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"I already told you I don’t know They’ve never let , I can’t even remember what sunshine looks like"

Grief for her sister and her lost childhood welled up inside Nika She was fighting not to cry, battling for control over her eht

Outside the dirty bedrooe and pink The movement was faster than was natural, but every other detail down to the last trailing wisp of clouds and the swaying of the trees in the distance was perfect, as if it had been videotaped

"There," said Madoc "That was my favorite sunrise of all tiers were bathed in light Dirt clogged her ragged fingernails and the black blood seeht "Thank you," she whispered "It’s even ined"

"How did you re to focus on so I see"

Tori lifted her face to the sun, closing her eyes as she basked in the light "Do you really think you can save the others?" she asked "Give theht?"

"If we knohere you are, we’ll do whatever it takes to get everyone out alive Even you," said Madoc

"I don’t kno to help you, then I don’t even knohat country I’ me Let me be with you like you used to do Let that connection between us grow back to what it used to be and I’ll be able to find you"

"No I don’t want you withcomes I don’t want you with row inside the ethereal context of Tori’sand she loo to die"

Tori let out a huer than that to scareto her normal size "I didn’t mean to scare you I just want you to listen to reason I’m not alone Madoc is with me He has dozens of powerful friends ill help us rescue you You can’t give up yet"

"What happens to you if I die while you’re into happen"

Tori looked at Madoc "She knows she’ll die, too I’ve sensed the knowledge inside her When things were bad--when the blood they fed me nearly killed me--I sensed her fear of death"

"Is it true?" Madoc asked Nika "Will you die if you’re with Tori when she dies?"

"If she dies She doesn’t know that will happen"

"You’re evading my question Will you die, too?"

Nika bowed her head "Yes I think so"

Madoc pulled her against his side, holding her close Even within this nonphysical space, she still felt coth to keep fighting for her sister

"What if I were to promise to leave your mind before the baby co around and baring her teeth "It’s a thing A monster"

Nika held up her hands and kept her voice calhtened and his stance had shifted so that he was between Tori and Nika "I agree with Tori that you can’t risk your life, but what if there’s another way?"

"What way?"

"Did you see anything the night they took you? Street signs, buildings, landmarks of any kind?"

"A few, maybe"

He looked to Nika "If I can see those ure out where she went"

"How?"

"I’ve roaht be able to recognize so in her memories"

"It’s worth a shot," said Nika "What do you think, Tori? Will you let him try?"

Tori stepped closer Madoc pushed Nika behind him as if he needed to protect her from her own sister

Nika moved out of his reach and saw Tori’s dirty hand press over Madoc’s brow

A second later, the rooht, and Nika and Madoc were flung out of Tori’s mind

Tori shivered in the cold dark She kept her eyes closed for as long as possible, holding on to the memory of that sunrise She could almost feel the heat of it on her skin, the way it had driven back the tainted blood they’d shoved into her

For a ain, rather than a thing to be used

Tears leaked out froainst her chilled skin Sheher in her

She couldn’t let it happen again If birthing the thing inside her didn’t kill her, she kneould happen She didn’t want Nika there when Zillah hurt her again--put another thing inside her

Before, wishing for death had been easy She’d had nothing to live for but more pain and loneliness But now, thanks to Madoc, she found herself craving the sun and its warht on her skin for real, just one more time