Three Deadly Trials (Battle for The Dark King Book 1) Read online

  I threw my arms around her and did my best to keep the tears stinging my eyes at bay.

  "Eden, what is going on?"

  Ava leaned back so she could look into my eyes. The scowl intensified.

  "Um, nothing," I sniffed and released her.

  "It's just, I need to go...I got a job offer. The interview is in New York City. I fly out tonight."

  "What? Eden, I came home to tell you that the hospital has been trying to get ahold of you. Dad isn't doing so hot. You can't just leave now."

  My throat constricted. A sob threatened to escape from deep in my breast. Wanting to throw my arms around her again and explain it all, I knew I couldn't. Not only would she not believe me, but I might be putting her life in danger if I did.

  "I'm sorry Ava," I choked. "It's just something I have to do. Dad is strong, he will pull through like he always does. Please, can you just let him know that I'm thinking of him?"

  Ava glowered at me in disbelief. Taking a step away from me, she looked as though I had just slapped her in the face. In a way I had. Dad meant the world to both of us. He wasn't doing so hot already, which meant a call from the hospital could suggest he would be gone soon. But I didn't have a choice. I had to protect Ava, at any cost. I had promised to do so.

  "You're unbelievable Eden. Have fun on your trip while Dad is dying in a hospital bed."

  She spun around and stormed out of the room and down the hall. A tear fell from my cheek as I heard the door slam behind her. The words felt like a red-hot poker in my heart. Standing in my bedroom, I took a quick glance around before tossing as many of my possessions as I could fit inside a duffle bag. I collected everything I thought that I might need.

  Clothes, a toothbrush, some hair ties. I didn't know what to expect, nor what would be beneficial to me wherever we were traveling to. Murky vapor permeated the room as the Demon reappeared. I didn't turn to confront him while he watched in stillness as I threw as much of my life as I could carry into the bag.

  "Harper."

  His voice startled me. I paused in between zipping up the bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

  "What?"

  "My name, it's Harper."

  "Sounds oddly human," I replied flatly.

  Harper half snorted, half chuckled at the remark. I was pretty sure I had just insulted him, not that I cared in the slightest. Strolling into the living room, I set down the bag to slide on a weathered pair of sneakers that were long overdue for a replacement.

  "So," I straightened and reached for the duffle bag. "Where are we headed?"

  Harper seized my belongings before I could, and much more easily lifted it and motioned toward the door. So now he chooses to act polite. Thirty minutes ago he was longing to exterminate me.

  "The forest."

  Odd place to be going. I was partially convinced he was pointing me to a place of isolation just so he would have a nice spot to butcher me in. Not having much of a choice in the affair, I started forward, leading us out of the door and up the street. Despite the late hour, I prayed someone would be awake to see us and call the police. Not that it would do any good, this guy was seven feet worth of sheer, lethal power.

  The forest line wasn't far outside of city limits. The trees towered overhead, watching menacingly as I took the first steps inside. I felt a profound sense of grief. Understanding from that moment on, my life was about to take a turn. For better or worse, I was wholly immersed now.

  "I don't exactly have a map, Harper. Would you mind taking the lead now?"

  Disregarding me, he proceeded to follow as I wandered through the brush. Everything about the forest creeped me out at night. Critters didn't scamper within the greenery and the air was too still. It produced an eerie calm, nothing to be heard save for the sound of twigs snapping under my sneakers. We trekked for what seemed like hours before he decisively advanced, pushing a forearm against my chest.

  "This will do."

  He reached into the cloak at his throat, drawing out a silver chain. At the end of it dangled a gem, amber in shade, it shimmered despite the darkness. Harper took a few steps ahead and set his heavy boots securely into the ground. Chanting something unintelligible under his breath, he pulled the jewel through the air, holding it like he was an artist, and it was his paintbrush. In the wake of it, glimmering radiance displayed in words that were foreign to me. He worked at it until an enormous symbol glistened in front of him.

  "Brruntek."

