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"Ah," I finally got it

"You can't tell anyone about thehed, defensively

"Eden, I'm serious You can't tell anyone," he said slowly and withto," I answered seriously, although I didn't really feel like I needed to explain that

"Ok, enough with the twenty questions Why don't you try to get soht ahead of us," Jericho reached for the radio, turning onit up loudly so we couldn't talk naturally anyainst the coldand closinganyway I didn't understand Jericho that was for sure This road trip had been nothing but bizarre so far

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Eden, we're here," Jericho put a strong hand onme awake

I opened my eyes slowly and stretched I was tired More tired than I expected I had slept the entire way to the border Myaardly There was a cold spot on ainst the

I sent a surge ofthe stiffness to my muscles

"That was fast," I turned and slasses

The sky was overcast and black; I couldn't make out a star in the sky, not even the moon I couldn't even see far beyond myWe were in theto have to walk the rest of the way It's a little bit of a hike," Jericho explained

"Like, walk the rest of the way out there?" I gulped, taking in the e

"Yes, come on I don't want to be late," Jericho reached for a blackbehind his seat and ju in the cold desert night air I used s We were in, what felt like, thearound us except sand, rock and cactus

Jericho took off walking on a dirt path headed south and I followed quickly behind hi to be left alone in the middle of nowhere

We walked silently for an hour or more until Jericho consulted with a hand held GPS syste Satisfied with our location, he found a few rocks to sit down on that surrounded a pit, that at one tis inside, ashy and charred

"And noait," Jericho answered ot a chance to ask it

"This is exciting," I exclaiether

"What is?" Jericho asked, using his s on fire The heat froling closer to Jericho's rock

"The mission," I replied, obviously "Aren't you excited?" When he shrugged his shoulders, I continued, "You know, because it's my first mission and I've never been on one before, it's just very exciting! And I think we o on like, every ether Don't you think?"

"Well, enjoy this one, because there aren't going to be any more missions for you," Jericho threw a rock into the fire

"What do you mean? Why?" I was hurt by his response Had I irritated hih to be in the field? Or was he still mad that I crashed a trip he was supposed to take alone?

"Future Queens do not go on missions for the Resistance, Eden," he answered, very condescendingly

"How do you know?" I forced ames This is it for you," Jericho crossed his arms, and stared intently at the fire "Tomorrow or the next day or whatever day Kiran asks you to marry him and you say yes, that's it You're done with missions and the Resistance And you're done withon to his arrasp, refusing to look at er and irritation finally catching up withme?" he scoffed at me loudly

"No, I want to know," I crossed my arms defiantly

"What do you want to know, Eden? Do you want to kno upset I a to have to disappear out of your life completely? Would you like to kno scared I am that I won't be able to protect you any it is that you are choosing to hand yourself over to the Monarchy; that you are going willingly to be slaughtered and I get absolutely no say in the matter Or maybe you want to kno hurt I am Is that what you want to know?"

"Hurt?" I sed the nausea I felt rising in my throat I didn't want to hear Jericho's answer, but I couldn't stopthe question

"Yes Eden, I fell in love with you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you But you fell in love with soets to marry you And then probably murder you But you'd still rather be with him than with me," he finished quietly, unable to look at me

"Jericho, that's not fair," my voice was hoarse, and the tears had started to pool behind my eyes "I didn't know you lovedhis chinonto my cheeks I couldn't even bend the truth for Jericho I knew that

"Why? Why hiht the emotion to answer him in a voice he could understand