The grass is spongy beneath my boots and silences my steps as I run toward the trees. I stop at the vine near the middle of the back wall that Ash and I used last time and scan the dark branches above me. But there’s no sign of Aarya.

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.