The Culling Trials (Shadowspell Academy #2)(40)

“Walk away,” I called out, fear churning low in my gut. My cockeyed grin didn’t match my tone. Part of me couldn’t help but cheer this creature for putting Ethan in his damn place. “He’s not meant for you.”

“I thought you said we could pick,” Ethan yelled out, his face red.

“I said I think you can pick, moron. I don’t speak their sign language, remember?”

Wally added, “Technically no one speaks sign language—”

“Just pick another,” I yelled at Ethan, cutting her off.

Wally and Orin left Pete standing on his own, cupping his junk and staring at the herd. They each chose the closest alicorn to them. Orin approached his quarry with his head and body slightly bowed, the perfect posture for submission. The alicorn tried to gore him, flapping its wings and swinging its daunting horn. Without hesitation, he approached the next alicorn, which accepted him, and gracefully hopped onto its back, not blustering once.

Wally was easily accepted by the first one she approached. Her issue came with trying to get on. She jumped over and fell off the other side. Grabbed the mane and tried to scramble up, only to slip again. I was pretty sure her alicorn was laughing at her, tossing its head up and down and flapping its lips.

Ten minutes later, after Wally had finally managed to mount with an assist from one of her alicorn’s wings, and Ethan had found an alicorn that would accept him, it was just Pete on his two feet in the field, staring at us with somber eyes.

“I’d be okay just calling it a day,” he said in a low voice. “I’ve passed two trials—and I helped to get us here through the first two legs of the course. That oughta be plenty to get accepted into the academy. It would be more gold for you guys.”

“Come on, Pete, this is your house. You need to finish strong,” I said. “We all need to finish this, including your bare butt.”

“Do you have any idea what it feels like to ride a horse bareback?” he demanded.

“Yes,” I replied.

“With your balls hanging out?”

I grimaced. “Got me there.”

“And horsehair up the crack of your ass?”

“Again, not a clue.”

“Do you?” Wally asked seriously.

“Of course, I don’t,” he retorted, his face screwed up in anger.

“Sorry, it was just the way you were asking. I assumed—”

“And I’d rather not know!” he finished.

“Come on, Pete. Take one for the team, buddy,” I called. “I got us in the door. You need to take us home.”

“Dang it.” He shook his head and shot a longing look at the unicorns.

“Those won’t feel any better on your bells and whistle,” I yelled. “Go big or go home, Pete!”

Grumbling the whole way, he walked into the alicorn herd and stopped by the first available alicorn. It pranced out of the way. The next did the same.

“Come on, buddy, put your best game face on,” I said, holding down giggles. It was pretty funny to watch Pete’s bare butt wiggle remarkably like it did in his honey badger form.

“Easy for you to say,” he groused. “You have pants.”

I barked out laughter, I couldn’t help it.

“No one ever said winning these challenges would be easy,” I called.

“No one ever said they’d be humiliating either,” he grumbled, and I got the impression it was to himself. “They keep shying away, Wild,” he said, louder, heading my way now.

I got the feeling Pete had stopped paying attention to which beast he was walking toward. That changed when he found himself standing in front of the large black stallion. His face went slack and his arms limp at his sides.

The stallion stared down at him with his red eyes, no longer glowing. He snorted, and I swear he might have winked.

Pete swallowed audibly. I could hear it even from several feet away. He lifted his hands, palms out. “I don’t like this any more than you do. But I’d be honored if you’d let me ride.”

The male blew through his nostrils and slightly lowered his head.

“I’m really starting to get the feeling they understand English,” I whispered under my breath. “Right, then. Now where do we go?” I asked as Pete swung his leg up and over, seamlessly hopping onto the stallion’s back. I barely stopped myself from considering the particulars of what would happen next.

My alicorn stretched out her wings and the rest followed suit, then all five of them pumped their wings in TANDEM, lifting us straight off the ground. No running leap, just straight up. The ground dropped away as we rose into the sky. Exhilaration such as I’d never known tore through me. My smile stretched across my face, growing even wider as the wind rushed around me and blew through the short ends of my hair.

“This is the best,” I yelled, leaning forward like we were running across open land. “Let’s show them all what it is to travel with speed!”

The large male was right on our heels, bigger and stronger but not sleeker. He also didn’t have a rider who’d grown up riding.

“Come on, let’s scare them senseless, Beauty,” I shouted, laughing with glee as I held on to her sparkling mane.

We sailed over the land before banking hard and diving. I realized I was gently steering her with my knees, just like I’d always done with our mare at home. She let me, responding easily, and adding her own embellishes with her wings.