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"I read the queen’s diaries," he said "She wrote about Jaron often"

"Did she?" It was impossible to sound as if I didn’t care what ht of me, and the curiosity burned my heart I knew she loved me, because all mothers love their children But she had stood with otten over that

"Jaron had the reputation for being a difficult child," I said "Did she ever forgive hi choice of words, Sage, to assuiveness She believed he was just like her He may have been difficult, but she loved him all the more for it"

We had to move on quickly from that conversation It was too close to me, too hard to think about

Conner also provided me with a convenient story of how I escaped the pirates According to hi and escaped in a rescue boat es in fear all this ti forward only when I heard rued hi at Mrs Turbeldy’s orphanage That way, if any of theuise the entire tihtened "This is why you’ll convince the fast when necessary"

So when Conner announced that I was finally ready, I was not prepared for what happened next He invited Mott into the rooth of fabric in the other Mott’s face was pale and he entered the room barely able to look at me

"Are you ill?" Conner asked him

"No, sir I just … we can’t do this" Then he glanced at Conner with moist eyes, and I understood Mott shook his head "If you knew … this boy --"

"Do it," I said, turning to Mott It took all"You’re Conner’s , Conner grabbed me around the neck, where he held ave me a little slack oninsideto do Then Conner releasedin my mouth He still refused to look at me, but I saw deep creases in the lines of his face He wasn’t any happier about as going to happen than I was

"Remember, Mott, don’t leave any marks," Conner said

Mott put a hand on my shoulder and for the first tiently, his atteut

I stumbled backward and fell onto the floor It was difficult to draw in a breath, especially with the gag between my teeth, and I barely had tiain He unfastened the top three buttons of h runted froave me no room for movement here

Conner withdrew a knife from a sheath and walked up close to ainst my chest and held it there "I knoas Tobias who tried to kill you before," he said "But he couldn’t do it because he’s weak A leader needs to be strong, Sage Do you believe that?"

I didn’t move All I could focus on was the point of the blade