“I’m with the Lieges. And we have William, Alice, Sel.”

“Sel?” Worry pinches his brow. “Is he… all right?”

I hesitate. “William says serving the Oath to the Legendborn has held off the effects of not serving his Kingsmage Oath to you. He says it might help that Sel’s been protecting me too.”

Nick draws closer. “But what does Sel say?”

“Sel says he’s fine. But the Regents say he’s going to succumb, or has already started. They publicly charged him with opening the Gates, said he was a traitor, then privately arrested him for completely different crimes.”

“They are blaming him for my father’s sins, just as they did his mother.” Nick’s gaze hardens to something venomous. Something that doesn’t soften until he blinks. “Listen, I know more than anyone how much Sel cares about his duty. If he truly thought he was a danger to you, he would remove himself from the situation. You don’t need the Regents to make that call, Sel will.”

Warmth floods me at Nick’s confidence in his Kingsmage, at how well they know each other even now. Sel’s standards for his own behavior are terribly high, it’s true—and they come at a terrible cost. I can’t help but think of Sel’s self-recrimination. His acceptance of Erebus’s charges of negligence.

“But you can’t come after me.” Nick shakes his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

“I don’t care!”

He grits his teeth. “I know you don’t, B. But I mean it. My dad and Isaac together… they almost make each other worse. Don’t come after me. Don’t let Sel do it, either. Isaac will go straight for him and he’s too strong. Isaac’ll tear him apart.”

“But it won’t just be me or Sel. William has the power of Gawain, we have the Lieges, and I…” I pause, struggling to explain. “I’m getting better at my powers too.”

He shakes his head. “It won’t matter. It’s just too risky, especially for you.”

“For me?” A flicker of anger slips into my voice. “You don’t think I can handle myself.”

He runs a hand through his hair. “Jesus, Bree. You know I think you can do anything, take on anything and anyone in the world—and I thought that before I saw you freakin’ breathe fire at a pack of flying imps!” He gasps in amazement. “I still believe in you, it’s just…” His jaw clenches and unclenches.

“What?”

When he opens his eyes, the blue of them has turned thundercloud-dark. “My father is… completely gone. Erratic. Unstable. I can’t reach him. He wants to control the Order, to go back to the old ways, but, in his eyes, he can’t do either because of you.”

“Me?” I gasp. I wrap my arms around my chest, clinking gauntlet to mail.