Malachi’s gaze never left Nomi as she told him everything—the plot, how she’d involved Renzo, even how she’d used Renzo’s friend’s address to send him a message. And she told him that she’d come to realize Asa was wrong, and she’d sent Renzo away. Malachi’s stony expression never changed. Neither did he acknowledge Serina and Val standing right behind her nor ask who they were.

“I’m so sorry,” Nomi said again, her voice vibrating with emotion. “I just wanted to help Serina and the women of Viridia. I shouldn’t have trusted Asa. I didn’t know—”

“You should have trusted me,” Malachi interrupted, his voice sharp as a whip. “If you’d talked to me, if you’d told me you wanted to save your sister—”

Nomi made a noise in her throat and raised her head. There was a new strength in her voice when she said, “Of course I wanted to save my sister. I didn’t have to tell Asa this. He already knew. He spoke to me about her, not the other way around.”

“He was using you,” Malachi snapped.

“Yes, but how could I trust you instead? Your brother told me you were volatile. Cruel. He fed into my own prejudices. You chose me for a Grace without ever considering my wishes, remember? And you said nothing of my sister. How could I speak to you of letting her go?”

He frowned but, to Serina’s surprise, didn’t snap back.

Nomi glanced over her shoulder at Serina, but her words were for the Heir. “Did you know the guards here forced the women to kill each other over food? Kill each other, Malachi.”

His eyes widened. Serina thought the shock on his face was genuine, but she wasn’t sure.

“They fought back,” Nomi continued, still looking at Serina, with something like pride in her eyes. After a pause, she turned her gaze back to the Heir. “They didn’t want to have to keep killing each other. My sister was sent here to die for being able to read. And you did nothing.”

“I didn’t know. If I had—”

Serina couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “You knew,” she snapped, stepping closer until she towered over him. “Maybe not about the fights, but you knew women sent here never came back.” She put her hand on Nomi’s shoulder. “You knew I would die here, one way or another. And for what? For reading? There are women here who’ve done nothing more than displease your father. And you knew. Your brother may be a monster, Malachi, but you are still part of the problem.”