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The gang of three from House Falthe try to ambush Tactus as he returns to the main body He wheels on them and with little help lays all but Lilath low She scampers off as he kills Cipio and stomps on the dead man "Babykillers," he spits over and over, till Victra pulls him away I watch for the Jackal Every moment I expect a dart in the back, to die as Leto did But the Jackal merely follows, as does his father No one sahat he did to Leto Or if they did, their fear silences them

When we reach the stone halls beyond the forest, finally crossing a white lie, the rules of the Society seem to return LowColors skitter out of our way as we, now seventy strong, storars to leave this one We rush to the landing pads lined with trees and grass All the fas patrol the sky

We question a shaking Orange Tactus holds him up by his collar He shudders as he looks at us seventy bloody souls He’s never spoken to a Gold before, much less ones like us Victra knocks Tactus’s hand away and speaks quietly to the Orange

"He says the ships were required to return hoo"

"First they don’t let Obsidians into the gala, now this," Tactus ," says the Jackal "A so that was never allowed to blossom She removed our Obsidians, our ships, to isolate the houses fro the Tele us What do you suppose she had up her little sleeves, Father?"

Augustus ignores his son; he’s looking to the sky

"Mothermercy," Victra curses

"Gather yourselves!" Kavax bellows to his warriors

"Piss on oes pale beside"Praetorians!" Seventy razors curl out and we fan apart in case they have energy weapons

"Darrow You’re with ustus says

The eneht sky But our eyes are keen The dark bastards streak froround like fallen devils, always in their threes

Thumpthumpthump Thumpthumpthurass, blocking our way back to the Citadel Obsidian Praetorians and Gold knight-captains The Praetorian Obsidians are titanic, like golems pulled from the stone of some mountain Crueler by far than those we used at the Academy No armor like theirs in all the worlds Dark purple inlaid with black, like coral curling over their titan bodies They stand in tight squad formation, loyal and bound to each other as they are to their faith

Thumpthumpthump till there are ninety-nine Thump Their Golden cohing wolfskull His cape of gold, emblazoned with the pyramid of the Society, kicks sideways in the wind An Olyht There are twelve in the Solar Systeainst all who’d defy it This is the Rage Knight, the post Lorn filled for sixty years till he left for Europa They represent what the Golds see as the dominant thehter than n’s already filled Lorn’s forht allows his helm to ly hatchet face Wet froh when he smiles out that sideslash of a mouth I draw stares Now they’ll only think h in his face

He cackles "Don’t you recognize lier than I reic"