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"Or they’ve been eating only a little bit here and there" Aidan hefted a jar of pickled brussels sprouts "Man, I used to hate this shit, but now? No problehta tear up all the houses, X ’e dizzy The urge to crack the seal of that jar of cherries was nearly overwhel "This is cool, but we ca?

"Screw the cat" Lucian fished out awith ruby-red plu replaced the cherries, although letting go took effort "Come on, hand the his jar out of reach, leaving Greg with air "Don’t we get a say?"

"No" Greg’s stomach fluttered From the knot of frustration on Pru’s face, he wasn’t sure this wouldn’t end up being four against one Maybe even five, if you counted doddering old Henry "Listen, I understand, but we can’t It’s not fair to everyone else"

"Fuck fair" In the gloos that had chewed their way out of his cheeks "Dude, I’ry We keep quiet, no one has to know"

"Old wo about that," Aidan said

"No," Greg repeated "The only thing we’re doing is turning this stuff in"

"What if I don’t?" Aidan said "You can’thad to bite his cheek Just get one of theuys" He held out his hands to Pru, who, he thought, would relent first "Hand it over"

After what see’s hands "Here," Pru said "Take the da before I accidentally break it on purpose"

Slotting the jar back, Greg tilted his head toward Aidan and Lucian "You, too You know the rules We share food That’s the way it has to be"

Aidan’s head swiveled to Lucian, whose shark eyes ticked to Pru and then back, weighing the options A ed and silently passed over his jar

"Fuck" Aidan tossed his brussels sprouts in an underhand pitch that Greg fu choke"

"Jarvis?" Heart banging, Greg looked up at the old ue flickered over his lips "No one has to know"

"I’-five years old," Jarvis said, and then his face knotted "Council cares et it all"

"Hey, fuck that, Jarvis," Lucian said "I’ ereat"

"All I’ for is a lousy jar of peaches, for God’s sake," Jarvis said

"Jarvis" Greg sed around the stone in his throat "We’re all hungry But you know the rules"

"Rules" Jarvis’s eyes narrowed "Real easy for you when the rules break your way Guess that’s what co the Council’s private pets"

"Whoa, who you calling a pet?" Aidan said "We gave up our food, too, you know"

"Yeah, but why?" Jarvis rifled a glare at Greg "Because the Council gives you the authority? Here we’ve supported theet rounded up and shot without ever being given the chance to get better, come back to us--and noe’re supposed to starve, too, to save you? Kids that aren’t our blood, not our family? Hell with that"