Chapter 60

Trystan is dragged into Fortis’s Trench of Anguish by enchanted vines that cover his mouth and nose, squeeze his body, and nearly suffocate him. As Trystan begins to lose consciousness, Trystan clings first to the need for revenge against Benedict, then to Evie, whose survival gives Trystan a stronger reason to fight.

Trystan’s magic awakens in response to Trystan’s desperation. Black mist cuts through the vines, frees Trystan’s body, and allows Trystan to breathe again. Furious that Evie had tried to save Trystan but was forcibly stopped, Trystan’s power finishes tearing the plants away and drops Trystan into an arena-like pit.

Trystan examines the Trench of Anguish and finds high walls, a skylight, no obvious exit, and a lowered gate hiding something that growls from the darkness. When Trystan approaches the gate, a voice warns Trystan back. Two men watching from above demand Trystan’s name, and Trystan identifies himself as The Villain while trying to force the situation into negotiation.

Kingsley lands beside Trystan, adding to Trystan’s frustration, and Trystan tosses Kingsley up toward the wall in an attempt to remove the frog from danger. The two men reveal themselves as Rebecka’s brothers: the stern Raphael and the more flippant Reid. Trystan says Trystan has come on business and is seeking answers, while Raphael condemns Trystan for coming to Fortis and bringing Rebecka.

Reid guesses that Trystan is looking for a star, but Trystan corrects him and says Trystan is looking for a woman. Raphael stops Reid from talking further, declares Trystan’s magic a scourge on Rennedawn, and pulls a lever to raise the gate. Raphael explains that Trystan will be tested by destiny, the world’s oldest magic, and that failure means death as a terrifying creature emerges from the darkness.