"I can communicate with his elemental. I suppose I could also reach out to the air touched you are rumored to vigorously mate with."

"Bastian?"

"Yes. I should also admit I am only asking to give you the illusion of choice. I already reached out to them several minutes ago when I suspected the humans who led you here of treachery."

"And you didn't think to warn me?"

Rage explodes in my chest, hot and vicious. Typhon is supposed to protect me, and he just let me walk straight into this?

"Yes. Better to face our enemies than hide in the shadows from them. I will admit I didn't expect... quite so many of them, however."

The slight throb of apology through the tether softens my anger. We’re still screwed, though.

Serena slides inside my space and plucks my rapier from my waist. Blunted or not, I still feel naked once she takes it.

"Just to be safe," she says, eyes holding mine as she steps back, her smile cutting like a blade.

"Are they close?" I ask Typhon through our tether.

"Yes."

"I didn't see anything," I say, trying to keep my voice steady despite the situation. "Just let me walk out of here, and I won't talk about this. Whatever it is."

"Hmm," Malakai says, lips curving into a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Serena mentioned she gave you the opportunity to work with us. Said you weren't particularly receptive, though. We could use your dragon, Nessa. Maybe there's bad blood between us, but we're willing to leave it in the past."

"You tried to kill me during the water trial. And you had your goons try to kill us in the training arena. And you've murdered dozens of innocent students." I lift my chin, refusing to cower even as my insides quiver with dread. "So fuck leaving anything in the past. I want nothing to do with you bastards."

Malakai's smile widens, teeth flashing white in the torchlight. "I'll admit I like your spunk, Nessa. Almost as much as I like the idea of having that water dragon on our side."

"It's never going to happen."

He nods, eyes falling to the floor for a moment as if he's considering something. "I believe you. That's too bad. Because it means you're also too dangerous to keep alive." His gaze flicks to the two first-years. "Veeni and Jira, you did good bringing her here. Titus, it’s your turn to get rid of the body. It has been a while since we threw one over the cliffs. That should do for her.”