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If it hadn’t been forout of the palace

The plan had been sih, to leave under the cover of darkness, while the night would conceal us But what everyone seeotten--or at least underestimated--was that where I was concerned, darkness was relative

Sneaking out, I drapedMax and Zafir lead me to where the horses had already been saddled and aiting for us I rode with Max so I wouldn’t have to uncover iven us away in an instant All we could do was hope that no one had seen us leave

Inside the cloak, I was suffocated But I ith Max, and soon I’d be with my family, too

I had little to coiven strict instructions to trust only elina’s life

By dawn, there was enough light in the sky that I was able to come out from beneath the cloak I wore For much of the ride,no one We stayed in rural areas or near tree lines whenever possible, following rutted roads overgroeeds We gave a wide berth to villages andonly at streams and ponds to let the horses drink

I told Max all about the Scablands, and about the people I’d met there I explained Avonlea’s situation, which I’d already talked about, but which I felt cos had gotten so out of hand in Ludania How people had becoes needed to be made We all did When talk of reorder and revolutions and hos wore thin, I stretched and yawned, and stretched so my eyes

"Charlie" I heard hiainst my ear "Charlie, wake up We’re here"

I was alert in an instant, anxious to see--and hold-- was so much more than I’d expected, almost like a second palace It ooded here, surrounded by tall forests with old-growth trees draped with moss and vines There were ferns and wildflowers and ponds It was more re in its splendor

I guessed that this fell into the category of things I still didn’t know, of which there werefor us, and behind hi, I drewMax’s horseMax, who tightened his grip on both "

I was grinning though, at the same time tears slipped down my cheeks "She’s so beautiful," I breathed in response, unable to tear ut, spreading to elina was safe Grateful we’d hidden her from Jonas Maier and his followers