It had been four days since Nomi had arrived. Serina had given the women time to heal, and Malachi time as well. She’d made sure every woman knew the options—escape to Azura or stage a coup—and what each would mean. Malachi had broken down for all of them how they could take the palazzo—the hidden passages they would use to breach the canal so they could attack without warning, the number of guards and soldiers they would have to face. He made the gambit sound reasonable.

Val had started training the women how to shoot the guards’ firearms. He’d also answered what questions he could about Azura.

Nomi had explained the concessions Malachi had made, what he’d promised to change if they were successful and he became Superior. She’d shown them the pages where she’d written the terms and where he’d signed it. One of the girls had asked Nomi to write out a promise that they would not be persecuted if they returned to Viridia, and Malachi had signed that as well.

It was all the women spoke of, whether to flee to Azura or return to Bellaqua and fight.

The vote was today.

The prison ship would be here in a week, maybe even less. It was time to commit to a plan. The more Serina thought about it, the harder her heart pounded. This was the best chance to protect Renzo. And she wanted to fight. She’d promised herself she would try to change Viridia. This was her chance.

She just hoped the others felt the same way.

Serina tapped on Mirror’s arm. “Let’s go. We need to be in the amphitheater soon.”

“Going back to your baser natures, are you?” Hector said, with a grotesque, gap-toothed grin. “Can’t live without the fights. Without the blood.”

The other guards cackled.

“I could live without you just fine,” Serina muttered.

No women arrived to relieve them—the guards would have to insult each other for a while. Everyone deserved a vote.

“I’ve never voted for anything in my life,” Mirror said as if she were reading Serina’s mind, as they hiked down the path.

“Me neither,” Serina said. The only votes anyone cast in Viridia were in province-wide elections of minor government administrators, and only the men did that. Every other position, like the magistrates—and the Graces—the Superior decided.