A low, pulsing hum spread through the air, growing louder and thicker until it thrummed in the marrow of their bones. In the castle courtyard, dragon servants darted back and forth loading weapons, fruits, enchanted flasks of water, medical packs, cloaks, crystal compasses, and other mystical gear into each mate's arms like they were shipping out to war.
"Who needs ten knives and four pairs of boots?" Liam grunted, half buried under gear, his voice full of sarcasm. "What am I, a vampire or a walking weapons cache?"
"Yes," Rhiannan muttered, tightening the strap on her shoulder sheath. She cracked her neck. Her leathers were tight, her blades were sharp, and her nerves were on fire. The countdown blazed above them in the crimson sky like a goddamn ticking bomb.
10.
9
"If we die, I want you all to know, I never liked any of you," Arwen said dramatically, flipping his hair and adjusting his twin daggers.
8.
"You love us," Kaleb growled, loading a crossbow onto his back.
7.
"Maybe. But I'll deny it with my last breath."
6.
Sable flexed his wings. "We should be killing something already."
5.
Elisha, brooding as hell, stared up at the countdown. "Whatever this trial is, it won't be kind."
4.
"Oh, you think?" Rhiannan snapped. "I'm in leather in the middle of summer. Nothing about this is kind."
3.
2..
1....
BOOM.
A brilliant white flash split the sky. The air twisted, imploded, and snapped like a rubber band. POP!
Rhiannan landed face first in a pile of sand, her ears popping so hard it sent her swearing in three languages.
She staggered up, spitting grit. Alone. Dry, blazing heat pressed down on her like a giant sun baked anvil.
"FUCK!" She hollered.
Weapons? Check. Supplies? None. Water? Non existent. Shade? HA.
She looked around at the vast, golden wasteland. "They sent me to goddamn Arrakis," she muttered. "I'm going to die like a dramatic bitch in the desert."
Far in the distance, other pops echoed.
Kaleb's POV
Sand. Heat. Dust. He landed on his feet, of course, but the heat was enough to make his eyes water. He immediately ripped off a tunic layer, scanning for signs of life.
"Rhiannan...?"
His wolf stirred. He could feel her....barely. The bond was fuzzy, like trying to scream underwater.
He sprinted toward the feeling, pulling out his compass. It spun wildly before pointing southwest.
Arwen's POV
"I swear to all the gods, if this heat messes up my hair..."
He landed ass first in a cactus.
He yelped, leapt up, and yanked needles from his cheek. "I hate this trial already."
But he felt her. Barely a whisper. A pull in his chest like gravity had a personal vendetta. He drew his blade and started walking.
Elisha's POV
The golden sand was almost beautiful, until it scorched his boots.
The dragon in him roared, already agitated from the separation.
He growled, scenting the air.
Smoke. Ash. Her. She was somewhere out there.
He shifted into partial form, his wings unfurling, and launched into the sky.
Liam's POV
"I'm too pretty for sunburn," he muttered, dusting sand off his pale skin.
He scanned the landscape and sighed. "Rhiannan, darling, if you die before I get to dramatically rescue you, I will never forgive you."
He adjusted his coat, summoned a shadow beast, and rode off like a gothic cowboy.
Sable's POV
The sandstorm hit him the second he landed.
He snarled, wings shielding his face.
His soul ached. She was too far. The thread of their bond flickered like a dying ember.
He roared into the wind and took off running, each footfall shaking the ground.
Back to Rhiannan
She pulled her dagger and stalked forward, muttering obscenities. The trial wanted her lost? Starved? Broken?
Too bad.
Her men were coming. She could feel them getting closer. They would pass this trial together.
And she'd be damned if the desert won.