Sidda’s hold on the other adze was slipping. More of them started to rise from the floor. She and the commander circled around the adze, so their backs were to us. “I don’t work for the Lord of Shadows.”

Black Mamba licked his lips. “Well, then, that makes you fair game.”

“If you’re going to do something, guardian,” Commander Rovey grumbled, “do it now.”

I was already doing something. My gateway roared to life. “Let’s go!” I waved for the darkbringer recruits to follow me, but they hesitated.

“Why should we trust you?” one of them asked. “You’re our sworn enemy.”

“You can trust me, or you can become someone’s else dinner,” I said.

Billu shrugged. “She’s got a point.”

Sidda broke off from holding back the adze and turned to the recruits. “Come, children. There’s no time to waste.”

Zeran headed into the gateway with his brother, followed by the other recruits. Then Sidda disappeared down the bridge of god symbols behind them. That left Commander Rovey and me versus a bunch of adze closing in around us. The gateway was already collapsing on this end.

“After you,” I insisted.

Commander Rovey wrinkled his nose as we backed into the gateway. “I still don’t like you, godling.”

The adze pushed each other to reach us, but the gateway closed just in time. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing, Commander.”

A few minutes later, we were back in the warehouse where Zeran and I had left the two darkbringers tied up. It was dark inside, and one of the darkbringer recruits conjured little globes of light that floated above our heads.

Everyone was talking at once. Sidda was doing her best to reassure the recruits that they would be okay, while Billu was recounting how they ended up in Black Mamba’s dungeon. Commander Rovey had pulled Zeran aside.

“I know that I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I am sorry all the same,” Commander Rovey said. When Zeran only stared at him, unblinking, he added, “I only wanted to keep you from making a mistake. That Resistance you were so eager to join . . . they are no more than gnats for our lord to swat.”

“I’m not going back,” Zeran said defiantly. “And he’s not my lord; he’s yours. I’ll take my chances in the human world.”

“None of us are going back with you.” Sidda crossed her arms as she glared at Commander Rovey. “You can stand by and die for the Lord of Shadows, but I will not condemn Zeran and Billu to the same fate.”

Commander Rovey cut his eyes at me. “The celestials won’t be able to stop him. He’ll kill them all, including your father.”