Ranami’s anger swelled. “We’ve all suffered – but because you think you’ve suffered more, that gives you a right to dismiss what others are going through? Both the Emperor and Phalue are risking their lives to help Gaelung. I don’t know Lin’s motives, but I know Phalue is going because she can’t turn her back on them. When the people of Gaelung are slaughtered, do you think they’ll only see the construct army as their enemy? No. You think you’re saving them, but you’re the one who’s wrong. You’re not some hero, bringing them freedom and justice. You’re the villain, Gio.

“They will know you could have helped. Instead, you chose to do nothing.”

She whirled, shoving past Atash at the door and making her way to the exit.

If Phalue died, if she didn’t come back from this, Ranami would make sure everyone knew – the whole Empire – what a fraud the leader of the Shardless Few was.

What a coward.

44

Lin

Gaelung Island

The soldiers Yeshan brought couldn’t fit inside the walls of the palace; they arranged themselves on the plateau above the switchbacks, setting up their tents with impressive efficiency, their lanterns like fireflies in the darkness.

“You should sleep,” Ragan said from behind me.

After I’d sent out the construct, I’d taken Ragan and met with Yeshan, going over the specifics of her plan – memorizing where she wanted to send her troops so whatever I did wouldn’t interfere with them. And then I’d forced down a bit of food and had come up to the ramparts. Outside, the torrential downpour from earlier had slowed, my oilskin cloak keeping the worst of it out. Thrana sat next to me, her head now cresting mine.

Ragan’s ossalen crept hesitantly behind him, his head low, looking around each corner as though it might hold some danger. I was glad Thrana had grown out of her timidity. Thrana lowered her nose to Lozhi’s. The creature sniffed once before retreating back behind Ragan’s legs. Thrana only rolled her shoulders before turning to look out over the fields again.

“I’ll sleep when I can sleep,” I said. “Why don’t you take your own advice? And don’t tell me the cloudtree monks never sleep.”

He gave me a tight smile. “No, we are mortal, just like everyone else. I slept a little bit earlier; though you’re right, I could use more sleep.”

Somewhere out in the dark, my construct was moving among the enemy’s camp, turning as many of their kind as possible against them.