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Victra’s sly bright It disappears slower than I thought it ht have The warmth in her surprises Roque as well, and his fair cheeks are quick to flush

"I am not my mother," Victra announces "Or my sister My ships are mine My men are mine" Her wide-set eyes are cool, almost sleepy, but they flash as she leans forward now "Trust me, and you will find reward But all that matters is what Darrow thinks"

All eyes turn toabout Victra, but about Tactus and wondering how easily he could tell that I kept hith When I showed hirew embarrassed and hurt So I pulled back Better if I had been true to how I felt and stayed the course His walls would have broken He never would have left He could still be here I’ll not ain, least of all to Victra I reached out to her in the hall, and I will do so in this company

"Chance made us Golds," I say "We could have been born any other Color Chance put us in our families But we choose our friends Victra chose me I chose her, like I chose all of you And if we cannot trust our friends …" I look to Roque plaintively, seeking absolution in his eyes, "… then what’s the point in breathing?"

I look back to Victra Her eyes say a thousand things, and the Jackal’s words come back to me as he lay burned on his bed from the bomb Victra loves s not for the Julii way of gain and profit, but for that simple human emotion I wonder, could I ever love her? No No, in another world, Mustang would never be a warrior, would never be cruel In any world, Victra would always be this Always a warrior, like Eo really Always too wild and full of fire to find peace in anything else

Mustang notices so pass between Victra andsays "Back to the matter at hand Pliny waits noith the ht all of my father’s bannern and a restructuring of Mars The deal, as far as I understand it, willwith the Julii and the Bellona, will be the powers on Mars Once the peace is agreed upon, it will be sealed with the execution oflooks around the table, letting gravity build behind her words "If we do not rescue my father, this war is done The Moon Lords will not coainst us Vespasian’s forces froainst the entire Society And ill die"

"Good That s simple," I say "We take back our fleet, then we take back Mars Any ideas?"

33

A Dance

I sleep with a dream of the past My hand curled in the tendrils of her hair About us the vale lay quiet in slumber Even the children did not yet stir The birds rested on knotted li but her breath and the crackling of the old fire The bed smelled of her No scent of flowers or perfume Just the earthy musk of her skin, of the oils in the hair around my hands, of her hot breath as it warmed my cheek Her hair was of our planet It ild like mine, dirty like mine, red like mine A bird outside croons loudly Incessantly Louder Louder

And I wake hearing so aside sweaty sheets, I sit up on the edge of thein the hall I rise instinctively to let her in, but when I reach the door, I pause We have our plan There’s nothing left to discuss at this hour Nothing froood could co foot to foot, so in her hands If I let her in … it’ll just cost us both in the end I’ve already hurt Roque Already killed Quinn and Tactus and Pax Bringing her close noould be selfish At the very best, she survives this war and she learns the truth aboutan ass and let me in"

My hand choses for me

Her hair is wet and loose, her uniforile she seenar, who lurks in the hall

"Told you," she says to Ragnar Tostubborn Said you needed to sleep And he wouldn’t take the food I brought hi?" I ask more coldly than I intended