  At his command, the glyph divided, bleeding with a blinding glare. I thrust up a hand to shield my eyes that had adjusted to the dark.

  "Come," Harper ordered, elbowing me toward it.

  "I'm not going anywhere near that thing, are you insane?"

  He gave my shoulder a shove with a massive hand. Groaning, I knew that whether I wanted to or not, I was about to descend into this magical freaking hole. I peered at him over my shoulder, confident that my face was saturated with dread. He pointed to the core, where the opening was glittering, hungry and waiting for me.

  "Inside. Now." He commanded.

  "You don't have to be so bossy," I muttered and stretched out a hand to test its solidity. It felt strange, like my fingers were inside of a gooey vacuum. Despite the strangeness of it all, the gateway lured me with warmth. My chest tightened. What if he had the wrong girl? What if the mysterious opening could sense that, and was about to melt my face off? What if…

  With another firm shove from Harper, the decision was made for me. Entering it felt like the times I had dreamt of slipping from a cliff's edge. It was the kind of dream that jolted you awake in the middle of the night. Only, I couldn't rouse as I proceeded to descend down into the magical rabbit hole. My limbs slung outward, urgently seeking something to take hold of, to steady the spinning. My eyes had forced themselves closed against the light. An ungodly amount of time passed while I tumbled down until I finally slammed into the hearty terrain.

  The spinning ceased just as abruptly as it had begun. I groaned and pushed myself up with unsteady arms. Leaning back on my heels, I cracked my eyes to examine the area, expecting the hell itself. Seeing only the forest floor, I elevated my gaze. We were right where we had started. Harper landed on his feet beside me and I was pretty sure the whole forest shuddered.

  "It didn't work."

  "Look again," He grunted and hauled me to my feet without warning.

  My eyes scanned the woods while I accompanied him in trudging onward. The forest was the same...and different. Lustrous emerald and azure fungi spread from the base all the way up into the canopy of the dark trees. In spite of the nighttime, everything appeared so vivid and full of life.

  "What is this place?" I asked in awe.

  "This," He answered, kicking a spiraling iridescent plant out of his way. "Is the Faewild, it encompasses the castle. Be grateful you have me with you. Conditions can get rather dicey for novice Fae-kind roaming through here."

  Considering every word emanating from his chops, I hastened my aching feet to settle into stride alongside him.

  "How far is it, the castle?"

  "Not far."

  "And how far is not far?"

  "Keep quiet."

  Chewing my cheek while we walked, I accepted his request, keeping silent along the trail of wild luminescent plants and flora, only looking up once we had entered the clearing. Glad to be past the clusters of trees, impressive as they were, I required unrestricted air. Beyond us was unlike anything I had encountered before. I observed the hues of color above as they weaved in and out of each other lazily, their backdrop a splattering of twinkling stars and dark azure sky.

  Beneath the display, I could make out the colossal outline of a stone wall. Behind the wall was what I could only assume to be the castle spires. My heart trembled at the idea that I was moments away from unearthing what exactly was transpiring here. Suddenly I felt very nauseous. What if I didn't want to know?

  Two guards stood at attention against the wall, a barrier elevated behind them. S
ilver armor flashed beneath rows of golden leaves, giving them the appearance of scale mail. Their fists chimed as they traveled to the hilt of their weapons at the sight of Harper and me. I halted in place, while Harper elevated his hands to display that we had arrived free of weapons.

  "Hold there, Demon."

  "Easy fellows, I've come to deliver this hag to Lord Blaive."

  With that, he nudged me forward, ignoring my pinched face at his remark. The guard to the left studied my appearance for a moment and jerked his fingers at the other, a signal to disengage the gate.

  "We will take her to Blaive from here. You're free to leave, Demon."

  "What about my payment?" Harper roared, making even the fully suited guard quake in his boots.

  "You should know the laws by now. Come back at dawn to speak with Lord Blaive. He will honor the transaction and have the gold transported to you."

  Harper scowled at me, presumably wishing he hadn't chosen to bring me the entire way in one night. To be honest, I was pretty glad that I didn't have to worry about it. A third guard reported after the gate had been dropped.

