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Ridiculous An outright lie Perhaps it was because of the high likelihood that he’d be collared again at Morath, perhaps it was because he was a king who’d left his kingdo, "You do care You know it, too It’s what ed, but she said nothing
"Caring doesn’t make you weak," he offered
"Then why don’t you heed your own advice?"
"I care" His temper rose to o of that leash he’d put on hio of that restraint "I care aboutthing to say
Manon stood--as high as the tent would allow "Then you’re a fool" She shoved on her boots and stoht
I even care about you
Manon scowled as she turned in her sleep, wedged between Asterin and Sorrel Only hours remained until they were to ht be waiting to ally with the Crochans And in need of help
Caring doesn’twas a fool Little ?
Still the words burrowed under her skin, her bones Is it so bad, to care?
She didn’t know Didn’t want to know
Daas not too far off when a warm body slid beside his
Dorian said into the darkness, "Three to a tent isn’t too coree with you" Manon yanked the blankets over herself
Dorian sic war sharp in his chest had dulled--just a fraction
But Manon was frowning down at hi as he stretched his arms as far as the tent would allow "What is it?" he asked when her brow remained furrowed
Manon pulled on her boots, then her cape "Your eyes are brown"
He lifted a hand to his face, but she was already gone
Dorian stared after her, the cae had dulled in his chest, his ic noed freer As if it, too, had been freed froht What he’d opened up, revealed to her A sort of freedoo
The sun was barely in the sky when they began the long flight to Eyllwe
CHAPTER 25
Cairn had let her rot in the box for a while
It was quieter here, no endless, droning roar of the river
Nothing but that pressure, building and building and building under her skin, in her head She could not outrun it, even in oblivion
But still the irons dug in, chafing against her skin Wetness pooled beneath her as tiht that collar closer with each hour
She couldn’t reain, into a pocket of the dark, where she told herself that story--the story--over and over
Who she hat she hat she stood to destroy should she yield to the near-airlessness of the box, to the rising strain