Page 93 of Spirit Trials
“During the trials, Terron changes the magic so that all the competitors can see them to keep things fair.”
I ponder his words. “What about Lox’s? I saw his before the trial.”
“That was my power that enabled you to see Lox’s. I’m not sure why, I think Shade has something to do with it, but I can force a spirit animal to show.” He shrugs. “I don’t normally need to do it, but Icando it. I’ve done it a time or two over the years just to prove that I can. Lox is usually the one I practice on.”
I take all this in. “I think being able to see them and then not is almost worse—being able to see them and then never again? That’s so sad.”
He’s quiet a moment. “I want to show you something.” With that, he takes the lead, and I follow him. We ride for a little while through the city, and I’m grateful. I haven’t really had much time to take in the sights and sounds of the kingdom. The path eventually starts to go uphill, and the houses become more sparsely spread out. The horses easily pick their way up the path. When we reach the top, Rysden turns Noctis around, and I mimic his movements and stare out over the city. “This is one of my favorite spots to sit and watch the city,” he tells me quietly.
“I can see why.” It’s a pretty amazing view. We’re not so high that we can’t see people, but it’s high enough that you can see so much of the city. “It really is a beautiful city.”
“It is.”
Neither of us say anything as we take in the sights of the city. Eventually, Rysden leads us back down the path and back to his castle. Right before we go inside, I put my hand on his arm.“Rysden.” I wait for him to look at me. “Thank you for showing me that.”
“You’re welcome.”
As soon as we step inside, I take one sniff of whatever’s cooking, and my eyes nearly roll back in my head. “Hector,” I call out as I walk into the gathering area. “Whatever you are making smells divine!” I take in Kinsley, Harper, and Lox all at the table with empty plates. “You ate without us?”
“We didn’t know how long everybody would kiss the feet of their champion,” Harper says dryly.
“Hey now,” I say with a grin. “Don’t be jealous.”
She scoffs and throws a chunk of bread at me. I catch it midair and stuff a piece in my mouth. I catch the grin she’s trying to hide and can’t help but smile. “Where are Hector and Jamik?” I ask after swallowing.
“Business,” Rysden says as he walks past me and into the kitchen area. He comes back a moment later with two plates piled high with food.
“I sure hope one of those is for me.”
He doesn't skip a beat. "It is.”
Chapter 47
I eat until I can’t eat anything more. My stomach hurts both from eating too much and from laughing too hard. Although I miss Hector and Jamik, I can’t remember when I’ve had a better evening. But after I yawn at the table for the third time, Rysden stands up and picks up my plate. I try to follow him, but Rysden waves me off. “I’ve got these.”
I ignore him and grab a towel, so I can start drying the ones he’s already washed. “How come they didn’t do anything to the banished?” I ask him softly.
“They will after the Champion’s Ball.”
I stop drying the dish in my hand. “The what?”
“The Champion's Ball,” he repeats.
“Please don’t tell me that is anything like what it sounds like.”
“Oh, it’s exactly like what it sounds like, and you’re going to hate it.”
I take in his smirk and use my towel to smack him. “Rysden!”
“You will be the center of attention for the night. Better dress the part.”
I drop the towel to my side and close my eyes. “Why is this my life?” My eyes snap open. “You’ll be there, right?”
He turns to me and looks into my eyes. I notice his eyes drop to my lips for just a second before they meet my eyes again. The action surprises me. “Yes.” I forget for a moment what he’s responding to. I force my focus back on the topic we started with. “So, after the ball, they’ll what...just round up everybody without a spirit animal?” He nods after a moment, but he doesn’t look pleased. “And you’re just going to let that happen?” I walk out of the room before I say something I might regret. Solace comes tomy side as I pass the dining area. I know I’m too keyed up now to sleep, so I detour and instead head to the basement, snagging my bow and quiver on the way. It's quiet and cool when I get there and just what I need. I set up near the targets and pull out an arrow. The movement is fluid and fast, and the arrow hits just off the center. I roll my shoulders and settle into it. It feels good to work with my bow, and I find myself lost in the movements.
I’m not sure how long I stay down there, but when my arms feel heavy and are shaking too much to be accurate, I finally stop. After gathering all my arrows, plus the ones I used from the supply down here, I throw my bow and quiver over my shoulder. “Ready?” I ask Solace as I walk past where she’s lying on the floor.
Feel better?She asks.
