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I hear the ru up all over the country, s toward undereration, but I think the Resistance is real They’re out there andthe validity of HTS Things have got to change soon, Davy Just hold on

--Letter sent from Mitchell Hamilton

Destroyed upon receipt at Mount Haven

ELEVEN

BY THE TIME PHELPS ROLLS MY WOULD-BE-ASSASSIN offfor help, that a mob quickly crowds the infirmary I wheeze, speech impossible

Caden isn’t the first one to the room, but there’s a shift in the air once he arrives He e, but everyone looks to hi past bodies Even Marcus looks at hiot here and crouched besideback and forth between the two of us with the oddest expression in his eyes

Caden searches the rooht on the body of the ht there beside uishable from my own sht flipped on, I’ve studied hihtuilt this time around Not for this one He didn’t have to creep into ht and try to choke the life out of me No one forced his hands aroundhiret it Not when it canized hiaze locks on me Heatin ht now I really don’t feel like being touched "Choked you, huh?" Phelps htly flex on the air as though he’s not sure where he can touchtoward death even now Whether the copious ahands, hoping he doesn’t touch me I don’t want the co the life out of s in perspective Keep er, to threats I can’t let souard here, and it nearly cost ?" It’s more question than statement as his eyes do a quick dance over me

"No" The word is a hoarse croak His eyes narrow in on ht "Well Maybe" I wince and shift my shoulder as much as I can bear "Most of it is his" I nod toward the dead guy

"Your voice--" Caden starts to say, but Phelps cuts him off

"She’s alive She’s fine" Phelps lifts a hand and pats Caden on the shoulder

As though being not dead is all it takes to be fine I bristle, wondering how he knows that I want to shout at hiether with a rough breath

"Get that out of here" Phelps rab the corpse and then he’s behindunder ister it as he drags lide easily enough over the floor, the blood slick under me My entire body feels like it went toe-to-toe with a seht, because I could be dead and not feeling anything at all anyet me up on an exam table At least I’m not on the floor now--I felt too vulnerable with everyone towering over me--but all the movement hasto soaze flits back and forth betweenout of its neck That’s where I stabbed the winning blow

Marcus’s hands slice the air and his voice lifts I can’t focus on the words, but Caden doesn’t look happy hatever he’s hearing He shakes his head and tries to step around him, but Marcus stops him with a hand on his arm Caden knocks it away Marcus’s face turns several shades of red, and I know they’re about to get physical And then Terrence is there, stepping between both of the in a low voice iaze slides away, drawn to athered up into a sheet and hauled out the door There’s so much blood left behind on the floor

Rhiannon touches the back of htly, and I flinch

She pulls away, her expression sliding into soet you showered"

I shakeat the dark puddle of blood like so much tar on the floor

"You can’t stay like this You’re covered in blood, Davy--"

"I can’t walk" This last word catches, vanishing inthat she’s ht us, Never shoeakness But here I aht left

Rhiannon looks toward Phelps, and her gaze ers atclosely I’m not sure what he can determine Most of the skin there is covered with ink, but he frowns "Is it too unco more for me?"