Chapter Twelve

Sylvia, bruised and resentful, antagonizes Arin’s guards over their gruel and her poor conditions until Arin appears, orders parcels taken to her room, and leads her to the training hall. He bluntly asks how long her magic has been blocked, noting that the power he sensed in the Relic Room should have destroyed him yet remains confined within her by the cuffs.

Pressed, Arin explains his rare ability: he is immune to Jasadi magic, can sense it, and can drain a Jasadi’s finite supply by touch, leaving time to capture or kill them. Sylvia admits she has never known her magic unbound but withholds details. Arin sets the schedule: six weeks until the Champions’ Banquet in Lukub, then the first trial in Orban, and insists they make her fit for the role.

When Sylvia mentions the earlier attack in the woods—a mirage of Hanim’s corpse that vanished at Arin’s approach—Arin reasons it likely was not the Mufsids and absorbs the new threat into his plans. He abruptly tests Sylvia by hurling a dagger at her heart; she instinctively catches it, proving trained reflexes. Arin probes her true name; she deflects, and he lets the challenge stand for now.

Among Jasadi-marked weapons, Arin says her advantage is the magic that has already saved her, despite the cuffs. He urges minimizing animosity and warns against divided loyalty—not to Nizahl, he clarifies—signaling deeper, competing claims on Sylvia as he commits to training her for the coming trials.