“You’ll for sure be recruited to your guild’s team after Quorum!” Hypatia’s hazel eyes glitter with excitement. “And then I’ll live vicariously through you.”

Hypatia will also be presenting at the upcoming Quorum as she’s recently come of age to join a guild, but she’d said her family won’t let her hoverjoust because of her health. I’m curious about her mystery illness, especially since sickness seems to be uncommon among the Makers with all their advanced medicine, but I assume that if she wants me to know about it, she’ll tell me eventually.

“Let’s see how you do with a lance,” Georgie says. “I can’t wait to see how you joust. You need to wear a helmet on the magna-mat though.”

The helmet she tosses me is shaped like it belongs on a knight, but it’s no shining armor. The cap is made of spidersilk padding, and the visor is fully transparent glace.

Hypatia grunts with effort as she hands me a lance. It’s longer than I am tall, and it’s heavy and awkward to hold. They set up a target for me in the center of one of the lanes on the magna-mat so I can practice with the lance before attempting an actual match against another person.

I might be good on a hoverboard, but I can barely hold the lance. I drop it on my first and second try. By my third, I make it across the mat still holding the lance, but it doesn’t get anywhere near the target.

After a few more fruitless attempts, I pull off my helmet, ready to give my lance arm a break. Hypatia seems captivated with something over my shoulder, so I turn to look.

Ah. At the edge of the clearing, a sweaty Simon Sanzio is doing shoulder rolls while holding dumbbells. Kaylie is coaching him, helping him isolate a specific muscle in his back.

I suddenly have some questions about why Hypatia insisted we come here at this specific time of day. Gotta respect that girl’s hustle.

“Seems like a strange place for a workout,” I say. “Why don’t they just go to the gymnasium?” I ask.

“They need the open sky,” Hypatia explains as she weaves a flower into her pale blond braid. “Simon needs to work on his wing strength.”

I do a double take, wondering if I heard her right.

Turns out I did hear her right.

As I watch, Simon spreads his wings. Yes. Wings.

They’re not feathery angel wings or gossamer fairy wings. They’re large and strong enough to hold up a human body. They ripple with muscle and bone, and they’re covered in skin.

Valkyrie. Got it.

As Simon flaps his wings and elevates off the ground, I’m not sure I fully believe my eyes.