With the shimmering gleam of the barrier rising in the near distance, a worrying thought dawned on me. How would we get through without the square patch Commander Korbin had used? Would it still be there, forging a hole in the defenses?

“What if the gap isn’t there anymore?” I asked anxiously, the jagged mountains still too far away to see in detail.

A frown furrowed Navan’s brow. “I have an idea,” he replied, his wings beating faster. Five minutes later, we descended toward the fighting pits. “Pull your hood up and keep your face hidden,” he warned as we headed for the tall, wooden entrance. This time, a different guard was on duty, though she looked no less grisly than her male counterpart, with scars crisscrossing over her broad face and muscular arms.

She smiled an almost toothless grin as Navan walked up to her. “Thought you were public enemy number one?” she remarked, in a high-pitched voice that didn’t quite match her face.

“That’s why I need the help of some old friends,” Navan replied warmly, slapping her on the back. “It’s good to see you, Nisha.”

“You too, Idrax,” she chuckled, pulling him into a hug. “This the reason you’re running?” She whistled, flashing a wink in my direction.

Navan grinned. “Something like that. You know how Gianne feels about interspecies relationships,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“So, it has nothing to do with that?” Nisha asked, nodding toward the plume of black smoke just visible on the horizon.

“Nothing to do with us,” Navan replied, not missing a beat. “Although, with the way things are going, Gianne will probably blame me for it anyway.”

Nisha chuckled and shook her head. “You do attract trouble, don’t you? Well, if Gianne’s minions come looking, I’ll tell them I haven’t seen you,” she promised. “Now, what can I do for you, troublemaker?”

“We need to get through without setting off the barrier. Is the underground pass still in use, or did you end up closing it?” Navan asked.

“Still operable, though it’s not particularly stable these days. A few of the guys tried to reinforce the support beams, but they gave up after one too many cave-ins. We don’t use it so much, unless there’s a Northern fighter who really wants a shot at a Southern warrior.” She chuckled.

Navan grimaced. “You still get a few coming through this way, then? I thought they’d have given up after Mako punched that Northerner’s head clean off.”

“Apparently, they still want to prove they’re better than us.” Nisha sighed.

Navan frowned. “I thought you were a Northerner, originally?”

“I am, but don’t spread it around,” she whispered back, a coy smile on her lips. “It was simpler when the planet wasn’t split in two. Legendary fights, like you wouldn’t believe! Every warrior an equal—no North, no South, just Vysanthean. Ah well, that’s what happens when you put nobles in charge of things. We’d be far better off with a government taken from the people, voted for by the people.” She sighed, then gestured for us to follow her.

“Careful, Nisha, you’re starting to sound like a revolutionary,” Navan teased, though I could see a glimmer of respect in his eyes. I felt it myself, too. These were the kinds of people who should be running things—the ones who saw a brighter future for Vysanthe, like Seraphina.

Nisha grinned. “Perhaps I am one! That’s the thing about revolutionaries: they look the same as everybody else,” she said, chuckling to herself as we pressed on through the grim sight of the fighting pits. There weren’t many people crowding the floor today, with most of the betting stalls closed up, and only a few clashes of metal to be heard from the edge of the actual pits.

“It’s quiet,” I said absently, casting a glance over the miserable faces of the gamblers. They didn’t seem as animated as the ones we’d seen the last time.

“It’s still early,” Nisha replied, leading us around the pits to a doorway cemented in the side of a sheer rockface. “This place doesn’t liven up until the sun goes down.”

After opening it with a set of rusty keys, she urged us forward into the darkness beyond. Dim light flickered from emergency lamps, but the ground was slippery underfoot, the walls dripping with cold moisture. It was treacherous, to say the least, and I almost lost my footing a few times. Had it not been for Navan’s hand gripping me tight, I’d have fallen on my butt more times than I cared to count.

“This is where I leave you,” Nisha said apologetically as we reached a fork in the tunnel. “Head down this passageway, and you’ll come out in the North. Tread carefully. As I said, the walls are crumbling.”

“Thank you, Nisha,” Navan replied, pulling his old friend into another tight embrace.

“What are pals for? Don’t wait so long until you visit again, okay?”

