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"Shh!" I ad around to htgoould probably be frowned upon in any land, but I’d have an even harder tie "That kind of talk will get us both in trouble Besides, even though she’s in here, doesn’t ers to his lips His golden eyes held one either Not really"

I frowned, pulling my hands away "Who are you? I saw you in myin her dreah , and I realized that chill was Sabara He’s no one, she argued, even though I recognized her lie You were confused You saw nothing

Her denials only made " My eyes narrowed as I watched hi to decide how much I knew, and how much to reveal to , the name Sabara had called hi sorrowfully as if I’d just said the sweetest word ever spoken I was glad he could no longer seethe naed froaze was clearer, his golden eyes--the same as ever as far as I could tell--were filled with resolve "I shouldn’t have to tell you You should know everything," he said in a language that was even more ancient than the one I’d heard inevery crevice ofSabara ease out of the shadows and strain toward the surface

I struggled to keep her at bay

"I-I only relaise, the only language--other than Parshon--that I could speak "Only bits and parts" I looked at him "But I remember you And what you meant to her I sahat the two of you did, to her queen--her sister--in this very palace," The words were bitter on ue "So she could sit on the throne" I closedto force the older girl to say the words: Take me instead

But there’d been no blood Sabara hadn’t needed the knife, even then She’d sier on the other girl, and squeezed her windpipe closed using only her will

Sabara hadn’t held that girl--that sister--as she’d lain dying Not the way she had her real sister, the one by the river She’d sier to take her place as queen

Why? I’d silently asked Sabara just as I akening after the dreahts once more Why does it matter? Why couldn’t you let her live?

But she hadn’t answered ertips lifted to stroke ainsthis hand cup ain in that strange, swirling language "You still don’t get it, do you? It was so we could be together So I could be with you one more time"

"Not me," I said, and now I turned away fro "Her"

"One and the same, it seems"

"No Not true," I corrected "So, who are you? What," I amended, "are you?"