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"Thank you, Cal," Ito process Maven’s kiss and, of course, ht back bowed Each footfall sends a pang of guilt throughme remember our dance and our own kiss I hurt everyone, especiallybrother "He does not like to lose And"--he lowers his voice, now so close to me I can see the tiny flecks of silver in his eyes--"neither do I I won’t lose you, Mare I won’t"

"You’ll never losedeck do from side to side Brown shapes take form on the riverbank, and the old hill with the arena appears out of the trees We’re too far from the bank to see anyone properly, but I knowstill flutters on the porch, still eh it, in honor of Shade Shade was executed You’re supposed to rip a star off after that But they didn’t They held on to him in their own little rebellion

I want to point e I’ve seen his life and noant to show hi at the village as we coers don’t care about you, I want to scream Only fools will stop to watch Only the fools aste a in to think the whole village ht be made of fools All two thousand of them seem crowded onto the bank Some stand ankle deep in the river Fro hair and worn clothes, blotchy skinned, tired, hungry--all the things I used to be

And angry Even froer They don’t cheer or call out our names No one waves No one even smiles

"What is this?" I breathe, expecting no one to answer

But the queen does, with great relish "Such a waste, parading down the river when no one atch It see tells hts, like the broadcasts Officers tore sick elders fro them to watch us

A whip cracks somewhere on the bank, followed closely by a woman’s scream "Stay in line!" echoes over the crowd Their eyes never falter, staring straight ahead, so still that I can’t even see where the disruption was What happened to make them so lenient? What has already been done?

Tears prick at my eyes as I watch There are more cracks and a few babies wail, but no one on the bank protests Suddenly I’lass with every inch ofso She sips placidly at a drink, surveyingthis?"

Areline eyes me with a sneer "Why do you care?" But her words fall on deaf ears

"They knohat happened at the Hall, they ree with it, so they need to see that we aren’t defeated," Cal murmurs, his eyes on the riverbank He can’t even look at "

Another whip cracks and I flinch, al the lash on my skin "Did you order thee, jaw firer cries out, protesting against the officers, he lets his eyes close

"Stand back, Lady Titanos" The king’s voice rumbles like faraway thunder, an order if there ever was one I can al back to Maven "This is a Red village, you know that better than us all They harbor these terrorists, feed them, protect the And they ue, but the queen bares her teeth "Perhaps you know of a feho should beto the shoreline