Kieren.
My bond flared. Her fury struck me like a wave.
Before I could call to him, a shout rang out.
Tae.
I turned just in time to see him fall, a knife embedded in his shoulder.
He dropped to one knee, blood already soaking through the fabric of his tunic.
But his attacker, another First Guild fighter, stood frozen mid-stride, eyes wide, unmoving.
Like he’d been turned to stone.
Tae gasped, clutching his shoulder.
My opponent stepped back, and the match around us fell into chaos as realization dawned.
This wasn’t a trial anymore.
It was an ambush.
Two men from First Guild surged forward, grabbing the fighter who’d stabbed Tae with swift, practiced precision. They wrenched his arms behind his back as he snarled, spitting curses in a language I didn’t recognize.
His commander, the tall, scary woman with a braid coiled over one shoulder, stormed toward them, her face flushed with fury. She looked from Tae to the attacker, then to the rest of us, as if debating who else might be involved.
She turned back to the frozen man, who had just begun to twitch, the strange stillness leaving his limbs like melted ice.
The First Guild leader’s expression hardened. She barked. “We have a traitor. He will be dealt with immediately.” The entire squad turned in perfect unison, dragging their traitor with them.
They left the grounds without a backward glance.
I didn’t wait. I ran to Tae and dropped to one knee beside him.
Blood soaked the front of his shirt, but his eyes were alert. Gritted teeth. He was in pain, but conscious.
I slid my arm around his back, pulling him to his feet and slinging one of his arms over my shoulder.
Remy was already there, jaw tight. “Take him to Meri. Now.”
Riven moved in silently on Tae’s other side, her presence like a wall, solid, unshakable.
Together, we got him to the healers’ quadrant, pushing through the arched doorway as Meri snapped out orders and cleared a cot.
She looked up as we laid him down, her healer’s instincts already flaring as she gathered supplies.
“What happened?” she asked keenly, her eyes darting between us.
“We were doing hand-to-hand trials,” I said, voice fast and clipped. “Someone stabbed him. From First Guild.”
Her mouth tightened, but she nodded. “He looks like he ran a marathon,” she added, inspecting his pale face, the sweat slicking his brow. “Why?”
Tae let out a breath, his voice raw. “Because I did something I wasn’t supposed to.”
Meri paused.
He looked up at me. Then at Riven. Then back to her.
