CHAPTER 24

Late in the evening, Eryx entered the throne room where the Council of Masters was assembling, and he immediately sensed the aggravated tension emanating from some of his fellow Masters. Calix was completely silent, and Rhaxma paced. No one could account for Leeto, the only weapon not present.

King Damien tapped his fingers together. “I’ve heard that some of you are rather disgruntled by how our last challenge played out,” he began. “I have summoned you here to tell you that my wishes have changed. Thus, the rules have changed as well.” There was a sound of dissent from Rhaxma, but Damien silenced her with a raised hand.

“It is no longer enough that Tovi is here. I want her marked by all of you. The whole ring. I want her to lose the heart in her palm. When both of these tasks are complete, I plan to take her body back to Adia myself.”

Eryx’s heart pounded, but he willed himself not to show any reaction.

“You are going to kill her, Your Majesty?” BiBi asked, surprised.

“No, one of you will kill her, and that person will win this task. Yes, but only after she is completely marked. When the seven marks are engraved in her skin and her hand shows no sign of that heart, I will personally crown whichever of you takes her life.” There was a dramatic pause before he smiled and turned toward Eryx. “What do you think about that, my boy?”

Eryx glared in response, refusing to display the terror that raced through his mind and coursed through his body. He left as soon as the weapons were dismissed and sat down on his own stone terrace, drinking from a large goblet and staring at Tovi across the courtyard. He was fairly certain that the distance and darkness concealed him and that he would go undetected by the Adian’s eyes. She was only visible to him because she was foolish enough to leave her curtains open, and the interior light illuminated her patio.

What must she think of this place? He wondered if she realized how much danger she was in. She already had the snake and scales. Five more and she would die. Five.

He watched as BiBi joined her. The two women sat in chairs, and he could tell they were talking animatedly. He knew exactly what BiBi was doing, befriending her so she could teach her all about greed, while masking it with the title “Prosperity.” If she succeeded, Tovi would get another mark, a diamond.

He hated watching BiBi work. He hated all of them and the way they didn’t care how much damage they were inflicting. But he hated himself the most. He felt responsible. After all, he was the one who first spotted Tovi. He was the one who couldn’t stop watching her each time she ran to the cliffs, who unknowingly led Leeto and Calix to her. Just thinking about it made his blood boil, and he heaved his goblet against the far wall of the balcony. He looked back across the courtyard. His outburst had drawn attention from the two women who were now looking directly at him across the expanse. Cursing himself, he stormed through his curtains and into the privacy of his home.

He stopped abruptly in his tracks. He was not alone.

That infuriating Silas from Adia was sitting at his table, with his dark brown hair—marred by one bright green spot on the side—and his speckled light green eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be protecting her?” Eryx asked, his voice full of venom.

“I was hoping you’d help me with that.”

“Do you think this is funny?” Eryx spat, his stance challenging. “You have no idea how much trouble she’s in.”

“I know better than you do. When you are ready to calm down and listen to me, I’d like to tell you my plan.”

Eryx did not like being told what to do, and he made this clear by stomping to the table, jerking a chair from under it, and sitting down with as much violence as he could muster. Silas bit the inside of his cheek and seemed to struggle to keep from laughing.

When Eryx was settled, Silas said, “We have to keep Tovi from getting the rest of those marks. As you know, Damien said he wants her alive until she has all seven. To buy us some time, we are going to focus on saving her from the others. We have two days until her lesson with Xanthe.”

Eryx knew what that meant, and it made his stomach contract violently.

Silas nodded; all trace of amusement was gone. “If Xanthe succeeds, Tovi will be left much more vulnerable to the remaining marks. Stopping Xanthe’s lesson is a key to keeping Tovi safe.”

“And how do you suggest we stop the lesson?”

“You know about the Hidden Heart, right?”

Eryx was surprised by Silas’ knowledge of the concealed dealings in the Bottom Rung. “The HH? Yes, I know about them. What do they have to do with Xanthe’s lesson?”

“I know you are trustworthy, so I’m going to give you some information that you must guard with your life. Understand?” After Eryx’s curt nod, Silas continued. “Xanthe is a member of the HH.”

Whatever Eryx had expected, it was not that. He scratched his head and allowed himself to relax a bit. “And how will that help Tovi?”

“Xanthe doesn’t care about marking Tovi or winning the competition. She’s sick of Damien, this mountain, and her life. Sound familiar?”

Eryx crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Silas to go on. It was one thing to break into his house. It was another to intrude on the personal thoughts he had never told anyone.

“I want you to persuade Xanthe to do two things. First, ditch her lesson plans about Pleasure. Second, invite Tovi along to an HH meeting.”

“And how do you expect me to convince Xanthe? Tell her that you, a man she’s never met, sent me to tell her this?”

Silas smiled. “I doubt she would believe that, but I think showing her that heart under your glove would go a long way.”

Eryx closed his fists so tightly that he almost split the seams of his gray leather fighting gloves. They were his favorites, the ones with the cut-off fingers to allow him better grip—the ones that had always protected his most dangerous secret.