The Poppy War

“You are going to paint the world in Altan’s blood, aren’t you?”
“I’m going to find and kill everyone responsible,” said Rin. “You cannot stop me.”
Chaghan laughed a dry, cutting laugh. “Oh, I’m not going to stop you.”
He held out his hand.
She grasped it, and the drowned land and the ash-choked sky bore witness to the pact between Seer and Speerly.
They had come to an understanding, she and Chaghan. They were no longer opposed, vying for Altan’s favor. They were allies, now, bound by the mutual atrocities they had committed.

When Rin didn’t respond, Qara seized her by both shoulders. Her fingers dug painfully into her flesh.

Rin forced the last parts of what was human out of her soul and gave way to her hatred.

“You’re so much stronger than I am,” said Altan. Then he let her go.

“It will be harder for you,” Altan said. “You’ll have to live with the consequences. But you’re brave . . . you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

Rin and Altan were starved, weakened, still half-drugged. And yet they fought, back to back. They moved as perfect complements to each other. They achieved a better synchronization than Rin had even with Nezha, for Nezha knew how she moved only by observing her. Altan didn’t have to—Altan knew by instinct who she was, how she would fight, because they were the same. They were two parts of a whole. They were Speerlies.

But now she knew the truth, she knew the realness of Altan and his vulnerabilities and most of all his pain . . . and still she loved him.
She had mirrored herself against him, molded herself after him; one Speerly after another. She had emulated his cruelty, his hatred, and his vulnerability.

She knew him, finally knew all of him, and that was how she found him.

Jima hadn’t taught them to curse in Mugini, but Shiro caught the gist.

Back in Tikany, Rin had once fallen out of a tree and hit her head so hard against the ground that she lost her hearing temporarily. She’d seen Kesegi shouting at her, gesturing at his throat, but nothing had come through. It was the same here. Something was missing. She had been denied access to something.