Mira turned to her double. “You weren’t part of him. You were his prisoner.”

“She was part of me,” the fake High King said. “And she was my prisoner.”

Mira stepped close to her semblance clone. “Don’t you see? He took you. My father stole you. But now you’re free. We can be together again. We’re supposed to be together.”

There was no reaction from Carnag or the tethered semblances.

“I hear the talking again,” Twitch said. “This is messed up. Someone is in there saying stuff.”

“Can you make out any words?” Jace asked.

“No,” Twitch said, frustrated.

“You want to own me like he owned me,” fake Mira finally said. “You want to drown me inside of you! If I go back to you, I die. You’re coming with me. We’re both going to survive.”

“I’m not bluffing about the sword,” Mira said.

“I’m not bluffing either,” fake Mira answered. “What if I love my freedom? What if I’d rather end than go back?”

“Twitch is right,” Liam said in Cole’s ear. “I’m fantastic at discerning physical compositions. There’s a woman inside of Carnag.”

“Mira!” Cole called. “Ask Carnag about the woman inside of her! The woman talking to her!”

Both the fake Mira and the semblance of Mira’s father abruptly looked up at Cole. Their expressions told him he was on to something.

“The boy lies,” the fake Mira and fake father asserted in unison.

“What woman is inside you?” Mira asked. “Is somebody controlling you?”

The semblances paused.

“I hear her again,” Twitch said. “Quieter.”

Cole pressed his ear to the beam below Twitch. The murmur of hurried conversation was faint but definite.

“I hear her!” Cole said loudly.

“We hear the woman,” Mira asserted. “Who is she? Don’t listen to her! You’re part of me! Listen to me!”

“You’re unworthy, Mira,” her fake father accused. “You would have squandered your power. You let me take her, and you ran away!”

“I ran because my father was after me,” Mira cried. “I ran because I didn’t understand what happened. I used to shape so many things! Then it was gone. Stolen.”

“Then use your shaping,” her fake father challenged. “If you’re worthy, take back what’s yours. If not, accept her protection and let her live. Let her thrive. Let her be all the things you were too inept to make her.”

“I can barely shape anymore,” Mira said. “I’d be lucky to change the color of my shirt. Why? Because my shaping power was taken.”

“Interesting,” her fake father murmured.

“More talking,” Twitch called.

“Can you make out what she’s saying?” Cole whispered, hoping Liam would understand that the question was meant for him.

“Sadly, no,” Liam replied.

“Who are you talking to?” Mira demanded. “Who’s in there?”

“Give me the sword,” Mira’s fake father said, holding out a hand. “We don’t want a tragedy.”

“Come an inch closer, and I’ll cut my throat,” Mira promised.

“She’s serious,” the false Mira said.

“I know,” the fake father grumbled.

“What do you call yourself?” Mira asked her double.

Fake Mira hesitated. “Some call me Carnag. I suppose that is a good name for my exterior.”

“Is that what you call yourself?” Mira asked.

“No,” fake Mira replied. “I call myself Miracle.”

“She’s the true miracle,” her fake father said. “She does wonders you could never have achieved.”

“I didn’t get much chance,” Mira said. “I was eleven. I’m still eleven.” Mira turned to her duplicate. “You call yourself Miracle because you come from me. My father stole you. Was the woman inside of you involved?”

There came a long pause.

“I don’t hear anything,” Twitch reported. “She could be whispering.”

“Is she still talking to you?” Mira asked.

“Maybe,” fake Mira said.

“Why are you listening to her? Who is she?”

Fake Mira held up a hand to stop Mira from talking. “You wouldn’t understand. She’s . . . she’s my mother. Not your mother. Not Harmony. My mother.”

“Your mother?” Mira exclaimed. “Does that mean she made you? Is she who stole you?”

“I freed Miracle from you,” her fake father said smugly.

“Did she tell you she’s your mother?” Mira asked. “Who is she really? I’m more your mother than anyone! You came from me!”

“Don’t be absurd,” Mira’s fake father growled.

“I want to talk to this woman,” Mira said.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” fake Mira said. “Not yet. Later. After you come with us. She’ll help you understand.”

“I’m not coming with you,” Mira said.

“You’ll see,” fake Mira said. “You can free me. Fully free me. Free us. From each other. Cut all ties. We can go our separate ways. She can teach you.”

“You’re my shaping power!” Mira shouted. “We’re not meant to be separated. How would you like to lose your shaping power?”

“I can’t,” the fake Mira said simply. “I am shaping power.”

Mira gasped. Her fake father stepped forward and took hold of her. Mira struggled, but he was stronger. Carnag reached down and picked her up.

It took Cole a moment to realize what had happened. Mira had dropped her Jumping Sword. It was no longer a sword. It was a stick.

Chapter 33

MIRACLE

“Carnag turned her sword into a stick!” Cole exclaimed.

“I know,” Liam replied in his ear. “That’s bad. The rendering was designed to be difficult to tamper with. And I was taking countermeasures to hold it together. It took some time, but Carnag figured it out. That means everything we have could be vulnerable.”

Jace and Twitch crowded the bars and watched as Carnag loaded Mira into the cage at her hip. On the ground, the semblances of Mira and her father approached Carnag’s foot, merged with it, and disappeared. The colossus stood up.

“Put me with my friends!” Mira yelled.