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My slap sends her back a step, more in surprise than pain She catches the sheet as she falls, pulling it sideways, revealing my brother’s pale face At least his eyes are closed He could be only sleeping Ithe sheet back into place--I can’t look at hi her considerable height to drive s open, and the two boys rush out, drawn by the noise In an instant, Cal takes Farley down, tapping the back of her knee so she stu both his arround

"He was my brother!" I yell at her

She screager aWhen she doubts And Farley certainly doubts now

"Jon did tellfor you to hear"

She lunges, reaching, and Cal pushes her back down again He gets an elbow to the face for the trouble, but doesn’t relinquish his fir anywhere, yet she continues to struggle

Farley, you never knohen to quit I used to admire you for it Now I only pity you

"He told me the answer to your question"

It stops her short, her breath cohtened puffs She stares, wide-eyed I can al

"He said yes"

I don’t knohat thaton her hands, and bows her head behind a short curtain of blond hair I see the tears anyway She isn’t going to fight any form He almost trips on Elara’s defor "Give her space," he rip He all but drags me away, despite my protests

I don’t want to leave her Not Farley, but Elara Despite her wounds, her burns, and her glassy eyes, I don’t trust her corpse to stay dead A foolish worry, but I feel it all the same

"Bythe cockpit door behind us, shutting out Farley’s low sobs and Kilorn’s scowl "You knohat Shade was to her--"

"You knohat he was tocivil isn’t at the top of my list, but I try My voice quivers anyway My closest brother I lost hi back There’s no co at people"

"You’re right You just kill them"

Breath hisses between h at hi et is worse Cal takes a step back, bu to put as much distance as he can between us Usually I’ breaks behind his eyes, betraying the wounds he hides beneath his fla skin "What happened to you, Mare?" he whispers

What hasn’t happened to le day without worry, that’s what All to prepare ht myself with the mutations of my blood--and the many mistakes I’ve chosen to make, Cal included "My brother just died, Cal"

But he shakes his head, never looking away froaze burns "You killed those ed Shade wasn’t dead then Don’t blame this on him"

"They were Silver--"