“We cannot risk engaging them in case something goes wrong,” Karam said. “They are distracted now. They will not see us cross the bridge. And with that music, they will not hear us until it is too late.”

Saxony looked over her shoulder and back to the man. “But—”

“We save that man by saving my city,” Wesley said. “Now come on.”

He headed for the next side street, Tavia following him without hesitation. Karam shrugged, squeezed Saxony’s hand, and then ran after them.

With an aching regret deep inside of her, Saxony did the same.

They made their way toward the bridge that separated the two halves of Creije. The outskirts from High Town. The amity precinct from the magic markets.

The bridge was a grand spectacle, pure white with swirling arches and engraved beams that dipped into the water. The suspension chains were a glacier blue that matched the Steady Mountains, and each of the grandiose towers it bore was roofed by the Uskhanyan flag. From a distance it looked a little like a monument.

“We need to float up to the top of the center tower and set off the Star Eggs from there,” Wesley said. “Smack bang in the middle of the city.”

“To the top,” Tavia said. She looked up at the central tower. “Of that thing?”

She swallowed, loudly, and it was then that Saxony remembered how scared of heights her friend was.

“Don’t look so worried,” Saxony said, slinging her arm over Tavia’s shoulders. “If the magic flops and you fall to your doom, it’ll be a quick death.”

Tavia glared and shrugged her arm off, at which point Saxony laughed.

“Do we have enough hover charms for that?” Tavia asked.

Wesley snorted. “We don’t need hover charms,” he said. “You have two Crafters.”

“I thought that Crafters could not fly,” Karam said.

“We can’t,” Saxony said. “This is more of a dramatic hop.”

“A hundred and fifty feet in the air?” Tavia asked, with wide eyes.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Wesley said. “It’s more like one twenty.”

Tavia gave him the finger, but Wesley only rolled his suit sleeves up, unfazed.

“Hold on tight to your backpack,” he said.

“Sure, because the explosives breaking would be so terrible for everyone.” Tavia cast one last look up at the towers. “Never mind my neck.”

Wesley consulted his wristwatch. “Your neck won’t stop time and allow our army to get into the city unnoticed. Let’s go.”