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My eyes ide and one dry as I jumped back, startled by her words and her tone Brook was seldoree was practically unheard of I stared back at her, unblinking She was right, of course, I was the one who’d been causing trouble Not her Not Claude

I nearly jumped when the loudspeaker blared above us: "ALL SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY MUST BE REPORTED TO YOUR NEAREST PATROL STATION"

I was so te

But it was Aron that I heard above all else, shattering the , you know? I never even saw you leave This doesn’t count" He grinned, all crooked and goofy But his brows creased when he looked at the two of us, standing as still as the statues of the queen that filled the city "Everything okay?"

I sucked in an unsteady breath as I shot a questioning look at Brooklynn Are we okay? I asked with that look

Brook, her eyes still on e "We’re fine," she said, lanced over her shoulder to Banceulder tohirinned when I saw Aron standing at the botto forand safe, and the

I couldn’t recall a tiht and steady and clear, like finding a beacon in the darkness

At ti the rown around the boy I’d once known, but there were subtle remnants of my childhood friend--the way his hair was permanently mussed, and the s a littleyear Auto

"Brooklynn wanted me to tell you she had to leave early Her dad needs her at home today"

I frowned despite Aron’s uncomplicated smile and tried to recall just when his voice had deepened Was it possible that it had happened without my notice?

"She could have walked with us," I responded, but there was no real conviction in er upset with me, Brooklynn never wanted company on the days when her father called her home

Her father rarely paid her any attention, but when he did it was because the house required cleaning or the kitchen was in need of restocking I knew she felt unimportant to be noticed so infrequently, and for strictly utilitarian purposes

I’d begun to hate him because she didn’t seem capable of it

"Hey, Aron, your dad talks a lot" It wasn’t a question Mr Grayson was the kind of ossip in the way others needed air He would be dangerous if he weren’t such a fool, but his ue was loose

Aron just nodded He didn’t take offense at the insinuationhe knew, of course Then he cast a curious grin inthat I was overstepping I proceeded cautiously "What does he say about Brooklynn? About her father?"

The grin disappeared "What do you ain "You knohat I mean Does your father ever talk about the enough? Can he support the two of the this last part, even though I’d wondered it a thousand tier that she’ll be taken away froer than e to make her own decisions But until then she was at risk of being clai sent to a work ca Brooklynn would rather die than face, as itAll orphans beca, his face serious now, his eyes uncoretfully "The customers in my father’s shop talk about Brook so They say she’s too wild, that her father has given up on her, that he gives her too much freedom Some say he should keep her under lock and key, others just talk about how sad it is that her mother isn’t there to keep her under control" He shook his head "I haven’t heard anyone say that her father can’t support her, but I worry when her name comes up I’m afraid that so worse"--he looked up at erous"

We both knehat he was talking about, and ed in my throat as I reached for his arm I wanted to tell him that it was impossible, that no one could possibly suspect Brooklynn of being a traitor, that no one would dare accuse her of collaborating with the rebels But I knerong

Not because I thought Brooklynn was a revolutionary, but because I kneas entirely possible that soht voice their opinions out loud Someti in a neighbor were enough to shift loyalties And soirl with no et

"You’ll warn me if you hear that kind of talk?" I asked, not sure exactly what I’d do with the infor that I couldn’t just let her be taken away Not the way Cheyenne Goodwin had been