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Lev sits across frohtened by their fear He knows he needs to put forth confidence and co a pair of terrified kidnap victi ex-tithes

Cavenaugh is not present, but two adults in his employ stand at the ready Lev ss and tries to keep his hands fro the arms of his chair "Okay, you can take off their blindfolds"

The boy’s eyes are red fro the situation

"I’m really sorry we had to do it this way," Lev says "We couldn’t risk you getting hurt, or figuring out where you were being taken It was the only way to safely rescue you"

"Rescue us?" says the girl "Is that what you call this?"

Lev tries to deflect the accusation in her voice, but can’t He forces hi he can sell it as confidence

"Well, it ht not feel that way at the moment, but yeah, that’s exactly e’ve done"

The girl scowls in absolute defiance, but the boy gasps, and his wet eyes go wide

"You’re him! You’re that tithe who became a clapper! You’re Levi Calder!"

Lev offers a sli to correct the last name "Yes, but my friends call me Lev"

"I’m Timothy!" the boy volunteers "Timothy Taylor Vance! Her name is Muh--Muh--I can’t quite reht?"

"My name is my business and will stay my business," she says

Lev looks at the little cheat sheet he’d been given "Your name is Miracolina Roselli It’s a pleasure to o by Mira?"

Her continuing glare ht, Miracolina then"

"What gives you the right?" she says It’s alain She knoho he is, but she hates him Despises him even He’s seen that look before, but it surprises him to see it here

"Maybe you didn’t hear ry "We just saved you"

"By whose definition of ‘save’?"

And for an instant, just an instant, he sees hiirl’s eyes, and he doesn’t like what he sees

"I’ to hide the quaver in his voice "We’ll talk again" Then he signals for the adults to take the kids away

Lev sits there in the ballroo about Miracolina’s behavior that feels disturbingly familiar He tries to think back to when Connor pulled hierent? That uncooperative? There is so much froin to realize that Connor wasn’t the enemy?

He in her over He has to All the ex-tithes have been turned eventually Un-brainwashed Deprograirl is the exception? What then? Suddenly this whole rescue operation, which had felt like a grand and glorious idea, feels very small And very personal

24 - Miracolina

Born to save her brother’s life and to be gifted back to God, Miracolina will not stand for this violation--the corruption of her sacred destiny into the profane life of a fugitive Even her own parents beca to break their pact with God and save her fro Would this please them, she wonders, for her to be captured and forced to live whole? Denied the holy mystery of the divided state?

Not only nation, but she must suffer it at the hands of the boy she practically considers to be Satan incarnate Miracolina is not a girl given to hatred and unfair judgment--but to be faced with this boy proves she is not nearly as tolerant as she had thought

Perhaps that’s why I have been put on this path, she thinks, to humble me and make me realize that I can be a hater, just like anyone else

On that first day, they try to trick her by putting her in a comfortable bedroom in much better condition than most of the mansion "You can rest here until the last effects of the tranqs wear off," says a plus her a lass of root beer

"Saint Patrick’s Day, don’tcha know," she says "Eat up, dearie There’s more if you want seconds" It’s a blatant attempt to win her over She eats, but refuses to enjoy it