Текст книги "Horns of Wicked Ebony"
Автор книги: Lacey Lehotzky
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Текущая страница: 23 (всего у книги 43 страниц)
34
Rows of torches blazed in the field just beyond the academy’s walls. Kiira and I stood at the head of the priestess-turned-warriors, anxiously awaiting instruction from Rokath and Rapp. The moment Kiira had learned of the new initiation ritual, she wanted to join too. Despite the chilly air, all of us had our sleeves rolled up, revealing the shared ink on our skin.
The males, lingering all around, eyed tattoo after tattoo. Honestly, I was awed by how many had it. How many of us were united in our pain, united in our desire to carve a new path for ourselves.
That, coupled with whatever we were about to do, would cast us in an entirely new light to the soldiers who still believed we were unworthy of a place in the army.
I hoped.
Excited whispers abounded at my back. I glanced over my shoulder, surveying the gathered units. The creeping twilight made it difficult to distinguish individual figures. Olet and a few of the other officers had disappeared into the hills beyond a short time before, and with the fading light, they were impossible to see now.
Rokath finally banged on a metal shield, drawing everyone’s attention. He and Rapp entered into the firelight, the red glow highlighting his hard-set jaw. “We have decided everyone will participate in this initiation, given this will be what everyone does for years to come. After all, we are all equals now.”
“So what are we doing then?” I called out, a sense of giddiness overtaking me.
“It will consist of three trials,” Rapp announced, leaning on a wooden post for support. “First, a blood offering to the Fates. The competition rests in how far you are willing to go. There are limits of course.”
“Second,” Rokath growled, drawing everyone’s attention. “You’ll be tied in groups of three and you will face a series of obstacles. You must not break your thread.”
“And third,” Rapp jumped back in, “You’ll leap from the front tower without your wings. A pool of shadows will wait for you. If you require someone to assist your fall because you don’t call on your magic in time, you’ll have to do it again.”
They seemed like fair, balanced trials with a hint of danger. I elbowed Kiira in the side, and she shot me an excited smile. I glanced behind me at the other females, who all seemed just as ready to prove themselves.
“The trials will also take place in the dark to further prove yourselves. You’ll have to rely less on your senses and more on your instincts. That is what will save you during battle,” Rokath said, adding a sobering reminder of why we were all really here.
Some of the excitement died down, but energy still thrummed among the gathered units.
“Should your bloodletting be insufficient, should your thread break, or should you hesitate to leap, you will be deemed unworthy,” Rokath warned, the gravel in his tone grating the air.
My stomach knotted. We had to do this. All of us. I glanced behind me, grateful when the sentiment was etched into the female’s faces.
Rokath set the shield to the side and drew a dagger from his belt. “The time has come for you to make your offering to the Fates. The challenge is this: you must cut yourself in such a way that you can fill a chalice to the brim without severing any essential veins or muscles. Additionally, you only have one attempt to make a cut. Should you heal before you can produce enough blood, you will be deemed unworthy. With our limited time to organize the activity, your non-dominant hand will suffice. Fail to fill it completely, and you will also be deemed unworthy.”
Turning my arms over, I tried to gauge how exactly I was supposed to make that work. I could cut with my left hand, but I didn’t trust myself not to err in my path doing so. That was meant to be part of the challenge, knowing Rokath.
He and Rapp split up, each taking a faction of the army to review. Rokath approached Kiira and me, hands flattening behind his lower back as he settled into a commanding stance. “You may begin.”
“Oh this will be easy,” Kiira said, drawing a dagger for herself. Shadows gripped the hilt as she held out her arm. The sharp tip pressed into the skin of her forearm, and then the tendrils dragged the blade backward, toward her elbow. When a deep gash appeared, she cupped her hand beneath the flow. In seconds, she had plenty to fill her palm. “For the Reaper, whose eye will pass over us,” she prayed, loud enough that all could hear.
“You may pass on to the second trial,” Rokath pronounced, and behind us, Maariya and Izzenna squealed. Kiira dumped her blood onto the ground and advanced past him.
“Next!” He turned his attention to me, and I drew my blade.
“You can do this,” he encouraged down our mental connection.
“I know I can,” I quipped back, calling on my own shadow power. “Again, I don’t know why you doubt me.”
