“Now, for the Second-year Trials.” Brian’s body is still there, sprawled at his feet, lifeless and ignored. “You’ll receive your instructions upon arrival at your destination. But let me make myself clear, do not engage inanyactivity until you’ve read them. Failure to comply will result in elimination.” A beat. “Eliminated teams will be executed. We do not advance cadets who cannot follow basic orders into their third year. Now, form groups. No fewer than three, no more than six. You have one minute, if you haven’t decided by then, we will decide for you.”
One minute.
A shaky rise sweeps through my chest. My head still hasn’t caught up with everything Brian is dead. Talen did it.
I told him, I trusted him.
“Lyra!” Rowan’s voice breaks through the noise. I turn, blinking. He’s already got Ezzy and Finn at his side, waiting. “Are we agreed? Just the four of us?”
Ezzy’s still staring at Brian’s body, face pale, like her brain hasn’t caught up either.
“Shit, umm.” The word scrapes out, my mouth’s gone dry. I blink hard, force my feet to stay planted. Just breathe. Speak. Act.Don’t break.“Okay, well, Talen said it might be smart to have extra bodies, more coverage...”I manage, barely, lungs still too locked up.
“Yeah?” Finn snaps, stepping forward like he’s ready to throw something. “Well, your boyfriend over there just snapped Brian’s neck like a fucking twig, so forgive me if I don’t take his advice.”
The air around me tightens, but before I can speak, Rowan steps between us, cutting off Finn with a look that lands sharp.
Then he turns to me. Eyes steady. “I trust you, Lyra.”A beat. “What’s your call?”
I glance toward the courtyard, chaos everywhere. Shouts. Scrambling. Cadets grabbing at alliances like drowning rats.
Shit.
Do I trust Talen’s advice? Push them to bring in someone else—someone we don’t know—just to gain numbers? Even after what he just did? If I do, they’ll question me. Maybe hate me. And they’d have every reason to. But if we go just the four of us, are we exposed, would we fail?I don’t know which risk is worse.
God, I sodesperatelywant to believe there's a reason: That he didn’t choose this. That he was forced. That Merrin found out about Brian some other way. I want to believe it so badly it hurts.
But I’ve lived too long hoping things turn out better than they do, since the day my mum died, it’s always been the same. That the darker answers—the ones that hurt the most—those are the ones that turn out to be true.
“We go four.” My voice comes out hoarse. “It’s us.”
Rowan nods once—slow, like the weight of it’s still settling, beside him Finn exhales hard through his nose, the edge in him dulled, just a little. Then he gives a tight nod, too. No one says the words, but it’s done.
Just as the last groups pull together, Merrin’s voice booms again.
“Your time is up,” he calls. “The group you are now in will be the group you enter the Trial with.” Then a pause. Too long, measured. “But that’s not all.” My gut tightens. “Over the past year, we’ve been watching. You’ll be paired with another team—one chosen to push you.” His eyes gleam. “The Trials will test your skill. Your judgment. Your ability to adapt. But above all they will test your loyalty to the Citadel.” His hand lifts. “Good luck.”
The world drops. Everything goes black.
It’snight when I come to—mouth’s dry, spine aching, dirt stuck to the sweat on the back of my neck, tacky and warm. Feels like I’ve been here a while. How long was I out?
Dust gathers under my nails as I shift, slow, sitting up. Everything’s stiff. Head pounding—right side mostly. Merrin’s Magic. Too much of it, too fast.
I blink hard against the moonlight, cold and silver, spilling across the cracked ground, and look around.
A few paces ahead, a cluster of shacks leans sideways into the wind. Half-rotted. Empty, long abandoned. Beyond that, Outerland scrub runs until it doesn’t. Until it hits black rock—jagged and sharp, silhouetted clean against the full moon. The Northern Peaks. Closer than they should be, which means we’re north. Far north.
Shit.
The Trials. Right. Okay. Breathe.
I need to focus, need to figure out what the hell this test is, and how to finish it—preferably without anyone getting hurt or?—
“Finn.”Ezzy’s scream cuts through the air, heavy with panic. “Finn, wake up.”
I twist toward her cry, she’s crouched a few feet to my right, hands braced on his shoulders, trying to shake him. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t even flinch. Rowan’s already there, one knee in the dirt, fingers pressed tight to Finn’s neck. My stomach drops. I’m on my feet before I think, dust kicking up as I cross the space between us, every nerve pulled tight.
“Is he breathing?” I ask, dropping down beside them.