  "Take the Witch to her quarters, I'll send word to Lord Blaive." The first guard said to number three. "If she so much as twitches her fingers, don't hesitate to do what you must for your prince."

  "What the hell does that mean?" I argued.

  All of them disregarded my question, the third firmly taking hold of my forearm. I looked over at Harper who stood in place, as though he were prepared to argue for the rest of eternity, so long as he got his money. I wasn't his problem anymore. He continued cursing at the gatekeeper until we were well out of earshot. A feeling of overwhelming loneliness hit me right in the gut. He may have protected me in the forest but he wasn't about to do more than what he was making money for.

  Holding my arm much harder than I deemed necessary, the guard escorted me into a darkened and quiet city. In the dim light, I was only capable of catching glimpses of intricately constructed buildings. The castle became clearer the further in we walked. It towered overhead, with torches blazing all around it. Amethyst flames lit the heavy three-story doors at the entrance. More guards were posted there, and I was sure hundreds more were dispersed throughout the place. They opened the doors for us to pass through.

  "Why are the flames purple?"

  "In celebration of The Trials. Now shut your mouth."

  The innards of the castle were also dimly illuminated in the late hours. Torches flickered, casting shadows across the hall. It gave me the creeps, leaving me to feel like I was strolling into a dungeon. The only sound was the clanking of metal from the guard's armor as he led us down numerous hallways. Hundreds of doors later, I was completely lost.

  Finally, we settled outside of a door that jutted slightly ajar.

  "You're quarters, hag." His voice was deep and came out like rumbling thunder clouds.

  I peered at his odd yellow eyes, awaiting further instructions. It quickly became apparent that he had nothing else to say to me. I pulled free of his grasp to face the door. It was elegantly crafted from dense timber, with golden vines twisting and looping through each other to form a Celtic knot. Setting a palm upon it, I used every ounce of strength that was left in me to push against it.

  Groaning in a pleasant, low rumble, the door swung open, revealing a large room. The tall ceiling overhead was covered in artwork. Drapes of rich burgundy hung from the windows. I stepped further in, inhaling the smoky aroma wafting from the crackling hearth. A queen-sized bed rested opposite of the glowing fireplace with a canopy erected above it. Elegant, sheer fabric hung from it in soft folds that tumbled to the floor.

  An assortment of chests and other containers were arranged around the room. Crap. Harper had my freaking clothes.

  "Excuse me," I spun around to find that the guard had already gone.

  "Great. So much for my things I guess."

  "You don't need them." Spoke a low, strong voice from across the chamber.

  "Excuse me?" I slowly shuffled around the bed, my heart hammering against my breast. An ivory table rested on the other side. Two chairs were beside it, one of them being occupied. I grimaced at what I could only presume was the back of a cloaked man. What was with these people and their stupid cloaks? The man rose casually. Twisting to face me, he drew back the hood.

  I'm rather certain that my heart stopped beating the moment I laid eyes on him. With his perfectly carved jaw, eyes as pale and green as seafoam, and skin a robust espresso color, he was absolute perfection. He swung a hand toward the door, which clicked shut in obedience. Removing the cloak from his broad shoulders, he tossed it onto the bed and ran a thumb across his smooth, square jaw. I observed him doing so in complete and utter reverence. He wasn't as tall as Harper had been, but close enough. His muscular build was apparent, even underneath the elegant attire that clung to him.

  "I'm Rowan." He said simply.

  "Eden Morris," I responded, pushing a hand toward him in greeting. Before I realized what was happening, he seized my hand and had me twirled around, bending it up behind my back in a matter of seconds. His body heat raced over me in waves that smelled of spiced wine and the Faewild. I could feel his breath on the exposed skin at my nape. With his groin pushed securely against my backside, I was having a difficult time figuring out what he was doing.

  "Careful with swift movements here, Witch."

  There was that word again.

  "I'm getting really tired of you people calling me that. I have a name, as I just told you."

