“We can make peace with the empire by warning them of a betrayal. We can learn the truth about who they are, not just believe everything our ancestors told us. And we can try to find a temporary place for our people to stay until we reach a new home. Our gods are abandoning us. Do we really want to go to war with the Algotti Empire on top of that?”

My friends shook their heads.

“We don’t want to belong to the empire, either, Mira.” Hristo spoke softly. “And if we go there—if we try to take over whatever deal the high magistrate made with the empress—then we risk selling ourselves to them, and I can’t be part of that.”

“I know.” I touched his arm. “I’m not willing to bargain away our sovereignty. Still, we must consider our survival. Not just us. Not just those wealthy enough to buy their way onto one of the high magistrate’s ships. But everyone. Farmers, weavers, bakers, maids, tailors, cooks—”

“Repair people,” Aaru said quietly, “and girls forbidden to work.”

Hristo closed his eyes. “Gardeners.”

“Doctors.” Zara bit her lip and stared at the floor.

“Revolutionaries,” Chenda murmured.

“Dragon trainers,” Ilina said.

“Dishonored.” Gerel took a long breath and glanced westward. “All right. It’s wonderful that we all agree that people deserve to live, but how do we do that without swearing ourselves to an empress we don’t want? We have information about the high magistrate, which Nine is already going to impart, and we have two people”—she nodded at Aaru and me—“who can prevent a noorestone attack, but as Nine already said, it’s one or two cities out of many—an acceptable loss to someone as powerful as the empress.”

“You’re assuming she even wants you.” Nine studied everyone’s faces as she spoke. “Besides, what gives any of you the authority to strike a deal with our empress? What makes you more acceptable than Paorah?”

No one spoke for a long moment, and then Ilina said, “You think your empress would rather work with Paorah than Mira?”

Nine narrowed her eyes. “I am but our empress’s eyes and ears. It isn’t my place to judge who she forms partnerships with.”

I looked at her askance. “You were judging her earlier. In the chamber.”

“I was surprised.”

“You were horrified.” I kept my tone gentle. “And you were right to be. We’ve all felt that way about those who were elected or appointed. They’re people we thought we could trust. Every single one of us has been betrayed like that.”

Her frown eased, and she sighed. “Your argument is compelling, but I can only ask that you be allowed to speak with our empress. I cannot take you from the Fallen Isles without permission from my superiors.”

“We don’t have a lot of time.” I motioned west, where the sun had already set behind the folded figure of Idris.

“You can wait an hour.” She sighed and started toward the hatch. “But before I do yet another favor for you, you need to tell me how Seven died.”