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She saw his chest rise with a slow, tense breath

"And now you tell randmother was kidnapped"

He rubbed absently at the tattoo, still saying nothing Scarlet waited, blood beginning to simmer, until he dared to look at her The portscreen cast a wash of bluish white light at their feet, but it did little to illuuest outline of his cheekbones and jaw, his hair like a clu out from his scalp

"You told randmother But that was a lie, wasn’t it?"

"Scarlet--"

"So as true? Did you really leave the, she stuhts turned, a cascade of doubts and questions rushing through the about? The one that was supposedly canceled?"

"No--"

"And after my dad warned me about this! He said one of you would come for me and there you were, and I even knew you were one of them I knew I couldn’t trust you and still I let myself believe--"

"Scarlet, stop"

She wrapped her fist around her hood’s cords, tightening the now, blood running hot beneath her skin

She heard Wolf inhale, saw his hands spread out in the beaht, I lied to you about not knohy they took your grand about"

She tilted the port upward, shining it into his face Wolf flinched, but didn’t look away

"But it has so to do with your grand to still the tide of rage rising inside her

"I’m sorry I knew that if I told you, you wouldn’t trust me I know I should have anyway, but … I couldn’t"

The hand holding her port began to shake "Tellpause

"You’re going to despiseto ain, like he had in the alleyway, in the headlights of her ship

Scarlet pressed her hands so hard onto her hips, her bones began to ache

"Ran and I were both in the pack sent to retrieve your grandmother"

Scarlet’s stomach curdled The pack sent to retrieve her

"I wasn’t with them when she was taken," he added quickly "As soon as we arrived in Rieux, I saw my chance to escape I knew I could disappear there without the grid of the city to findshe was taken" He crossed his ar himself froer than all of the I could have warned her, or you But I didn’t I just ran"

Scarlet’s eyes started to burn Inhaling sharply, she turned her back on hi her head up toward the black sky to keep the sudden tears in without having to swipe at them She waited until she was sure she could speak before pivoting back toward hihts?"

"And the tavern," he said with a nod

"And then what? You felt guilty, so you thought you’d follow me around for a while, maybe help out on the farm, like that would etting mixed up with you would be suicide, that eventually they would find me if I didn’t leave Rieux, but I … but you…" He seemed frustrated with the words that wouldn’t come "I couldn’t just leave"

Scarlet heard the crunch of plastic and forced her grip to loosen on the portscreen "Why did they take her? What do they ith her?"

He opened his mouth, but was silent

Scarlet raised both eyebrows Her pulse was thundering "Well?"

"They’re trying to find Princess Selene"

The ringing in her ears made her think for ato find who?"

"The Lunar Princess Selene"

She drew back It occurred to her thatsome kind of cruel joke, but his expression was too serious, too horrified "What?"

He started to sway unco for the princess for years, and they believe your grandmother has information on her whereabouts"

Scarlet squinted at him, baffled, sure she misunderstood Sure heand sure

"Why would randmother--" She shook her head "The Lunar princess is dead!"

"There’s evidence that she survived the fire, and that soht her to Earth," said Wolf "And, Scarlet…"

"What?"