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"Effective, if e situation "Well done"

He held out his aruided me back to our room I didn’t read the plaques on the doors this ties didn’t feel as safe as they had before, and I wanted to be behind my own closed door The fact of the matter was, I was shaken

For the first time in my life I didn’t feel like a princess or a beast or a Bludrateful to be alive My first real taste of physical fear wasn’t sitting ith est, fiercest predators the tundra could produce Ice bears, ti but my own sharp teeth and nails and determination to master the enemy I’d faced my mother in one of her world-faainst wood boards and waiting for the moment the wind carried me overboard and into the sea

But I’d never lacked confidence in er Blud me where I fit in the world Whatever Casper was, he had savedmachine my mother had always toldafter all

13

Somehoe ended up back at our door, Casper’s arentle pat, hovering near, probably afraid I was going to fall over without hiered by his attentiveness

"I’ll be in my bunk" Keen disappeared into the closet and slammed the door Her next words were ht"

I looked down at my only dress, the thick, tawny cloth splattered ine stains and blood

"How am I supposed to clean this up? I have no wardrobe, nohatbox?"

Casper looked h my trunk He handed htgown Just go to sleep, and we’ll deal with it in the , when everyone is"

"Less coital?" I offered

"More clothed and sober"

"But what about you?"

"I’ll go outside to keep watch The other passengers will just think I’m drunk I’m possibly the only person besides you who isn’t So that’s new"

He went for the door, and I panicked "Wait"

"Yes?" His gaze was steady, roving overfor sore places

"Would you ht words I was accusto favors

Casper’s face softened "Shall I stay in the room until you’re asleep?"

A small smile and a nod were all I could an to read by the light of the wall sconce After a contemplative look, I went into the bathroom to disrobe It was the same size as the closet and very priot, and a mirror, but all I needed was the privacy It felt wonderful to unbuckle the corset and peel the filthy layers froht and binding Or, for that own Reve had packed for round Casper didup, and I turned on my side and pulled the velvet coverlet overabout Casper, listening to hies of his book I’d watched hilass of wine, and he’d surreptitiously mixed in his own special brew from the flask with every refill He should have been drunk But he wasn’t Either that, or he was a good actor And under the s the airless roo ht, Ahna," he whispered As if I finally had perh Casper’s book when the door opened the nextup, and I was bored already, sick of the s trapped The book was dull, nothing butarrays of notes Casper’s co Maybe that hy there was so in my tone when I said, "And where have you been?"