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If he was hoping for a reward now, he’d be disappointed I nodded curtly at hio now, Errol Tell the others to come in quietly because I’ll be asleep"

Errol closed the doors of my wardrobe I saw Mott peek in at me while the doors were opened, but when they closed I was finally alone

I opened the , intending to cliainst my face Now the emotions washed over me like a tide Conner’s plan orse than I’d anticipated, and no e I looked out into the dark night and wondered how long it would take th of Conner’s property Beyond that was a river that wouldas it took until I got to Avenia, to freedom

But I couldn’t do it Now that I knew his secret, Conner would never stop hunting me down I was trapped here And my choice was clear Beco, my eyes opened before the servants cah theat a low angle, so it must have been very early I lay in bed for several seconds, orienting s of ware gaht up in The reality was stark and cold I sat up in bed to have a better look outside

"You awake too?" Roden asked quietly

"Couldn’t sleep any longer"

"I hardly slept at all" There was silence for a moment, then Roden asked, "What do you think happens to those boys Conner doesn’t choose?"

Neither of us lingered too long on the convenience of speaking of "those boys," as if they were strangers After a slow exhale, I said, "You know the answer"

Roden sighed as if he had hoped I’d have so is there won’t be anyone toat home"

"It’s better that way," I said "It’ll be easier formy death doesn’t add to anyone’s pain"

"If you can’t give anyone pain, then you can’t give them joy either" Roden clasped his hands behind his head and stared up at the plaster ceiling "We’re nobodies, Sage I should’ve left the orphanage o, but I couldn’t do it With no education or skills, there was nothing for me on the outside Hoould I have earned my keep?"

"Tobias would be fine on his own," I said "He could work in a trade or open a shop He’d probably have been pretty successful"

"What were your plans?" Roden asked

I shrugged "Everything foralive for another week" The irony struck me as funny "Now I just have to live out the next teeks"

"Conner has to choose-- we all know it’s Conner who’ll have the power But for ht be my only chance in life I know that sounds harsh because of what it means for you and Tobias, but that’s just how I feel You know the other day when you nearly got away froon?"

"Yeah"

"I wish you’d have made it And if you have the chance to run sometime in the next teeks, I think you should take it"

"Good to know, Roden" He’d like things to be that easy