Who is it? Deva, or Aylina? Nyx? Celeste?
“Selene—”
“I will know which of my sisters is up there, Callan.Let. Me. Out.”
I cannot breathe. The space around us is too small as Callan surges to his feet and we rock further. “Listen to me.”
“Stay away!” I reach for the canvas, ready to rip it apart, but he pushes in front of me, blocking my way.
My maegiserupts.
It surges from my hands, the muted light within this small space winking out. Only darkness remains, the harsh rasp of my breathing matching Callan’s.
His hands grip my wrists, holding me in place. “We committed many crimes. But this was not one of them. I swear it.”
“Your people hung a sister of mine from the gates.” My cheeks are wet, my throat raw and hoarse as I fling the accusation at him. “They hang there still. It’s been tenyears, Callan.”
My knees threaten to send me to the floor. “Where are the rest?”
Gods, do not make me face this, too.
“Merrick knew some of what to do. He oversaw the rites as best he could. Hala accepted them into Ellas.”
His hands slide up, rubbing away the chill that has settled into my bones even as I push against him. “We don’t know how she got there, but we believe she jumped on the night of the Shift, Selene. Nobody noticed her appearance in all the chaos, only inthe days that followed. Nobody lookedup. We did not put her there. None of us can even get that high.”
My breathing stutters. “You didn’t—”
“No,” he says firmly, his hands strong on me. “We’ve tried to reach her. I promise you. I tried to climb the gates myself, more than once. But none of us can even get close.”
I fight for breath. “Then your maegis—,”
“It does not work on people,” Callan says quietly. Apologetically. His grip softens. “I swear to you that this is the truth, Selene.”
And he promised me truth, onVolatus.
The Sanctum.My breathing does not steady, my whisper comes out ragged. “She… shejumped?”
A memory. Of a hand on my cheek, of grief—and the back of a cloak, silver glinting as she turned the corner. Such immeasurable grief that one look into her eyes made me feel as though I were drowning.
I know which faeyte adorns the gates of Hala’s temple.
I sag. Arms wrap around me, the shadows still covering us. “I can’t do this.”
I haven’t even crossed the threshold of my old home before crumbling. In the dark, it’s easier to admit. “I can’t be the last of us.”
Hala has greatly misjudged me, though I would have sworn that to be impossible. It should be Nyx or Celeste sitting here. Not me. They would never be so uncertain or know so little. “I don’t understand what Halaexpectsof me.”
The cart pulls to a stop beneath us.
“We’re at the gates.” A hand brushes my cheek. “Your maegis, Selene.”
My hands flex, opening and closing. I try to concentrate, the shouts from outside making me flinch.
“Breathe.” His breath brushes my ear. “Take a moment.”
I force air out, and back into lungs that are too tight. Again, and again, and slowly, the shadows begin to peel back. They reveal Callan’s face, his forehead furrowed as we face each other.
When they have gone, I bury my hands beneath my armpits and look away. “There.”
