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“Iphigenia’s Leap.”

At first, I don’t realize it’s Kato who has spoken. His voice is flat, lacking the mischievous charm I’ve been coming to associate with him.

“It’s named after a Harpaurai legend,” he continues. “Iphigenia was the captain of the guard during the time of the God War. But before all that, she was one of the rare few who hadn’t emerged by her twentieth year.

“So, one day, she climbed to the highest cliff overlooking the sea and jumped. The fall would have been enough to shatter her body on the rocks below. But before she hit the water, her wings emerged. She soared back to the cliffs, and from that day on, it became something of a tradition for Harpaurai who had tried and failed at everything else.”

I swallow hard. “What happens if their wings don’t come?”

“They die,” he says bluntly. “But what became apparent over the years was that those who had a safety net in place—someone to catch them, someone to intervene—they would fail. Every time.”

“It’s against the law to intervene,” Rhaya says, her eyes fixed on Kato. “If someone decides to take the Leap, no one is allowed to stop them.”

I stare at her, then at Silas. “And you think I should do this?”

“No,” Rhaya says quickly. “No one is saying you should do this. It’s dangerous and not the only way.”

“But it’s the fastest,” Silas interjects.

Rhaya shoots him a glare, her wings rustling. “It’s also the most reckless.”

Kato pushes off the wall, his footsteps soft against the stone floor as he leaves the lounge area.

I turn to see Silas, his arms still crossed, his gaze fixed on the hallway Kato disappeared through. He exhales through his nose, the sound heavy with regret.

“I’ll go,” he relents, before following the other Harpaurai from the room.

Rhaya’s eyes are sorrowful as she watches him leave.

“Kato’s sister took the Leap,” she admits.

My stomach twists as her absence echoes in Rhaya’s words. In Kato’s haunted expression, the way his voice flattened when he spoke of the legend.

The silence stretches, until Titaia speaks, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “I think we can all agree, no one is throwing her off a cliff,” she says firmly, her hand now clenched in the fabric of Cynna’s trousers.

“Agreed.” Cynna also fixes me with a stare. “There are other ways.”

Chapter 29

Nyssa

A life of servitude is certainly not for me.

The second champion trial took place today, leaving my body aching and my mind frayed, but as much as I want to disappear into the narrow cot waiting for me, I can’t.

It’s finally time to show Maxim the drop site, and I can only hope we won’t find it empty.

“Sarra.”

I freeze mid-step, my shoulders tightening. Taking a steadying breath, I force myself to relax before turning to face Master Dimos. His expression is contorted like he caught a whiff of something foul. Judging by the scowl carved into his features, now doesn’t seem like the best moment to mention that the stench of boiled medicinal herbs is coming from him.

“You’re being summoned,” he says, curt and sharp.

My pulse quickens. “Summoned?” I ask, keeping my voice light, almost innocent. If Kallias wanted to reach me, he would have sent Maxim with a discreet note. That has become our usual means of communication. “By who?”

Dimos’s scowl deepens. “The king.”

My stomach churns, the muscles twisting into anxious knots.