Navan smiled. “I won’t.”

With that, Nisha disappeared back up the tunnel, headed in the direction we’d just come. Meanwhile, Navan and I took the path that led directly in front of us, walking side by side, until the tunnel thinned out, forcing us to walk single file through the dark, narrow space. I wasn’t ordinarily claustrophobic, but the passageway was almost making me wish we’d risked the barrier. I could feel the walls pressing in on me as a thunderous roar boomed above my head. All around us, things cracked and creaked, making me dread each step, in case the whole thing fell down. Reaching out to touch the walls didn’t help either, given that each time I felt a vibration ripple through the stone, fragments of rock crumbled downward, covering my face and hair in a layer of damp dust.

Still, we pressed on, knowing it was the only way to reach the North without being detected by the barrier’s sensors. If Korbin caught us, I was fairly sure he wouldn’t stop to listen to what we had to say. We had to reach Brisha before the rest of our troop so we could explain to her what had happened. She might not be our biggest fan, but I knew she would at least hear us out.

“You okay back there?” Navan asked as particularly violent thunder ricocheted through the passageway, making everything tremble. My teeth juddered.

“Still in one piece,” I murmured, fearing that any kind of volume might cause the support beams to break.

“It shouldn’t be too much farther now,” he said reassuringly, though there was no way he could have known that, unless…

“Have you been this way before?” I asked, curious.

“Once or twice, to collect fighters from the North. That was a long time ago, though,” he replied. The thought comforted me. If he’d been this way before, then perhaps he did know where the end was.

“How can this tunnel exist?” I wondered, knowing it went against the split between North and South. “Do the queens know about it?”

“It’s one of those don’t ask, don’t tell scenarios,” Navan replied. “The guys who run the joint make sure no spies get through, and in return Gianne lets them keep the pits open. They only let fighters through. They’ve always been pretty strict on that. Although, it doesn’t look like there have been many fighters through this way in a while. Besides, it’s not like you could fit an army through without it falling to pieces. Hell, you probably couldn’t get more than two or three people through without it falling down,” he mused, setting my nerves on edge. Just the mention of it falling down made my heart race.

“Are you sure we’re nearly there?” I asked, imagining a horrible death, crushed beneath the rubble of an entire mountain.

“Almost,” Navan promised.

True to his word, I noticed a glimmer of light up ahead. At first, I panicked, thinking it was a flashlight in the hands of someone trying to scout us out. But then I realized it was the cold light of day, and never had I been happier to see it. With a final blood-chilling boom of rock crumbling behind us, we surged out into the crisp air. I crouched low to the ground, drawing every icy breath deep into my lungs, wanting to get the stale heat of the tunnel out.

Turning, I saw that the tunnel entrance had held, though it had felt like it was going to cave in around us. Miraculously, we had made it without alerting anyone to our presence. Navan offered his hand, helping me up. I smiled, seeing the streaks of dirt and grime all over his face, looking like war paint.

“You’ve got muck on you,” I teased.

“So do you,” he remarked, brushing some of it away with his thumb.

Feeling relieved, I glanced around at the harsh landscape. I could see the mountainside rising up beside me, but there was no hint of the barrier. It was too far up. Still, I had Navan, and he would be able to lead us back to Nessun.

Just then, I heard a familiar sound in the distance. My head whipped around, snapping in the direction of the noise. Navan’s eyes were already fixed on the jagged teeth of the mountain range up ahead. Across the snowy peaks, figures were appearing, swarming toward us, their wings outstretched.

The image made my blood freeze.

“They must have been monitoring this whole barrier area,” Navan muttered.

“What do we do?” I asked, panicked, dreading the thought of being forced to run back through the tunnel.

“We let them take us to Brisha,” Navan said stoically, his gaze unwavering. “She’ll listen to what we have to say. And I doubt they’ll hurt us until we’ve been put before her.”

I didn’t feel confident of that. I knew what coldbloods were like, and if I didn’t come out of this bruised and battered, it would be a miracle.

Commander Korbin was at the head of the squadron, though none of our fellow trainees were present. Instead, he was flanked by an elite force, their faces bearing the scars and tattoos of seasoned soldiers. There were ten, in total, which seemed like overkill considering there were only two of us, but I supposed it was meant to send a message.

