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Because the original idea, of course, had been to leave her behind. To collect Luminor and use it to help carve a path back to the Above, no matter the cost to her and this world I’d found myself trapped in—because I hadn’t cared about those things, weeks ago.

“She knows how to access the chamber, now, according to the whispers I heard in the palace this morning,” Zayn pointed out.

I cut my eyes toward him.

“So it should be easier than ever to get to Luminor.”

“You’re suggesting I use her to get into that chamber?”

“I’m suggesting survival,” he said, even more quietly. “Because surely you realize: If the rulers of this realm have no need for your magic, we have no leverage here.”

“So we return to our world and see how this impending war plays out…meet her on the opposite side of the battlefield and hope for the best? That’s your suggestion?”

He gave me a tired look. “Not my favorite plan I’ve ever come up with, admittedly.” He was quiet for a few beats before adding, “But you’re only going to make things more difficult for her by staying.”

This last point was the only thing that gave me pause.

I wasn’t worried about what might happen to me.Survivalwas not a concern of mine; I’d been surviving my whole life. I doubted there was much this realm and its rulers could do to me that I couldn’t endure.

But Nova had the eyes and expectations of an entire realm upon her now. I couldn’t exactly ask her to turn her back on these things, or to put her future at risk for my sake.

So maybe itwouldbe easier to part ways before we were forced into a much messier ending.

I could see the logic in Zayn’s reasoning, yet I couldn’t bring myself to answer his expectant stare. Instead, I turned my gaze back to the waking army and its commander.

Still an incredible sight to behold.

But the longer Nova worked her magic, the more often I felt it fluctuating, like the ebb and flow of a tide losing its rhythm.

There were too many soldiers who still retained their ghostly forms, flickering with an unsettling instability. The sea of them was relentless; no matter how many she revived, more still flooded in, wave after wave thrashing against the nets of her power, demanding more from her.

Bastian and the others had stopped midway down the hill, where they balanced hesitantly, apparently not wanting to interrupt the process so long as Nova still remained on her feet making any progress at all—even if that progress was slowing.

Nova continued to spin and sweep her sword through the air, dauntless and unwavering, but a sick feeling started to take root in my gut as I watched her.

“I still think they’re asking too much of her, too soon,” Zayn muttered, voicing my own concerns.

I tried to veil the uncertainty in my tone. “She agreed to this,” I said, “knowing their time is running out.”

We continued to watch, but only a few more minutes passed before I couldn’t take it any longer; it seemed like the horror I’dwitnessed in Erebos, developing all over again. I’d nearly taken too long to get to her side that day.

I couldn’t let it come that close again.

I walked quickly toward her brother. Another ripple of magic emanated from Nova, overtaking the wave of shades nearest to her—but her steps seemed to be getting more sloppy, the weight of Grimnor dragging her a little farther toward the ground every time she swung it.

“Stop her.” I didn’t realize I’d said the words out loud until Bastian shifted his gaze to me, tension crackling like a palpable thing in the air between us.

“She’s nearly finished,” Bastian said.

“She’s done enough.”

“A moment more—”

“She’s going to hurt herself.”

He took a deep breath. A frustratingly calm, deep breath. I could see the concern in his eyes…yet he didn’t move.

“Stop her,” I growled, “or I will do it myself.”