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There was a moment of stunned silence

"That’s i she should kill all those monarchs?"

"No need," the old ued "The only way to clairows too weak to hold it Otherwise, they’re bound together The monarch and the land are one"

"Aren’t you listening?" he asked "The crown changes that The crown breaks that bond Doesn’t- unless you want to The land is freed up, allowing you to seize it if you’re strong and ah, which, of course, you have to be even to possess the crown"

Aht, when I’d nearly killed Kiyo in ust "I don’t want it I don’t want that kind of power That was never my intention"

The crown’s keeper now looked as baffled as Kiyo and I had been enie," said Kiyo uneasily "I don’t think you should leave it Regardless of what it truly doeswell, the original plan still holds You don’t actually have to use it Just having it h to scare Katrice into peace - especially if she knows its true power"

I liftedoff absentmindedly at the cave’s scorched walls "Of course she knows And so does Dorian He’s known all along"

It was a sign of Kiyo’s tact and self-control that heremarks about Dorian

"You have to take it," exclai back and forth between our faces He see leaving it "You passed the test No one who has done that has ever refused the crown"

The sick feeling in rew He knew Dorian knew

"You don’t have to use it," reiterated Kiyo "But Katrice won’t know that"

"I was an idiot," I murmured "An idiot to think it was just a war prize If I accept itwhat happens if so so many attempts at rape, I ell aware of the extent of Otherworldly ambition

"The croill only work for its current owner," said the caretaker "It will only stay with the worthy If it’s taken - or if you die - it will return here, and ait for the next challenger"

"Hold on," said Kiyo "You just wait here all the time? How old are you?"

I didn’t wait for a response I felt dizzy on my feet and so, so tired, both et out of this place "Let’s go," I said "We’ll take the crown"

The oldof your victories"

I scowled and moved for the exit This was hardly the situation for warood-byes, so Kiyo and I sih I could feel the caretaker’s gaze burning into my back The trek out of the o one

When we finally eht and air of that barren landscape see ever Volusian and Deanna were exactly where we left them Deanna’s expression lit up Volusian’s didn’t ostensibly change, but I sensed definite dismay

"You did it!" exclaimed Deanna "Now you can helpstraight towith that yet"

Her pale eyes widened "But you prorowled

So aboutbecause she vanished without colanced at Kiyo, as already on his horse, face troubled

"Think those snakes are regular residents or just part of the test?" I asked

He glanced around, taking in the scattered holes in the ground "I don’t think we can assuone"

I made sure et out of here We’re not stopping until we’re out of the unclaimed lands"

Kiyo’s face was lined orry "Eugenie - "

But I was already urging my horse down the road, back in the direction we’d coy-conserving Now, I held nothing back I let the horse run as fast as she could, half-suspecting she wanted out of this cursed place as h to distract me from what had just happened and as to come Almost

Kiyo easily kept up with my hard pace, and the speed made any conversation difficult I lost track of ti for hours as the sun moved across the sky I fell into such a lull surrounded by the dreary landscape that crossing back into the Otherworld’s claiions was like a splash of water in the face We’d eed into the Honeysuckle Land and were suddenly surrounded by heat and color

Kiyo slowed his horse down "Eugenie, we have to stop" When I didn’t react, he yelled enie!"

It snappedenie, it’s alht We have to make camp here We’ll be safe now that we’re out of that place"

"Safe? I’m a war leader This place isn’t on our side yet They could have a lot of leverage if they found and captured me"

"That’s just an excuse," he said "It won’t happen, and you can’t keep up this pace without rest The horses certainly can’t either"

I didn’t know much about animals, but Kiyo did These two didn’t see a bit more heavily than e’d left I petted the head of ht

The lush and beautiful land provided any nu a concealed one that kept us near the road If we strayed too far, the Otherworld’s nature could very well shift us away to another location And, despite his confident words, I think Kiyo did worry a little bit about the Thorn Queen being discovered in this kingdom At least we had Volusian to keep watch