“Don’t move!” Korbin bellowed as his team descended. “We will shoot you without hesitation if you so much as twitch!” The soldiers carried guns that flashed tiny green lasers across our bodies.

We did as we were told, staying perfectly still, while the task force approached. Two females came up behind me, yanking my arms behind my back, fastening cuffs roughly around my wrists. With my hands bound, they shoved me in the back, getting me to stagger forward.

“Careful with her!” Navan yelled, his eyes furious.

“One more word, and I will take your blade and slice her head off. Do I make myself clear?” Korbin spat, getting nose-to-nose with Navan.

He fell silent, gazing in my direction. One of my guards forced my chin down to my chest, so I couldn’t look at him any longer. She kept her hand on my neck. The muscles there were screaming in pain, but there was nothing I could do. To fight back would mean certain death against soldiers like this.

“Blow it up!” Korbin ordered, and I caught sight of two other soldiers planting bombs around the tunnel entrance. When it blew, the passageway would be sealed for good.

A moment later, the two coldblood females gripped an arm each before hauling me up into the sky, dragging me along behind them as we soared across the bitter landscape, the frozen lakes glinting in the distance. I tried to turn, to make sure Navan was following, but each time I moved, one of the coldbloods forced my head back down.

Half an hour later, we reached the unmistakable layout of Nessun, the squadron of elite soldiers bringing us right down in front of the palace before clapping more chains on our ankles. For good measure, they clamped a peculiar device down over my mouth, the solid metal preventing me from speaking. When I tried, it pinched my skin, the pain increasing with each attempt I made.

Panic coursed through me. If neither Navan nor I could speak, how were we supposed to explain the truth to Brisha? I flashed a look at Navan, who had been dragged up beside me, a metal device clamped across his mouth too. I could tell he was trying to calm me down, but there was only so much he could say with his eyes alone.

With our bodies rattling with chains, the soldiers pushed us roughly inside the palace, leading us down the echoing hallways toward the throne room. It was a far cry from the way we had arrived at Nessun that first time, when we had been welcomed as guests, not prisoners. Now, we were definitely meant to feel like traitors to Brisha’s crown.

The queen was waiting for us at the top of the plinth where her throne stood, her arms folded across her chest. She was dressed in a plain, flowing black gown, her pale copper hair tied up in an elegant style, black roses woven into the tresses. Somehow, it felt like she’d dressed up for the occasion—her style best suited for an execution. I shuddered at the thought, my eyes flicking up to hers. They were fixed upon us, her expression one of deep disappointment.

“Would you call it coincidence that all the civilians happened to be evacuated from the Observatory, right before the bombs went off?” she asked coldly, pacing across the top of the plinth, her long train sweeping across the marble. “Would you call it coincidence that the pair of you disappeared shortly after you were due to report back?”

I shook my head, opening my mouth to speak, but the device bit into my face, prompting me to grimace instead. A whimper of pain echoed from my throat. Brisha’s expression changed slightly as she heard it.

“Take those ridiculous things off, Korbin! How are they supposed to speak, if they have a bar of solid metal across their mouths?” she snapped, bringing me an instant wave of relief. Now we would have the chance to tell the truth, and hopefully regain her favor.

The guards removed the devices, though they were by no means gentle about it. As mine came away, I licked my dry lips, tasting the metallic tang of blood.

“Was this your doing, Idrax? I know you objected to my course of action before you left to complete your mission,” she accused, her eyes narrowing. “I thought the threat of my punishment might be enough to sway your hand, but clearly I was wrong,” she added sourly.

Navan nodded stiffly. “I admit it. I was the one who caused the building to be evacuated,” he said, thankfully mentioning nothing of Seraphina. “However, I did so without raising any alarm. I didn’t want innocent people to die, but my loyalty remains with you, Queen Brisha. If I were not on your side, I would have stopped the explosion entirely. I did not. I merely stopped the killing of innocent people,” he explained, his voice calm.

