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The captain threw a rusted anchor over the ledge. The mass of students swarmed toward the ladder. I stayed back, hand on my thumping chest.

Damien was silent—we both were. Antonia skimmed past me, eyes locked, half-parted lips bursting with giggles at my distress. “At least you know you’ll have one bid.”

I gritted my teeth. “Why do you hate me, Antonia?”

“If you believe I hate you, being a Serpent will ruin you,” she said, strutting along the path toward Jace.

“Antonia, wait—”

She spun back on her heel, pinching the wedge of her shoe between a rock. “What?”

Alaric’s last words hung on my dried tongue. “Nothing… good luck.”

She rolled her eyes and walked forward.

I knew I needed to tell. But I couldn’t. He took a dagger for me and Antonia would never forgive me.

Whatever fear I had boiled to the surface.

I needed to suffocate it, starve the flesh of my anxiety to skin and bone.

I descended the wobbling ladder, taking in the lush, forested path leading to a castle.

My heels sunk into the damp earth. Lanterns floated along the expansive property, jutting out from the mountainside, carved with those same scales I’d seen along the way.

It was muggy outside. The golden flecks of light bathing the land were gone, leaving behind dark swirled clouds, brimmed and ready to downpour. We crossed a bridge spanning the rapids below as we walked toward the black castle doors, armed with guards on either side.

“Shield, Severyn. Now,” Damien hissed under his breath.

But the cool air stifled me to a weak simmer. A drop of rain fell onto my forehead. I tried—I tried everything to solidify my shield, but every thought spilled as if I’d held that molten protection for too long.

They are going to find me out. They will see right through me.

The guards assessed us as we entered the castle. We were led down a stone hall, and finally, a single spark of my quell ignited, following a rush of warmth through my veins. It was weak but enough to hold as we entered the bidding room.

Glass.

It was glass that caged us from the Serpents of Verdonia who stood on the other side, as if we were animals for their amusement. I met each of those hardened eyes, searching for Father’s distinct mark.

Archer clustered himself between Victor and another Serpent I didn’t recognize, with shifting embers dancing between them as if their quells were communing. Archer sipped a dark liquor, shadows crawling the lengths of his fingers, delicately tracing shaded shapes .

Serpents passed by the glass, grins curling their lips. I heard Bridger’s muddled name as Lasar, a Serpent of the Frozen Valley of Neverin, pointed toward the Winter students.

We lined up in a single file, separated by realm, facing the glass wall. Damien released a jagged breath as the king walked in, and every vein in my blood iced, including my weak shield that evaporated into dust.

The king waved his hand, and the glass between us shattered into a million dazzling pieces, vanishing before a single shard touched the slick stone. I didn’t dare look for Knox down the line of students. I couldn’t risk a single eye turning to me.

A veil of scales draped the king’s raised arm as he announced, “Welcome to the Serpent Bid.” His wide grin sent fury rippling through my stifled breath.

He continued, “For first-year students, the Serpents will bid on a student to lead their house. If the academy finds a lindworm, the final six leading each sector will be put in a match for the final Winter trial. But first, the students will display their quells one by one. Each student will converse with the Serpent of their lands. As the Season goes, we shall start with Spring.”

Levisly narrowed his slivered, yellow eyes as the Spring students took their stance.

I whispered to Damien, “You’ll be put in a death match if they find one.”

Damien leaned closer, eyes ahead. “Unless you steal the lead from me. Impress them, Sev. I don’t mind a little competition.”

First up was the short, blonde woman I’d seen kissing Archer’s neck during our first night here.

She struck her curled fingers in the air, and a lily sprouted from her veins.

She traced her finger in the sky, and a vine slithered along the wall.

I imagined the force of the vine could strangle.

I imagined she’d used it on Archer that night as their lips tied as one .

Levisly nodded in assurance as the next student stepped forward. Her orange-rimmed eyes wavered silently on each Serpent. “My blood is poisonous, tears too. I don’t figure there are any volunteers?” she said.

The room stirred.

The king raised a brow, shooting a narrowed finger toward a third-year Winter male—Callum.

Fear struck his eyes.

“Your Majesty, I don’t wish—wish to die,” Callum cried.

