Page 73 of Kiss of Embers

“I will. I have to go there anyway. I’m competing for the elixir too.”

Guilt gripped me. Struan and I needed that elixir—but so did Zara. The three of us had bonded in the most intimate way possible. All that remained was an official claiming, which had to be approved by King Cormac. But how could I ask him to sanction our mating if I failed to save his wife?

“Where is the third challenge?” Zara asked Galen.

“The Mountain of Karn. It’s an active volcano. The challenge is straightforward. Sprint to the top without falling into a lava flow. First one to the top wins.” He glanced at the tent’s opening. “If you three are coming, we need to hurry. I, uh, strongly suggest putting on some clothes.”

“We’re going,” Zara said. She gave Struan a sharp look. “Get over it, Struan.”

He stopped brushing at himself.

The witch smiled. “Then get dressed. And I’ll break the curse.”

Chapter

Twenty-One

ZARA

The smell of smoke clung to me as I ran toward the edge of the crowd gathered at the base of the soaring volcano. Traveling through fire was an experience I wasn’t eager to repeat, but Galen had kept his word.

Struan and Finn kept pace on either side of me. Galen sprinted ahead, his black barasta flaring around his thighs. The moon rose behind the Mountain of Karn, its silver light illuminating the lava that spread down the slopes in glittering orange rivers. Here and there, steam rose from the ground in thin columns.

As we neared the competitors, heads turned and eyes went wide. Whispers rose.

“…House Baudelaire…”

“The dragons…”

“…no one has seen them…”

“Fell into the chasm…”

Inessa stood at the front of the gathering, her glowing scroll hovering on one side of her and Bolveg standing on the other. She appeared not to notice the commotion as she continued addressing the crowd.

“So, fun fact, it’s only afloeif it’s ice floating on water, which I didn’t know until Bolveg explained it to me last night.” She turned to Bolveg. “Right, demon?”

He pushed his glasses higher on his nose. “That’s correct, goddess.”

She laughed. “Ten thousand years on this plane, and it’s like, Google isright there, you know?” She looked up as the men and I reached the edge of the gathering. “Oh! There you are!” Her gaze moved from Struan and Finn to Galen. “Interesting bedfellows,” she murmured. “Well, notbedfellows.” She nudged Bolveg. “You know what I mean.”

Struan grabbed my hand and shouldered his way through the crowd, pulling me after him. People gasped and jumped from his path. Finn brought up the rear. When we reached Inessa, I hurried to the front.

“We’re here to compete. We finished the second challenge.”

She smiled. “I know. Says it right here.” She gestured to the scroll, which bore hundreds of names. As I watched, Finn’s name flowed across the bottom of the list. Struan’s name followed.

And, finally,Zara Rockfordemblazoned itself along the bottom. My heart dropped to my stomach. I was dead last. I’d start the challenge after every other competitor went ahead of me.

“Zara!” Drute moved through the crowd, concern etched on his face. Competitors peeled from his path as he made his way to my side. He gripped my shoulders, his eyes stark. “My gods, I worried I lost you.”

“I’m fine,” I said, bringing my hands up and clasping his wrists. “I’ll explain everything later.”

“You’ll have to,” Inessa said. She glanced at the volcano. “This bad boy is gonna erupt within the next hour. If we don’t start now, we’ll have to postpone for a week.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her about Brader. But I swallowed the impulse. If I accused him now, Bolveg and the Rules Committee would halt the competition and investigate. I couldn’t wait a week. The pack needed the elixirnow.

Bolveg cleared his throat. “You heard the goddess. Time is of the essence. For this third and final challenge, you must reach the top of the mountain before anyone else. Be mindful of the lava flows, as well as the geysers. Inessa and the Fountain of Truth will await you at the top. The first contestant to touch the edge of the fountain wins the elixir. As before, you must engage fully, which means hyperlocation magic is prohibited. However, those of you gifted with speed possess a natural advantage.”