Two guards approach each of us, and as they lower my arms out of the shackles, I realize how sore I am from holding them above my head. All my struggling produced a couple of angry red welts on my wrists. But I don’t get time to inspect them because the guards yank my arms behind my back with force and tie my wrists with a knot of rope.

They escort us out of the cell in a line with me at the very back, Ash at the front, and Ines and Aarya in between. A guard holds each of my arms with a steel grip that I’m certain is going to leave bruises.

“I guess it takes eight Lion guards and one giant to handle four Academy kids,” Aarya says flippantly in front of me, and the guards next to her stiffen. “I’m also guessing you want to smash me into something right now?” she continues when they don’t respond. “Go ahead. I’ll wait.”

I tense, waiting for them to throw her into the bars on the cells we’re passing. But the guards don’t respond.

“Ahhh, I see,” Aarya continues. “Jag doesn’t let you think for yourselves. That’s probably a good thing, though. And that big one, geez,” she says loudly enough for the bouncer to hear her in the front of the procession. “Good thing brute strength is an asset.”

In a way, I understand Aarya; she’s getting in her punches where she can, even if they’re verbal. The guards lead us out of the dungeon and up the flight of stairs we snuck down last night. The wide corridor with the looming portraits is now populated with Strategia, who stare at us uncomfortably. And it gives me hope to know that while Jag may be willing to torture Academy kids in his dungeon, other Strategia don’t find it as palatable.

The guards lead us into the great hall. It’s a huge rectangular room with vaulted ceilings. At the far end there is an elevated platform, upon which Jag sits in a thronelike chair that’s trimmed in gold, with a red velvet seat. Rose stands next to him with a stony expression and next to her is Brendan, who doesn’t look victorious the way I thought he would, but ghostly pale and uncertain.

A large crowd is gathered, speaking in hushed voices that hum with anticipation. Heavy wooden doors close behind us, and the crowd parts as the bouncer approaches, creating a pathway for us to be brought to Jag.