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"Lillian," Nox said, gasping for breath He pressed his face onto her hair "Gods above" But cheers erupted from below and drowned out his words Celaena’s li Nox, and her stomach turned over and over and over

But they were still in the middle of the Test--still expected to complete it, and Celaena looked up All the Cha thief All except one, who perched high, high above the was ripped down, and Cain howled his triu for everyone to see She seethed

She would have won if she’d taken the easy route--she would have gotten there in half the time it took Cain But Chaol told her to stay in the middle, anyway And her path had been far more impressive and de--aone the easy way, she wouldn’t have saved Nox

She clenched her jaw Could she get back up there in time? Perhaps Nox could take the rope, and she’d just scale the ith her bare hands There was nothing worse than second place But even as she thought it, Verin, Grave, Pelor, and Renault cli it with a hand before descending

"Lillian Nox Hurry up," Brullo called, and she peered down at the Weapons Master

Celaena scowled, and started sliding her feet along the cracks in the stone, looking for a foothold Her skin, raw and bleeding in spots, stung as she found a crevice for her toes to squeeze into Carefully, carefully, she pulled herself up

"I’ into hers as he also sought out a foothold

"It’s fine," she told hi Nox to figure out the way on his own Foolish It’d been so foolish to save hi?

"Cheer up," Chaol said, drinking frohteenth place is fine At least Nox placed behind you"

Celaena said nothing and pushed her carrots around on her plate It had taken two baths and an entire bar of soap to get the tar off her aching hands and feet, and Philippa had spent thirty h Celaena had stopped shaking, she could still hear the shriek and thuround They’d carried his body away before she finished the test Only his death had saved Nox from elimination Grave hadn’t even been scolded There had been no rules against playing dirty

"You’re doing exactly like we planned," Chaol went on "Though I’d hardly consider your valiant rescue to be entirely discreet"

She glared at hiratulated her for saving Nox, and while the thief had hugged and thanked her again and again, only Chaol had frohen the Test was over Apparently, daring rescues weren’t part of a jewel thief’s repertoire

Chaol’s brown eyes shone golden in the racefully part of your training?"

"No," she said sourly "Arobynn told me that second place was just a nice title for the first loser"

"Arobynn Ha of the Assassins?"

She looked toward the , and the glittering expanse of Rifthold barely visible beyond it It was strange to think that Arobynn was in the same city--that he was so close to her now "You knoas otten," Chaol said Arobynn would have flogged her for saving Nox, jeopardizing her own safety and place in this co personally?"

"He trained ht in tutors fro masters from the rice fields of the southern continent, poison experts froleOnce he sent me to the Silent Assassins in the Red Desert No price was too high for hi the fine thread on her bathrobe "He didn’t bother to tell me until I was fourteen that I was expected to pay him back for all of it"

"He trained you and then ed, but was unable to hide the flash of anger "Courtesans go through the sae, and are bound to their brothels until they can earn back every coin that went into their training, upkeep, and wardrobe"

"That’s despicable," he spat, and she blinked at the anger in his voice--anger that, for once, was not directed at her "Did you pay it back?"

A cold smile that didn’t reach her eyes spread across her face "Oh, down to the last copper And he then went out and spent all of it Over five hundred thousand gold coins Gone in three hours" Chaol started from his seat She shoved the"You still haven’t apologized," she said, changing the subject before Chaol could inquire further

"Apologized? For what?"

"For all the horrid things you said yesterday afternoon when I was sparring with Neheize for speaking the truth"

"The truth? You treated me like I’m a crazed criminal!"

"And you said that you hated me more than anyone alive"

"Iat her lips--and she soon found it reflected on his face He tossed a piece of bread at her, which she caught in one hand and threw back at hi now

"Crazed cri, too

"I really do hate you"

"At least I didn’t cohteenth place," he said Celaena felt her nostrils flare, and it was all Chaol could do to duck the apple she chucked at his head

It wasn’t until later that Philippa brought the news The Champion who hadn’t shown up for the Test had been found dead in a servant’s stairwell, brutally mauled and dismembered

The new murder cast a pall over the next teeks, and the two Tests they brought with the--without drawingher neck to save anyone No other Champions wereover her shoulder constantly, even though Chaol seemed to consider the two ot better at running, going farther and faster, andCain when he taunted her at training The Crown Prince didn’t bother to show his face in her roo the Tests, when he usually just grinned and winked at her and ly and wars to worry about There were only nine weeks left until the final duel, and soh that those four spots were starting to seem rather precious Cain would definitely be there, but ould the other final three be? She’d always been so sure she’d make it