Sel makes a displeased sound in his throat, but doesn’t protest. He growls at Jonas where he sits. “Come on, Liege. Speak up.”

Jonas gasps for air. When he inhales, his whole body shakes and his hands curl into the dirt. He glares up at Sel. “I won’t talk.”

Sel rolls his eyes. “We can make you talk.”

Jonas’s laugh is hoarse. “You can’t make me do anything, Kingsmage. Even if you weren’t cuffed against using aether, you can’t hurt me. Not with the assload of Oaths you’re carrying around.”

Sel’s eyes narrow. “He’s right. He’s still Legendborn as far as my Oath of Service is concerned, even if he is a goddamn traitor.”

“You can hold him in place, though, right?” Alice asks. She looks from the older man panting heavily on his knees, to Sel standing just behind. “Catch him if he tries to escape?”

Sel eyes her. “Obviously.”

Alice ignores his sarcasm and stands. “I’ll be right back.” She jogs to the back porch and swings the door open to step into the kitchen.

Sel watches her go, confused impatience settling across his brow. “What’s the Onceborn doing now?”

I make a negative sound, and he looks at me. His gaze lingers on my face, examining me for the first time since the fight ended. Sparks from his eyes travel down my throat to what I can only imagine are the marks left by the goruchel’s hands. By the time he’s done cataloguing my wounds, a silent, dangerous gleam has slipped into his eyes.

“How much time do you have, Will?” he asks, without looking away from my face.

William glances up at the sky, gauging when Gawain’s powers will leave him. “Thirty minutes at most.”

The door swings open and Alice jogs back out with a glass of water. She kneels down a safe distance from Jonas. “Here.”

“What the hell?” Sel exclaims. “This isn’t a tea party!”

Alice ignores him. Instead, she dips her head to catch Jonas’s eye. “For your cough.”

Jonas looks from her face to William’s to mine, then back to hers, wary and calculating.

“It’s just water. I’m, like, the newest of new kids here.” Alice smiles and pushes her glasses up. “Learned about all of this a few weeks ago, so I’m all Onceborn city.” She shrugs awkwardly. “I don’t know what I’d even put in this, if you’re worried about poison or something.”

Jonas reaches out slowly to take the glass from her hand. Smells the liquid first, then watches her carefully as he sips it. The relief is visible on his face. “If you’re that new, then you need to get out now while you can.”

Alice sits down cross-legged. “Why? Bree’s my best friend.”