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She sucked in her lower lip and backed away, but before she could get very far, I grabbed her, ignoring the stab of pain as I pulled her into my lap and took her face in my hands once again so she couldn’t run from the truth. “You don’t want to hear it, but this is about more than your sister, Nye. This is about more than just us.”

She crumbled in my arms, and it killed me. My own tears began to leak out as well, hot and stinging. I didn’t want to sacrifice the chance we may have had at some sort of life together either. But what would that look like anyway? A stolen body and the guilt of the world disintegrating around us? And that was only if she were willing to give up her sister’s life.

“I can’t,” she whispered, then set a finger to my lips when I began to argue. “I understand what you’re saying. You’re right, but this isn’t the way to do it. Please, Rivven, trust me. It’s a lot to ask, and I have no right, not really. It’s because of me you’re here. You trusted me, and you were better off believing I was a spy.”

“Hey, little spy, none of this is your fault. And as far as I’m concerned you are as real—no, more real—than the princess.” She had a depth her sister did not possess.

When her gaze fell to my lips, I could barely restrain myself from lowering her the rest of the way to the dirty ground and showing her exactly how much I still cared for her. But I knew it was a foolish wish. We had little time and much to discuss.

“Thank you,” she said, tipping her forehead to mine. “We can do this. But it starts with you being safe. I can’t go up against Balram if he has you to hold against me.”

“You used his name.” I’d never heard her refer to him as anything but father or the evil king.

“I thought it was time to take away the title he stole from your family. And if there’s one positive to not being a real person, it’s that he isn’t my father. He hadn’t even understood I existed until the last trial of the Imrati.” She smiled, and I felt it as much as saw it.

“I certainly don’t want to be a liability. But I think I can still contribute here,” I said, determined to hold onto her as long as I was able. It was impossible to ignore the relief I felt or the need to keep her in my arms when she was this close to me, no matter her appearance. She was still my Nyah. A little piece of me had died when she’d vanished before my eyes. But even in this confusing situation, that bit had flared back to life.

She laughed a little, her shoulders shaking. “If only we could regroup, then come at this together. Torvo thinks he can convince Rune⁠—”

“We don’t need her, Nye.” I couldn’t keep the clipped tone from my words. “She’s happy hiding. She can hide forever in whatever hole she stuck you in.”

“It wasn’t a hole,” she said, stiffening beneath my touch. “I could do what I wanted. Be where I wanted. All I had to do was imagine it. But…” she trailed off.

“But?” I prompted as her shoulders fell.

“But I couldn’t see you,” she admitted, biting her lip.

“Don’t let her take you from me again,” I begged, pressing into her arms a bit too hard. “Please. They’ve taken enough. I can’t lose you again.”

Silent, Nyah searched my eyes for something. Maybe she couldn’t stop Leuruna. Maybe she still didn’t want to. Maybe she really thought she had a chance at turning her sister around. But whatever the answer, it was an insurmountable wall between us.

She opened her mouth, ready to say something, but stopped. Then the spark behind her eyes disappeared, and I knew I’d lost her again all too soon.

A small squeak escaped her lips as she scrambled backward, putting distance between us. But I released her easily, leaning back against the stone wall and letting my hands drop to my lap. I wouldn’t hurt her. Not when Nyah was inside of her. She needn’t worry about that.

“We’re still here,” she said, and even the cadence of her voice was different.

“Observant.”

“I thought she’d let you out,” she said, twisting her fingers together as she glanced around nervously, anywhere but at me.

“She wanted to,” I said. “But I won’t go without her. I don’t suppose you’d understand that, though.”

“I don’t,” she admitted, making me huff a laugh. “Why stay when you know you’ll die? How does that help anyone?”

“Because a life without her is not a life.” I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. It was as simple as that. I trained and fought for years to get here. But now everything had changed.

Leuruna furrowed her brow as though I were a particularly complicated puzzle and looking at me at just the right angle would reveal the missing piece.

“You should go before they find you here again,” I said. The truth was I couldn’t stand seeing her, knowing she had Nyah prisoner somewhere inside. No matter what she’d said, I knew Nye had to be desperate to get out.

“Do you love her?” she asked, taking a tiny step forward.

“Yes.” My answer came without hesitation. “And I know she loves me.”

With a nod and a frown, Leuruna turned toward the cell door but hesitated before leaving.

“I will help you escape.”