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"What about a king?" But I already knew the answer He was right--of course, we needed a queen Ludania couldn’t afford to be cut off froain; we needed to maintain a balance with thequeens would ever respect a king born without a power

"You knoouldn’t work You’re the One, it’s always been you Just because your family was removed from the throne doesn’t make you any less suited to rule You’re the eldest female heir Besides, look at you How much more special do you have to be before you believe it for yourself?" His fingertip brushed the back ofas hot as they felt

The door to the bedroo, and I pulled the blankets up to coverabout ht behind her It hadn’t been a hallucination after all; I had heard Brooklynn in the hallways

Angelina was dressed in a pretty pink gown, and an attempt had been made to braid her flyaway blond hair If it weren’t for the dirt sed on her chin, she would look exactly like a princess

"I just checked on Eden," Brook said to Max, not yet realizing that I ake "She’s ready to get out of bed She’s tired of being told to rest"

Even though I knehat Angelina was capable of, the last ti to her last breath It was hard to believe that anything--or anyone--could have brought her back from that

But it was Aron who drew h the door behind my sister and Brooklynn His bruises and cuts were all but healed, his skin vi

rtually un on his oithout so much as a limp

My heart skipped as I shifted in bed so I was fully upright "I told you I’d never leave you behind," I told him boastfully

Aron bearinned back "If I reht, I think you said you’d leave ed your elina’s face lit up when she heardher arainst ht, and I wondered if I’d ever get used to the sound of her voice

Silver wisps of her hair tickledher back, tears stinging my eyes "I’ve missed you, too"

When at last I released her I saw Xander, lingering in J"0e Ang in J" the dooratching us all with a crooked s over his lips This was the outco for This was the reason he’d turned his back on his family, on his country, on his queen