“I saved us all. You’re the one who wants to tear Kavekana apart. Soon, you’ll understand.” He pinched fingers and thumb together, pointed up, and slowly spread them, like a five-petaled flower opening. Rock ground against rock. A statue by the wall opened on hidden seams to reveal an interior of violet crystal teeth, with a human-shaped hollow inside. “I’m sorry.” She tried to kick him, but he stepped back, and she only succeeded in wrenching her shoulder in the Penitent’s grip.

Mara’s Penitent dragged her. She struggled for purchase on the floor, but her shoes scraped over stone without catching. “You can’t do this.”

Jace looked away.

“Mara.” Step by step they neared the open statue, the crystal teeth. Mara, still Mara despite the Penitent, despite the voices in her head—Mara sobbed, through layers of rock. Kai almost stopped fighting, to spare her the strain. Almost. “Mara, don’t do this.”

Ms. Kevarian’s card. The Craftswoman might not be able to save her, but at least she’d know what had happened. Kai reached for her pocket, but before she could grab the card, Mara seized her other arm.

Crystal spikes caught light like ice at sunset. Mara turned Kai, lifted, and pressed her into the crèche. Kai’s throat was raw. She’d been shouting. She didn’t know what she’d said, if anything at all.

Stone hands forced her back. At first the geode teeth were dead pressure against her jacket. Then they moved, piercing her sleeves, sliding across skin. Mara released her and Kai tried to lunge for freedom, but stone encircled her arm and razor wire clasped her fingers. She fought, spit at the last into the Penitent’s blank face, but still the crystal dragged her in.

A thousand small sharp talons held her. Needles stroked her cheeks. Her free hand clutched for Mara, for Jace, for vengeance, for freedom.

Mara pushed it back.

One of her legs was still free. She kicked the Penitent. Mara gasped, but her statue did not flinch.

Jace did. He watched her from behind the desk. His eyes glittered. She thought he might be crying.

The mask closed over her face, and she saw nothing more—and everything at once.

Chapter 52

52

Izza begged near the cable car station for three hours. Twice attendant workers chased her from the gates, though she hadn’t bothered anyone. They weren’t used to beggars here, and neither called a Penitent to shuffle her away, nor offered her soulstuff to leave. So each time they chased her off she came back, sat with knees drawn to her chin, and waited.