“Right,” I mumbled to myself. “Let’s goafterthe strange shouts.”
As we grew closer, shadows appeared on the ground ahead of us from around the corner—what looked like two figures darting at one another, their muffled words becoming clearer.
That’s when I heard it.Him.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Illusionist.”
That low voice, one that soothed me to sleep, that sent shivers down my spine when brushed against my ear…
“Leo,” I whispered, pressing a hand to my lips.
“What?” Lark barked. “How could he possibly be here?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. But he said ‘Illusionist’…Callum must be with him.” Blood roared in my ears. I broke into a sprint with Lark on my heels. Turning the corner, I saw them—Leo in his black pants with his white dress shirt rolled up his sleeves, formal jacket torn on the floor behind him; and Callum in a midnight blue suit, one of his sleeves ripped off at the shoulder and wrapped around his thigh. Dark liquid seeped from beneath the fabric, as if he’d been wounded. His eyes narrowed in a look of furious concentration. Leo’s henbane rings glowed with signs of a recent spell. The air was thick with his magic and the scent of smoke and herbs.
They both turned when Lark and I burst onto the scene.
“Leo, watch out!” I cried as Callum shifted his hands to create some invisible illusion that made Leo dive to the side. I chargedtoward Callum, anger simmering under my skin. He took one look at his three opponents, shot me a smirk, and took off in the other direction toward a three-way split in the tunnel. An enormous brick wall appeared in his wake, causing me to skid to a halt.
Groaning in frustration, I swiped my hand through the air, finding the wall to be an illusion—of course—but he’d already gotten away. I couldn’t tell which of the three paths he’d taken.
“Coward!” I called, my voice echoing down the tunnel.
“Rose,” Leo murmured behind me. I turned back to him, crossing the distance and throwing myself into his arms.
“How are you here?” I cried out. He wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the third trial. First Lark, now Leo.
Something was very wrong.
“I don’t know,” he said. “After we disappeared from the ballroom, I woke up down here. I thought it was Gayl finally making his move against me until I found Callum.”
“We’re in the middle of the third trial,” Lark said. “The emperor has taken control. I don’t know why youorI are down here, but it can’t mean anything good. The magic for the challengers to be transported requires their blood, which we have, and the emperor had easy access to mine, as well. But how could he have magickedyou, Leo?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps there are medical records from my birth at the palace.” He took my hand and faced Lark. “How do we get out of this?”
Lark’s features were grim. “This is merely the first part. There’s more to come.” With that ominous warning, she turned on her heel and went in the same direction Callum had disappeared. “I can’t be certain the emperor didn’t change the trial, but follow me and I’ll try to get us out alive.”
We walkedfor what felt like hours but what I imagined was no more than thirty minutes. Signs of other challengers appeared aswe passed—the carcass of a large wolf, probably one of the obstacles Lark spoke of, lay on its side when we entered one tunnel. Scraps of fabric from a navy cloak littered another. Crushed vines, a shredded tie, chunks of fur, and puddles of blood graced various parts of the path.
I wondered where Nox was, if he had gotten out yet or was still trapped here. Or worse. I flinched at the thought, and Leo squeezed my hand, pausing for a moment and pulling me aside.
I instantly burrowed into him. It was second nature at this point, the way my body craved his nearness. I wanted to stay there forever, locked against his hard chest, the feel of his arms comforting me even in the face of such uncertainty.
“It’s going to be alright,” he said softly, kissing the top of my head. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Rose.”
I squeezed him harder. “Right back at you.”
He backed away and tipped my chin with his thumb and forefinger. Reaching up, I placed a gentle kiss on his lips, only to have Lark’s impatient cough bring us back to the present. Leo winked at me and laced his fingers through mine as we followed after her.
The moment of peace was short-lived, however, when Lark’s soft cry of“No,”floated back to us.
“What is it?” I asked, watching as Lark sank to her knees.
And then I saw it.
A body.
Hurrying to Lark, I felt a spark of recognition at the woman at our feet, but couldn’t place where I’d seen her. Lark obviously knew who it was. Silent tears tracked down her dark cheeks. I crouched beside her and put a hand on her back.
