Trial by Fae (Dragon's Gift The Dark Fae #1) - Linsey Hall Page 0,51

was, deep beneath a tree at the heart of the Fae realm, my cover blown. I was entirely at his mercy.

As if sensing the change in the atmosphere, the earth rumbled.

I jumped, looking around. “What was that?”

“The tree is sinking,” Tarron said. “Come on.”

My heart jumped. Sinking?

Shit. We’d be buried alive.

I tried my transport magic, but it didn’t work. Blocked like before.

Tarron grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

Together, the three of us raced from the cavern. The tunnels shook as we sprinted through, and my heart thundered in my ears. Dirt rained down on my head, and my lungs burned as I ran, panic driving me. Being buried alive seemed like the worst way to go.

Luna and Tarron were as fast as I was, thankfully, and we made it out of the underground lair just as the tree roots sank back into the earth.

I stood at the base of the tree, panting. The sun shined brightly, and I shielded my face to inspect the area around us. The root monsters were gone, thank fates. Fae officials had arrived, a half dozen of them dressed in crimson and gold outfits. Two were dealing with the body of the mage, and the other four started toward us.

Tarron looked at Luna. “Go hold them off, would you?”

She nodded and handed him the orb, which he took.

“Who are they?” I asked.

“Part of my Royal Guard. They’ve been manipulating the way that the audience sees the competition.”

“So they don’t know that you’re involved. What you’re really up to.”

“They can’t.”

“I think they could handle it, you know. You don’t have to treat them like glass.”

“I’m going to fix it, and it won’t be an issue.”

Somehow, I thought there was more to it than he was letting on. In fact, I was sure of it. “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing.”

I stared hard at him. In the distance, the officials were arguing with Luna. Clearly, they wanted to approach the king. We only had seconds.

I had to decide.

Was he really working in the best interest of his kingdom, and therefore the world? Because if the dark energy enveloped the Fae realm, Agatha had said that it would move to earth next.

There was so much at stake. Could I trust him?

“Why are you hosting a magical competition in the middle of a crisis? What do you want the prize for?”

“The sacred Rowan Grove only opens during this competition. It is where the Wish Stone is kept, and we’ll use it to help us destroy the obelisk.”

“Well, go ahead, then. Wish it away. Make it all better.”

He gave me a look that suggested I was a moron. “It’s not that simple.”

“It never is. How can I trust you?”

“You don’t have a choice,” he said. “I could kill you here—and I would, if I thought you were here to harm my people—and none of my guard would say a thing. You signed your life away when you entered this competition.”

“You can’t kill me. You saved me from the Finfolk.”

His mouth hardened. “I did. I had to. I didn’t understand why then, but I do now.” His fists clenched. “But hear me clearly—I could kill you, even if you are my Mograh. It might tear my soul apart, but to protect my people, I would.”

Tear his soul apart?

Was that what happened when you lost your Mograh?

Not that he even wanted one. He’d made that clear. He planned to ignore it.

But as for the threats, I believed him. He was killer. He’d killed his brother, after all. The people in the village whispered that he was cruel. A murderous usurper.

But I trusted him—at least in this. Like he said, I had to. He was trying to save his people, even though they didn’t know it.

The Royal Guard was coming, and it was just me against them. Me against the king.

“Fine,” I said. “I trust that you mean well. But I want to help.”

13

The rest of the day happened in a blur. Tarron had kept me close to his side as we headed back to the Seelie realm. During the closing ceremonies, Luna appeared on stage as the winner, and I’d stood by in the shadows.

It’d worked perfectly, since I’d wanted to stay out of the limelight and she was a fantastic actress. Being a skilled liar helped, definitely.

I couldn’t help but smile slightly at the glowing grin on her face as she waved at the crowd, clutching the carved Wish Stone to her chest. I’d seen her in action. The blue-haired, pink-eyed Fae