“It is,” I say softly. I feel like half of myself is outside this room, going off on a dangerous mission I can’t control. I don’t allow myself to think about it for long because the tears creep up my throat, shredding my will to do this. But even as the fear grows in me, there is certainty. This is the right thing to do. Erik and I both know that. We wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves if we didn’t try.

“Perhaps,” she says, “but love also gives us the strength that we never knew we had.”

“I’m glad you’ll be together,” I tell her, looking over at Albert. “I wish you had longer.”

“Who can count the minutes she spends with the person she loves and not feel lucky?” she asks.

It’s easier to say that, knowing she’ll be with her love at the very end. Erik and I … I don’t want to think about. “I want one more minute.”

“You have it,” she says firmly.

“How can you know that?” I ask.

“I know,” she says. “Look closely.”

Before I can ask her what this means, Albert’s hand settles on my shoulder. “A final word?”

I nod, eyes stinging from the goodbyes. He leads me to a quiet corner and waits for me to speak. “I still have questions.”

“And we have run out of time for answers. That is a sad fact about life, Miss Lewys. If you’ll pardon the double entendre, not everything can be tied up in a neat bow.” His soft eyes sink under the weight of his years.

“Why does everyone believe I’m the Whorl?” I ask. “Because I can weave and alter?”

“It’s not your skills that make you special, it’s that you chose to fight. The Kairos Agenda called you the Whorl because they needed someone to believe in. All rebellions have men of words, few have men of action,” he says as his lips curve into a small smile.

“But they believe I was destined for this.”

“You know better,” he says. “We make our own destinies. Never forget that.” My mouth opens, but the questions die on my lips, because I’m pulled away from him and into the chair we’re using for the rebound.

This is unlike the other rebounds I’ve experienced. This time the bottom drops out from under me and the room shifts so quickly that my stomach flips, as though I’m falling. My hands fly to my sides as if my body is out of balance. They meet only with air. The world around me is a riot of color and sound. A clash of metallic strings shrieks through the space about me as though time is moving too quickly, throwing reality out of joint.

And then I find myself in the vermilion corridor of the high tower where I once lived. I race forward and knock on a door. No one answers and I rush to the stairs. I don’t have time to wait for the ancient brass elevator.

I burst through the exit on the next floor and into the lounge of the high tower. I skid on its marble floors, nearly tripping over a leather wingback. At the same moment, the elevator doors ding and slide open to reveal Pryana. Her eyes widen at the sight of me.

“Adelice?”

“Where’s Amie?” I pant the question.

“In her room. It’s in the lower tower,” she says. “I can take you there.”

“There’s no time!” I cry. “You have to initiate evacuation procedures. Contact the Agenda. Everyone needs to get out of Arras now!”

“What?” Pryana asks.

“You have to get the citizens out and to the surface,” I say, “or everyone will die. Please. You have to get Amie out.”

Her eyebrows knit together. “I don’t understand. I haven’t received any intelligence that Cormac is taking action.”

This stops me cold. If the information had filtered to Alix, how hadn’t it reached other members of the Agenda?

“Adelice, who told you—” She cuts off as a figure sweeps into the room.

The woman’s eyes widen even as her mouth curls to reveal a toothy smile. Another Spinster might be surprised to see me, but Maela only looks delighted.

“As I suspected.” She speaks in a low hiss, her words full of the venom she’s stored up toward us.

I step forward, my fingers tingling at my side, as I plan my next move. All of Maela’s weaknesses are psychological. I don’t have to raise a hand to her when I can destroy her with a word. But before I can find the correct one, my body trembles and my stomach drops. Loricel is moving me again.

I lunge forward, hoping to grab Maela and drag her along on the rebound. She can’t prevent Pryana from warning the Coventry. I won’t let her. Pryana steps in front of me, her fingers squeezed into tight balls.

“Let me—” I start.

“I’ll finish her,” Pryana promises me as Maela’s head falls back in laughter. The sound races through my body and I try to push past Pryana as the world sparks and cracks around me. I’m moving again, and my last glimpse of the Western Coventry is Pryana charging toward Maela. If she wins, there’s hope for the Coventry, but if not, there’s no promise of help for my sister.

This time I land in a crumple next to Dante.

“That’s why we sit down,” Dante grumbles, getting to his feet and brushing off his pants.

“Are we in?” I ask him. I spring to my feet.

“I think so,” he says, pivoting to check out our surroundings.

“Wait,” I say, “this is it. I was here a few weeks ago. But where are the others?”