“I never have, little imposter.” Amusement glittered in his burgundy eyes as he watched me repeat Kiira’s process, albeit a bit more clumsily. My dagger ended up in the grass as I clasped my arm, filling my palm with crimson. Ten seconds passed, and then, my hand was full. I turned it over, displaying the blood pooled there. “For the Giver, who blessed me with rare magic and an even rarer bond.”
The response to my declaration was nothing short of thunderous. I grinned widely up at my mate as he passed me along to the next trial. Bending down to grab my blade, I swept by Rokath, joining Kiira on the other side. We cheered on every female, and not a single one failed the task. We even finished before the males reached a similar number in their ranks.
Then, we joined Rapp’s group and encouraged the rest. By the time darkness engulfed Fured, everyone had completed the task and the Fates had been thoroughly fed.
More torches ignited, and many carried them as they moved about, guiding the path for others so they didn’t tumble over a rock hidden among the yellowed grass.
Yet Olet and the other officers still hadn’t returned. We received an explanation moments later when Rokath yelled out his next instructions. “Each female will select two male partners for the course. Once you have your group, grab a rope from the cart and tie it around your waists. Parancsok Olet and the Százados are waiting for you in the hills beyond to ensure there is no cheating.”
My heart stuttered as I looked around, trying to decide who would be best to pair with. I’d been hoping Kiira, Maariya, and I could join forces, maybe even with Izzenna or Vokkia, but if we had to connect ourselves to the males…
I understood Rokath’s reasoning, but damn him, he put me in a tough spot. No one would want to join with the mate of the Halálhívó, not when they would risk his wrath for touching me, or worse, injuring me.
Groups began to form, mostly from within already existing units. Kiira too seemed to be as lost as me, with wandering males looking everywhere but at us.
I let out an annoyed huff. “Well if they won’t come to us, let’s go to them.”
“Agreed,” Kiira said, and together we strode into the throng. Dipping and dodging, we put ourselves directly in the center, and I sought out strong-looking ones who didn’t immediately reverse course when they noticed our position.
“You!” Kiira shouted, grabbing the arm of a passerby I was about to claim.
“Ugh,” I replied as he begrudgingly came to her side. But when I turned my attention outward, my gaze collided with a familiar set of ruby orbs. “Uzadaan?” I took a tentative step forward toward the male who had come to Stryi to conscript new soldiers so long ago. Whose arrival, along with the rest of the Lovak Squad, had irrevocably changed the course of my life.
He grinned, flashing his set of extra sharp teeth. “I apologize for avoiding you until now, Szélhámos. I thought it best if we didn’t meet, for your mate’s sake. But it appears you need a partner.”
My heart warmed, my expression mirroring his. At least he didn’t reject me, like Dromak had, when I’d run into him again. “I am. Do you have a third that can join us?”
Uzadaan let out a sharp whistle and called out to another. From the crowd, a lanky male approached, boasting eyes in a deep shade of maroon. While he wasn’t as tall as Uzadaan, he held strong power, which would be to our advantage. “This is Darrx.”
“Szélhámos,” he greeted me with a respectful salute. “It will be an honor to complete the course alongside you.”
I glanced back at Kiira, who had grabbed a second male. She winked, then grasped both males by the arms and hauled them toward the cart filled with ropes. I snickered and turned back to Uzadaan and Darrx. “Let’s go then so we have an advantageous position.”
“Aye,” Uzadaan agreed, using his height to weave through the throng. Once we got close, he said, “Wait here.”
Darrx and I moved off to the side, while Uzadaan fetched a tether for us. When he returned, I realized it wasn’t a single piece in which we’d all be in the middle. No, it was actually three individual rings, tied to a greater loop. But the thickness? It was minimal at best. One wrong jerk in opposite directions would send the threads snapping.
“How are we supposed to get in this?” I asked, examining it.
“I think that’s part of the challenge,” Darrx chuckled.
“I should probably go first, since I’m the smallest.” Carefully, I stepped through the hole, then shimmied it over my hips until the noose tightened over my waist. Attention seared my skin, and I looked up. Rokath’s possessive stare pinned me in place.
“Like the view?” I shot down our bond, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
“Tremendously. I hope both of those males know the consequences of something happening to you out there,” he threatened.
“I’m sure they do,” I quipped as Darrx fastened the rope around himself beside me.
“I’m happy to tell them explicitly,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“Fuck off and let me prove myself to them,” I replied, shooting him with a playfully hateful glare.
He rolled his eyes but moved along. “Just stay safe, okay?”
