I climb up the vine and make my way through the branches at a measured pace, being extra cautious with my footholds and listening for noise of any kind. The sky bench is empty when I reach it, so I position my back against the tree trunk, eliminating one direction I need to watch. I sit in a relaxed way, even though my nerves are buzzing like a hive of bees. I make note of all the branches I can move to and the nearby vines I can grab, in case I need to run for it.

“Well, well, the note was real,” Aarya says, and drops down from a higher branch onto the bench.

My heart skips a beat. Ash’s warning about Aarya’s talents and her ruthlessness rings in my head.

“You wouldn’t have come all the way out here if you thought the note wasn’t real, would you?” I say, trying to show her that I’m calm and comfortable.

She balances on one foot, like she’s walking on a thin ledge. “It’s not really all the way out here. If you’d wanted to make it challenging, you should have asked me to meet you in the dungeon.”

I look at her sideways.

She grins and drops into a sitting position about three feet away from me. “I can see by the look on your face”—she points at me, moving her finger in a circle—“that someone told you they didn’t know where the dungeon is…Ash, maybe?” She takes a dramatic breath, like “Isn’t it such a shame that you’re so gullible?”

My stomach twists. Ash knows where the dungeon is and didn’t tell me? Wait, this is Aarya, I remind myself. Don’t let her distract you right off the bat.

“Ines—” I say, determined to bring the conversation back under my control.

“Yes, Ines. Let’s talk about Ines.” Something dangerous flashes in her eyes.

Talking to Aarya is like walking a tightrope.

“It’s no secret that Lions are killing off the best students from the Families that won’t follow them,” I start, trying to keep my voice neutral.

Aarya picks at the bark with her fingernails like she doesn’t have a care in the world. “Did you really call me up here to tell me things I already know? I’ve concocted a few colorful reasons for this meeting in my head, and if the truth proves less interesting than those, I’ll just need to find another way to amuse myself.” She turns to look at me like a cat that just saw a mouse, and I force myself to lean back against the trunk in the most relaxed pose I can manage.

“Ines is one of the best students at the Academy,” I say. “I know you know that. Which puts her directly at risk. Layla believes someone here is trying to prevent the Lions from killing students. I want to know who it is.”

Aarya tilts her head, and I know I’ve finally got her attention.

“But Layla’s in the dungeon right now because Blackwood thinks she killed that guard—”