We finally settled for a sh the trees until you were right inside it Not far aas a sht but didn’t have the energy to bathe fully and settled for washing my hands and face Nonetheless, back in our camp - which really was just a place to sleep since we needed no fire here - Kiyo insisted on changing ain

"You tore ht," he said with diset this treated soon"

I nodded without hearing him, my mind still wrapped around what I’d learned Once he’d pulled my shirt back down, I turned and faced him "Dorian knew, Kiyo Dorian knehat this crown could do That’s why he wanted it I wouldn’t be surprised " It killed me to say the next words "I wouldn’t be surprised if he set it up froain expected mockery from Kiyo, but his dark eyes were serious and full of sympathy "I wouldn’t be surprised either I’m sorry"

It was true what I’d said in the cave: I was such an idiot I should have listened to my initial instincts, the ones that said a battle prize wasn’t enough to end a war A prize that could strip Katrice’s kingdom from her? Yeah That would end a war, true, but Dorian should have told me He should have told me what the crown’s real threat was

And then you wouldn’t have done it, a voice in my head pointed out I kneas the truth I wouldn’t have risked my life - or Kiyo’s - to co the conqueror everyone expected me to be

"Dorian knew," I repeated "Dorian let me risk my life for this"

Kiyo stayed silent for a fewtrees around us "You said he resisted at first, though Until he realized I could go"

"Was that an act, though?" I restedI’d come to believe about Dorian I’d so, so wanted to trust hi I’d be suspicious if he was aggressive?"

"For all his faultsI don’t know He does care about you, Eugenie I don’t think he’d carelessly throw you into danger He o in with backup"

I sighed and liftedan awful lot of credit to someone you hate"

A small smile crossed Kiyo’s lips "I don’t hate him, not exactly I don’t trust hirudge for his taking you froer flaring up in uys can just pass around!"

"Sorry, sorry," he said hastily "I didn’t mean it like that I justyou with him That’s petty jealousy, I adrand, brash action won you over and drove the final stake in our relationship"

"His ’grand, brash action?’ Do youthat," I said fiercely

Despite how dark it was growing out here, I could see Kiyo’s eyes boring into eance worth all the people who’ve died since then?"

I looked away "He deserved it You don’t understand"

"I understand perfectly hat he did And if I could have? I would have done a lot h him Really, that was almost merciful compared to what he deserved But the fallout "

"I know" I sighed again "I knohat I’ve caused, all the upheaval in this world" A sudden odd thought occurred tohts "What about her?"

"Dorian knew that too! She knohat the crown does; I’ me not to let you talk to her!" I shot up, full of fury now "Goddamnit! He played me He’s always played me! It doesn’t matter if he lovesit to his advantage Goddaht as I paced irritably

In seconds, Kiyo was up too, gripping me by my arms "Hey, hey Calm down Heyou don’t want to with the crown You’re in control No harm’s done"

"No harm?" I exclaimed "Kiyo, I almost killed you! Do you understand? Do you understand what I alive myself for that?"

He drew ive you for that, and that’s all you need to worry about Don’t beat yourself up with the guilt"

I clenched uy thought what I did was a good thing Me shoving my friends aside for power That’s what the crown represents That’s what I’ll become"

"I won’t let you," said Kiyo fiercely

"It’s in my blood," I said weakly "I realize that now"

"Maybe I don’t know I used to thinkwell, I used to think it was all just some easy decision you could make ’Do this, don’t do this’ That was stupid of me It’s more than that, this conflict in you And I didn’t help - not in the way you needed I will now - if you’ll let me"

I peered up at hi I’ve done?"

"Because I - " Kiyo cut himself off I could hardly see him now, but the feel of his hands arm on my skin "Because it doesn’t matter Because I screwed up Because we never should have split up I’ve been wanting to tell you so for a while We should have - "

I broke away and stalked off across the glade I couldn’t hear this I couldn’t hear some proclamation of love, not when my heart was still broken over Dorian’s betrayal I’d trusted him I’d trusted hireat extreer than that a Even if he lovedfor power It was his nature, just as entry ways