Page 56

Something moves across his face. Affection. Acceptance. Then his smile returns. Small. Real.

"I know that too." He gestures toward Nyra and Rowan. "We should probably survive before we continue emotionally devastating each other."

A laugh escapes me. "Probably."

We step forward. "There she is," he says again.

This time it hurts less.

Rowan watches us approach. "I have questions."

Nyra catches her arm. "You have silence." She say it like it's a warning. Probably is.

"That sounds terrible." Rowan mutters.

"Try it."

Cassian steps beside them. "Thank you."

Rowan looks betrayed. "You've known us for ten minutes."

"I'm emotionally perceptive." Cassian answers. "You're outnumbered." Rowan adds.

"Also perceptive."

The path widens enough for all four of us to walk together. Not old friends. Not yet new ones. Something beginning.

The forest waits until we feel almost comfortable. Then the ground disappears. Nyra cries out. The earth beneath the path collapses in a wave of soil and white stones. Rowan jumps forward. Cassian grabs Nyra's arm. I reach for both of them. We slide several feet before roots catch against our boots.

Below us, mist opens over a ravine. Deep enough that the bottom remains invisible. A bridge of pale roots stretches across it. Thin. Uneven. Already cracking. On the opposite side stands a stone arch. Four spaces glow along its surface. A marker rises beside us. THREE MAY CROSS. The words sharpen. ONE MUST REMAIN.

Silence settles over the group. The bridge creaks. One root breaks free and vanishes into the mist. Rowan looks toward the arch.

"Of course."

Nyra's face pales. Cassian steps closer to the edge, studying the bridge rather than the instruction. Another root snaps. I calculate quickly. The bridge may hold three. Perhaps. The marker is clear. One stays. The others continue.

My decision forms before anyone speaks. "I'll—"

Nyra's answer cuts across mine. "No."

I look at her. She crosses her arms. "You keep deciding you're the one who stays."

"There isn't time to debate." I answer.

"There is always time to debate your martyrdom." Amusement settles on her face.

"This is not martyrdom."

Rowan points toward the marker. "It literally says someone must remain beside a collapsing bridge."

Cassian studies me. "You were going to volunteer."

"I am the strongest jumper." I answer.

"That argument supports crossing," he says.

I glare at him. "Whose side are you on?"