“Her vote of support won’t help your case,” Hector added, shooting Ephyra a glare. “In fact, didn’t anyone consider whether it was a good idea to invite the girl who murdered me to join us?”

“I’m here because Beru’s my sister. And besides, I healed him, didn’t I?” Ephyra gestured at Jude.

“If you think that absolves you—”

“I never said it absolves anything—”

“—and if Jude had just agreed to go through the pass—”

“—I know you don’t want me here but don’t pretend—”

Everyone was talking at once, their voices overlapping and growing in volume until all Beru could hear was sharp, acerbic cries of outrage.

YOU HUMANS ARE SUCH STRANGE CREATURES, the god sniffed. YOU CHOOSE YOUR WOUNDED PRIDE AND DAMAGED FEELINGS OVER YOUR OWN SURVIVAL.

Everyone was just tired. Exhausted. Conflict was inevitable under the circumstances. But the god was right—if they were already fraying this badly, they wouldn’t make it through the mountains.

And if they kept arguing like this, the Witnesses were going to find them.

THEY’RE TRACKING US, the god mused idly. WE HAVEN’T LOST THEM IN THE CAVERNS BECAUSE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE.

It was the only thing that made sense. Beru would have known that even if the god hadn’t suggested it. But how? Maybe something had happened when Anton had scried in the Circle of Stones? Maybe it had broken the shielding he’d devised to mask their esha.

GOOD GUESS, the god said laconically. BUT WRONG.

Us?

The god didn’t reply, not outright, but she felt its approval.

“Guys,” she hissed. No one seemed to hear her. “Hey!”

“—that has nothing to do with this—”

“—I don’t see how you can trust him when he—”

“—it was a stupid plan and you know it—”

“Shut up!” A gale of power erupted from Beru’s hands, swirling around the others and silencing them. The Godfire collar burned on Beru’s neck as she stumbled back, sucking in air.

They all stared at her, wide-eyed, some terrified.

Beru pushed down her own terror at how easily the god’s power had come to her, even with the Godfire collar. “All right, I’m just gonna say it. We all sort of hate each other, and we are going to die if we don’t get over it, fast. You two”—she waved a finger at Illya and Anton—“have some real unresolved childhood issues that I can’t even begin to get into. You—” she said to Ephyra, “literally murdered him.” She nodded at Hector. “And I have no idea what’s going on here.” She gestured between Khepri and Hassan. “But whatever it is, you need to sort it out. Because I’m not worried about the Witnesses getting to us—I’m pretty sure we’re all going to kill each other first.”