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“Where is the Light King?” Bastian asked, after a moment.

“I haven’t seen him this morning,” I said, offhandedly. I was so busy studying the blood that it took a moment for the meaning behind his words to sink in. My gaze shifted to him. “…Why do you ask?”

He didn’t reply, but the concerned look in his tired eyes said enough.

“Aleks wouldn’t have done this.”

He cleared his throat. “…You know I’ll have to question him, all the same. Along with the ones who travel with him.”

My stomach clenched at the thought. “I’ll talk to him myself.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” He took a step toward me, as if planning to prevent me from leaving.

But I was tired of other people speaking on my behalf. Tired of not seeing things for myself, of having others make decisions for me. It was becoming more and more clear that entirely too much of my life had been orchestrated by hands other than my own.

I couldn’t—wouldn’t—let that trend continue.

I backed away from my brother and started briskly down the hallway, only to slow as he called after me: “I’m only trying to keep you safe.”

I paused, glancing over my shoulder to see him hesitating with a pained look in his eyes.

“It’s all I’ve ever done,” he said, “even when I didn’t realize I was doing it.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“The magic that you thought killed me when we were younger,” he explained, closing some of the space between us, “it wasn’t some random manifestation of my power—it was a defensive response. We were attacked that night. There was evidence of othermagic used against us, according to both Orin and the King and Queen of Eldris. Evidence ofLight magic. It nearly killed us both. My power protected you, according to the ones who witnessed it—but only just. It was a massive amount of power used against us.”

“That doesn’t mean all luxmancers are bad. And it’s certainly not proof that Aleksander would do something like this.”

“The Keepers of Light are ourenemies, Nova.”

“He doesn’t work for them.”

“He spent twenty years being indoctrinated by them.”

I opened my mouth only to snap it shut in frustration; I couldn’t refute this fact. I didn’t know the full extent of what had happened to him in his kingdom, but I knew enough that it made my skin crawl to think about it. There was no telling what sorts of things they’d done to him. What beliefs they’d branded into him through abusive, horrendous methods.

Bastian breathed in deep, collecting himself. “You survived the Above for twenty-five years, and you’ve made it all the way back here. Our world is counting on you.I’mcounting on you. So just…just don’t throw it all away. That’s all I’m asking.”

“I’m not throwing anything away. I know Aleks didn’t do this.”

My brother’s silence was heavy. Suffocating. His tone was equal parts concerned and exhausted when he finally said, “You trust him? Truly?”

My heart whisperedyes.

My mind screamedyou shouldn’t.

It was funny how the whisper seemed louder in that moment. More insistent—as though no amount of noise could drown out the feelings stirring in my heart.

“He wouldn’t have done this,” I repeated, fully aware that I sounded like a stubborn fool.

Bastian clenched and unclenched his hand. He seemed to be fighting the urge to reach for me. “You’ve made up your mind about this.”

I somehow steadied myself enough to calmly reply: “Yes.”

“…Speak to him, then.” I was the older twin, but he suddenly looked ten years my senior as his gaze shifted between me and the blood all around us. “Just…please be careful, Nova. I don’t want to lose you again after all this time.”

I didn’t know what to say to this, so I simply nodded. “I’ll be careful.”