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man. He’s a monster. A ruthless ruler with no heart. He kills without reason. He murdered your grandparents, the king and queen, and many, many others. He must be stopped.” He turns to Sebastian. “You thought your sister had committed suicide. You must have been torn up about it, perhaps you felt guilty for having a good life on Earth.” His eyes move to me. “We’re trying to make Ortarus a good place to live. A place where we feel safe, protected. Cared for. Happy.” He rests his hands on my shoulders. “These Ortarians aren’t living. They’re not even surviving. They just exist. Now you can wonder why any of this is your problem. You’re human. You live on Earth. But what if you didn’t? What if you lived here? Would you be able to live day after day wondering if the love of your life will come home from work each night? Perhaps he made a small mistake and was ordered to be executed. How would you bear it if your daughter was ripped from your arms and forced into the palace, to be used? And I don’t mean for work. Ortarians live in terror. Each and every day. They are part of you and you are part of them. How could you stand there after knowing all of this and not want to do something about it?”
    “I do want to do something about it!” I say. “Just a few days ago Sebastian and I were talking about the possibility of helping Ortarus. I know what a horrible place it is.” I shake my head, trying to hold my tears back. “I know the king needs to be taken down, but I can’t take someone else’s life. I’m sorry, I just…can’t.” The tears break through their barrier and slide down my cheeks. “I can’t deal with this.” I cover my eyes.
    Arms wrap around me and Sebastian presses his lips to my temple. “It’s okay, Lily,” he whispers.
    “This isn’t an easy task,” Alaric says. “And I didn’t intend to upset you. I’m trying to save my people.”
    I wipe my eyes. “I want to save them, too. I would do anything to save them, but I can’t murder anyone.” A new batch of tears attacks my eyes and the only sounds in the room are my hiccups. Sebastian’s arms tighten around me.
    “I think it’d be best if we call it a night and resume tomorrow,” Alaric says, patting my back. “I’m sorry to put you in this situation, Lily, but you’re the only one powerful enough to defeat King Sorenten. We have no other choice. You’re our only hope.”
    There’s a lighter pat on my back—probably Renaya—before the door opens, then shuts. Only Sebastian and I remain in the room. His hands run up and down my back, trying to soothe me, but I don’t think anything can. I know King Sorenten needs to be killed. I know Ortarus is a terrible place and Ortarians deserve to have a good life. But why do I have to be the one to do it? Me, the girl who can’t watch fish eating other fish or animals attacking one another. I’m the one destined to free Ortarus? All because I was born into royalty?
    When I killed those palace guards, I wasn’t really thinking. I was just saving Sebastian. It was almost like the magic was controlling me. But to ask me to purposely go after someone? I…can’t.
    Sebastian wipes my tears with his thumbs.
    “Sebastian.” More tears come, and this time he doesn’t bother to wipe them. “What do I do?”
    He doesn’t answer, only pops small kisses along my temple. “I don’t know.”
    I lift my head to gaze into his eyes. “What would you do?”
    He hesitates.
    “It’s okay. You can tell me,” I say.
    He shuts his eyes. “I would kill the king.” His eyes open. “I understand what Alaric was referring to. I’ve felt the pain and grief all my fellow Ortarians feel and go through every day. I’ve suffered many hardships. So yes, I would kill the king.”
    I sink down on the bed and stare at the muddy walls. Sebastian drops next to me and takes my hand. “I don’t want to tell you what to do. I would never force you to do something you don’t want to