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"You want to ask about Virginia again, don’t you?" The corners of her lips twitch with pleasure as she plucks ive her to you if you join iven," I say

She laughs, amused at my innocence "If you say so"

"Where are the three Deep Space Coives"How did you know the words to the Reaping Song?"

"I heard it as a boy And I forget little"

"Where?"

"It’s not your turn," I re me these questions?"

"Because one of my Furies has leddifferent than we ierous Who is Ares?"

My heart thunders

"I don’t know" I watch the Oracle’s tail It doesn’t move "Who you do think Ares is?"

"Your master"

"Thirty-nine, forty-two, fifty-six …," Aja says

The Sovereign wags a long finger "Strange Your heart gives you away"

I clear ine the h theh cold dirt to the place where we first lay together in the hollow of an abandoned township Her whispers How she sang the lullaby s and me

"Fifty-five, forty-two, thirty-nine," Aja says

"Is Augustus Ares?" she asks

Relief floods me "No He’s not Ares"

The door sla into the rooold and white uniforlows on her wrist She bows to the Sovereign "My liege"

"Virginia, you’re still anods to me "Seventy-three dead Two Earthborn fa to do with Bellona or Augustus Over two hundred wounded" She shakes her head "I grounded all ships as you asked, Octavia Praetorian command has initiated a no-fly zone in orbit All family-owned capital ships have had their warrants revoked and are being pushed beyond the Rubicon Beacons till we give further notice And Cassius still lives He’s with the Yellows Citadel Carvers are preparing plans for replacing the arn thanks her and asks her to sit "Darrow and I are getting to know one another Are there any questions you think we should ask hie? Don’t try to solve Darrow He’s a puzzle withpieces"

"That’s rather offensive," I say

"So you don’t think we should keep hi starts