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Be on your guard, his touch says

With a nudge, I reply

I know

"Coraunt," I say aloud, stopping er short "How close is Coraunt to the Nine-Five landing strip?"

Farley doesn’t bother to look for the village on the h"

"What’s in Coraunt, Mare?" Kilorn asks, sidling up to my shoulder He’s careful to keep his distance fro me between them like a wall

The words feel heavy My actions could free this man Or doom him

"His name is Nix Marsten"

TEN

The Blackrun was the Colonel’s own jet, used to skip between Norta and the Lakelands as quickly as possible It’s more than a transport for us It’s a treasure trove, still loaded eapons, ht Farley and Kilorn sort the stores into piles, dividing guns fros on his shoulder His leg stretches out oddly, unable to bend in the brace, but he doesn’t show any signs of pain Despite his shest one in the fah his constant agony

My breath suddenly feels ragged, stinging the walls in s Dad, Mootten about them entirely Just like before, when I first beca Tiberias and Queen Elara took away ave me silk It took hter ould not return And now I’ve left theer for what I’ve done, subject to the Colonel’s wrath I drop et theot them back How could I leave the not to draw attention tomyself with every little breath

You’re selfish, Mare Barrow A selfish, stupid little girl

The low huht It beats againstFor abut the lightning No pain, no memory, just power

A hand at the back ofwarmth into my skin toa pressure point I didn’t know existed It helps a little

"You have to callance out the corner ofdown next tostorht" The word is so hard to say "Okay"

His hand doesn’t h theas if he’s talking to a spooked ani

I feel like a child, but I take the advice anyway With every breath, I let another thought go, each one harsher than the last You forgot them In You killed people Out You let others die In You are alone Out