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‘You did,’ Thea snapped. ‘And to be honest, I don’t blame you. What you went through that night… It was horrific. I saw you there, both of you, strung up to die —’

Cal took both her shoulders and stopped her mid-stride. ‘It wasn’t your fault. I know that now.’

‘I always knew it,’ Kipp offered.

‘I was being a fool. The shock got to me. Please, Thea,’ Cal said, ignoring him. ‘I cannot go into this test without you by my side. The three of us, we are stronger together. We’re a team, a unit of our own, remember?’

Theadidremember. She remembered them working as a single force throughout the mock battle, she remembered how they’d had each other’s backs during the battle amidst the ruins of Delmira.

‘Holy gods,’ someone shouted ahead of them.

Their conversation forgotten, Thea, Cal and Kipp craned their necks to see what was happening.

Thea’s breath whistled between her teeth as she saw it with her own eyes.

There was no bridge to the closest isle of the Chained Islands; no rope; no path down… Only a death drop into the sea and jagged rocks below.

‘Shit…’ Cal murmured from beside her.

If Thea wasn’t so terrified, she would have laughed. ‘Perhaps it’s best we stick together, just for this round…’

Kipp’s mouth was hanging open as he stared at the death-defying leap they were expected to make. ‘I’ll take all the help I can get.’

For a moment, they watched as some of their peers tried to foolishly tackle the jump. The isle was slightly lower than the cliff upon which they stood, but that gave Thea little comfort. She didn’t know the first to fall, nor the second, but the third she recognised from the countless meals they’d eaten together. All three lives now at the mercy of the waves and rocks below.

Thea looked around desperately, anxious that they’d encountered an obstacle of this magnitude before they had truly started. She eyed the bow and quiver at Cal’s back.

‘You could shoot a rope across?’ she ventured. ‘Secure it on the isle, and secure it to one of the trees in the Bloodwoods…? We could climb across that way?’

‘I don’t trust those on either end…’ he said slowly. ‘Not after everything. There are some who would cut the rope and let us fall to our deaths.’

Thea’s heart sank. He was right. Of the three of them, it was possible that Kipp, with his long limbs, could make the jump without aid, but Thea was too short and though Cal was lean and tall, she wasn’t sure it would be enough for him either.

Kipp, however, had not for a moment considered leaving them behind.

‘Remember on the way to Harenth…’ he started, the crease between his brows deep as he looked from the Isle to the Bloodwoods.

‘You’ll have to be more specific,Kristopher,’ Cal said.

‘Remember when we crossed that river? Using those branches as aids to vault ourselves across?’

Thea groaned. ‘I don’t like where this is going…’

‘Nor do I,’ Kipp admitted. ‘Especially considering I was the one who ended up in the river. But I don’t see another way.’ He paused, something grabbing his attention before he pointed. ‘Look! There are already some trying the technique you suggested, Thea. And there! A handful who are scaling down the cliffs trying to find a safer path…’

Thea felt sick to the stomach. Was this truly their best option? Some evolution of a stupid game they’d made up on the road to get to a better fishing spot?

Apparently it was. Kipp was already heading into the Bloodwoods.

Her heart in her throat, Thea followed, scouring the forest floor for a decent branch. It had to be strong, but pliable, one that could launch her across.

Gods, was she really going to do this? She had her fate stone; she knew she would not be greeted by Enovius today – but she couldn’t say the same of her friends.

Far sooner than she would have liked, each of them held a long branch in their hands, their weapons firmly secured to their bodies.

‘I can’t watch you go,’ Thea croaked, her heart hammering in her throat.

‘Ladies first then,’ Kipp gave a mock bow, though he looked as terrified as she felt.