Page 151 of The Amber Sunburst

Kallias is right. Alexander knows he is. So he closes his eyes and lets himself be dragged to his feet and over to the pathway they’re starting on. He drops one of the mirror pieces from his sleeve into his hand.

“Lead the way,” he says, his voice so dull it hardly sounds like his own.

Kallias sighs in relief and nods. “To the impossible plan.” He raises his crossbow like a cup.

“Hear, hear.” He clinks his sword against it.

46

OPHELIA

Ophelia exhales a sigh of relief from her viewing tower when Kallias finally coaxes Alexander away from the dead boy and into the labyrinth.

Not that she doesn’t have sympathy, but it puts the two of them behind Eudoxia and Zeno, and sitting around all sad won’t bring anyone back to life. Thankfully Kallias will be able to navigate the map quickly and affix the mirrors to the walls of the maze without having to calculate angles, so they’ll catch up fast.

She and Kallias both have an eye for stuff like that.

She turns her focus away from the boys and to her new favorite official couple. When Eudoxia came to her dorm last night, she gave Ophelia the whole recap. A lot of kissing, a lot of cuddling, and a lot of talking. Eudoxia’s dark blush and adorable smile made Ophelia want to cheer.

Eudoxia, more than anyone else, deserves to be happy.

The two of them work together very well, as always, and move at a swift but careful clip. Ophelia wishes they could test the system to be sure they’re setting it up right, but despite her design being discreet, once it’s used, it will no longer be.

Lazarus is on track as well, sneaking around the maze on his way to what she’s dubbed the ‘loser’s exit’. When someone has been knocked out, the Priestesses of the Scale drag them into a room filled with other passed out Auxiliaries. It’s from there that Lazarus’ actual challenge will begin, but everyone else has to do theirs first.

She was concerned that he’d sabotage them at the eleventh hour, but after last night, she doesn’t really think he’s capable. He’s too earnest, plus he looked… hopeful. Like he’d rather be leaving with them than rotting away here.

Or, at least, that’s what she thinks. But if he is going to betray them, there’s nothing she can do for that now. She needs to focus on her own task. Find the Educator.

“He’s old school,” Kallias had explained to them, leaning back in his chair. “He has a key for the control room, I know that for a fact. But it’s a physical key, not digital. And it’s attached to a bracelet with a dozen other near-identical ones for other rooms.”

“How am I supposed to take that from him?” she asked, tone incredulous enough to warrant the worried looks everyone shot at her. It’s just, the Educator makes her uncomfortable even from a distance. She doesn’t want to get close enough to touch him.

“Distract him,” Eudoxia suggested.

“How?”

“Flirt with him,” Alexander said without missing a beat.

Ophelia scoffed, but Kallias spoke before she could refuse.

“It’ll work,” he said.

“How do you know that?”

“He’s a man, and you’re nice to look at.” Kallias shrugged. “Use magnets so the swap is faster. You’ll be fine.”

Ophelia really regrets letting herself be swayed by that argument. Because now she’s here and she has to flirt so hard that the most powerful man in the Republic doesn’t notice her taking a bracelet off his hand and attaching a new one.

She’s about to turn around and start her search when she feels a presence on her right.

“Hello, little Priestess,” the Educator says. He must remember her from their conversation in the second Trial.

That’s lucky, she supposes.

“Hello, Educator.”

“Are you enjoying the Trial?” he asks, facing the screen to watch Lazarus carefully turn a corner with a taser at his side.