Beru’s ears rang. Her arms were still raised, ready to bring the god’s power crashing down on all of them.

She jerked them back to her sides, shaking. Leaning into Ephyra’s touch, she breathed in slowly, grounding herself.

I am Beru of Medea. “I’m fine,” she said aloud. “Still me.”

Illya cleared his throat, holding up the Godfire collar. “Now what?”

“Give it to me,” Jude said decisively. “There was a junction about half a league ago. I’ll take the collar and lead the Witnesses in the wrong direction, while the rest of you continue out of the caverns.”

“What—Jude, no.” Anton stepped toward him. “They’ll catch up to you. You can’t fight them all off alone!”

“I’ll be fine,” Jude said dismissively. “There’s a cluster of waterfalls just at the exit of the caverns. When the coast is clear, I’ll meet up with you there.”

“Jude, he’s right,” Hector said. Anton gave him a sideways look. “You can’t go off on your own and fight two dozen Witnesses with stolen Grace. At least let me go with you.”

Jude shook his head, looking frustrated. “I need you here, to protect everyone else. If Prince Hassan is wrong about the collar—”

“I’m not,” Hassan said at once. “Take Hector with you. Khepri and I can defend the others if anything happens.”

“And it’s not like I’m completely helpless,” Ephyra added.

Jude hesitated and then gave a curt nod. “Fine. Hector, you’re with me, then.”

“Wait,” Beru said, before she could think better of it. There was a sense of dread in her, a feeling of wrongness. Through the fog of the god’s mind, it took her a moment to decipher the feeling. Worry. Fear. She didn’t want Hector to put himself in danger like this. And there was a part of her that feared what would happen if the god tried to seize control while Hector wasn’t there to help ground her. “Hector—”

“Four leagues until you’re out, no resting until you see the sky,” Jude cut in, taking the collar from Illya and shouldering off his pack, handing it to Khepri. “I’m guessing it’s around sundown now, so make camp when you reach the falls and wait for us there. If we’re not there by sunup tomorrow, leave without us.”

Anton reached out, grabbing hold of his sleeve. “I won’t let you do this.”

Jude glanced at him, his expression a little cold. “It’s not your decision.”

“I’m the Prophet.”

“And I’m here to protect you.”

Their argument raged on, but Beru stopped listening as Hector’s gaze fell on her. She could feel everything he wouldn’t say. Longing pulled at her. Worry, twining with her own. His feelings reflecting against her own, amplifying them, helping her make sense of them even as the god’s indifference pressed on her.