Another paw step.
Nothing.
One more.
Suddenly, twin lines of golden flames streak along either side of the bridge. The stone makes a sickening cracking sound.
My breath catches in my throat as I watch Ephyse pause, terrified that the wolf is going to tumble.
“Fuck, it’s unstable,” Noemi says miserably.
I immediately understand her anxiety and what her task will be. The bridge won’t hold our weight—not without her help.
The most skilled Phylax warriors at the front can pull off insane feats with their shield magic. Precision-blocking arrows from the enemy while letting ours through, for example. Shoring up our soldiers’ physical shields so that they’re impenetrable—even while the soldiers carrying them aremoving.
That kind of skill is still far beyond me, despite the brute strength of my own magic.
“I can shore up the bridge, but I’ll need to focus,” Noemi says quietly, a slight tremble in her voice. “I think I can do this, but…”
I nod in encouragement at her.
Noemi straightens her spine and shuts her eyes, face straining. When Ephyse steps forward now, the bridge doesn’t make a sound. They move quickly, darting over the bridge with light steps. And when Noemi reaches the other side, she slumps with relief.
“It worked,” her voice echoes.
But then she turns back to look at us, and her smile falls. She’s already sweating, I realize. It must be sinking in just how much energy it’s going to take to get us all to the other side.
“You can do this, Noemi,” I tell her. I wish I could communicate with her mentally. I do my best to show my support in my face, thinking,You’ve survived worse than this and more.
Noemi’s face hardens. “Stark next, while I’m strong,” she says with some grit.
Stark shifts on Cratos, clearly uncomfortable with leaving me behind. But he can’t argue with Noemi’s logic. He and Cratos weigh far more than the rest of us. He waits for Noemi to nod, then he guides Cratos forward. They move quickly but steadily, keeping their bodies aligned. He makes it across, and I exhale with relief.
Noemi looks strained. She’s leaning heavily on Ephyse, panting. Venna steps forward.
“We weigh nothing compared with those two!” Venna calls. “Light as a feather.”
Noemi chuckles, and the creases on her face ease a little. “Ready?”
“Meryn next,” Stark snaps. “The Strategos trial is still ahead of us.”
What he means is, if Noemi isn’t strong enough to get Venna across last, we’ll still be able to reach the Tear.
I flash on that image of the woman’s body, broken, from my vision. Is this the moment? Was it Venna that I saw?
But, no.Fuckthat.
“Go,” I order Venna when she hesitates.
“Meryn,” Stark growls. But I shake my head at him.
I couldn’t possibly leave Venna last. Not if it means there’s a chance she won’t make it. Not after everything that happened with Izabel. I need to see her safely across before I go, too—I’d never be able to live with myself otherwise.
Venna steps forward. Noemi grunts and starts crying silently under the strain.
Venna and her wolf are startlingly fast. Even so, when they get halfway through, Noemi falls to her knees.
My breath catches in my throat. Venna and Skaia freeze as the bridge makes another sharp cracking sound and then teeters slightly to the left.
