Kerrigan closed her eyes and buried her face in her pillow. “Clove …”

“Look, I know that you’re tired. Training looks like it’s not going well, but hear me out.”

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. The front of her shirt opened, revealing the gold chain she always had dangling from her neck. The piece of metal was nearly the size of Kerrigan’s palm and flat as a disc. Kerrigan had rarely seen her without it.

“I’m listening.”

“Remember the protest I went to?”

“The one where you got arrested and I had to get you out of chains?”

“The one,” she said smoothly. “The group that put that together is trying to get more organized. They have real plans. They’re having an activist meeting to try to see how much interest there is.”

“How much interest there is in what?” Kerrigan asked, afraid she already knew.

“Human and half-Fae rights.”

Kerrigan nodded minutely. “I see.”

“It’s not fair that we have no say in our own government. The Society gets to make all the rules. They get to enforce those rules, and we suffer. We should have people in those meetings, vocalizing our opinions.”

“You know I agree with you,” Kerrigan said.

“But …”

“But I have a year of dragon training. I can’t protest against the very government that I’m part of.”

Clover’s eyes shuttered. “Why not? Isn’t that the point of being in the government? To enact change?”

“Yes, and you know that I plan to, but right now, I’m not even in the Society. I can still be kicked out in the next year.”

“So, you’re going to let them censure you?” she asked, getting heated. “Let them keep you quiet for the next year when we have the momentum of your win now?”

“No, that’s—”

“Don’t be a coward.”

Kerrigan dropped an arm over her face. “I don’t even have the energy to argue with you. If surviving the next year is cowardice, then fine. I can’t change anything if I’m kicked out.”

Clover vaulted out of her seat. “I never thought I’d see the day when you backed down over the fear of getting caught. Someone in the Society killed Basem Nix for what he knew about the Red Masks. The very people who beat you in a dark alleyway for being half-Fae. Do you think they’re actually going to find the killer if we remain silent?”

Kerrigan moved her arm and looked at her friend. Was she staying here out of fear? Was she letting the Society rules dictate her? Was it worth her principles?

Part of her said yes. It was worth everything to get what she wanted. But at what cost?

“Okay,” Kerrigan said with a sigh. “I’ll go.”

18

The Meeting