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"What are you doing?" Gavin asked

"What do youlike this? You were sane just two seconds ago!"

"You left me!" Kip said The sense of abandonht It was hard to s He hadn’t even known that was in there, but now he felt horribly exposed, weak, asha forever--just like everyone left him

"I--what?!"

"You leftfrom his own stupidity Gavin had just co this out on hi to Ironfist? That he was an adult? "I’m sorry," Kip said "I’ve failed I haven’t acco you asked of me" He couldn’t look at Gavin "You said I had sixanything was to get into the forbidden parts of the libraries, and the only way to that was as a Blackguard And I haven’t gotten there yet I don’t think I’h And I failed with your father, too He hates me"

Gavin cursed under his breath "I wish my mother was here," he said suddenly "I’d ask her… Kip, there’s probably nothing you could have done to please ot unlucky and the Color Prince ht be able to get around that obstacle we talked about anyway"

"So everything I’ve been doing is extraneous?"

"Kip, in a very short time you’ve become one of the most important arrows in my quiver But you’re not the only one Orholam help me if you were"

It was a slap to his whiny, fifteen-year-old face And a well-deserved one

Gavin cursed again "I didn’t mean it like that I meant I can’t do what I have to do with one weapon, no ht now I have about three e fast Can you wait?"

E wars--orthem--fates of hundreds of thousands in the balance And Kip wanted hias People could die because ofOrholahtened his back "Yes, sir I’m fine"

Gavin hesitated "If it… if it makes any difference, I, I should have taken you with ht you personally I didn’t--I didn’t think of it I’ of anyone but myself And… I’m sorry"

Kip didn’t knohat to say

"How many colors can you draft now?" Gavin asked

"Sir?" The question seemed out of nowhere

"Colors?" Gavin insisted

"Uht to the practicum, so I haven’t been able to work on it as much as I’d like"