This isn’t the first time the Destiny has bolted. It’s powered by my magic, which has a mind of its own, and if it feels too endangered or penned-in, it decides to take off. Cue me and my sister, out of breath and sweaty and swearing, spending an entire day chasing our home from the crest of one hill to the next until it finally decides to let us capture it again.

It’s never been at quite such an inconvenient time before, though.

That’s when I discover that I’ve made a huge mistake. This lesson takes the form of a strong arm slamming across my shoulder, fingers digging roughly into my arm. The smell of sage and leather and sweat crowds all my senses as Raze squeezes me hard enough to make me wonder if my ribs are going to pop.

I fight with all my strength, pull his cloak and his hair, scratch, lash out. I’d bite him, if I wasn’t facing the opposite direction. I reach for my magic, but the second I actually want it, it dips out of my grasp, leaving me leaning unsteadily over a deep chasm.

“That really hurt,” Raze growls in my ear. Then he sighs, and his voice takes on a tone that’s totally different, but just as grating. “Just listen to what we have to say, and no one has to get hurt. We need—”

I spit, and it mostly misses him, but it’s the thought that counts. In the corner of my eye, I can see Isolde limping forward to rescue me, but Olani is faster. She swings for Isolde’s neck, and my sister throws herself out of the way. Olani is already attacking again, stabbing forward before Isolde can land back on her feet.

No, no, no—this can’t be happening. Isolde actually stumbles, splashing backward into the mud. She groans as her injured arm absorbs her weight, curling in on herself.

Olani looms over her, biceps flexing as she stands perfectly balanced, quarterstaff posed to strike. “Just hear us out,” she says, sounding more exasperated than anything in between gasps for breath. “We have...an offer...for the changeling.”

Isolde freezes there, catching her breath, eyes locked on the other girl’s.

When she moves, it’s a flicker, as fast and inevitable as the crashing of a wave, straight up off the ground. I think it takes even her by surprise, but she’s back on her feet in less time than it takes to blink, getting a slash to Olani’s arm before staggering backward.

Olani swings her staff, a second too late. In the brief opening, Isolde tackles her, gracefully using Olani’s momentum to force the girl to her knees and twist her arm behind her back.

Olani is bigger and stronger, but she isn’t quick enough to twist away before Isolde’s blade meets her throat. She’s pinned.

Raze and Isolde face each other, each with a blade to their captive’s throat.

From an outside perspective, it might almost be funny.

Raze lets out a deep, dramatic sigh. “Please let her go,” he says lightly. Then, for the first time, I feel him waver. The metal burns on my skin, trailing a cold itch behind it. Iron. His voice trembles almost imperceptibly on his next words. “Just calm down. All we want is to make a deal. I don’t especially want to slit your...sister’s throat today, but I will if you don’t give me another option.” He emphasizes the word sister, so it simmers in the air like a question mark.