Contents
Chapter Twenty-Four
Overview
Sylvia awakens healed by Arin after Soraya’s attack and learns Soraya once seduced and tried to assassinate him, then escaped, killing guards. En route to the Alcalah, the convoy is ambushed at Meridian Pass; Arin is magically debilitated.
Sylvia scales the cliffs, meets Urabi leader Efra, discovers Arin’s trap, and splits the canyon with her magic to let the Urabi escape. She shields and steadies Arin, then confronts him over his calculated cruelty.
Summary
Sylvia drifts through visions: a nursery scene of Rawain and Isra debating when to take young Arin’s power, and then the Awaleen, where Dania tells Sylvia, “Soon.” She wakes in a tent, fully healed after Arin spent two days coaxing her magic to respond.
Arin admits Soraya once infiltrated Nizahl’s academy, seduced him, and tried to kill him, leaving his throat scar; she escaped after her jailers were mysteriously slaughtered, including Caleb’s brother. Sylvia vows Soraya won’t survive the Alcalah.
They ride toward the Meridian Pass. On approach, Arin recalls a past massacre there and denies being his father. Suddenly arrows rain down; Ren is killed. Arin is struck by a crippling, unseen magical assault. Sylvia shields him briefly, then scales the cliff amid chaos.
Atop the pass, Urabi archers led by Efra recognize Sylvia as Malika Essiya and claim to rescue her. She warns it’s a lure. Nizahl soldiers begin scaling grapples—revealing Arin’s deliberate trap. Refusing to let Jasadis be slaughtered because of her, Sylvia unleashes immense power, widening the canyon and disrupting the capture, allowing the Urabi to flee.
Back below, Sylvia finds Arin still incapacitated and unknowingly invisible under her magic. She blocks the lingering assault, steadies his breathing with grounding words and touch, and guides him out. When confronted, she admits moving the canyon but rejects being used as bait, insisting she promised only to compete, not entrap Jasadis. Their exchange ends with Sylvia accusing Arin of cruelty by choice.
Who Appears
- Sylvia (Essiya)Jasadi heir; revived by Arin, recalls prophetic visions, averts Arin’s trap by splitting the Meridian Pass, shields and steadies him, then condemns his methods.
- Arin of NizahlHeir and Commander; heals Sylvia, reveals Soraya’s past betrayal, triggers a trap at the Pass, is overwhelmed by remnant/ambient magic, later confronts Sylvia.
- SorayaAbsent but central; her prior seduction and attempted assassination of Arin and killings are revealed; recently stabbed Sylvia and escaped.
- WesSoldier; hints Arin chose Sylvia over pursuing Soraya and organizes amid the chaos in the Pass.
- RenSoldier; rides to warn Arin during the ambush and is killed instantly by an arrow through the eye.
- SefaAlly; survives the canyon ambush and reunites with Sylvia afterward.
- MarekAlly; survives the ambush, seen safe with Jeru at the canyon’s end.
- JeruSoldier with quick action; helps get Sefa and Marek to safety during the attack.
- EfraUrabi leader; identifies Sylvia as Malika Essiya and tries to extract her before Arin’s trap is sprung.
- Supreme RawainAppears in Sylvia’s vision; coldly decides to take young Arin’s power early, revealing formative cruelty.
- Isra of NizahlArin’s mother in the vision; pleads to delay the dangerous ritual on her child.
- Awala DaniaIn the vision of the Awaleen; acknowledges Sylvia isn’t ready yet and foretells an imminent awakening.