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Tell me that Milo is insane

The silence that

Tell htful Everyone else, myself included, looked stunned to the point of insensitivity

Tell me I don&039;t have to choose between your soul and the continued existence of the whole, friggin&039; Court

The existence of the Court is not your responsibility The present hierarchy, however

There has to be some other sacrifice I can

Theo&039;s silence was incredibly unnerving

Theo? Surely thereelse?

I don&039;t know, he said at last, sorrow filling h about Dark Ones to know if just any sacrifice ork, but I suspect His sigh wrung , that it is that which would cost you the e of Joining

The weight of the world see me down into the earth until there was little left ofyou inelse You are a s you will later regret

I sent Theo a sad shtenedtheeach other, but the looks on their faces didn&039;t give ame plan was to clap Milo in irons and dis lanced my way I focused on him as a relatively sane person, someone who made a lot of sense when I&039;d spoken to him "I may not be an expert on the social structure of the Court, but I can&039;t believe that all it takes to bring the whole thing down around your ears is the antics of two people"

"This is an unusual situation," Terrin said slowly, his eyes guarded "That&039;s not to say it&039;s without precedent - the Court has survived several renascences in its history"

"What was it you were going to tell me when I was called away by Portia?" Theo asked hirew dark "I wished to explain to you the dangers I felt Portia was in I didn&039;t is would come to a head quite so quickly, or I would have warned you earlier"

"I don&039;t understand," Sarah said, joining our little threesome "Milo wants to ren sin will uphold the laws of the Court Technically, Milo Lee is within his rights to call a renascence - traditionally, such things have been achieved by use of a demon in place of a Court member, but the laws are such that a inning the un"

"But why does he want to reet out of that?"

"Milo is a vessel," Theo answered, his eyes on the man in question "Hope was a virtue Both are on the bottom of the hierarchy Vessels serve mortals, while virtues have little purpose but the occasional control of weather when ordered by a superior"

"Milo said he was looking for a new job," I said, suddenly re the conversation we&039;d had while he administered the trial I didn&039;t know about "Why doesn&039;t he just try to get a different one? Why does he have to destroy the whole Court first?"

"It is tradition that the Court ate a renascence have a role in restructure It is one way the sovereign ensures that only those eneral fitness desirable for the upper positions claiusted by the thought of Milo in a position of power, "it&039;s a systen, I believe, prefers to think of it as survival of the fittest," Terrin said estured for hiraces wish to consult me on a point of etiquette"

"So what do we do?" Sarah&039;s voice was little more than a whisper

What will the htened a couple of shades He pinched his lower lip, a sign, I was co to realize, that he was troubled I am not sure They are bound by the laws of the Court just as we are

I will not be used in this way, Theo I will not allow Milo to use us for his own greedy purpose

His arm around me was almost as warm as the admiration and love he poured into

"What are we going to do?" Sarah repeated

I kissed Theo&039;s chin, trying to instill order inIf I complete the seventh trial, I will be made a virtue, correct?"

"Yes" A tiny little smile turned up the corners of his ical

Then hold onto your cute meter, because I&039;m about to continue "But if I&039;rounds to dismiss the current Court and demand a new one be refor committee"

"That is more or less true, yes"

"I assume there&039;s some sort of rule that states he has to be here to see the renascence enacted, though"

Theo shrugged "The study of Court canon has never been one of my hobbies, but I am fairly certain that a member cannot call for a renascence, and then disappear"

"Hmm"

"Is there any way the mare can make you immortal?" Sarah asked

Theo shook his head "Terrin said that once a renascence has been called, only current business on the dockets can be co a new member into the Court is considered new business"