He stands with fluid grace and descends the steps. At the bottom, he stops to stretch his arms toward me.

    Do I curtsy?

    “Your Majesty,” I say, and suddenly I don’t have to wonder what to do. Through the Grid, my heart knows what my mind doesn’t. I go to him and kneel, my arms crossed over my chest. Next I raise and uncross my arms, offering him my hands in a show of fealty.

    A sign I was once bound by darkness, but now, because of Light, I’m free.

    He clasps my hands and in an instant, a blink, a breath, a second, the Lifeblood coating me rises from my skin, the glittering particles hovering in the air around me.

    Those particles float away as the Secondking gently pulls me to my feet, and my heart shudders. “You are brave, Ten. You are mighty. A Conduit with unmatched determination.”

    The tears flow faster as I shake my head. “No. I’m stubborn and foolish. A maker of incomparable mistakes.”

    He frowns at me. “If that is what you believe, that is what you will be.”

    I say nothing more. I can’t. There’s another ball of sorrow in my throat.

    “Do you see?” he asks, his grip on me tightening. “Do you see?”

    See...as Levi once told me to do? To meditate on the outcome I want rather than the outcome I fear? My chin trembles as I shake my head. “Not yet.”

    “See.”

    I bow my head, my eyes closing, and suddenly I’m no longer Ten; I’m Meredith. I see the world through her eyes. I feel her emotions and hear her thoughts.

    I’m standing at the Eye, watching my worst fear come to life. Ten is in trouble, MLs killing anyone who gets close to her.

    If she’s hurt, or worse...

    No! When she finally taps into the power that is locked inside her, she will send legions of enemy soldiers fleeing in terror. Troika needs her. I need her.

    Months ago, when Ten lived at the asylum, her mother sent me a message. Take care of my girl.

    Truth is, I vowed to take care of her long before that day. I’ve watched over Ten since her birth, have loved her since her birth. Every time danger dared approach her, I petitioned my General, seeking aid for her. Aid that was always granted. Not that she ever knew it.

    Can I really hold my position now, as ordered, when she needs me most?

    “Kayla,” I shout. “Take my place.”

    She pales. “I... I can’t. I’m not ready.”

    When Kayla first arrived in Troika, she was assigned to the Laborers. I took notice of her because of her connection to Ten, but it didn’t take me long to see the Leader caged inside her, waiting to be freed.

    “You are. You’re stronger than you realize. And your comm will keep a log of Laborers who enter the fray. When one is weakened, let others know backup is required. If your messages fail to go through, it’s because a Myriadian Buckler is in place. Continue to resend. At some point, the Buckler will fall.” I run, as fast as my feet will carry me, a Pyre in hand, a manifestation of my Light.

    I reach the Veil of Wings and—

    Land in the center of the action. I scan the sea of faces, searching...searching...there!

    Ten has killed an ML, and it’s clear she’s wallowing in guilt.

    I quickly dispatch an ML of my own. I’ve got to help my granddaughter reach Javier; once she’s touched him, the way she touched Dior, he’ll be unable to infect anyone else, at least for a while, his Penumbra too busy repairing the damage Ten caused. Then my girl can go home. We can figure out our next move without an army breathing down our necks.

    “The boy is this way.” A shadow moves behind her, a soldier gunning for her. “Look out!”

    She doesn’t hesitate. She dives out of the way—

    But the tip of a Glacier grazes her, cold and sharp enough to slice through her armor and into her leg. I wince as glittering Lifeblood gushes from her.

    My sympathy quickly morphs into rage. Hurt my grandbaby? Die badly.

    The soldier makes another play for her. Thank the Firstking she’s strong enough to block. I’m there a second later, blocking a blow cast my way. But splitting his focus costs him, as I knew it would. Instincts well-honed, I kick him—and then I remove his head.

    I release the Pyre and help her stand. I want so badly to tell her it’s never a crime to protect yourself from evil, but conversation will only distract us. With my axes in hand, I lead her through the masses standing between us and the infected human.

    Years of training allow me to focus, to kill without hesitation, and continue on. With only weeks of training, Ten is well able to keep up with me. Soon she’s able to free herself from a defensive position and go on the offensive.

    No wonder she’s going to lead us to victory!

    Deciding we’ll get further if we work in tandem, I push an ML in her direction, getting him out of my way so I can take down the next one.

    Ten for the win! She does what’s necessary to remove his head.

    The next soldier she...allows to walk away?

    Only takes a moment for comprehension to dawn. I recognize the ML. A girl named Sloan. Having watched over Ten throughout her life, I know this is the one who betrayed her after escaping the asylum.

    Her heart is so soft. We should...nurture that?

    I push another ML at her instead. Survive now. Nurture later. She’s ready, but she’s weakening, her motions slowing.

    I finish off the two MLs in front of me and take a post at her side. More and more soldiers are converging on us. No matter how many we slay, their numbers only multiply.

    “They’re closing in on us!” I shout. But I’m wrong. We’re already enclosed.