and lean against the railing next to him. “You had your bond with Shade before the trials?”
“Yes. Did you eat enough?” he asks, changing the subject.
“I couldn’t eat more if my life depended on it. I’m so stuffed.” I rub my stomach. When he doesn’t eat, I nod at the bowl. “I didn’t bring that out here so you could stare at it.”
He reluctantly takes a bite. And then just like I was hoping would happen, it seems to remind him that he’s hungry. I give him a couple minutes to eat before I ask, “So why did you do it? Why did you risk me getting disqualified by sending Shade into the trial?” When he stays silent, my frustration builds. “You could have cost me the whole thing, Rysden.”
He turns to me, his eyes flashing. “I was just supposed to let the poison get to your heart?”
“Yes! I can’t get cut because of cheating.” He turns away and stares back out again. His body is stiff, and I can tell he’s angry by the way he grips the railing. What I can’t tell is why. The silence wraps around us, and so does the darkness. The sun is quickly setting, and the light is almost gone. “How did you even know I was in trouble?” I ask softly.
