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"Civil? I’ll give hiive hi so macho, Mike--it doesn’t suit you"

"I don’t care, Ara That guy is the reason for all of this If he’d never turned you over, we’d--"

"We’d never have knohat I was, Mike Or maybe ould, who cares That’s not the point He only did that because he was compelled to Otherwise he’d have taken me away and looked after me!"

"Bullshit, Ara"

"How can you say that? Mike, you made a blood oath You know that what happened to ive hi his ar ruefully "Hey, Mike?" He looked up at me, and I summoned my most authoritative voice "Punch yourself in the face"

"Da hi backward

"Blood oath, huh?" I walked aith my arms folded "No excuse"

When I reached my bedroom door, Quaid looked up froet out of your room?" he said

I pushed past him "Do yourself a favour, Quaid If Mike asks, you followedand I talked with Jason in the field, okay?"

Hisdown it to the floor The taps were still running in the bathroouilt for the water I would’ve wasted I got myself up and headed in there to turn the alain But the soft hu breeze and ca joy and radiance like I usually did with that sound, I felt only blind rage He lied to rieved a person asn’t dead

I stor behind in the cloud of my infuriation

"Quaid Unless you want me to tell Mike you weren’t there when I chatted with his arch eneest you stay here"

He stopped walking "I can’t I have to follow you"

"No You don’t" I pointed at hioddamn day "I will compel you to stay put if you follow me And I won’t order you to ?" he called

"To see Arthur"

"Well, he’s not in his room"

I stopped by Arthur’s door "Where is he?"

"Great Hall"

"Thanks," I said, and his round eyes watched me as I turned away I felt mean, but he couldn’t know the subject ue with Arthur No one could

Arthur spun around as I approached at a very fast, huer in mine "Why didn’t you tellto

"Amara? What is it?" He placed his violin on the stand and reached formy palrabbed ?"

"I hate you!" I shoved hiainst hi about?"

"You told me he was dead You told me you buried him!"

His chest sunk "Jason came to see you"

"You sat there--" I stepped away and looked up at hi for him, and you didn’t tell ain "I’m sorry, A hollowed out, breathless and so betrayed "Why would you do that to me?"

"Because of the child"

"What child?"

"The prophecy"

"Because you think I wouldn’t have one with you if he was here?" I asked rhetorically, pointing off to the stairs "Arthur, it wouldn’t matter if he were here or not I won’t do that I won’t have one with you What makes you think I would ever let you touch me that way?"

"Do you think I want to! Do you think I want to betraywith his wife!" He turned away, brushing a hand across his brow "The child of the prophecy is only that if she is your firstborn And those scriptures, whether you believe it or not, Ara, say it ht"

"Why does itto watch me hurt like this?"

"I want to be free I told you this"

I looked away from his wrists; from the way he presented the clear veins as if they were shackles "And you think you’re the only one who can give me that child?"

"Arabbed the tops of my arms "You are one of my dearest friends, and if Jason could father the child, I’d have brought him here already He loves you, and you two, in David’s absence, should be together But your child needs to be withaway from him "Arthur I can’t I can’t ever do that with you I don’t love you that way and--"

"I’ you to lovehis head "Merely give ht "It would make me sick"

His shoulders dropped; he looked away

"I’m sorry, Arthur, you know I love you" I touched my chest "You know I do, but I can’t be with you that way I never will"

"Then all hope is lost"

I took another step back, nodding to the ground "Then I guess it is"

Arthur, with a hand to his heart, bowed and walked past h

"I’aine came up the steps outside then and practically skipped into the Great Hall "Morg?"

"Oh, hey, what’s up?" she said, stopping besideoff her skin with each pulse of her heart

"Where did you put Jason?"

Her shoulders dropped "I’ I don’t care" I angledin my tone "Mike is not the queen I a," she huffed the words out

"Thanks Second floor, I iine?"

"Yes" She followed me as I headed up the stairs "Mike tried to put hiet, but we’ve run out of rooot the last one in the entire manor"

"What number’s his room?"