Queen Brisha looked thoughtful for a moment, mulling the words over. “Perhaps you have done me a favor by acting this way. The thought of so many deaths on my conscience is not something I relish, and you have saved me from that,” she said, then paused again. “However, whatever your reasoning, I must still banish you to the farthest tundra of the North, where you will struggle to survive past a week. Mercy is a noble trait, Navan Idrax, but you defied me, and I will not tolerate that under any circumstances,” she continued, her expression icy. “Moreover, your absence is still unaccounted for. Where did you go, traitors?”

As a tense silence stretched between them, my mind raced. Our options were narrowing by the second, but there was still hope; it was just a case of figuring out which option would cause the least destruction. If we told Brisha about the advanced ships, then we would regain her favor, but there was a risk in that. We could lie and tell her they were super powerful in their weaponry only, just as we had planned to, but there was no way we could ensure she didn’t capture one of them to study for herself. If she did get hold of one, and discovered that they were powerful in terms of speed, instead of weaponry, then that put us back at the beginning, with the possibility of both queens finding Earth opening up once more.

Then again, I figured it was better to give Brisha a reason to attack Gianne, destroying lots of the ships in the process. Not only Gianne’s ships, but Brisha’s too, reducing the forces on either side. Besides, if either sister learned about Earth and traveled toward it, they would be hit with competition from all sides. The rebels’ growing forces would annihilate anyone who made it there, especially if the approaching party had a reduced number of ships. At least, I hoped.

It was definitely a gamble to put my faith in the queens weakening each other before they even got to finding Earth, but it was one I was willing to take. Plus, I was pretty sure Brisha had spies working in the South. If she didn’t find out from Navan and me, she would likely find out one way or another. We might as well use the intel to our advantage while we still could.

“The reason we were absent, Your Highness, is because we came across something interesting—some information you might want to know,” I said boldly, finding my voice. “In return, we would ask that you reconsider your punishment. By the time we had discovered this information, the troop had left. We were forced to return by ourselves.”

Brisha frowned. “Information, you say?”

I nodded. “Please, promise you will reconsider our punishment, and I’ll tell you what we know.”

“Very well, go on,” she prompted, her tone softening.

Taking a deep breath, I leveled my gaze at the queen. “Your sister is building a new fleet of ships, which is nearing completion. Each one is a weapon, in the true sense of the word. They are fitted with advanced technology, to gain advantage in battle. Navan recognized some of the mechanics. These are machines of war and death, Your Highness, and your sister intends to use them. They are in the underground hangar just outside Regium.”

A small smile crept onto Brisha’s lips. “A new fleet? This is excellent information, indeed, if true,” she purred. “But… how did you come across them?” There was a hint of suspicion in her voice.

“It’s where they do all of their fleet-building, Your Highness, though the location is supposed to be secret,” Navan explained. “I know of it through my father, and remembered seeing them building something impressive the last time I was there. I suggested to Riley that we scope it out, as I knew a side entrance where we wouldn't be spotted.”

I looked to him, hoping he wasn’t giving too much away. “Yes, Your Highness. I thought it might be good to bring you something useful back,” I added, knowing how lame it sounded. I felt like the teacher’s pet.

“I have a military mind, Your Highness. After the attack on the lab, I knew Gianne would be up to something. As it happens, I was right,” Navan cut in, covering my statement.

Queen Brisha’s features softened, her eyebrow lowering. “In that case, perhaps I was too hasty when it came to your punishments. In return for this, I shall grant you amnesty for your previous actions, as I believe they were done with my cause in mind. If we arrive at this hangar and there are no ships, however… Well, we shall cross that bridge if we come to it.” She gave us a warning look. “As you have knowledge of these mechanics, Idrax,” she continued, “I will send you with more soldiers to scope out the technology and return your findings to me. We must ensure my sister never gets a single one off the ground.”

I swallowed. Those were the words I had been dreading to hear.

“If it is not too much to ask, Your Highness, might we rest and refresh ourselves first?” Navan asked, his tone bleak.

“Of course.” She smiled coldly. “Guards, remove these chains and let these two return to their quarters. We shall send a squadron out the day after tomorrow. Perhaps we shall make a second attempt at getting you to blow something up,” she added, with a sly wink at Navan.

As the guards removed our shackles, I cast Navan a nervous glance.

We were back in Brisha’s good graces, but at what cost?