Chapter 28

In the wake of the shattering glass, Toven publicly jokes to cover the incident while subtly shielding Briony, until Canning orders the women to crawl and clean the shards. After a brief standoff, Toven releases Briony and she kneels, joining the others beneath the table. There, the women silently steady one another, linking hands to calm the panicking Cecily before the moment is broken by the bell for the arena.

Pressed by Lorne, Liam, and Canning, Toven abandons plans to leave for his father’s arrival and agrees to stop by the amphitheater. The party passes through the gardens and into the sand-lined arena, where Mr. Vein emcees and Carvin, the reigning champion, sits out with Phoebe on his arm. Briony, shaken, notes Phoebe’s seemingly compliant demeanor and worries she is under Canning’s elixir.

Canning fights a cropped-haired woman while their heartsprings—Jellica and a pallid man—wilt visibly as the duel intensifies. Toven explains victory comes by forcing the opponent out of the ring, compelling fighters to choose how far to drain their heartsprings. As Jellica sobs and both heartsprings falter, the woman yields before husking occurs, granting Canning the win while leaving both heartsprings depleted.

Revulsion rises in Briony at the spectacle, realizing the crowd’s thrill is built on hearts drained for sport. Amid the press of revelers, Ilana—the collared server—offers Briony fruit and deliberately hands her a single grape. The gesture jolts Briony, recalling her silent messages in the dungeon.

When Briony searches for hope, she finally meets Phoebe’s gaze across the arena. Phoebe, no longer smiling, reveals a grape in her palm and eats it while staring at Briony, a deliberate sign of solidarity and rebellion that rekindles the promise of resistance.