A Trial of Sorcerers: Book One by Kova, Elise (universal ebook reader .txt) 📕

who was always in control. He looked as if he was about to level the forest with a twister.

“I know you won’t believe me, but I swear—”

“I believe you.” Cullen looked back to Marcus once more. His arms tightened slightly around her. “We need to get you back. You need medical attention.”

“Yes, and I need your help to bring Marcus with me. I’m not strong enough to carry him and hold Ferro captive.”

“You have Ferro captive?” Cullen let out a curse word that sounded impressed rather than angry.

“I think so.” Eira lifted her fist. “I pinned him down and gagged him with ice. I can still feel my magic draining, so I think he’s still in place…” Unless he had broken free and she was just sending magic to a patch of ice in the woods.

“You’re incredible,” he murmured.

Eira had waited years for someone like Cullen to say that to her. For someone in the Tower—other than Alyss—to see her as valuable. To see her magic as powerful as Eira had always known it was. And now that she had the praise and attention…

She didn’t care.

All that mattered right now was Marcus and bringing Ferro to justice. She didn’t need Cullen’s—or anyone else’s—validation. She needed his help and strength.

“I have Ferro back by a lake, where he trapped us. I don’t know how much longer I can last. I can feel him struggling against my tethers… I have to get back and then we can send the guard. That way they can apprehend him.” If she could hold that long.

“Let him go; save your strength.”

“No. He must be brought to justice. He killed Marcus!” She clutched Cullen with her free hand. Cullen staggered some, eyes darting to Marcus and back to her.

“I agree with you. I do. But we need to focus on getting you back. And we can’t bring Ferro to justice alone.”

“That’s why I wanted to get the guard. My aunt—”

“Think of how this will look,” Cullen said firmly. “You and I both know your history. If you return with a dead body and holding the Ambassador to Meru captive and demand he be apprehended, fingers will end up pointed at you.”

“But I didn’t—”

“I know how this works, Eira. Trust me, I know better than anyone. Let Ferro go. He’ll be on the loose, yes, but then the guard can chase him down. We’ll leave Marcus here—”

“You want to leave my brother here?” Eira nearly shrieked. She wrestled herself from Cullen’s arms. He didn’t force his hold on her and Eira tumbled to the ground. She shook her head, pushing against the icy cobblestones. She’d get her and Marcus back to Solarin herself, alone, if that’s what it took.

“You have to listen to me, or you’ll be a suspect in his death.”

“I would’ve never hurt my brother.” She hung her head. The incident from three years ago would haunt her forever. She could never escape its repercussions.

She’d killed someone. She was forever branded as a murderer.

“I know that, but he’s not the only competitor who’s died tonight!”

“What?” She brought her eyes back to Cullen’s.

“That’s why I came looking for you both… The proctors found the other Waterrunners dead. Traps had sprung early and wrong. The others…they had their throats slit.”

Ferro had killed them. That’s what he’d meant about having a long night and the “others.” Eira’s gut turned molten and she had to consciously pack her ice tightly around her mind to keep a cool head.

“All the more reason we must bring him to justice. We can’t let him run free.” Eira stood, swaying. “I’m going back to Solarin with Marcus, then I’ll send the guard.”

“If you do this—”

“I’m doing this.”

“But—”

“This isn’t a negotiation, Cullen!” Eira turned to face him. “I made a promise—the last promise I will ever make to my brother was that we would go back together. We would finish this trial together. I don’t care what happens to me. I have let him down too many times in my life. I won’t, I can’t, let him down now. This is my last chance to do something for him. Don’t take it from me!” Her voice was cracked and broken, shaking apart like the rest of her. But no tears fell. She’d cried out every drop of water within her. All that was left now was ice.

Cullen stared at her until he clearly could not bear to any longer. He looked away, back at his horse. Without a word, he strode over to the mount. Eira expected him to leave her. The Prince of the Tower couldn’t be seen with a murderer, after all.

Plus, he had his secret to guard—whatever that was—and he was right…they would suspect her. Even if she could prove her innocence, she would be under investigation. She knew how the events unfurled after something like this. She’d been here before. And the Waterrunners—her direct competitors—were the ones murdered. Eira’s gut twisted. Ferro had left her for last because he knew, even if he didn’t succeed, Solaris’s justice would finish her off for him.

No, she wouldn’t blame Cullen for leaving. It had been inevitable that he would. She was a risk to him and his family, a liability through association.

Except…he didn’t leave.

Cullen led the horse back to her. “Get on.”

“What?”

“You’re dead on your feet, get on.”

“But—”

“You need your strength to keep holding Ferro in place, don’t you? Don’t walk the rest of the way, ride. And before you ask, I’ll carry Marcus.”

“You don’t have to do this,” she whispered.

“I don’t, and I likely shouldn’t.” Cullen frowned. “I’m risking a lot right now, more than you realize.”

“Then why?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do. Because Marcus was my friend and he would want me to look out for you and because I…I want to look out for you.”

The last man that had “looked out for her” murdered her brother and tried to kill her. But Eira kept the thoughts to herself and gave a small nod. She needed Cullen’s help right now. But