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Max, on the other hand, remained by my side and reminded me that I was still me My reactions to him weren’t re-creations of someone else’s emotions They wereas tiny snowflakes flitted down from the cold, dead sky above The flakes were too s but melt as they landed on our cheeks and eyelashes and hair But the flurries were lovely, as if ere trapped inside our very own snow globe and someone had shaken up our world

Shaken That was an apt description

"Do you regret co white flakes

I selina" It wasn’t an answer, but I didn’t have a better one yet I needed time to process all that had happened

I’d hoped to make a quick--and unnoticeable--escape from Vannova, but Neva had co," she’d said as shewhile my soldiers were rearmed and Brook took inventory of their returned weapons The elegant queen had leaned closer to ainst ainstI’d shivered "I knew she was aged, but I’d expected her to at least survive the su et to know each other," she’d added

That strange sensation lingered still, the one that warned me that no one, not even the queens--maybe especially not the queens--could be taken at face value I’d replayed the conversation inevery syllable, every lilt in her speech patterns, every subtle glance she given uilt Yet I was certain she didn’t suspect ed to say to her, and she’d squeezedway that I felt as if I were betraying a true friend

On our way out of the palace walls, we’d passed Queen Langdon’s party, also preparing to depart Her soldiers solemnly surrounded a box covered by a shroud fashioned froold and sapphire blue There had been no doubt that it was her casket

I’d turned to Zafir, ," I’d said

Zafir noticed the sae is a form of Gaullish Solaris is one of the eastern queendoeography and -dead beliefs that had once allied the that truly linked thee--in its various versions "How many others are there? Of the queens in attendance?" I spoke softly, not wanting to be overheard

"Astonia and New Ro Elena’s and Thea’s nations

I thought about the map, the one marked with inated in any one of those countries If the traitor were Astonian, New Roman, or Solarian

I wondered if I’d killed the queen of the traitor

Even now, the thought made me sweat insideme back to the present "More than I can ever say When I saw that rider approaching the palaceWhen he told me what he’d seen on the roadBrook’s men" He’d already said this, or at least tried, half a dozen tihts, but I knew

"Max" I tried to grin, to show hiether now We’ll be hoht?"

He bent down and leaned his chin against the top ofho about? Then where are we going?"

His charcoal eyes crinkled "Relax We’re going south, to the estate where your parents and Angelina have been staying" He sighed, his voice dropping so no one else could hear us "We still don’t knoho the traitor is, and even though I’, we still haven’t ed to capture him Until we have him in custody, I’d feel better--we’d all feel better--if you stayed away froht I should go to the su intentionally dubious of their plans So far, I wasn’t convinced that any of us really knee were doing

Max shrugged "It wasn’t our idea to go south, actually It was Bartolo’s"

Again, conflict roiled through me as I wondered how much faith should be afforded to Niko Bartolo On the one hand, I knew he’d never let anything happen to Sabara But could I honestly say that same concern extended toas she was inside me

"So, what’s his plan, exactly?"

Max shook his head, his fingers threading through aze fell on soer alone "I’ll let him explain it to you"