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"People that belong to me I can do whatever I choose with them"

"Not anymore"

His eyes narrowed to tiny slits "Did you co to buy ive it back if only I’ll acknowledge you?"

She laughed without humor, and he blinked in confusion "The tio And no, I didn’t come down here to taunt you"

"Whatever your reason, it was ahis fingers around her neck She could have avoided contact--but she hadn’t wanted to

As he squeezed, she curled her ungloved hands around his wrist and drew froth The abilities he possessed

He tried to sever the connection, but the suction was simply too powerful

When finally she released him, his knees collapsed and he toppled to the floor

"Thanks for that," she said Her y Her blood crackled "It’s why I ca, and I’ you as helpless as the people you’ve hurt"

As he roared a denial, she moved on to the next hall of cells and came to the queen’s personal quarters The fe, but she turned her back on Josephina, as if she still couldn’t bear to speak with her

"I’et it"

Silence Not even the rasp of breath

"I was an innocent party in all of this," Josephina added, determined to say her piece "I was a child I was lonely and scared, and desperately wanted someone to love me My mother was a woman trapped by circu, and you know that She didn’t want a married man, but rather than help her escape his notice, you shunned her"

Annnd, still nothing

In a secret place in her heart, she had wanted an apology An acknowledgh, and wouldn’t spend another second hoping for it, wasting this precious energy

Sighing, she irl had heard her and aiting for her, fingers twined around the bars

"Let ed "Please"

Josephina opened her irl had caused, to voice every wrong she’d had to endure, but she stopped herself Synda would listen, but she wouldn’t hear She would nod, but she wouldn’t truly understand She would tell Josephina everything she longed to be told, Josephina would free her, and Synda would forget what she’d proht the evil inside her

"I’ll let Kane decide what to do with you" She reached through the bars and cupped her sister’s cheeks "You need help I don’t knoho you are without the deht the demon’s whims"

Tears cascaded from the corners of Synda’s eyes "I know I just don’t kno to do that"

"Talk to Kane He may not like you at first, but if you’re honest with hi help, he’ll come around Goodbye, Synda" With that, Josephina released her and walked to her brother’s cell

He was sitting in the corner, close to the bars, and facing her His knees were drawn up, and his head propped against the wall

"You look well," he said

She ignored the co me to free you?"

"Why should I? For the first ti death"

"Oh, please" He’d had the paed life she’d always envied

"It’s true, Josephina Every day I expected death to coirls the way you treated ed "I wanted to be more I still do"

"You’re my brother"

"I’hed bitterly "You think you were the only child born out of wedlock? You think the king was the only one to have affairs in the years of his e? He let me know in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t his child, I was the queen’s, but that he was keeping me because he needed an heir"

Sheactually believed hi like Tiberius and never had The king had always been distant with him Had always chosen Synda over him Why had she never suspected?

Shock rattled her knees "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Had anyone found out, I would have been killed" Another bitter laugh "Actually, if any of his women had ever had a boy, I would have been killed I lived day by day I knew you understood that, and thought it bonded us"

It would have If she’d known "I would have kept your secret, if only you’d been my friend I needed your support, not your lust"

He traced a symbol on the floor "Does yourhusband treat you well?"