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Vane squeezes e before It was a beast, come to devour us I started to cry, butwould be okay Then he coiled an Easterly around me and launched me out of the storht back a sob "I still wonder if things would’ve been different if I’d stayed where he’d sent me If he hadn’t had to help me out of the storentle fingers turn my face toward hi yourself for You think it was your fault?"

"It wasinside me uncoils as the words leave my lips

Finally Finally they’re out there

Tears pour down my face and I don’t try to stop them

Vane wipes them away, his touch warmer than a Southerly "You couldn’t have prevented what happened"

I won’t let him let me off the hook like that I don’t deserve it "It wasYou don’t remember But you will"

I stand and put so my back to him "I told you When you held one and your parents were dead and the world had ended We clung to each other and cried, and I told you I told you what I’d done"

I stop there, needing a breath before I can finish

"What did you do?" Vane whispers

I close my eyes as what little is left ofme cold and empty

One more deep breath Then I force the words out of my mouth

"I killed the in the air: these ridiculous, is that refuse to make sense

"You didn’t kill them," I tell her

She couldn’t have Wouldn’t have

Would she?

No--she couldn’t have

"Yes, I did"

"So you started the storm that sucked thenarled tree at ht as well have been" Her lipsto force theave away our location"

She cries so hard then, I want to rush to her side Wrap my arms around her

But I need the rest of the story first

She chokes back a sob "I had to save Gavin He was falling and I didn’t want him to die, so I called the wind And then I lied to et in trouble So I pretended nothing happened And then the Stormer showed up and it was too late I tried to help and only made it worse, and now they’re all dead and it’set in twenty seconds

My legs shake as I stand, trying to h ether

I can re whipped by the winds Her face streaked with tears and dirt and blood Telling

I do the saainst ht as I can

Back then I did it because she was all I had left to hold on to Ten years later I do it for the right reason

I slidesobs "You can’t blame yourself, Audra You were just a kid"

"It’s still my fault" Her voice is hoarse and raw "I’irl she was For the hard, broken girl she’s becouilt on my shoulders No wonder she pushes everyone away

Not any for her to look at me "I don’t blame you for what happened I will never blame you for what happened The only person who deserves any blame is Raiden--no, don’t shake your head I mean it, Audra It Wasn’t Your Fault Nobody blames you"

"My mother does" She says it so softly, I’rip on her "Then yourAudra backup for the battle, and whatever else she said or did to shatter her strong, brave, beautiful daughter I hope we never etting violent

I take Audra’s face between ile--because she is

"I ht now"

"You can’t do that"

"Uh--yes I can They were et to blame whoever I want for their deaths--and it’ll never be you Never"

Her glassy eyes hold mine, and I want to lean in and kiss all her pain and fear and hurt away Okay, fine--I also just want to kiss her

But I won’t take advantage like that

She has to heal first

I reach up, fingering a strand of her hair that’s pulled free and fallen in her face "Will you do me a favor? Will you please take your hair out of this ridiculous braid?"

I know it’s just a hairdo But it’s also this tight, restrictive thing she does to punish herself And I’ to let her do it anymore