“And now it is I who must deal with Kolis—someone the Arae knew, since the beginning, would likely do all he has done. A being who, according to a Fate, has no good left in him.” The essence throbbed a little stronger. “What exactly do the Arae believe balance is?”
Eather lanced Lirian’s swirling irises. “I know it’s hard for you to understand.”
“Actually, it’s not. At least, not to me. Because I canclearlyunderstand that thereisno balance in anything I just said.”
His shoulders lifted, becoming rigid. “You don’t, Poppy.”
“No. It’s you and the rest of the Arae who don’t. Did you not say that all have a balance of good and bad in them until they don’t? You did,” I reminded him oh-so helpfully. “You also said Kolis has no good left in him, and I’m pretty sure that means he is the definition of imbalance. And I’m really confident in the assertion that there has been nothingbutimbalance.”
I stopped in front of him, and I…felthis unease. It was faint, barely there, but I couldfeelit.
My lips flattened into a thin, tight smile. “Your will is weakening, isn’t it?”
A muscle twitched below his right eye. “It is.”
Skin prickling, I held his stare. “The Arae are supposed to ensure the balance, but as I said, I don’t think you know what balance is.”
“And youdo?” Lirian questioned.
“Apparently, more than you.”
“Poppy,” Holland called from behind me. “I understand what you’re saying,”—he paused, and I had the distinct impression that he was choosing his words carefully—“and maybe you have a point.”
“Maybe?” I looked over my shoulder at him.
“Maybe,” he repeated, his teeth clenching. “We are not without our flaws, Poppy. But the essence tells us when we’re crossing a line. And if we do, there are consequences.”
“Consequences to you?”
Holland didn’t answer, but his gaze cut away from me.
I shook my head. “If I had known what my Ascension would cause, I would never have allowed myself to Ascend. And I know what that means. My death. It’s not like I want to die—not when I’ve finally started to live.” My throat thickened, but I didn’t let itchoke me. “Yet I still would’ve chosen that. Do you know why? It has nothing to do with balance and everything to do with it being the right thing to do. But none of you has or will make that same choice.”
Lirian inhaled sharply. “That is a bold statement.”
“The truth isn’t bold.” I crossed my arms and turned my attention back to him. “It’s just the truth.”
The flesh of Lirian’s face thinned as the eather expanded, blotting out much of the color in his eyes. The air charged and thickened. The hazy outline of…wings formed behind him. “I feel I need to remind you, Penellaphe, that you’re not more powerful than me.”
“For now.”
His eyes became silver orbs.
Raising my brows, I smiled. “I felt the need to remind you ofthat.”
Eather lit the veins beneath his eyes as the air in the chamber went stagnant. “You want to talk about balance and choice, right and wrong?” Lirian said. “Talk about failure? How about the failure of Alastir and the Unseen? Your brother-in-law.” He paused. “Yoursister.”
“What?”
“Lirian.” Holland stood.
“All of them knew what you would bring upon the realms. All of them wanted the same thing,” Lirian hissed. “You dead.”
Sucking in a shallow breath, I took a step back without realizing it. My…my sister? Malik wasn’t a surprise. He could’ve succeeded when he came to Lockswood, but he couldn’t do it. He’d changed his mind. But Millicent? Malik had said she hadn’t been able to even consider killing a child—her sister. Had that been a lie? It had to be, because a Fate would know.
And that…hurt.
Though I wasn’t even sure why. I barely knew her.
