It was true. The strings at the edge of the rope were already starting to fray, splintering one by one. It wouldn’t take long for the gear to sever the rope, sending me plummeting to my death.

“You have to undo it. It won’t work. You’ll just fall early,” Evander warned from the other side as he descended lower and lower into the pit.

I ignored him and placed my fingers around the other rope.

“Ellie, seriously. I really don’t want a giant ant chomping into your flesh to be the last thing I see in this world.” There was humor in his words, but only in his words. His voice had risen to sheer panic, reflecting what I was experiencing on the inside.

This was going to work. This had to work.

I yanked at the other rope, jamming it inside the second gear.

The rope on the right popped loudly as it snapped. The left rope was the only thing holding me up at this point.

Evander lost it.

“By Alondria, what do you think you’re doing?”

I whipped around and waved my arms frantically toward the king, toward the guards, toward anyone. When they looked at me like I was a lunatic, I jabbed a finger toward Evander.

The king cocked his head at me, then a pleased smile washed over his cruel face.

“Stop the platforms,” he said.

“But sire, they haven’t solved—”

“Stop the platforms,” he yelled this time. The guard did as he was told, and both of our platforms screeched to a halt.

“Sire, they didn’t solve the trial,” the guard said, confused.

The king fixed his calculating stare on me. “But they did. The rules stated that the prince must state the item on the scroll without hearing the betrothed’s words. The word was Alondria, was it not?”

The guard paused, his mouth agape. “Yes, but—”

“Did my son not just utter the word Alondria?”

It almost looked as if the guard was chewing on air for a moment as he tried to process what had just happened. Tears burned at my eyes, but I blinked them back. By the time the king and I were face to face, I wanted him to see nothing but determined victory in my stare.

Evander let out a sound that sounded like a kitten being strangled. When I glanced back at him, his mouth was hanging in an open-mouthed grin, his eyes sparkling.

“You’re…you’re…” He laughed, something like hysteria mingled with disbelief choking his words.

The guards had to find a rope ladder to hoist me back up, since I had broken their contraption. Evander had beaten me to the top and was already there to greet me. He offered me his hand, and I let him help me off the ladder.

Before I could register what he was doing, he had slipped his fingers into the curls at the nape of my neck. My heart faltered, sure he was going to kiss me, but then my gag fell loose, and I realized he’d only been untying it.

His bright eyes scanned me, not in that disgusting, assessing way I’d seen when we’d first met, but as if he was taking me in as a whole. As if he’d lived his life in the desert and had glimpsed his first snowflake.

I shrugged and swallowed, uncomfortable with his extended gaze, but if he noticed my cue to look the crap away from me, he didn’t take it. I had to clear my throat and cut my vision over to the king just to break the stare.

“Prince Evander, the prince’s betrothed, congratulations on passing your first trial.” The king’s eyes flared. “May you succeed in those to come.”

My heart stopped. “There are more?”

Evander peered down at me and squeezed my hand.

It took me all afternoon to convince myself that the flutter that hiccupped in my heart had been a result of passing the Trials.

CHAPTER 20

ELLIE

When Imogen brought me back to my quarters, I crashed on the bed and slept for the majority of the afternoon. It was strange. I would have thought that coming so close to death twice, if not three times, today would have invigorated me, prodded me to get off my butt and make something of my easily extinguishable life.

But no, I pretty much just wanted to sleep.

In fact, I slept so hard that I didn’t realize Imogen had entered the room until she was already next to my bed.

I jolted, the realization of a presence standing above me striking a whirl of fear in me I hadn’t expected.

“My apologies, my lady. I didn’t intend to scare you,” Imogen said, still blinking down at me with her pinprick eyes.

“That’s fine,” I said, clutching my chest and regaining my breath. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I knocked. You didn’t respond, so I let myself in,” she said.

I sat up in the bed and rubbed my eye sockets. My head was pounding. “How long did I sleep?”

“Most of the day, but I’m to dress you for dinner.”

I groaned and plopped my head back on my soft pillow. “I’m not going to dinner.” It felt good to say. To be able to refuse something for once without my throat closing up and choking me. They could make me participate in the Trials, and they could make me marry the prince, but where I chose to take my food had nothing to do with this stupid bargain.

To my surprise, Imogen nodded. “Very well, I will inform the prince.”

That caught my attention. “You’re not going to fight me on it? Aren’t you worried about the king relieving you of your position?”

“The invitation was not extended by the king, but by His Highness, Prince Evander. He requested that the two of you dine alone tonight.”

I frowned, suspicious. “And you’re not afraid of the prince relieving you?”

“The prince is kind, my lady. Besides,” she said, straightening somewhat awkwardly and poking her chin out, “it seems to me you’ve been through enough today, and that if you desire to keep to yourself this evening, then your wishes should be respected.”

I smiled, my heart warming to the girl. “Thank you.”

She returned my smile, a look of relief softening her face, and left. I laid my head back on the pillow and had almost fallen back to sleep again when I heard a knock on my door. Imogen’s voice sounded muffled, nervous. “My lady?”

“Come in,” I groaned.

The door burst open. “I cannot believe you refused my invitation to dinner.”