“Former Patron Osoraan would not have survived this long,” Maralah said. “He would have broken his armies against them in some vain and glorious gesture early last year, and all of us would be dead. It’s what he did when he assaulted us. It’s why we won.”

“We?” the Patron said.

Maralah grimaced. “It’s why you won, Patron.”

He jabbed a finger at her. “This is where we stand, Maralah.”

“Then this is where we will die.”

“It is a good place to die.”

Maralah bowed deeply. She clenched her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. “Then I will die beside you,” she said.

“When your brother arrives, give him the order to hold this position.”

“Yes, Patron.”

“You may go. All of you.”

Maralah took two steps back before turning away. Kadaan and Driaa waited until she turned before also retreating. They cleared the doors. Kadaan shut them. They were heavy doors, amberwood banded in steel. But Driaa put up a bubble of air around the three of them anyway. Maralah’s ears popped.

“Do you want me to call back Soraanda’s command?” Driaa asked. “They’ve already started the retreat to Harajan at your order.”

“What do you think, Kadaan?” Maralah asked.

“I think we can last another year if we retreat to Harajan,” he said.

“Driaa?”

“I didn’t want it to come to this,” Driaa said.

“No one does,” Maralah said.

“We have no one for the seat,” Kadaan said.

“The Patron will stay on the seat. My brother will be here in four days with his army,” Maralah said. “I can convince the Patron to… retire. For a time.”

“You’d put him into a slumber?” Driaa said.

“When peace arrives, we will wake him,” Maralah said. “I’m no betrayer, Driaa. No oath-breaker. I told him I would protect him. That’s what I will do. My brother and I will lead the armies. Start speaking to those you know to be allies. When it happens, it will happen very quickly.”

“You must expect some resistance,” Kadaan said.

“His star is descendent,” Maralah said. “It won’t take but a few moments. But I want to make sure the people left in the hold are ours first.”

“When do we begin?” Kadaan asked.

“When my brother arrives. I want Para below the horizon,” Maralah said. “Parajistas who side with him will be weaker.”

“So will those parajistas who side with us,” Driaa said.

“But we’ll know what’s coming,” Maralah said. “Sometimes that makes all the difference.”

Chapter 41

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