Ren’s stomach sank as Audrina lurched from the captain’s arms. The bloody stain on her gown spread. So much blood, more than a simple tithe should produce. And Audrina didn’t look right either. Her back arched, and her eyes went glassy, unfocused. Ren didn’t understand—Aud didn’t have a knife in her hand, so how…?

Zofi cursed loudly.

“What is it?” Ren asked her. “What did she just do?”

“It’s… a Traveler thing,” Zofi muttered. “Boosts. They let you store the Arts for later use. But Mother always told me boosting with a shield tithe was dangerous—whatever tithe you try to work will hit the shield and rebound.…”

Audrina moaned. That’s when Ren saw it. The black spreading along her fingertips. Up over the backs of her hands.

“What about a curse?” Akeylah appeared at their elbows, voice tight.

“Even worse,” Zofi murmured.

Ren’s chest ached.

Audrina was a monster. A terror. She’d cursed Ren and her sisters, killed their father, their aunt.

But Audrina had also lived the kind of life Ren couldn’t even imagine. She’d grown up with the horror of her parents’ voices in her head, every day hearing how they disapproved, judged her, despised her.

She was a monster, but what else could she have been, raised like that? Trained from too young an age in statecraft, in war, in the price of running a kingdom and the terrible decisions it required.

Ren couldn’t help but remember the other Audrina. Her friend. The girl who stayed up late to console her the first time Danton left. Who helped her darn extra socks to avoid Sarella’s wrath. Who snuck out of the maids’ chambers with Ren to dance in the fields behind the Keep in the light of the triple moons, stolen bottles of strongwine tucked under their arms as they howled at the sky.

The moons favor girls like us. Girls who didn’t follow the rules. Girls who wanted more than the servants’ lives they’d been forced into.

Ren had so much in common with Aud. More than she ever knew.

Unable to help herself, Ren strained forward. Tried to wrench free from the Talon holding her. “Let me help her,” Ren begged. “Please. She’s dying.”

The Talon glanced around the stage, finally settling on Akeylah, who nodded. Then he seemed to give up trying to figure out who he should and shouldn’t be restraining. He released Ren, who dropped to her knees beside Audrina, chains and all.

Somewhere in the background, she heard Akeylah loudly order the crowding nobles to make way for the menders.

“Aud.” Ren fumbled for her friend’s hands. Audrina’s fingers were fully blackened now, curled like claws. “Aud, hang in there, please.” She glanced over her shoulder at Zofi. “What can we do? Can she tithe, heal herself?”