Oryen turned on him. “Of course you’d say that. You dove into a river yesterday without thinking. Recklessness doesn’t win trials, Thorne.”
Sebastian glared down at Oryen. “Recklessness kept Morra alive. I wish I could say the same for Rosalie.”
Morra moved between them. “We finish together. That’s the point.”
“The point is winning,” Oryen said.
Jax shrugged. “Maybe you should’ve climbed faster.”
Oryen’s face flushed. “I’m not the one who–”
“Enough,” Kara interrupted. “We don’t leave people behind. Sebastian carried Sienna. I stayed with her. We kept our team intact.”
“That’s not what–” Oryen began.
“If winning means more to you than someone’s life, Oryen, then you’re on the wrong team,” Sebastian said bluntly.
Silence.
Oryen looked away first.
Sebastian caught Kara’s eye. She held his gaze. A shout from the crowd made them turn. Everyone was watching Team Two. Their Thorne delegate, Corrin, had taken the swing rope on the final part of the course but had mistimed and slipped off the platform edge. He dangled there, one hand scrambling for purchase. And then – suddenly, impossibly – he pulled himself up. No strain, no effort, as a glimmer of crimson surrounded him.
Magic.
The arena fell into a stunned silence. The judge stood.
“Team Two. Disqualified.”
Just like that, their trial was over.
Kara turned to Sebastian. “Thorne magic responds to adrenaline,” he murmured.
She opened her mouth to speak.
“Doesn’t excuse it,” he added. “He should’ve controlled it.”
“Come on,” Jax said abruptly. “Let’s finish this.”
Together, they crossed a rope bridge, Sienna hobbling along between Sebastian and Kara, until they got to the final obstacle. It was a long rope swing, suspended over a wide gap. The platform on the other side held the finish line – a large pillar with the number four carved deep into the stone.
“I’ll take Sienna,” Sebastian said, lifting her onto his back once more. Her hands gripped his tunic so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Sebastian grabbed hold of the rope and threw them both across without hesitation. They landed safely seconds later. Kara let out a relieved breath.
“Be ready to catch it – I’m throwing the rope back!” Sebastian called.
She nodded and watched closely as he pushed the rope back towards her. Her fingers closed around it and she launched herself into the air. For a split second, she was flying – wind in her face, heart thunderingagainst her ribs. Next moment, she was landing lightly beside Sebastian and Sienna, smiling broadly. She turned immediately to send the rope back. At that moment, cheers erupted from the crowd. Team Three had completed their trial, albeit one member short. One by one, the rest of her team landed beside them. The finish was in sight now – only a few steps away. As Gregor, the last to swing, landed on the final platform, a second wave of cheers rippled through the crowd. Team One had completed their trial.
Sienna’s injury had cost them.
Third place.
Not last, but not the victory her father expected. She waited for the familiar twist of shame, but it didn’t come. She looked across her team. They’d done it together, no magic, no shortcuts, and survived relatively unscathed. As they walked to their finish line, all Kara felt was pride. She didn’t look towards the Council box.
If Alaric Hale was disappointed... she wasn’t sure she cared.
CHAPTER 8
A BREATH TO THE FLAME
