“She is only one Ghost,” he continues. “And I will not allow her to endanger you or my other children any longer.” His fingers are bruising my skin, but his tone is pleading. “Don’t you see, little one? She leads down a path to war, and I cannot allow it.”

There are tears in my eyes. I hear his words. He is my Father; I know what he says is true. And yet I cannot accept it.

“Are we not the Wretched?” I say in a broken voice. “We, the children of the Miracle Court. Are we not bound by the Law?”

He turns away from me as if he can hide from my questions.

“You don’t understand. You’re too young to remember the last Guild war.”

The Tiger watches us, eyes alive with raw delight, and he puts his fingers in Ettie’s curls and tightens his fist. She yelps as he drags her toward him.

He tilts her face to his. “Hear that, little Ghost? You’re going to die tonight.”

I look desperately to Tomasis, but he still won’t meet my eyes. He likes none of this, but he won’t do anything about it. And it’s then that I know I’ve lost him.

“Leave her alone.” I step toward the Tiger, but Tomasis is faster than I am. He grabs me and swings me around, pinning me against him. I struggle, but his grip tightens. I relax my arm, lower the dagger into my hand, and raise the blade in an upward swoop, slicing Tomasis’s arm. He swears and, grabbing my arm, slams it hard against his knee. I cry out, sure he’s broken it. Yet still I struggle.

“That’s enough!” Tomasis orders me.

I don’t stop fighting to get free of him, fighting to get to Ettie, who is rigid with fear. I try kicking myself loose. He can pin my hands, but he can’t keep my legs still.

Seeing this, Tomasis looks over at Thénardier. “Shoot her in the leg!”

The bullet rips through me. A searing instant of flesh tearing. Then the pain breaks over me in a wave as Tomasis holds me up. I try desperately to focus on breathing and staying conscious, and on watching Thénardier’s face as he struggles to reload his pistol with one hand.

“You are my Father. You swore to protect me,” I say to Tomasis through gritted teeth. “You took an oath.”

“I am protecting you.” Tomasis’s voice in my ear is as sure and comforting as it has always been. His words have always been right and true. If I trust him, then I can be safe.

But Ettie will be gone. Azelma will sleep forever. And the Tiger will live.

“Let me kill him, Tomasis. Please.”

He freezes. “Are you mad, child? If you listen and stay silent, you might make it out of this alive.”

“Do you think I want to live in a world where he exists? Where we all hide and cower in fear of him? He takes what he wants from us. He tears sisters and wives and children from us. He deals in the slavery of flesh. He is a stain upon the Court.”