Nine hesitated, then shook her head. “She wouldn’t come.”

My heart crept up into my throat. “What do you mean?”

“I mean she refused.” Nine adjusted the bag over her shoulder. “I told her that you’d asked me to get her, and she said no. Even when I said I knew the dead girl wasn’t you, and that you were heading to safety, she refused.”

“Why?” The word came out pale. Raspy.

“She said if she didn’t stay to speak for the people of Damina, then they would have no one.” Nine gave me a pitying look. “If she doesn’t choose Daminan people to take the assigned ship, then the ship will go to another island or more fighters.”

A chill worked through me. “But the guards,” I whispered. “They were slaughtering people in there.”

Nine shook her head and kept her voice low. “No. A few were killed, but only the ones who attacked first. No one else. The other officials tried to escape, so the guards were only scaring them into submission.”

That wasn’t much comfort. We’d been so close to helping Mother. So close to getting her out of that room. And she’d refused. Zara would be furious. I was furious enough. “I should have gone to get her.”

Aaru touched my shoulder, gentle. “It was her decision. She chose to help her people. Isn’t that what you’d have done? Ensured a few survived, even if you couldn’t save them all?”

The words shamed me. Maybe I should have announced myself. Maybe I could have stopped all of that before it started. If I’d only acted instead of observed. But I didn’t have that kind of bravery in me. Not when I needed it.

Nine glanced over the busy street; people were walking past slowly, clearly curious about one of the high magistrate’s personal guards speaking to two people in foreign clothes. “I need to go,” Nine said. “If I don’t get back to my post, I’ll lose my credibility there.”

She didn’t move, though.

“You didn’t know about the deal between Paorah and your empress?” I’d seen her face earlier; her reaction had appeared genuine, but some people were convincing actors, and she was a spy.

“I didn’t know.” She frowned deeply. “This is . . . concerning.”

Aaru touched my arm, tapping where she couldn’t see. ::She’s telling the truth.::

“Perhaps he was lying,” I suggested. “About the agreement.”

“Perhaps.” Her eyes went flat with anger. “But he wasn’t lying about his intention to attack.”

No. I didn’t think he was lying about that, either.

“I’ll try to get some answers,” she said after a moment. “About the true nature of the relationship between Anahera and the empire. I’ll find you when I have something.”

If she and I had been friends, I’d have taken her hands, hugged her, or done something to show empathy. But instead, I just said, “Every single one of my friends and I understand how you feel. You’re one of us now.”