Stellan’s gaze meets mine. What does he see when he looks at me? Earlier, he viewed me as part of the problem, but that was before I risked everything to save his life. Does he now recognize me as someone like him? Someone willing to fight for change, but not at the cost of innocent lives? Someone who believes there must be a better way, a path that doesn’t lead to more bloodshed and suffering if only we dare to seek it out?
“I know the queen has had it hard,” he says, and I nod. That’s an understatement. “Lunar Witches in this country have had it just as bad as the Nebula, and in some cases, even worse, what with the burnings and asylums. But Leigh is still a royal. Her magic doesn’t erase hundreds of years of lies. It doesn’t mean she cares aboutus. If the Nebula don’t control our destiny, Wilder, who is to say the government won’t keep lying to and manipulating us?”
I pause, considering the implications of Stellan’s words. I’ve witnessed the injustices the Nebula face daily. A separate Aurora could provide a haven for many, offering them a chance to experience true freedom for the first time. But at what cost? The price of war is too high, and the consequences are too devastating to bear.
The scars of oppression run deep, not just for the Nebula, but for the Lunar Witches. We’ve all suffered under the weight of discrimination and prejudice. But I know no one is more devoted to the truth; no one more committed to changing things for the oppressed than Leigh. If I could get Stellan and Leigh in the same room to sit down and talk, I’m certain they would see that they have more in common than they realize.
“I want you to talk to Leigh,” I say.
Stellan shakes his head. “She’ll tell me no.”
My nails bite into my palms. “Give it a go, for the Nebula people, for peace.”
“With the enclave, we won’t need her approval.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Corona isn’t just going to let you secede without pushback. Ivah failed to turn Aurora into a free state, and many Nebula died in the process, so what makes you think you will succeed?”
Stellan gives a cryptic smile. “Notwhat,butwho?”
I raise a brow. Is he referring to his source on the Council? “What does that mean?”
“You’re asking the wrong questions, Wilder.”
“Wilder is on our side, Stellan,” Meg says, reappearing with a bucket and mop. She stares at Stellan. “His notions are misplaced, but love will do that to a person.”
I shift uncomfortably. I’m in love, not lost.
Stellan sizes me up. “I understand your predicament more than you think. But you’re fighting for the wrong team. Our values are the same. I could use someone with your strength and hunger for justice working for me.”
I shake my head. There are noteams. When will people get that?
“I’ll pay you kindly for it.”
“I’m a Blade. I can’t be turned or bought.”
I’m not Marlowe. Nor am I my father.
Stellan laughs. The sound echoes around the quiet bar. “I’m asking you to help me.Helpusstart over,” Stellan says.
“I’ll tell you what,” I say. “I’ll consider working for you if you agree to a meeting with Leigh. Think about it, Stellan. You want to prove you’ll do whatever it takes to fight for the Nebula people? Then at least give them a chance for peaceful change.”
Stellan mulls over the possibility. “I see now that what happened today is a microcosm of what could happen if we aren’t selective about who we have on our side. We need people who understand the fight. We need people who will go down swinging, and who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.” His gaze drops to my bloody knuckles.
As I watch Stellan prepare to leave the bar, wincing as he retrieves his phone to send a text, a sense of urgency grips me until I can barely breathe. If he leaves, I might not get another chance to speak with him. I need him to agree to meet with Leigh, and I need that commitment now.
“I need your answer,” I say in a steady voice. At my words, Meg pauses. The mop and bucket she’s been using halt, the water inside swirling under her magical command. She looks up, her eyes darting between Stellan and me, sensing the gravity of the moment.
I remain seated, my gaze locked with Stellan’s.
“Will you meet Leigh?”
My heart pounds in the delay of his response. The silence stretches between us, heavy with the weight of the decision that hangs in the balance. If Stellan agrees to sit down with Leigh and find a way forward, then we can avoid the bloodshed and suffering that seem all but inevitable
But if he refuses, if he walks away now, then I fear that the cycle of violence and oppression will continue. More lives will be lost, and more hearts will be broken. I don’t move a muscle.
When Stellan grins, his teeth are sharp.
“Why not? Now, if you both excuse me, my ride’s here.” He reaches the door, giving me one final glance. “Wilder, I’ll be in touch soon. In the meantime, tell Leigh I look forward to meeting her.”
