“Fine. Then I choose the mines.”

“What!” I shouted, slapping my hands on the table. “Noria, you can’t be serious!” I couldn’t contain myself anymore—this was ridiculous. “Quit being so stubborn and just take the deal!”

“I am taking the deal,” Noria said, her eyes still on Iannis—she refused to look at me. “Lord Iannis’s three-year sentence is much lighter than what I expected from him, and I’m taking it. I won’t agree to the oath.”

“Noria, please.” Annia took her sister’s arm and turned her, her dark eyes pleading. “You know Mom will be devastated.”

A look of sadness briefly crossed Noria’s face before it hardened again. “I’d rather die before I make a promise I can’t keep,” she said. “And I have a feeling that I literally would die if I took that oath and broke it,” she added with a bitter smile, turning back to Iannis. “No, it’s better this way.”

“Noria—” Elnos tried, his voice filled with pain, but Iannis cut him off.

“Very well,” Iannis said, his voice ringing with authority. “It has been decided. Noria Melcott, you will serve three years’ hard labor in the mines as punishment for your crimes against the Federation. You are dismissed.”

Tears stung my eyes as I watched the guards march Noria from the room. She left with her head held just as high as it was when she entered, pride and anger emanating from her every step of the way. Annia gave me one last stricken look, then followed her sister out to escort her back to the Enforcers Guild.

“Zum Donnerwetter,” Comenius muttered darkly as the doors closed behind them. He shook his head. “How did it come to this?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, and, to my horror, the tears started streaming down my face. I wasn’t sure if it was the fact that Noria had refused to look at me, or the way Elnos was still standing there looking defeated, but something inside me broke. “It’s just that it’s such a fucking waste,” I choked, swiping at my tears with the back of my hand.

“It is indeed.” Iannis took me into his arms, his voice low and soothing. “But you are not to blame for Miss Melcott’s life choices, Sunaya. They are hers to make, just as your choices and mistakes were yours to make.”

I clung to Iannis as he held me for a long moment, doing my best to get my tears under control. The fact that I hadn’t been able to stop this from happening, despite all the effort I’d gone through, was crushing. What good did all my work do, if I couldn’t even save my friends?