“I will,” I promised back, sending him a pulse of love down our bond.
Finally, Uzadaan was secured, and the three of us tested what movement was possible tied together.
“I think we can walk forward at least,” Darrx commented, pointing toward groups gathering at the base of the nearest hill. Rapp already stood atop it, surveying the scene. While he kept a neutral expression, the tense way he held his arm to his side told me he was in pain. I was grateful he was here, participating in the event with us. His solidarity was unwavering, and had been from the start of my journey in the army.
“Aye, let’s go before we’re stuck at the back,” Uzadaan said, and together, we strode in that direction, keeping our steps deliberately even and slow. It would be an utter embarrassment to break this before we even started the course.
And I would not give the disbelievers any reason to judge me or the rest of the females.
Once everyone was settled, Rokath joined Rapp in appraising us. “The rules are simple. Don’t break your thread and return within an hour. You’ll begin in groups of three. Step forward now, and the rest of you, arrange yourselves.”
The first three sets of three stepped forward, and I was happy to see some of my friends among them. Fierce determination straightened their postures, their entire focus ahead as if they were preparing to face a real enemy. We found our place in line about a dozen rows deep. Rokath raised his torch high in the air, the fire sending sparks dancing into the night. “On my mark.”
Muscles tightened. My heart rate picked up.
“Go!” he shouted, waving the light. The first groups sprang into action, and the following ones waited a beat before racing forward themselves. One by one, they crested the hill, until suddenly, it was our turn to pass by my mate.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, and he gave me an encouraging nod. But this wasn’t about us. It was so much bigger than that. So I dragged in a breath and faced forward, my sole focus on keeping this rope intact.
And showing these males why we deserved to be here.
Uzadaan, Darrx, and I scaled the hill with ease, coming immediately upon the first obstacle. A giant pit of mud waited, holes already sucked deep by previous footsteps. Thank the Weaver the moon hung high and fat among the stars—without it, we would have sunk in seconds.
“To the left!” I pointed, slowing my strides until Uzadaan and Darrx had time to process my words. Racing off on my own would have broken our rope immediately.
“Good call,” Darrx commented, shuffling behind me. Uzadaan did the same in front of us. In single file, we wound along a narrow strip of earth, the sticky substance adhering to our boots despite the firmness of this path.
“Halt!” Uzadaan shouted, and I paused immediately. His foot, unfortunately, had gotten stuck despite our best effort. Most of the others in this part of the course were in similar situations. I squinted around his frame, gauging how far we had to go.
Uzadaan spread his hands wide like he was calling on his shadows to assist in freeing his boot from the muck. Nothing happened, not even a whisper of power dripping from his fingertips. His shoulders tensed. “What the fuck?”
Curious, I dove into my well and tugged on the threads of onyx. They didn’t move.
“I don’t think we can use magic,” Darrx said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Mine isn’t rising either.”
Uzadaan cursed and looked around us for anything to assist him. I studied our placement in the mud. “Here’s what we need to do. Darrx,” I shot over my shoulder, “scoot backward so we can give Uzadaan room to wiggle free.”
Darrx’s hands pressed into my shoulders, and I was grateful he wasn’t as large as Rokath, otherwise we both would have sunk in. He steadied me, ensuring we weren’t drifting too far apart, as we backstepped. Then, he reached around me and grasped Uzadaan’s waist. Wedged between their bodies, I held my breath. Uzadaan yanked one boot free, but the force pitched him to the side. My heart leaped to my throat.
We can’t snap our thread already!
My arms shot out, managing to catch him before he tumbled below our waists. Muscles screaming from the effort of supporting him, I gritted my teeth. Darrx smashed me between them again, reaching around and hauling Uzadaan upright. We remained locked like that as Uzadaan unstuck his other foot.
“Good to go,” he announced, though his voice held the slightest tremor. After a recovery beat, we stepped forward as one, this time fanning out to distribute our weight more evenly. I picked the remainder of our route carefully, avoiding the worst of the squelch. We slipped past two more groups, their ropes stretched taught as their members flailed in the mud.
The dead grass was a welcome reprieve. “Let’s jog. If we stay tight, we should be able to make up time.”
“Who knew you had a competitive streak?” Uzadaan teased, flashing his extra sharp teeth.
“An unfortunate consequence of being mated to the Halálhívó,” I quipped, and Darrx barked a laugh. I couldn’t help the grin that split my face as we ran forward. That familiar camaraderie was returning, blooming hope it could grow between males and females across the magic-wielding units.
