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“It’s not as simple as that,” Rhedros said. I heard an inhale, the sound echoing through the nothingness. “There’s a delicate balance between good and evil. The world can only exist in equilibrium. As long as there is good in the world, there must be evil.” I wanted to argue, but he was right. “The bones of benevolence, the things that make up the very core of goodness itself, are evil.”

I tried not to scoff at his non-answer. “So it’s him? Castemont is Noros?”

There was silence once again before Katia spoke. “The Saint of Pain walks among you.”

“What, you won’t give me a straight answer, either?” Neither responded. Maybe… “Youcan’tgive me a straight answer, can you?”

“It’s a misconception that we’re the ones in control,” he explained, seemingly ignoring my question, not a lick of evil in his tone. “Humans, they’re the ones in control. We’re simply here to mediate, give a nudge if we must, to keep the balance in check.”

Katia’s voice sounded, the warm, familiar lilt surrounding me. “As long as there are humans, there will be war. There will be pain, and there will be death. But there will also be love,” she answered, “and life, and salvation.”

I didn’t miss the fact that their responses were not answers. “I need you to tell me what’s going on,” I said, my voice hoarse but laden with authority.

“We’re sorry, Petra,” Katia answered, her voice breaking. “We tried to protect you from this. We tried to give you a normal life.”

“I don’t know how much time I have here until I wake up, wherever this place is. I need you to tell me what’s going on,” I repeated.

Rhedros cleared his throat. “We’ve been imprisoned,” he stated, his tone even and unemotional.

“Imprisoned?” I questioned. “By Noros?”

“The world is going to burn, Petra,” Rhedros replied, his voice almost labored. “The forces I preside over are necessary to keep the balance. But the world will burn when they grow too strong, and they have grown far too strong.”

A shiver crept through the nothingness, holding me firmly in its grasp. Castemont was responsible for this imbalance. “Where are you now, exactly?”

“Somewhere in space and time, caught between the Saints’ realm and your realm. Somewhere in the Darkness Beyond,” Rhedros said evenly.

“Petra,” I heard a breathy voice say. Belin’s voice was getting louder, the blackness around me growing more muted as I began to wake up.

“He put us here. You’re the only one who can free us,” Katia urged.

I tried to shake my head that seemingly didn’t exist. “How can I free you?”

I heard him inhale as if he had to fight to get the words out, the sound echoing through the darkness. “You need to eliminate as much evil as possible, Petra. The Saint of Pain walks among you. Find him.”

Eliminate as much evil as possible.

“Petra, love,” Belin’s voice broke through the darkness like a thunder crack, the nothingness around me dimming as I felt myself regaining consciousness. I railed against it, needing just one more second.

A warm hand cradled my cheek, and I leaned into it involuntarily as I felt my eyes flutter open. Gemstone eyes stared down at me as Belin’s face came into focus, the concerned faces of Nell and Whit peering down from behind him. I shook him off, pushing him away, willing myself to separate from Belin and the unwanted comfort he brought me. Hurt flashed on his face as I continued to blink, willing my eyes to adjust.

Solise and Miles were here, and they stood over me as well, the concern on their faces melting into relief as I looked back at them. “Sorry,” I murmured to Miles. His skin was still paler than normal, and I could tell he wasn’t feeling completely like himself again. “I would have healed you if I knew I could.”

“Too little too late,” he answered with a smirk.

“Well, you kind of still look like shit.” Without thinking, I fumbled for the blade at my hip. “Come here.”

“Saints, Petra, you don’t have to–”

“Shut up,” I interjected, pricking my thumb on the tip of my blade until a bead of blood welled out. I reached for his hand and pressed my blood into his palm. We all watched as the color returned to his cheeks and the dark circles beneath his eyes lightened all at once.

I smiled to myself with pride.I could heal people. And I could kill them, too — not a bad combination.

“Thanks,” Miles said almost absentmindedly as he drew circles with his wounded shoulder, a look of amazement on his face.

Solise’s grin was the validation I didn’t know I needed, and I let myself take just a moment to revel in it. A dull murmur, almost like a crowd of people, rang low in my ears, the silvery gray of the earliest morning hours hanging in the sky.

“You saved them all, Petra,” Nell whispered then let out a chuckle. “That was by far the mostbadassthing I’ve ever seen.”