I frown, knowing that whatever he’s about to reveal will turn my world upside down.

“A test, perhaps?”

“Test?”

“Or maybe a trial? You’re good at those, aren’t you?”

The crowd behind Herric breaks out into a series of excited twitters, and I shake my head at the sick sense of déjà vu threatening to drown me.

“Trial.” I keep repeating his words because I’m not sure what else to do. What is he asking of me?

“Yes. I’ve devised a challenge just for you. If you pass, I’ll hand you the ark and let you walk out of here.”

“And if I don’t?”

“And if you don’t, then you’ll destroy this in my presence, and because I’m such a good sport, I’ll still let you walk out of here. I’ll even let you have your crown, and you can rule over your broken queendom, under my guidance of course.”

His face stretches into a cat-like smile, and I clutch my stomach, about to throw up.

“How do I know you’ll keep your word about any of this?”

“Good question, Heart Queen.”

He stretches out his arm and opens his palm. A moment later, pain sears my hand. I clutch at my wrist, groaning as I sink to my knees. I writhe as my arm burns like I’ve been shot with flaming arrows. A few seconds later, the worst of it recedes, and I pull my hand away to find a glowing silver mark branded on the inside of my palm.

“A promise,” Herric says. “Now I am bound to keep up my end of our bargain.”

My vision swims before my eyes as I will myself not to pass out.

“How do you know I’ll keep my word if I lose?”

“Oh,” Herric says. “I know you will.”

He waves a hand again, and a third cage materializes as my breath turns to rust in my lungs.

“Lor!” Nadir shouts, and we lurch towards each other, our cages swinging. We stretch through the bars, our fingertips an inch from touching, but we can’t quite reach.

I whip around to face Herric, rage boiling in my blood.

“He just walked right in here,” Herric says with a shrug. “I presume to save you? How very noble.”

“You let him go,” I scream, shaking the bars, and everyone erupts into laughter. Gods, why does it feel like I’m right back in Aphelion? Herric ignores my outburst as he continues speaking.

“Should you double-cross me, then your little prince remains here with me,” Herric says. “I’ll toss you back into the world, where you’ll have to live knowing he’s down here suffering because you refused to keep up your end of our deal.”

I snarl as I lurch at my bars, the cage pitching dangerously. “I’ll kill you!”