Doubt began to form in her mind, little cracks that she was starting to see through. All the times Darai had overstepped, had pushed her hard in a direction of his own choosing...had that been his compulsion at work? He’d guided her away from love and into power. He’d hated it when she fell for Zahn, and warned her against feeling love again when she’d found Valen.

Love makes us weak, Darai had said.

He’d never loved Nor. He’d only been there to whisper in her ear, to ensure that she did not falter in her steps. But wasn’t that what he was meant to do? An extra mind to support hers. Another Exonian, hell-bent on the mission to free their home.

She’d never sensed power from Darai, for he said he had none left—that he had lost it long before he’d journeyed to Mirabel with Klaren. But perhaps that was part of his plan.

“Darai is a fallen Yielded,” Klaren explained. The wind howled, trying to cover her words, but Nor hung on to them, taking a step forward. Leaning closer as she tried to determine the truth. “His power was ripped from him by the Godstars themselves when he tried to overthrow them. He’s been biding his time, waiting for the chance to strike, holding on to that shred of his remaining power to become king. And I fear that it’s already too late, Nor. For that, I am sorry. I was afraid of him, and once I saw that you had risen to power, and he was standing by your side when your speeches aired across the feeds... I feared the worst.”

Her mother held out a hand. “Come to my side. Have your soldiers put down their weapons. We can speak, and I will share every truth I know. Together, we can find a different way. It’s not too late to release the minds of these people. To start over, and rule over Mirabel as its rightful queen. Not by imprisoning your people, but by winning their trust and their love.”

“Enough!” Darai shouted. “You were always too stubborn for your own good, Klaren. And you gave that tendency to your daughter, too. So many times, she’s shown a weakness I could not ignore.”

Nor turned to him, shocked at his boldness. “Darai. You speak out of turn.”

“I speak the truth,” he said, and his whole body was shaking, as if he was trying and failing to hold his fury in. “I have stayed silent for far too long. Kill her, Nor. Kill this traitor to the crown. We have work to do.”

“Let go of her mind, Darai,” Klaren warned. “You will not succeed.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Darai said coldly.

Nor tried to pull her hand away, but he was unrelenting.