“What is it?” I hissed. I barely kept my stare on her, casting looks back toward the window, the new wave of warriors slinging axes and jagged swords toward our people.
“I need to get to a temple,” Vale said.
I turned to her, jaw dropping open. A warrior—I couldn’t tell if it was a woman or man, friend or foe—slammed into the window, the pane cracking.
“And why does that matter right now?” I barked, waving an arm at the spiderweb crack through the glass. The body slumping before it. “We’re in the middle of awar, Vale.”
She stepped up to me. “Because if I can conduct a session, I maybe able to see how we win this war, Malakai.”
My heart skipped a beat at the promise in her voice, but I shook my head, stamping out the hope that threatened to spark. I shoved my newfound rage into its place. “No offense, but you’ve been trying to read for weeks now and haven’t gotten any results. Why didn’t you see this invasion coming? Why didn’t you warn us?”
“Malakai—” Cyph warned.
“You know that isn’t how it works!” Vale shouted over him. “I can’t choose what I see.”
“Then what will be any different if you get to the temple this time? How can you ensure that you’ll get us out of this in one piece?” I waited for her answer, but when she said nothing, the spark of hope burned away entirely. She gritted her teeth, eyeing me with a conflicted look I didn’t understand.
I scoffed, turning on my heel.
“Wait, Malakai.” Cyph put a hand on my shoulder.
“No,” I snapped, ramming my palm into his chest. “We don’t have time for this right now.” Ash wafted in the door on a wind, carrying the tangled scents of iron and smoke with it.Thatwas where I needed to be—fighting, killing, burning while this rage flowed through me because I couldn’t say when it would snuff out.
“Maybe she’s right,” Cyph proposed, faith lifting his words.
“The only thing that’s right is defending our city.” I barely recognized the resolve in my own voice. I’d spent so long forcing away these ties to my people, the duty I was bound to, but now I wanted to fight.
And I wanted to do it with my brother by my side, but Cyph was looking from me to Vale, clearly wanting answers, and that choice pierced me.
“Do whatever you want,” I grumbled, striding toward the door, adjusting my grip on my sword as I went.
“I’ve been sabotaging my readings,” Vale blurted right before I pushed through the swinging door.
Cypherion and I both whipped our heads toward her.
“You what?” he hissed. I pretended not to hear the edge of hurt in his voice.
Uncertainty tangled with my already peaked aggression as I tookin the Starsearcher with new, less trustful eyes. I’d suspected for a while that she was hiding something, but this? Telling us she wanted to ally with us, telling us she’d given Titus her recommendation for Ophelia’s appointment, then sabotaging the advantage we had through her magic…
Traitor, a voice in my head snarled, and I almost snarled with it.
She’d been fooling us worse than I’d imagined.
Vale’s spine straightened. “As you said, we don’t have time for the drawn-out story right now.” She looked us each in the eye, unashamed, and my apprehension deepened.
“You’re going to have to tell us something, Vale,” I threatened. There was no way I’d help her without at least a sliver of an explanation. I’d been burned enough by lies.
She groaned, words coming out in a rush. “Titus told me I must not conduct any full sessions or hand over pertinent information while residing with you. I’ve been using tinctures to cloud my connection to the stars. That’s all I know.”
My brain ticked through her words, searching for holes in the story. From his stoic silence, I guessed Cyph was doing the same.
Titus had been skeptical of Ophelia since his initial destruction reading, but it had been his idea to begin the delegate program. He’d been the one who suggested Vale stay with us initially…only to sabotage us, stop any advantage we may have gained through her abilities. It undermined the entire compromise he’d negotiated, diminished the alliances we’d been working to build across the continent.
He was a rat.
Had he planted Vale as a spy? Had she been reporting on our movements all this time? And if so, why?
Vale didn’t know much that could hurt us, anyway. Titus couldn’t be working with Kakias—he’d sent troops to our side.
