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“My sword,” I said, gesturing to the blade still wedged in the wolf’s back. “Help me get my sword out.”

She nodded, and we both gripped the hilt, pulling it out of the bleeding carcass. I leaned on her arm as I pulled my leg out from underneath the dead creature, struggling to my feet.

“You’re Elara, aren’t you?”

I smiled weakly. “Yes, sweetheart, I am.”

“My brother, he cares for you deeply, doesn’t he?” She asked, her eyes lighting up just a little. “I could see it yesterday.”

“Yes, he does,” I replied. “Now come, we have to get you out of here.”

She looked down at my arm. “You’re hurt.”

“Let’s get you out of here, and then we’ll worry about me.” I tried to give her a reassuring smile but blood was pouring out of my arm and I was starting to feel light-headed.

We moved through the forest, back in the direction of the stands, at least I hoped so. It was so dark amongst the trees now. Nesryn shivered as her hand stayed on my shoulder, and thunder began to rumble loudly overhead.

The shaking underfoot returned.

“What’s that?” Nesryn asked.

“It’s probably just the Pit,” I replied, “it moves and Theron changes it with magic. Don’t worry, we’ll have you out of here in just a moment.”

The quaking became louder as the edge of the treeline came into view. I dragged Arankos along the ground, holding my broken, bleeding arm close to my body. I tried to stay alert for wolves, but it was becoming harder and harder to focus.

Even though the sky had darkened above us, the light when we emerged from the dark of the forest caught me off guard, and I blinked rapidly as I looked up at Theron in the royal box.

He rose to his feet, and smiled down at me. “Ah, you have retrieved the Princess. Well done.”

Rook’s face was twisted with alarm as his eyes settled on me. Nesryn began to cry quietly beside me.

“I have,” I called back, “now let us out -“

“You have not yet completed the trial,” Theron interjected, and the rhythmic quaking began again.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice failing me on the last word.

Rook’s head turned, and his entire face exploded with shock. His eyes snapped back to meet mine.

“RUN!” He called.

I turned towards the cause of his alarm, in the direction of that terrible, rhythmic thudding, and my heart stopped.

A giant was pelting towards us. It was at least 20 feet tall, its enormous feet thudding into the ground as it came ever closer. Its face was pinched and strange, its enormous black eyes appearing almost unseeing. Its nose twitched as it seemed to scent us, and its lips lolled open in a bone-chilling groan as it began to pick up pace.

Nesryn screamed, and I spun around, shoving her away from me.

“Run!” I told her, pointing to the far end of the Pit. “Run and stay hidden!”

She took off, running backwards at first, her wide eyes on the giant behind me, before she burst into a sprint, disappearing into the dense forest.

I could hear Rook screaming at me, over the Bond, from the stands above me, telling me to go, telling me torun. But I turned to face the giant, tightening my grip around my sword. I gritted my teeth as I adjusted my grip, repeating the words over and over -balance the blade. Balance the blade. Know your weapon. Balance the blade.

Arankos hummed in my hand, just as it had the day I’d thought I was going to die on the battlefield in Grixos. Perhaps today its prediction would be more accurate.

The giant was close, so close now, the ground shaking so hard it was hard to keep my footing.

I clutched my broken arm close to my body, heaving Arankos up with a cry as pain shot through the left side of my body. When the giant was within striking distance, I leapt towards him.