Thrana put herself between me and Ragan, her lip curled back. I could feel her growl vibrating through her body, an answering thrum to mine. She snapped at him when he tried to strike, raked her claws across his cloak, jostled him with her shoulders. And in turn I brought the waves crashing down on Ragan’s head, tried to cover his nose and mouth and quaked the mud around him.

My efforts only unbalanced him a little. My will was as strong as his, but my skill was not. I’d spent my years learning bone shard magic; I didn’t know much about the Alanga or their magic. I’d not had much time to practice. I stamped again, doing my best to direct the quake toward Ragan. It shook the ground beneath him but it was weak. Ragan smirked and sent his own quake back.

I had to seize Thrana’s fur to keep myself upright. My hand came away bloody. How many injuries had she suffered on my behalf? “Get behind me, Thrana, you’ve done enough.” She wouldn’t move. I had to step out in front of her.

“They know what you are now,” Ragan said. “Do you still want to stay here and protect them? Why fight me instead of coming with me? Let the constructs and the mortals fight. They’ll turn on you as soon as the battle is over.”

“You want me to follow you,” I said to Ragan. “You want to lead the Alanga. At what cost? For all these people to die?”

“Better them than us. Why risk ourselves in this conflict?” he said, his brows low. He was the sort of Alanga my father had always feared, caring not at all for the people he crushed with each step he took.

His expression, his stance, his movements – they all spoke of a deep, abiding anger. The monks had held him back. I knew what that was like. I might have turned in his direction, in Nisong’s direction, had my circumstances been only a little different. “I know the monks didn’t treat you the way you deserved. I’ve been in that position too. My father never thought I was worthy, not until he died.” I tried for soothing, though I had to shout. “You don’t have to do this. If you help me fight back the constructs, as you promised, you’ll still have a place in this Empire. You are worthy, Ragan. You don’t need the monks to tell you that. You don’t need me to.”

The tightness in his shoulders eased. “Truly? We could reach out to the rest of the Alanga together?”

“Of course,” I said. “You know more about them than I do. You’re more skilled than I am. I need your help. We all do.”