When I turn back to Lucan, I find him nearly at the top. That’ll get one token, but we need two more. I can help.
Running over, I scan the tables of various artificer and renewer tools lined up in front of the ropes pinned before the wall. Lucan chose to climb, but other supplicants had the right of it and made winches—a skill I also possess. There are other supplicants here struggling with the different materials, trying to make heads or tails of them. My hands fly over the gears, springs, and metal with confidence.
I slot the rope into the core of my finished device and grab onto the handles, cranking myself quickly up the wall. I even beat Lucan to the top. Some artificers line the top of the cliff face, each holding a basket of green tokens. The woman closest to me hands me one.
“You can use one of these to rappel down.” She motions to a pile of simple, V-shaped devices as she takes my winch.
“See you soon!” I say, and I think I catch a grin before I turn and use the tool to glide back down the rope.
I descend so rapidly, I end up stumbling forward as I reach the ground. I push up from the packed earth of the stadium, relieved to be uninjured, and sprint back to the tables. I suspect the artificers hadn’t intended for me to use the V-shaped rappelling device they sent me down with, but I use it anyway. It’s an exceptional base to work from. I just need to make a few adjustments so it can be cranked manually.
I have another winch in minutes, and I’m ascending at the same time Lucan is speeding down. Our eyes meet for only a second.
“Welcome back.” The woman hands me another token, takes my winch, and gives me another tool to glide down the rope.
Lucan is waiting for me when my feet hit the ground. He grabs my biceps, pulling me up and helping to steady me.
“I thought I was doing this one?” he says, more confused than accusatory or upset.
“You were. You just went about it in the slowest way possible, and I already finished mine.” I show him the three purple tokens and two green.
“Have I told you today you’re brilliant?” His smile is nearly as bright as the daylight behind the doors.
The sight of it even draws a quirk of my lips. “No.”
“Don’t let me ever forget to again.”
For a second, everything seems hopeful. Until we see Saipha emerging from the pit.
“I got it.” Saipha holds up the blue token triumphantly. Her whole body shakes slightly. “It was confusing, and awful, and hard, but I got it.”
“You got one…” I try to mask the disappointment andconfusion in my voice.She did her best.
“I… Yes. Isn’t that what we needed?”
“Saipha, we needed three—we each need three, one from each challenge.” I fumble over my words, despair crashing on me with every tick of the clock.
She opens her mouth, staring at the token in her shaking palm. I can see her lips tugging down. The knot forming between her brows that might turn into sobs. “I thought— I thought— I misunderstood, Isola. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
I swallow hard and place one purple token and one green token in her hand. Then hand the other purple token to Lucan. He shares a hard look with me, and a slight nod that reassures me what I’m about to do is all right. We both know she’s feeling the worst among us. He and I can endure one more challenge to get through the doors, should it come to that.
Leaving the blue token in Saipha’s hand, I close her fingers around all three. Her eyes widen as realization dawns on her.
“Take these to the door and go through,” I command.
“What? What about both of you? There’s less than ten minutes.”
“We’re going to go get our own blue tokens,” I say with more confidence than I feel.
“No… No. Just come with me.” Saipha is clearly on the verge of panic. “We can all—”
“We can’t, Saipha.” I gesture to the door as another supplicant goes through. Saipha sees the inquisitors step forward to ensure it’s only one. She’s in a worse state than I thought to have missed this. “You need to go.”
“If anyone should have this, it’s you. Take it, Isola. I already know how to navigate that place. I can do it faster.” Saipha tries to thrust her blue token upon me. I refuse to accept it.
“You’re not in any condition to go back there.” My voice drops to a hush. “You want me to look good, don’t you? I can’t takecharity from someone else as Valor Reborn.”
“Of course I want you to impress them.” She’s aghast I’d even suggest otherwise. Her mouth opens and closes multiple times. “But if you would look bad taking this token, then I would certainly look bad taking two from you.”