A breeze drifted over the cliffs, bringing with it a fresh wave of briny air. I sucked it down greedily, despite the chilly sting in my lungs. Torches blazed ahead, and I focused on the shadowed shapes around them, trying to discern what our next challenge could be.
“It’s a lattice of some type,” I panted. “Let’s slow now.”
We did together, taking a moment to study the obstacle and the others scaling it. I peered beyond too, counting the groups ahead of us. But my attention was torn back to the net when a male slipped, a cry tearing from his lips. At the last second, the other snatched his arm and hauled him back onto the net. I held my breath, waiting for their thread to break with how tightly it was now stretched between the three. The faller scrambled up again, easing the tension. Izzenna was among them, her lips pressed in firm determination.
“We have to stick to the same level,” Darrx murmured, observing the rest of their ascent. “With our height differences, it might be tricky. Szélhámos, you should go first.”
We reached the base just as Izzenna’s team hit the earth on the opposite side. She shot me a grin, then spun and sprinted away.
“We can’t let them beat us,” I insisted, grasping the bottom of the net. The squares were tiny, barely large enough for me to gain a foothold, let alone the bigger males. It looked like they’d taken some fishing nets and strung them together before stretching them across these poles. The thin strands dug into my fingers as I climbed. Once I was several feet off the ground, Darrx and Uzadaan followed. We stuck close to one another, keeping as much of an eye on each other’s holds as our own.
One mistake, and our thread could snap.
Halfway up, the net slickened. Whether it was from the previous climbers’ sweat or if the officers had intentionally oiled it, I wasn’t sure. Either way, traversing it was proving difficult.
“Fuck,” Darrx swore, his foot slipping. His forearms flexed as he gripped the net tighter, which honestly wasn’t much better with how sharply the twine dug into the skin. With a grunt, he dug the toe of his boot into a warped section.
“You good?” Uzadaan asked from my other side.
Darrx nodded, and then we continued our ascent. At the top, however, my stomach leaped to my throat. Now we had to go down, and my shoulder muscles already trembled from exertion. Angry welts crisscrossed my palms, courtesy of the unforgiving net. I flexed my hands and rubbed them together, trying to ease the ache.
“How do we turn?” I asked, studying our positions.
“Within our own ropes. There’s no other way,” Darrx said, giving his a tug. Uzadaan and I loosened ours, then carefully swung our legs around so we faced the other direction. Once we were all draped to go down, we tightened them around our waists again.
“On three,” I wheezed. “One.”
The males’ grips changed.
“Two.” I shuffled my own.
“Three.” I eased myself down, boot slipping immediately.
That damn mud.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I found another hold, then grasped a lower section of net. Uzadaan and Darrx shimmied down on either side of me. We worked in silence, focused on our tasks. About halfway down, Darrx said, “We can drop from here if we’re careful.”
My lashed hands agreed immediately. “Let’s go.”
“Bend your knees to take the impact and lock hands so we don’t pitch to one side,” Darrx instructed. “Ready?”
I visualized what he was asking me to do. Uzadaan and I indicated we were prepared.
“On my mark,” Darrx said. My breath lodged in my throat. “Jump!”
I released my holds, careening toward the ground. Keeping my knees soft, I grasped Darrx’s hand. At the last second, he tugged me into him, and we hit the earth with a jarring thud. A wobble threatened to snap my rope, but as I pitched forward, the net caught me. The three of us righted ourselves, and a sigh of relief loosened my chest when I noted our thread was still intact.
“Fuck yes!” Darrx cheered.
Digging my sore hands into the bind around my waist, I loosened it again and spun. Once all of us faced forward again, my enthusiasm faded like the setting sun. There was still so much of the course to go, and I was so, so tired.
“Ready?” Uzadaan asked. Nodding and steeling my spine, I prepared to jog once again. On three, we took off, the grass flying beneath our feet. My lungs burned from the effort of keeping up with their long strides.
A brief thought of faking a sore knee rose, just so we could slow and I could suck down some much-needed air. But then we passed one group. And another.
“There should only be about seven groups ahead of us now!” Darrx shouted, somehow still able to breathe.
Embers blazed in my chest. We’d started not too far back, but with how many we’d passed already, we stood a good chance of placing in the top.
I would not give up.
Uzadaan whooped, and I let out a cry of my own. “Let’s overtake them all!”
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