“Maybe they won’t,” Shireen said quietly. “But at least we’ll be doing something decent for once.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Rach, think about it,” Shireen said. “Remember how we always talked about how we’d be the heroes? How we’d change the world? Look at what you’re doing right now. We’re not the heroes. We’re the bad guys.”

“No, we’re not.”

“You’re keeping a girl in prison so Tobruk can use her for his fucked-up games until Richard gets around to sacrificing her for a ritual,” Shireen said. “Wake up, Rach! What does that sound like to you?”

“Everyone always tells us what we’re supposed to do,” Rachel snapped. “Maybe we’re allowed to be selfish for once.”

“We’ve never not been selfish! When have we ever used our magic for anyone else?”

“Well, why should we? What’s wrong with using it for what we want?”

“We said we were going to help girls with magic, remember?”

“Yes!” Rachel shouted. “Girls like us! The two of us! Not someone else!”

Shireen drew back in shock, staring at Rachel. “Everyone tries to use us,” Rachel said. “We always have to be afraid of people like Tobruk and I’m sick of it. I want to be the one everyone else is afraid of. I want to be Richard’s Chosen and own this mansion and have people be scared of me.”

“Rach, listen to yourself,” Shireen said in disbelief. “This isn’t you. Richard’s made you like this. If you just—”

“How would you know what’s really me?” Rachel snapped. “You decide stuff and you expect me to do it too. You never ask me what I want.”

Shireen looked taken aback. “I thought—”

“You always talk the most, you act like you’re in charge, you get all the attention.” Rachel looked like she couldn’t stop if she wanted to; all the years of frustration were pouring out. “Your magic’s stronger, you get everything first, it’s you, you, you, but the one thing I could count on was that you were always on my side. Now for once I want something and you don’t care! It’s still all about you. You change your mind and you just expect me to follow you. Well, I’m not doing it! Not this time! I want this and for once this is going to be about what I want!”

Shireen was staring at Rachel. “You always felt like that?” she said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you never asked!” Rachel shouted. “You just assumed I was going to do whatever you decided! I followed you to sign up with Richard but I’m not following you now.”