Miri's Pov
"What do you mean missing?" I asked.
"They cleared the last challenge, but—he disappeared after. Caius said he was right behind him and then magic flared and Riven was gone."
Panic crawled up the back of my throat like ice.
I didn't wait for more explanation.
I was already running.
The sun had already begun to dip behind the towering academy spires when I found Caius.
I finally saw him standing near the start of the trail in the forest for the trial, hands on his hips, his back tense as though his entire body had been sculpted out of frustration. From a distance, he looked like someone ready to punch through the nearest wall. Or himself.
I didn't call out. I just walked up beside him and said quietly, "Lina said Riven's missing."
Caius turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing in that way he did when he was calculating too many things at once. "He is."
My stomach sank. "Is this one of his games?"
