I will, I told him.
Wilder cleared his throat. “I’m taking a different route to the bottom of the loop.” He sounded strained, worried even. “The instructors have a few … helpers watching our recruits’ movements. Remember what I said: don’t stop to rest and …” his eyes bored into mine, “don’t be tempted to sabotage the others, because we’ll find out.”
My mouth set hard with irritation. “You can’t seriously think I’d do that—”
His lips hardly moved as he muttered, “No, but others might.”
With that he sped off, becoming a blur on the path behind me.
What in the burning courts had that been? A warning?
Shaking my head clear, I ran in the opposite direction. The path became a gentle slope downhill; I increased my speed. My gait was jerky, but the trodden grass path was soft and smooth. The wind whipped past and exhilaration flooded my core, strengthening my legs.
As I joined Frazer’s side, a wild laugh broke loose.
His thoughts nudged mine. Want to go faster?
I bared my teeth at him in wicked amusement. Together, we bolted forward and stayed in sync. Pulse singing in my veins, a zephyr cooling my cheeks, I felt unbound. Free.
A fierce, cawing laugh from beside me, from Frazer, made my face crack in two with a smile. That died the moment Tysion appeared on the track ahead. Frazer shifted to my right, grasped my hand, and tugged me off the path. We didn’t go far, but we kept a healthy distance from the male. Frazer didn’t let go until we’d passed him by. The second we had, we broke apart, and by unspoken agreement, didn’t bother to return to the track. I barely noticed overtaking Cole, who was also running along the designated trail. We doubled our speed again, and the loop flew by. Minutes, maybe seconds, passed. We couldn’t see the path anymore.
Frazer vented his feelings with another feral laugh and did a flip off a fallen log.
Show-off.
His response down the bond was a flash of unbridled joy. Then the next emotion flinging its way toward me was panic. Frazer whirled and sprinted straight for me.
What’s wrong? I slowed. Fear squashed the joy right out of me.
Dustin’s tracking us.
I stopped. Why?
Don’t know. We passed him a minute ago.
Frazer made it to my side just as Dustin appeared from behind. His cheeks were flushed as red as the hair atop his head. He prowled toward us, his back hunched, his nostrils flaring. Instinct kicked in, flooding more adrenaline into my system. A prey response.
Dustin sniffed the air, drinking in my fear. But Wilder had given me something—a way to threaten him. Had he known?
“They’ll kick you out if you try to sabotage another recruit.”
“Who’s going to tell them? You? They’d never believe a human over a fae, and as for that monstrosity—”
Frazer’s growl vibrated in the back of his throat.
Dustin responded with a huff of contempt.
“Cai was right about you,” I said.
That got his eyes narrowing. Good.
“You’re a dim-witted troll if you think the instructors don’t have the loop covered with fae. They’ll see, they’ll know—”
The words died on my lips as Dustin flashed his teeth.
“If there were any strange fae close by, I’d smell and hear them, you dumb bitch,” he mocked.
My heart tumbled and sank.
Dustin stepped closer. “Surely you haven’t got yourself another bodyguard? First Adrianna and now this wingless worm.”
Frazer didn’t move. A cold calm emanated from him. His body language screamed of confidence with his head tilted, almost bemused-like, and his arms hanging loose at his sides.
Dustin must’ve noticed too because his eyes fixed on my fae protector, the actual threat. “Something tells me this one’s only interested in an easy lay. He won’t actually lift a finger to stop me from doing what’s necessary.” His eyes sparked and his back arched. “Because if I knock you out—one blow, no mark—this hell ends. And you’re just the bitch who fell asleep.”
I wanted to pound Dustin’s teeth down his throat, but I knew the words were meant for Frazer. All to convince him I wasn’t worth the trouble. Concerned they might be working I tried to sense Frazer’s intentions. Either he projected his thoughts or his barriers were down because it was all there: a swirling vortex of black, pitiless wrath. A storm of bloody rage.
I turned to Dustin, smiling.
He pounced. Frazer’s body blurred.
They crashed into each other, the force knocking me back. I scrambled away from them as they tumbled through the air. One, two … four seconds later, Frazer had Dustin pinned and he bit into his throat. Worry knotted in my stomach as he shook his head, like a wolf snapping the neck of its prey.
Frazer?
He growled. I hesitated. Would he turn on me in this state?
He won’t hurt you, Auntie told me. Again, cryptically. Nevertheless, I took courage from it.
“Frazer. Enough. Cole and Tysion will pass by soon. We’ve got to go. Dustin’s got the message. Haven’t you?” I demanded.
Silence. Frazer snarled and bit down harder.
“Yes! I’ve got the fucking message,” Dustin blurted out. “She’s your bitch. I won’t touch her.”
Really? That’s what he thought?
Frazer sheathed his canines and hissed in warning before releasing him and backing off. Dustin rose, pressing a hand down on the bite to staunch the bleeding.
“You’ll regret this,” he said with a haughty curl of his lip. “You both will.”
A throb of maddened rage pulsed on the other end of the thread. Something told me that this was actually part of Frazer—something constantly seething under the surface, ready to spring forth and devour the world.
It didn’t frighten me. Worryingly, it felt—tasted—familiar.
I went to tap Frazer’s elbow. Just a light touch to bring him back to the moment. “Let’s go.”
“This isn’t over,” Dustin snarled with fresh venom. “All I have to do is show Wilder this bite—”
A hot line of anger sliced through me. “You do that, and let’s see who he believes. Just remember, I’m not the one he despises.” A bluff.
Dustin expelled a harsh laugh. “You think a renowned warrior would believe a human over a fae? What did you do, open your legs for him?”
That hit a nerve. “There’s a fae standing right in front of you.”
“Him?” Dustin spat at Frazer’s feet. “He’s a mute. What’s he gonna do? Mime? Act out what happened? He’s a joke.”
“All he has to do is nod to confirm my story. So, please, go crying to the instructors. It’d make my day if you got kicked out.”
I turned my back. The ultimate sign of trust that Frazer would protect it.
I ran toward the path and he joined my side a moment later. That was reckless. Don’t insult a fae by showing them your back if I’m not there.
My lips pressed together in an effort to quell the laughter and stay quiet. As if he was in any position to give advice. Given he’d been inches from snapping someone’s neck only moments ago.
The thrill from our sprint had gone. We jogged along in silence until the trees thinned, giving way to open grassland and a clear vista of the valley below. We came to a natural stop as the path ahead descended abruptly, sloping all the way down the hillside back toward camp.
Frazer grasped my arm. He was squinting.
“What is it?” I asked aloud.
A bob of his chin. I tracked his gaze toward a small group congregating near the start of the loop. I was too far away to see individuals, but excitement exploded inside of me anyway. I peeked up at Frazer, hardly daring to believe it. His tiny half-smile had me blinking back tears. “We made it?” I croaked.
He gave a nod to confirm.
Overwhelmed, I cried out and pulled him into a hug. He stiffened so much it was like embracing a statue, but I was too busy sobbing on his shoulder to let go. That is until he deigned to pat me on the head. A clear signal that my time was up.
“Sorry.” I pulled away, wiping my eyes on my sleeve. “I just didn’t think I’d make it.”