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"It does," I tell him quietly I do my best to keep the pain from my voice "We need you here, you know that"

The corner of his mouth twitches, but not to smile "And that matters to me?"

I want to beat some sense into him, but Cal is not Kilorn He’d takeThe prince must be reasoned with, convinced Manipulated

"You said yourself, every newblood we save is another strike against Maven That’s still true, isn’t it?"

He doesn’t agree, but he doesn’t argue either He’s listening, at least

"You knohat I can do, what Shade can do And Nix ht?"

More silence

"I know you want hilimmers in Cal’s eyes

"I want that too," I tell him "I want to feel my hands around his throat I want to see him bleed for what he’s done, for every person he’s killed" It feels so good to say it out loud, to admit what scares me most of all, to the only person who understands I want to hurt hihtning, until he can’t even scream I want to destroy thehim, part of my mind wanders back to the boy I believed hi myself he wasn’t real The Maven I knew and cared for was a fantasy, tailored specifically for me Elara twisted her son into a person I would love, and she did her job so well Somehow, the person who never existed haunts hosts

"He’s beyond our reach," I say, both for Cal and for o after hieneral and still a great warrior, Cal understands battle And despite his rage, despite every fiber of hie, he knows this isn’t a battle he can win Yet

"I’m not part of your revolution," he whispers, his voice alht "I’m not Scarlet Guard I’m not part of this"

I almost expect him to stamp his foot in exasperation

"Then what are you, Cal?"

He opens hisdoes

I understand his confusion, even if I don’t like it Cal was raised to be everything I’ else, even now, alongside Reds, hunted by his own, betrayed by his blood