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At which point, their world will change

I turn to leave him, but his voice arrests me at the door "You saved my life Only one other person has ever done that Thank you, Darrow"

"Tell your new skin to grow faster You won’t want to ala"

The next three days pass in a haze, my rief It plagues ye in small talk I pull back from my friends None of this matters Not to me Life fades in the presence of pain Theodora notices, and tries her best to relieveI distract myself with Roses froh s sweeps through the Citadel, do their aid relief Sending out instructions on how to handle a potential crisis Yellow psychologists analyze Ares on screen, conclude that a latent sexual trauma in his youth ain Violet actors and entertainers raise money for those families who have lost loved ones Quicksilver himself volunteers three percent of his personal fortune to relief efforts Obsidian and Gray commandos attack asteroid bases where Sons of Ares "train" Gray antiterrorist agents hold press conferences saying they have apprehended those responsible, likely some Reds they pulled out of a mine or Luna’s slums

It’s a farce and the Golds play it so well They hide froainst Red terrorists This is not Gold’s fight It belongs to all of Society Moreover, Society is winning because our sacrifice and obedience allow us to prosper Bloodydamn horseshit

Yet still, blame must be placed So the ArchGovernor is pulled away to face inquiries regarding his handling of the situation How have the Sons spread from Mars to Luna? they will ask The Gold hornets’ nest has been stirred, as I said it would be, but still the gala continues I watch the Golds play their gaalas and conferences and suames with terrorists They are protected, shielded from horror

It would bother h they’ve already fallen into memory This present is pale compared to my past

I touch the boret It is of Mickey’s asus I wore at the Institute, which contained Eo’s hair and now lies secreted aith my other personal effects All I need do is twist its head and it becoave me will activate it

I draay fro with me I knoill answer that I’ like that He draws closer toto spar with ymnasium But I cannot smile with him or listen to his soft voice read poems or discuss philosophy or even share jokes I can’t let myself feel for him, because I knoill soon be dead I try to kill him in my heart before I kill him in the flesh

Can I add hirave?

I finally find sfro that reminds me of Roque Doesn’t offer pithy wisdo I’ve never seen fro lass of wine on a nearby table The wine splashes over the sleeve of h her eyes chillsat an oncoh I would hit her if she did not It takes her a moment to compose herself, for the flash of panic to dissipate When it does, she sits there on the floor, dabbing at the uniform in silence

I don’t knohat to do I stand there aardly for aa hand on her shoulder to tell her all’s well That’s when she begins to cry in great heaving sobs that rack her small shoulders She flinches fro me I’ll have to wear black instead of white She may not knohat is about to happen, but she can feel it in me, in the air

While the other lancers play with each other, take microabrasion baths, and consult with stylists to prepare theala, I lace up ers I’ve never been good at savingthem into harm’s way Sevro, I believe, is only still alive because of the distance between us Fitchner was always afraid I’d kill his son Saidthat it frayed all those around it Now, seeing Theodora like that … it reile and complicated we really are I don’t knohy she cried So reminds me of the depth to the people around me I am speechless, cold, but Roque is warm … he would have knohat to say

I knock on his door several e is set to depart the villa for the gala There is no answer I open the door and find ently by its spine His smooth features ripple into a sht you were Tactus coala He always thinks because I’ue to an introvert than the extroverted Especially that beast He will run hiround one of these days"

I force a chuckle "At least he’s sincere about his vices"

"Have you met his brothers yet?" Roque asks I shake my head "They make Tactus look like a laainst the door’s frame "That bad?"

"The Rath brothers? They are terrible Terribly rich Terribly talented And their chief virtue lies in their ability to sin They’re prodigies at it" Roque grins conspiratorially "If you believe rumors--and I love rumors, remind me of Byron and Wilde--Tactus’s brothers opened a brothel in Agea when they were fourteen Classy affair till they started arranging more … custohters, sons Insults Duels Dead heirs Debt Poison" He shrugs "It’s the Rath fauards? It’s why everyone was so surprised Tactus had taken up with an Iron Gold like you," he clarifies "You know his brothersin your shadow It’s why he’s always so sarcastic He wants to be like you, but he can’t So he resorts to his usual defenses" He frowns "Sometimes I feel like you understand all of us better than we understand ourselves Then other times, it’s like you could care less" Roque tilts his head at"What is it?"