The Rise of Fortune and Fury (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 5)

“But… but… it’s too big for you,” I stammer.

She glares. “It isn’t. I can change my size at my whim. But it’s very pretty.”

“I’m sorry,” I say with a shake of my head. “But that was made especially for me. I can’t give it up.”

I expect her to argue, but she immediately snaps her fingers on one hand and points to me. “Servitude,” she exclaims. “You shall be my servant for a period of no less than six months, starting on the first Monday of next month and—”

That’s it.

I’m done.

Without thought, I magically conjure a butterfly net, the strings laced with iron. With a swiftness greater than I’d possessed in all the other gauntlet tasks, I arc it over my shoulder and bring it down on top of her. She squeaks in surprise. Without hesitation, I put a shield over the entire thing before scooping her up.

Enraged, she tries to shoot bolts of magic at me, but they ricochet back at her from my shield. She throws herself against the net, but her skin burns against the iron and she shrieks her rage, shaking a fist.

I’m too tired to even gloat. I walk out of the cave carrying the net, blinking at the bright light. The first thing I see is Carrick standing there with a grin on his face. Caiden is also there, looking incredibly pleased. I assume they were somehow able to watch my journey, probably with some hidden camera system.

Or probably with magic.

I toss the net to Caiden, who easily catches it. “Put a leash on that little hell pixie,” I say with a grimace.

The fairy screams obscenities.

“It if helps,” I tell her magnanimously. “You were actually my most trying foe today.”

That must help somewhat, as she grumbles with arms crossed over her chest and only glares.

“Be gone, Truwila,” Caiden says with a laugh. Waving his hand over the net, he releases her. She buzzes off with a trail of gold sparkles trailing her until she’s lost in the jungle leaves. Turning to me, he says, “Outstanding work, Finley. You ever want a job as an annihilator, it’s yours.”

“I’ll pass,” I say with a grin. “I’ve got more important things to do.”

His expression sobers. “Yes, I expect you do.”

I turn my attention to Carrick, who shows me how proud he is by drawing me into my arms and hugging me hard. I wince as I try to return it, but the cut on my forearm throbs from the contact and I hiss in pain.

Carrick jerks back, eyes going immediately dark and worried. “What’s wrong?”

“Got a few cuts,” I say, looking down at my thigh where the workout pants are soaked with blood. When I pull the material away, it sticks slightly, meaning the cut must be coagulating.

“Let me see,” Carrick demands, batting my hand away.

He squats, looks at the slice in the material of my pants, then notes the blood but doesn’t seem to need any further information. When he waves his hand, a warmth washes over my thigh and it tingles at the cut. I can’t see what’s going on, but I can tell it just knit up.

I shove my arm under his nose. “This one, too.”

His eyes lift, golden once more and filled with amusement. He takes my wrist, pulls it to his mouth, and places a kiss there. Again, there’s warmth flowing through me and a tingle at the cut as it heals. I don’t bother looking at it, though, because I’m mesmerized watching Carrick kiss my wrist while his eyes stay pinned on me.

When he releases me, he straightens and takes my jaw in his hand. “You were magnificent in the gauntlet. If I were Kymaris, I’d be scared to death of you.”

I step into him for a hug. It’s sweet of him to say that, but the gauntlet I just ran was a piece of cake compared to going up against the Queen of the Underworld.

CHAPTER 15

Finley

Caiden bends distance, supposedly to take us to Priya and Titus, but when we step out onto what looks like an Ivy League college campus, they’re nowhere to be seen. Large stately buildings in marble and limestone with Grecian era columns and formal landscaping with stone pathways among pocket gardens with benches upon which to sit.

A stray person or two seem to be hurrying off to one of the buildings that make a U-shape around the courtyard we’re standing in.

“This is the Alliance Academy,” Caiden explains as he sweeps his hand toward the buildings. “Most just call it the Academy, but I thought you’d like a quick peek at it.”

“Alliance?” I ask curiously. “That implies a formalized organization runs this?”

“Of course,” Caiden says lightly, but doesn’t offer an explanation.

He leads us up wide steps, through double doors, and into one of the buildings. It’s a large hall of sorts, with gray marble flooring, and to the left and right are groupings of furniture, a few of which are occupied with what I assume are Academy students.