“So, it’s shield down, strike, shield up,” I say. “And we’ll push forward as much as we can. Got it?”

“Shield down, strike, shield up, got it.”

“I’ll put up another as fast as I can. Ready?”

“Aim!” The Chancellor must read my mind because his men aim their arms up this time, blowing my plan to smithereens. “Fire,” he commands. Magic streams from their hands, arcs in the air, and plummets from the sky, up and over my barrier.

“Mwa!” The Beerchis hook their lead blades overhead with a clang, tucking me, all of us, beneath. The streams of magic raining from the sky graze the shield above us and evaporate like steam. A Beerchi breaks from the formation. Stepping out, he swipes, and a whole line of Patrol fall.

“That’s what I’m talking ’bout!” I go to slap his hand but he just grins.

“See, you do not have to think of everything yourself, Jelani. The beauty of unity, eh?”

My smile widens.

“Let me,” Kai says.

With Patrol in heaps on the ground, Kai steps forward. Jhamal steps beside her. I glare at him, but he’s the one who looks away this time.

“They won’t follow you, Kai, no matter how pure your blood is. Because your heart is rotten. And I know my people. We tired of the bullshit.”

She hisses and swipes her javelin. I jump, stumbling back as I land.

“Argh,” a Beerchi brother screams, ready to charge, but I halt him with a hand.

“No, if my sister wants to square up, I’ma be the one to beat some sense into her ass.”

She stabs and I jump aside, dodging. She twirls her rod across her back, over her shoulder, and brings it down overhead. I sidestep. Her metal cries, scraping against my cuffs. I study her the way Zora taught me. She’s fighting from fear, not love. That’s the vulnerability I have to exploit.

“Zora told me everything she knows, everything you taught her,” I say, her blade whooshing past my cheek. My breath rattles in my chest and I keep my arms moving to stay loose. She’s quick and not fucking playing around. But if she still has a heart in there somewhere, I’m going to prick it. She thrusts again, her armor catching a glint of sunlight and I’m blind. I stumble, slamming the ground, and pinching pain shoots up my spine. She jabs.

“Yo lis.”

The tip of her javelin burns in the flames on my fingers. The heat climbs up the rod and she winces, dropping it like a hot potato. I’m up on my feet. She scoops her blade back up and I let her. I don’t want to kill her. I don’t even really want to hurt her.

We circle.