“Millie,” Finn began, but she silenced him with a withering look. I found that I was holding my breath.

When Lariel spoke, her voice was hollow.

“Because there are never any consequences for Sisters,” she said. “I could spend my whole life under these women’s heels, and they would still demand gratitude for not crushing my neck completely.”

“And? You think the rest of us are any different?”

“No. And you’re right, I never intended to take it so far.” Lariel shrank, curling her arms around her body. “But I had power. For a little while, I meant something to them.” Her gaze drifted to me. “No matter which Councilwoman comes out on top, the Order will show me no mercy.”

“Do you think you deserve mercy?” I asked quietly.

“What would you know?” Lariel shook her head, defeated. “Are you aware that Kamillian left me because of you?”

“Keep her out of this,” snapped Millie.

“Say what you will about the Resistance, she’ll always come down on your side.”

Millie looked like she wanted to hit Lariel again, but Finn placed a hand on her shoulder. He muttered something I failed to catch. Millie glanced up at him, and the tension left her shoulders. She gingerly touched the scratch on her neck.

“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s not deep.”

“Still. We can handle her.”

“I’m really fine.”

“I know. You always are.”

Millie scowled. Finn waited, and after a moment she sighed.

“Yeah, all right.” Her voice dropped. “I’ll take a walk.”

I should have said something. I wanted to tell her that I’d been wrong and stupid, and that she should sit down and let me take care of her, that she had scared me to death, but words deserted me. Millie walked past, stiff and bleeding and avoiding my gaze, and I did nothing to stop her.

All the while, Lariel watched my face. I don’t know what she saw there; her own expression was unreadable. When Finn turned to pick her up off the floor, she flinched. But her eyes stayed on me.

“You shouldn’t overexert yourself,” I said. “The injury to your head was serious.”

Finn glanced over his shoulder with a slight frown. I gestured for him to leave her.

“Mocking me?” asked Lariel.

“If you’ll let me look at it, maybe I can help you.”

“Why bother?”

I shrugged.

“What’s it to you, corpse eater?” She tried to sneer, but her voice quavered. “When you intend to trade my life for Kamillian’s, what does it matter?”

I took a few steps toward her and she scrambled backwards.

“I don’t need your help,” she snapped. “You disgust me.”

“And that’s fine.” I crouched and offered her my hand. “I get it. But please come back inside now.”

Her lip curled. “What is this? Are you trying to prove a point?”

“Not to you, no.” I kept my hand outstretched. “You killed one person I cared about, badly injured another, and sent a third to his execution. You tried to help Celane martyr me twice. There is nothing in the world I need to prove to you.”