“I cannot give you the burden of judging my people.” My words came sharper than I intended. “You are correct in that the Fallen Isles already have heavy troubles, and that it will be difficult to bring the attackers to justice, but they are still my people. If you want to pursue an agreement between the Fallen Isles and the Algotti Empire regarding this matter, Chenda would be delighted to begin that process. But I’m afraid I cannot allow you to move forward with a trial until an extradition agreement is formalized.”

“I don’t understand this hostility,” Apolla said. “I thought we were friends.”

“You and I don’t have the luxury of being friends.” I smiled, for real this time, though it was a sad sort of expression. “I think we could be, if not for our titles.”

She just nodded. “I’ll have an extradition agreement drawn up and sent to Chenda this afternoon.”

I relaxed—only slightly. It wasn’t that I even disagreed with her—not really. The crime had been against her people, and on her land. And we had gods rising and people evacuating. The Fallen Isles were in no position to hold a trial.

But.

If we let her do favors like that. If we let her take the burden of governing. If we let her help without formal agreements.

She may as well have conquered us already.

She knew it.

I knew it.

Neither of us needed say it out loud.

“What of High Magistrate Paorah?” Apolla asked, a little more cautiously than before. “He committed crimes against both the empire and the islands. He violated the agreement we made in good faith.”

“He’s still on Anahera.” I turned my eyes to the dragons, barely moving as the sun reached upward. “He will be tried and punished for what he’s done to the Fallen Isles, and if our agreement is approved then you’ll have a chance with him, too.”

“You could leave him on Anahera and let him die as his god rises.”

My gaze cut to her. That was cruel, albeit no crueler than what he’d done to the rest of the Fallen Isles and the dragons he’d captured. “It isn’t my place to cast judgment, so I won’t speculate, but when the people learn of what he did—creating a lie out of the Mira Treaty—there will be backlash. When they find that his actions may have hastened the Great Abandonment . . .”

“He will be lucky to survive until his trial,” she agreed. “Such betrayals from those entrusted with power bring out the worst in people.”

Together, we completed one transit around the unconscious dragons. They were breathing, but when I let my mind drift around theirs, the starless walls had returned. Anything I’d managed to give them four days ago was gone, and they once again balanced on the edge of death.

“I appreciate you, Mira. You stand your ground without attempting to take what isn’t yours.”

Unlike her?

“Now, as I’m sure you realize, I wanted to meet you here for this.” She motioned to the great noorestone, not averting her gaze, but unable to keep from squinting at its radiance.