“I said let them go,” Penrose repeated, her tone allowing for no argument.

The Paladin released Khepri and Anton. On the ship behind them, the others had stepped out onto the deck. Penrose’s gaze tracked Anton as he went to Jude’s side.

The words of the scarred Witness rang in Jude’s head, ugly. Does your service to the Prophet extend to his bed?

He shook it off. The other Paladin might not understand, might think Jude nothing but an oathbreaker, debasing their Prophet with his weakness, but Jude knew the truth, and he wasn’t going to hide it any longer. He met Penrose’s gaze.

“I know you have no reason to trust us, after what we did,” he said, keeping his voice as even as he could. “We abandoned you and the rest of the Guard.”

“You abducted the Last Prophet and put him in harm’s way,” Penrose corrected sharply.

Anton opened his mouth, looking like he was ready for a fight, but Jude quieted him with a touch to the back of his wrist.

He inclined his head to Penrose. “You’re right. I didn’t trust my own Guard. I cannot apologize for making the journey to the City of Mercy to try to stop the Hierophant, but I do regret that we parted as we did.”

“And now?” Penrose asked. “Now that a god has been resurrected and Pallas is using it as a weapon to subjugate the Prophetic Cities you’ve come here for what? To hear that you were right, and we were wrong?”

Jude heard the pain in her voice.

“No,” he replied. “We came here because we need your help.”

“So let me get this straight,” Penrose said as they sat around the table in the tearoom with the remaining members of the Guard—Petrossian, Osei, and Annuka, who Jude was grateful and relieved to see had not followed her brother to join Pallas. Jude, Anton, and the Wanderer were the only ones Penrose had allowed inside the gates, which was perhaps for the best. She seemed barely able to look at Hector.

“You’re actually a Prophet?” Penrose pointed at the Wanderer, who nodded. “You all have the god with you? And you brought it here?”

“Beru isn’t dangerous,” Anton assured her.

“We’ve seen what the god has done,” Petrossian interrupted darkly. “Tearing out Grace and giving it to Witnesses.”

“That was Pallas controlling her,” Anton replied. “Beru is … she’s good. I know it’s hard to believe, but she’s helping us. She wants the god gone just as much as we do, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes.”

“And so you two need to use the Circle of Stones to find the other Prophets?” Penrose asked. “You don’t know where they are?”