I’m too exhausted to be self-conscious, and I scoot next to him so our shoulders touch. He takes his cloak and covers both of us, and slowly his warmth starts to creep over. Still, there’s a wall between us. We’ve been through so much in the past months, but I don’t know this Dineas—the real Dineas—much better than I did when we came. I only know the illusion.

“Will you miss him?” he asks, almost as if he’d read my mind.

I hesitate, unsure if he’s mocking me. But there’s genuine curiosity in his voice, and I find I don’t want to lie to him. Whatever our differences, we share things now that no one else will ever truly understand.

“I will,” I say.

The wind whistles over our heads. It’s a lonely sound.

“I can’t believe he’s really gone,” Dineas says.

“Everything he’s gone through is still with you,” I say. “You’ve lost nothing of his.”

“Nothing except peace.”

And I know that I’m not the only one who’s lost. I adjust my arm so I can hold his hand, and this time it doesn’t feel so awkward.

“Do you think we can make it back in time to help them?” I ask. “Have we done any good at all?”

Dineas’s eyes go flinty with determination. “We’ll go back. We’ll prepare our people for battle. We won’t let Ampara take us without a fight.”

His words sadden me, though I accept their grim inevitability. The winds have shown their direction, and though I may not like it, it’s time to prepare for war.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I say.

“You can. You’re one of the bravest people I know.”

I look up at his words and scan his face, half expecting to see a hint of the Dineas we left in Sehmar City. But the eyes of the man next to me are old beyond his years. Dineas catches my reaction, and the corner of his mouth quirks just slightly. And he gives my hand a squeeze that says more than words ever could.

The wind blows, and the crows chatter to one another. Dineas pulls his cloak closer around us. I lean my head on his shoulder, and together we wait for dawn.

Acknowledgments

Once again, my editor, Rotem Moscovich, shepherded every aspect of this story: from idea, to draft, through revisions, to publication. Heather Crowley provided valuable assistance and a great tagline, and ninja publicist Cassie McGinty guided the book’s big debut. My gratitude as well to the rest of the Hyperion team.

My agent, Jim McCarthy, offered key advice on an early version of the manuscript, and support throughout the publishing process.

My critique partners Amitha Knight, Jennifer Barnes, Rachal Aronson, and Emily Terry once again read over those messy first draft chapters.