Later I toss and turn in the dark, unable to sleep. I know the moment my eyes close I’ll see Momma—or Pol, or Daniil, or Magda, or one of the other hundred faces that wait for me in my nightmares. There are so many now, a bottomless well of memories I’m not ready to confront. There’s so much blood on my hands.

Eventually I give up and drag myself out of bed. I splash water on my face and stare at my reflection in the mirror as the water slides off. One droplet follows the length of my scar before falling. I let my head drop toward my chest, and trace the black war-brand on my wrist with a finger.

I’ve escaped one war only to find a worse one. Now, the entire system is at stake, not merely some desolate planet on the outer reaches. Millions of lives hang in the balance. Will this war crowd my nightmares with more faces, more silent planets hanging in the darkness?

Scorpia said this is a diplomatic mission, but it’s still for the purpose of war, and we’re still working for the woman who massacred the people of Titan. Leonis is a warmonger, and we’re furthering her agenda. But she’s also the one person who can save Pol, and he’s in her hands now. So what choice do we have?

No. It’s wrong to think like that. I’ve let myself fall into that trap too many times before. I let the war on Titan turn me into someone I hated because I didn’t have a choice. But that’s never true. Sometimes it’s just one I don’t want to face.

And as much as I want to trust Scorpia, I have to be sure. If everyone else plans on following her as blindly as they followed Momma, it’s up to me to ensure we aren’t made pawns again.

The ship is silent and empty as I make my way down to the cargo bay. But halfway down the stairs, the sound of whistling floats up from below. I pause before continuing downward.

Scorpia sits atop one of the cargo crates, her boots resting on another, a bottle of whiskey in her hands. She pauses her whistling to take a long swig, and nearly spits it up again as she notices me. She coughs, wipes the back of her mouth with one hand, and sets down the bottle.