Nomi’s throat slowly closed. The truth was, she wanted to go to Azura with Serina. She wanted to get as far from Asa—and from Malachi’s piercing gaze—as she could. But she would not leave her family behind.

“As you wish,” he said at last, and all the breath left her body. “But we must leave soon. Tomorrow.”

That night, Nomi fell asleep with her hand curled into Serina’s braid, both of them huddled close together on a pallet in the far corner of the infirmary, near Malachi and Val.

Long after Serina’s breath had deepened into sleep, Nomi finally drifted off herself. And dreamed of Asa, his smile dripping blood and his hands clenched at her waist, pulling her closer. Closer. Bending to kiss her with blood-soaked lips—

“Nomi! Nomi!”

Nomi woke to Serina shaking her.

“You were screaming again,” Serina said.

“S-sorry,” Nomi mumbled, trying the shake the image of Asa’s ghoulish grin from her mind.

Soon dawn brightened the doorway, and they all rose, bleary-eyed and quiet.

Val disappeared for a few minutes, returning with the news that the tide would be out in a few hours. “We need to leave soon. It’s a long hike to the boat.”

Nomi’s heart seized. She’d thought she’d have more of the day with Serina. Unbidden, her brain grasped for excuses to hold off their departure. But she knew Malachi would not consent to waiting.

Serina met her eyes, staring as if memorizing her features. Nomi felt the shape of a similar expression on her own face. They’d only just found each other—this new parting threatened to tear apart every shred of Nomi’s resolve.

But she couldn’t love Serina without loving Renzo. She couldn’t forget the rest of her family just because she’d found her sister.

“I should come with you,” Serina said again, for maybe the hundredth time.

“But you can’t,” Nomi reminded her again. “We’ve gone through it. You and Val must negotiate with Azura for the safety of all the women here. And if Malachi and I fail, you’ll be Renzo’s only hope. I’ll send a letter to Papa for Renzo. I’ll tell him to go to Azura and find you. It won’t work if you’re not there, you know that.”

Serina stared down at the burlap sack—an old rations bag—they were packing together. “We spent so long apart, and now…”

And now it was more time, more distance.

Nomi’s heart shuddered. She wanted to hold on to Serina and never let her go. She wanted to tell her that she should come. Or that they should both stay here and wait for the prison boat. But Nomi had spent her life watching Serina do her duty. Her sister had always faced her fate with serenity. Now it was Nomi’s turn.