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Sebastian presses his sword into the back of es in me

"Who should die?" he says to me

He lifts his sword and points it at the twin-blood boy instead

"Seb, don’t!" Natalie cries out

"Who’s it going to be, Fisher? You or hihtens aroundinto his sparkling black eyes Eyes just like mine

"Me," I say

"No!" Natalie shouts

Sebastian raises his sword and swings I shut rueso hot and sticky splashes over my face and hair

I open my eyes The twin-blood boy’s lifeless eyes stare back at ainst the cobbles as grief rips through me Sebastian never intended to let the boy live Natalie rushes over and helps me to ives her a cold, frightening ss at Sebastian, wanting nothinghead off

"Don’t," she whispers to me

"That’s what happens to race traitors," he says to Natalie, then waves his men on

One of the fe "Do you think the other cadets are doing this?"

The other cadets

My heart stops beating

My ory at Mr Tubs’s and hoas being sent on a hunt in the Rise

"Morab Natalie’s hand and break out into a sprint, dragging her along withmore than once

"Stop! Please," Natalie pants

I don’t have ti I don’t stop until we reachdown to the crypt

But Gregory is already standing in the center of the rooht, I can see the line of blood oozing down the ure on the floor I don’t move I can’t

Dad stands up and walks toward me

"Son," he whispers

That’s when I see her face, partially covered by a few li flesh, the thin black lips, and picture the woman she used to be Her head is tilted to one side as if she’s asleep

Moory "You ainst the wall His feet kick at thin air as o You’re not a killer Your ers claw atto pull me off him

"Why?" I screaory gasps

"I didn’t give him that Golden Haze, Linus did," I snarl

"But heasked you first, and you said no If you’d given hione to Linus It’s your fault he’s dead," Gregory says, his eyes filled with pain

"Ash" The word is just a whisper

I drop Gregory and wheel around Moory runs out of the crypt before I can finish what I started

Mom sucks in a raspy, painful breath as sticky blood oozes out of the wound in her chest I kneel beside her and desperately cling to her hand I don’t see the Wrath in her anymore, just the woman she used to be My ive ive you," I say

She faintly squeezes my hand

"Don’t leaveaway

"I love you," I say

She exhales

"Please don’t die"

Her fingers slip through mine

"Mom?" I whisper

There’s silence

"Moone, son"

Natalie wraps her ar We stay like that for what seems like an eternity I don’t want to ain and then it’s real Mo A ur His dual heart et her ready for So’Ka ritual for the dead

Dad doesn’t hearhis thu ring Darklings believe the index finger is directly linked to their dual heart That’s why they wear their rings there

"Dad?"

"She should be with her own kind," he says quietly "We’ll bring her to the boundary gates after curfew Sigur will let us in"

Natalie pullsthe instant we’re alone in my bedroom