Kiva toed the edge of the balcony, making herself look down this time. She could see the royals and Rooke still on the gallows platform beneath her, the crowd of prisoners looking up with anticipation gleaming on their faces.

Entertained. There were all entertained, her life—or death—being nothing but a spectacle to them.

“Ten seconds, and you’ll have failed,” the prince declared.

Kiva closed her eyes, blocking out the view of all those watching, waiting.

“Nine!” the crowd below cried.

She started backing up.

“Eight!”

Step, after step, after step.

“Seven!”

She was aware of Captain Veris shuffling out of her way, the other guards remaining on the balcony to watch.

“Six!”

She continued backwards, step—“Five!”—after step—“Four!”—after step—“Three!”—until she was at the furthest point from the opened edge.

“Two seconds, Champion!” warned the prince.

Don’t let her die.

Stay alive.

Kiva’s mind went blank as she shot forward, her entire focus on the task before her. She willed strength into her legs, lightness into her body, air into every atom of her being as she sprinted along the tower and gave a mighty leap off the side.

Stay alive.

We are coming.

Icy wind bit at her skin and tugged at her clothes as she speared through the air. She was doing it—she was actually doing it. The wall was nearing with every racing heartbeat, her pulse thumping so loudly that it nearly drowned out the raging whoosh of air past her ears.

Closer and closer she soared, defying gravity itself, the top of the eastern wall approaching with every microsecond that passed.

She was going to make it. She was going to beat the odds, to succeed against the first Ordeal. Triumph raged within her. She could almost feel the solid wall beneath her, could almost taste the victory.

But then she was falling.

So close—she was so close. If only she could reach out and grab hold of the edge, then she’d be able to—

It was too late.

She was already plummeting, down, down, down to the earth.

It’s all right. Everything will be all right.

Her father’s voice echoed in her ears, and this time she didn’t push it away. She wanted him with her as she fell, needed his comfort as she met her end.

It’s all right. Everything will be all right.

Kiva closed her eyes, unwilling to watch the inevitable play out. She kept them closed and thought of her father, of what happened the day her life was taken from her. She’d been on borrowed time for ten years, and today that time had come to an end.

It’s all right. Everything will be all right.

Suddenly, the whoosh in her ears stopped, the icy wind disappeared, and then—

Pain.

Blinding, overwhelming pain lanced through every inch of Kiva’s body.

And then she knew no more.

Chapter Twelve