  "I know who you are."

  "Oh yeah? And how is that exactly?"

  "It's my duty, as future Fae King, to know everything about the other nobles in the Realm. We didn't think you would make an appearance. And," He growled in my ear. His voice was gruff, sending a shiver up my spine.

  "You're late."

  Chapter Five

  "What are you talking about? Your Demon stopped by last night and then again tonight. I wasn't exactly given a memo." Wriggling against his hold, I tried to free myself, quickly realizing that it was impossible.

  "Watch how you speak to me, wit--"

  "Don't even say it. My name is Eden. Can you please let go of me now?"

  He twisted my arm further up, causing my back to arch. My head fell against his collarbone with a thud that jarred my teeth. He must have been leaning down because there was no way I should have been able to do that. His breathing remained steady in my ear, calm, collected. Everything I was not at that moment.

  "I am not part of your nasty little Coven, I am the prince of this kingdom, and you will address me as such when you open that vile, Witch mouth of yours."

  "I'm sorry," I winced at the ache he was creating in my shoulder. "But you asked me here. I'm a guest by force, not choice. And I still don't even know what the hell I'm here to do. Prince Rowan." I added the last bit for good measure.

  "You are here because it is required of you. I didn't write the law that brought you, but I will enforce it. Even if it means allowing a Witch into my home."

  "Can you please let go of my arm? I don't even understand how I zapped Harper, so I'm fairly positive I won't be doing it again."

  Rowan slackened his hold of me, enabling me to break free and put a foot or two of distance between us. I stroked my wrist and grimaced at his stupid, handsome face. His loose black curls dangled in a perfect border around his jawline. I could also see the tip of a pointed ear beneath the mass of impressive hair.

  "You can't activate your spells? Why?" His voice was firm and demanding. I eyed him despite my bowed head.

  "I don't have spells, I don't have a Coven, I don't know where I am or why I'm here."

  "You said you did something before, though, to the Demon I hired. Who is a week late, might I add, and won't be getting paid."

  "I bet he will be jumping for joy at the news." I sighed and rubbed my arm, which was still stinging from his grip. I shook the thought of Harper's threat to kill me if Rowan didn't pay up from
my mind and tried to focus on what we had been talking about.

  "When Harper came to collect me, I accidentally made some lightning stuff attack his face. I don't know how I did it. One second I was frightened; the next, my fists were covered with the stuff."

  "I don't believe you." He sneered, his eyes never leaving mine. I felt small under his gaze, especially because he was impeccable and stood a full foot and a half taller than me. Seriously, it was like an artist had created him with the tears of an angel. Perfect, in every way.

  "Believe me, don't believe me. I don't care. Just tell me what I have to do to get back home. Please."

  He considered me for a minute. I stood there like I was being lectured, feeling naked under his pale eyes as they scanned me up and down. Eventually, he sat back down and pointed at the other chair with a long finger.

  "Sit."

  I obliged, far too exhausted to get myself man-handled again. Once my bottom hit the chair I was pretty confident that I could fall asleep, right then and there. Instead, I held his stare with my own and waited for him to start talking.

  "You are here to participate in the Devotion Trials. In these Trials, that will occur over the next week, you will be challenged by six others."

  He reached a hand across the table, palm up and wiggled his impeccable fingers at me. I grudgingly place my hand on his. He flipped it over to reveal the Faerie Star. Tracing it delicately enough to send ripples of desire through me, he explained how it worked.

  "Each point represents a participant. When one is defeated, a point will brand into your skin. The one who finishes the Trial with all seven points will be the winner."

  "What's the prize? I asked cautiously.

  "My hand in marriage."

  "Marriage?" I jumped to my feet, my mind spinning. Marriage would mean being trapped here forever.

  "Yes, do you know what that is?"

  "Of course I know what that is," I snapped with my head turned toward the door. I wanted nothing more than to run through it. I'd take my chances in the forest if it meant I didn't have to marry some arrogant jerk. Prince or not, this guy was way too full of himself for me to even consider it.