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"Your es in beside me I put a hand out to stop hiustus told you to?" Tactus asks htly

"No," I say "I’d rather die"

"I didn’t think so She was right I ahty Servant"

I open my hands to him "I don’t knohat I’hs bitterly, voice slurring slightly

"Hardly I didn’t knohat to do when I whipped you," I say "At the Institute I didn’t want to lose you from my army because of your talents But I couldn’t not punish you"

"Talents Talents Talents Then that’s the difference between us," Tactus’s voice thickens further "Because if it had been ant ass" He turns more and I see the hints of the ruin the bomb’s made of his face

"You knohat happens if you kill any of the it’ll be either one or the other that does him "I’m not sorry I took Lysander, you know"

"I don’t think you’re ever sorry for much"

"Not sorry" He chuckles and dips a toe in the blood surrounding hi you at the Institute But … I wanted to see what you’d do If you orth following"

"Was I?"

"You know that answer"

"A it so pathetically that it feels like my heart has been pulled into my throat He’s a traitor, a liar, a cheat Yet I see a friend I want to fix hi? I have to put him down But I’ve done that before with Titus That cycle erodes us Death begets death begets death, and evera confused, frantic glance froiveness "What if I let you co" He turns more and I see the full measure of what the bomb did to him His nose is crooked, broken The rest looks like a cherry stripped of its skin My friend …