Invidia stared at her, not moving—but the creature on her chest pulsed horribly, its legs stirring. She closed her eyes, stiffening in pain, which Isana could all but feel lance through her own body. She remained that way for a long moment, then opened her eyes again.

“All I can choose is death.” She gestured bleakly to the creature that still grasped her. “Without this, I would die within hours. And if I do not obey her, she will take it from me.”

“It isn’t a very good choice,” Isana said. “But it is a choice, Invidia.”

That rictus of a smile returned. “I will not willingly end my own life.”

“Even if it costs others theirs?”

“Have you never killed to protect your life, Isana?”

“That isn’t the same.”

Invidia arched an eyebrow. “Isn’t it?”

“Not at all.”

“I am what the Realm and my father and my husband have made me, Isana. And I will not simply lie down and die.”

“Ah,” Isana said quietly. “Quite.”

“Meaning what, precisely?”

“Meaning,” Isana said, “that whether you realize it or not, you’ve already made your choice. Probably quite some time ago.”

Invidia stared at her. Her lips quivered once, as if she would speak, but she withdrew into a shell of silence again. Then she took up her fork with a deliberate movement, cut another bite of the hideous croach concoction, and ate it with measured, steady motions.

Now, while she was retreating from the conversation. It was time to push. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, Invidia. I’m sorry that it came to this for you. You have so much power, so much talent, so much ability. You could have done great things for Alera. I’m sorry that it went to waste.”

Invidia’s gaze turned cold. “Who are you?” she asked quietly. “Who are you to say such things to me? You’re no one. You’re nothing. You’re a camp whore who happened to be favored by a man. The fool. He could have had his choice of any woman of Alera.”

“As I understand it,” Isana said, “he did.” She let the simple statement hang silent in the air for a moment. Then she took a breath, and said, “If you will excuse me.” Isana rose from the table and turned as though to walk as far away from Invidia as the chamber would allow. But she listened as she walked. There was no chance whatsoever that Invidia would allow her to have the last word on the matter of Septimus.

“Yes. He chose you.” Invidia bared her teeth. “And see what it earned him.”

Isana stopped in her tracks. She felt as if someone had struck her a hard blow in the belly.