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"No," True says "Only with sirens If I listen closely, I can hear so the truth It sounds like the wrong note in a song I don’t kno to explain it better than that"

"But you were affected by"You said that you heardto you in h that was ih to impact him, which shouldn’t be the case if he’s truly immune

"Yes," he says "I’m affected by you Not your voice" I hear him s "Do you believe me?"

"I want to believe you," I say

"Nevio testedthe truth," True says "He toldor not I guess I passed his test, because he decided to send me with you He said that I’ll be useful, because I can tell if any of the sirens are trying to sabotage the mission He said it was my responsibility to stop them"

"And you believe that’s why he sent you?" Maire asks

True looks right in her eyes "No," he says "I acted like I did But he kneas lying We all knohy I’m really here"

"Why are you here?" I ask

I want to hear him say it I want it almost as much as I want the Above

"Because of you," he says "I wanted to come with you"

True’s arht into him, to have his arms around me and mine around him, as we come to the Above But I don’t want the sirens to see, to think there’s any reason for hiiven I want to protect hih it may be too late

Nevio sent True up so he wouldn’t have to worry about True’s talent and the proble, siren Minister And Nevio oing to have to keep those pro back froh I realize this, I still want to go Soine the water outside lightening, too, the deep ocean blue of it turning the color of the sky and the sun If I could get off the transport this o back home, I wouldn’t do it Is it because of Bay? Or because True is here? Or because the Above is where I’ve alanted to be?

"We can’t stay on the transport e arrive," Maire tells the two of us, her voice quiet "They’re not going to send it back doith anyone aboard, and we’re trapped in here Our best chance of escape is to get out and do e can"

"The sirens aren’t what I expected," I say "They’re so--tame So controlled"

"There used to be more of us," Maire says "There used to be more like me"

"What happened?"

"The others were culled and elierous"

"Why not you?"

"I think Oceana did what she could to protectto do what I must to stay alive"

Her voice is hard I wonder what she has done I don’t want to ask

"Stay with et Above," Maire says "Do what I say I promised my sister I would take care of you, and I will"

In this moment I believe her I can see from True’s face that he does, too