The king pressed his lips together. “Pity. We need a volunteer.”

Damien surveyed me, noticing my slight grin as guards dragged Callum down the line toward the Spring girl.

“You can’t poison me. This is bullshit!”

His arms thrashed as she cocked her head, and a single tear, clear as a diamond, dripped down her cheek.

“It’s only painful for a moment,” she murmured, wiping the droplet with her thumb before brushing it over Callum’s quivering lower lip. Her voice softened to a whisper, laden with regret. “...I am sorry.”

His jaw erupted in a rash, his face ballooning, crimson ears ablaze as he doubled over, unleashing screams of agony. Skin blistered and melted like burnt leather over flames, contorting as bone threatened to protrude. Guards flanked him on either side, dragging Callum out of sight.

His screams echoed down the hall.

The Spring student bowed, arms flat as a devilish smile curled her lips. “Anyone else?”

He deserved it. That’s what I told myself.

Most of the Serpents’ faces turned grave, unmoved, as student after student performed their quell.

The rest of Spring’s quells varied from rain manipulation to flower spawning.

One male could speak to plants. Damien was the first to perform for Summer.

He stepped forward, and two glass daggers formed in his hand.

Damien flicked his wrist, and those glass shards from the wall appeared, hovering in the air, dazzling in a million fluttering orbs before dropping to the ground.

Victor clapped, and a few others joined in unison.

All eyes turned to me as Damien nudged me forward. Then my father sprang from his chair, and those golden eyes burned into me… and so would I.

I would burn.

One by one, I stole the flame from each candle and lantern with only a slight glance until the entire room was shrouded in darkness.

I waited a few seconds as the Serpents began to shuffle in their seats before I swept my gaze over the iron lanterns hung from the ceiling.

A black flame shot from my palm, hissing before it formed into a ten-foot snake of ash.

It slithered along the stone wall until I sucked it back in, taking a step back.

Victor was the first to speak, his fist slamming into the air. “She is of Forgotten blood. She wielded a snake,” he hissed. “Kill her before she infects the minds of our students.”

Outrage. I’d caused outrage as the king ordered silence. Damien dragged me back beside him. “Stay quiet,” he hissed.

I didn’t know what I did. My father looked broken, as if he still expected ice to ripple from me at any moment. He saw me at the trial, but I never used my flame. Did he know? Had Mother warned him?

Panic gripped me as the king raised his cane. “Silence. Any students found to harbor forbidden quells will be dealt with. Wielding the shape of a snake is hardly due for execution.”

Execution . Every hair on my arm stood tall. My flame was gone, chilled with fear, as Victor kept his eyes peeled on me, one finger resting under his chin .

He knew I was in line to steal his throne. I’m sure it enraged him as Damien gripped my arm and saw nothing but himself standing beside my mother years before. Rivals. He hoped we were that, hoped Damien would be the one to end me as he knocked back his dark, swirling drink.

After Summer came Autumn, and Malachi was the second last to perform as she twirled her finger in the air, creating a whisper of screams within the wind that had nearly every student holding their ears in pain. She curled the wind back into her palm with a snap.

Whose screams were those? Had they mimicked the voices of the fallen students during the trials?

Winter was next. Everett appeared as confused as ever, especially when his quell was weak and could barely produce a single snowflake. He shook his head in frustration as he struck a light from each finger—a blinding light as I palmed my sight.

The king tapped his fingers on his cane.

“It is rare to see a student harbor a quell from two different realms. Tell me, when did the Winter quell come in?” He gripped the arms of his throne, leaning forward a bit.

His salted beard speckled, illuminating the wiry hair intricately braided along his jaw.

Everett cleared his throat. “During Skyfall. I have trained my entire life to lead Day. Monty was my leader for two years.” He didn’t outright confess his indifference toward being a Serpent of the frozen valleys, but anyone could understand the true weight of his words.

Myla wanted it. She wanted to become a Serpent as her late father was.

Bridger raised his frosted palms. Snow danced in the air, flurried as we breathed chills into our chests. The air clouded, and vapor rose, clinging around the lantern light like frozen moths. Father looked impressed, as did Lasar, who curled a finger under his chin .

Lasar muttered something to Father, and all I caught was his last words. “…the boy could be your heir.”