Powerless

Paedyn, who is partnered with Jax and Ace, has been climbing up the mountain for hours. She and Jax are friendly toward each other, but they are both very distrustful of Ace. When the Illusionist suddenly warns Paedyn about a snake, she steps backward and almost topples off the side of the mountain, but Jax Blinks to grab her hand and save her. Realizing that the snake was one of Ace’s illusions, Paedyn gets angry at him. Jax, however, urges her not to act on her feelings yet. While they keep climbing, he tells Paedyn about his adoptive brothers, who took him in after the death of his parents, who were advisers to the king. He reveals more about the physical and emotional torture that Kai has endured due to the king’s training, which gives Paedyn more insight into the prince. The three teammates then narrowly evade a rockslide, but Paedyn is concussed by a boulder hitting the side of her head.

Still on Kai’s back, Andy is growing weaker because of the venom. Finally, after a difficult climb, the prince’s team reaches the plateau at the top of the mountain. They meet the other team, who gets there at the same time, and Sights inform them of a new task to accomplish. Only one contestant will be declared the winner of the second Trial as soon as they capture the flag now planted in the peak, ensuring a bloody spectacle for the audience.

Driven by revenge, Paedyn attacks and corners Ace. When he tries to use pleading images of herself again, Paedyn retorts that she is not afraid of herself anymore. Ace is able to momentarily get the better of her by strangling her, but she pretends to be unconscious, and he lets her go. She pins him down and is about to kill him when she meets Kai’s gaze. Paedyn decides that Ace’s life is not hers to take, so she gives him to Kai instead. The prince kills him and offers Paedyn the victory in exchange. He lets her run to the flag and grab it, marking the end of the Trial.

A few days after the Trial, Kai reminisces about the end of the event. In addition to Ace, Braxton is also dead, killed by Blair. The king expresses his doubts about Paedyn, a “Slummer,” being able to win the Trials. He then urges his son to prove himself and do honor to his role as an Enforcer. As Kai leaves the king’s study, Kitt stops him to ask why their father was so harsh on him. Kai angrily responds that Kitt does not understand the grisly duties of an Enforcer. He adds that Kitt needs to learn to think for himself if he does not want to become their father’s pawn.

The night of the third ball, Paedyn sneaks into the gardens to escape the agitation. She is surprised to find Kai doing the same, hidden in the shadows. He asks her to keep him company, so Paedyn lies down in the grass next to him. While they exchange anecdotes about their lives, Paedyn is struck by the similarities between them, although she once again realizes how violent Kai’s upbringing was. Kai then teaches her to play thumb wars, but Paedyn’s move to distract the prince and win leads her to fall on top of him. Flustered and emotional, she decides to go back to her room, and Kai offers her his coat.

Back in her room, Paedyn admires the beautiful gown that Adena is making her for the final ball. Kitt then comes to ask Paedyn to take him to Loot. Paedyn agrees, elated about the prospect of finally learning about the tunnel but conflicted about betraying Kitt’s trust. The prince leads her to the dungeons, where he unlocks a secret door with a key that he always carries with him. Paedyn follows him into the tunnel while Kitt explains where each of the exits leads. They come out into the Bowl and borrow a horse from a nearby field to go into town.

Once in Loot, Kitt is startled and observes curiously, eager to learn. Paedyn points out the children working as thieves, warning Kitt that they will be caught and punished with public lashings, as she was when she was younger. Finally, when she shows him the Fort, the prince gets very emotional and sympathizes with Paedyn’s harsh life in the slums. He thanks her for showing him Loot, and she thanks him for his trust.

That night, Paedyn and Lenny are waiting for the other Resistance members to arrive at her old house. Calum, Finn, and Leena invite them into the secret study, where Paedyn reveals that she has found the tunnel. She gives them all the information she has learned from Kitt and then promises that she can steal Kitt’s key at the ball the next day.

Kai experiences grim, disjointed nightmares, in which he sees Paedyn dying in agony, then Jax, and then other victims of his.

Paedyn is awoken by Kai’s screams in the next room, and she goes to try and wake him up. At first, the prince does not react to her presence, but when he finally wakes up, he panics. Disoriented and scared, Kai pins Paedyn to the bed and puts a knife to her neck. Paedyn calms him down, but the prince seems more vulnerable than she has ever seen him. He asks her to stay with him, and despite her conflicted feelings, Paedyn lies in bed with him. The tension between them increases, but they eventually fall asleep together after Kai thanks her for helping him.

In the morning, Kai marvels at Paedyn next to him. He goes to the kitchen to get her some breakfast and finds her awake when he returns to his room. After their intimate and vulnerable moment the previous night, both Kai and Paedyn are hesitant to voice their true feelings. Kai keeps flirting with her but is hurt to see that she is still trying to keep her distance. Eventually, Paedyn leaves the room.

Later, at the ball, Kai watches Paedyn walk into the room wearing a stunning black gown. He is entranced but confused about her intentions and becomes jealous of his brother.

During the ball, Paedyn tries to avoid Kai. While she dances with Kitt, she pretends to stumble and steals the tunnel key from him. She then passes it on to Lenny when he invites her to dance before waltzing off with a few other men. She soon finds herself partnered with Kai, who asks her why she is trying to push him away despite their clear feelings for each other. Paedyn deflects the question and, after the dance, tries to get some fresh air in the gardens. However, an Imperial stops her before she can get to the door, claiming that contestants are not allowed outside.

Paedyn unsuccessfully argues with the Imperial, but only when Kai intervenes and threatens him does the guard let her out. Outside, despite the rain, she enjoys a moment of peace and freedom. When Kai joins her to make sure that she is alright, he confesses his true feelings for Paedyn. She tells him that she does not feel the same, but Kai knows that she is lying, so he keeps flirting with her. Eventually, Paedyn gives in to the temptation and asks him to kiss her.

Paedyn and Kai almost kiss, but they are interrupted by an Imperial informing the prince that the king wants to see him. Despite his frustration, Kai follows him. The king is angry that his son is infatuated with a “Slummer” and warns him against getting too attached to her. Kitt intervenes to defuse the tension between them, leaving Kai angry but sure that he will not give up Paedyn.