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Without Myna and Lucaz, we have no one else to turn to for help freeing the nymphai and putting a stop to the Eagle’s experiments. No one else we can trust. And the knowledge that they’re being held by the Aviary leaves me with an ever-present ache in my gut.

My steps echo as I climb the hidden stairwell to Kallias’s chambers. I haven’t seen him since the king’s summons. Maxim has been busy, and Kallias…Kallias has been avoiding me.

The thought sends a fresh wave of frustration through me, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. We don’t have time for this. For his silence. For his distance. Not when every moment feels like a countdown to something we can’t see coming.

The whole palace is abuzz with talk of the final champion trial. I’ve heard the whispers in the halls, the bets being placed, and the nobles fawning over their favorites.

Unlike the first two trials, this one isn’t confined to the palace grounds or hidden behind closed doors. It’s a moonlit race down the grand canal, starting at Santora and ending at Elotia. Along the way, the competitors must face a series of challenges and tasks.

It’s the only trial that all citizens are able to witness, and the anticipation is palpable. They’re all too eager to catch a glimpse of the two champions who will represent our kingdom in the Games. Crowds will line the banks of the isles along the canal, and festivities will spill into the streets.

It would be a perfect distraction. It has to be.

Every councilor will be required to attend, including Malis. And while that doesn’t mean the building in Inkora will be unguarded, it at least means that if things go awry, he’ll be on the opposite side of the kingdom. It’s still a week away, which leaves enough opportunity for Maxim to observe who comes and goes and how many guards patrol the perimeter. And given the secrecy surrounding all the Eagle’s plans, I’m certain there are few in on it. That slim circle works to our advantage.

A plan takes shape in my mind, but there’s still too many pieces missing to form a clear picture. By the time I push through the door of his study, my thoughts are a tangled mess of frustration and determination.

The door swings shut behind me with a soft thud, and the low murmur of voices cuts off abruptly. Kallias and Maxim are standing at the desk, their heads bent over the map Myna had left us, but now their gazes snap to me.

I step farther into the room. “Oh good,” I say. “You’re both here. Don’t stop on my account.”

Kallias straightens, his fiery eyes locking onto mine with a flicker of something unreadable. The memory of the supply closet surfaces unbidden—the way he removed my charm, his fingers tracing my face like he was memorizing it.

I seem to crave another taste of poison.

I force myself to look away from the prince, focusing on Maxim and shoving the memory down where it can’t distract me. “Do you have any news?”

“The patterns are sparse,” he says. “There’s not much movement in or out of the building. Only one other nymphai has been brought in since we first saw them.”

I step closer to the desk, my gaze flicking to the map. “And the guards?”

“Minimal. There’s never anyone posted outside the building,” Maxim replies, his brow furrowing. “But it’s tricky to know for sure. I can’t be there at all hours of the day.”

I worry my bottom lip. “Do you think you’ll have enough of an idea before the final trial?”

His frown deepens, but before he can respond, Kallias finally breaks his silence. “Max, can you give us a moment?”

Maxim grimaces, offering me a small, tired smile before he steps past me. The door clicks shut behind him, leaving the room unnervingly quiet.

Kallias’s hand drifts to a small vessel of wine sitting on the desk. He uncorks it and pours a measure into a cup, then glances up at me and arches a brow.

I narrow my eyes at him in return, refusing to rise to whatever game he’s playing.

He shrugs and takes a slow sip, his gaze never leaving mine. Then, without a word, he moves around the desk and leans against the edge of it.

“When I first asked you to spy for me, I didn’t really think about what it would mean for you. Not fully,” he says, setting the cup down. “I suppose I was too jaded to care about the risk, especially not if you were willing to take it.”

I don’t dare breathe as tension creeps into my shoulders.

“But after your run-in with my father and the Aviary…” He trails off, his gaze flicking away for a moment before returning to mine. “It’s become clear to me that’s no longer the case.”

“What’s no longer the case?”

“That I can keep asking this of you,” he says simply. “You’re too exposed here, and I agreed I would help you get away if you were ever at risk. I’m reassigning you to my mother’s villa until I can follow through with my promise.”

I curl my hands into fists. “You’re exiling me.”

“I’m protecting you.”