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"This will tint your skin" She dips the rag into the paste and reaches fordark brown suy from Avon with a tan Everyone will assu to look like an idiot," Idown at the unnatural brown of ood Nobody pays attention to idiots--they dis"

I watch as she works her way up my arm It’s clever It’s beyond clever--it’s brilliant It’s what a lifeti on a planet torn by war teaches you: How to read people How to blend in How to disappear But this--this never would’ve occurred to me

"Sofia--why do you have this stuff?"

She doesn’t answer, her lips pressingthe paste into my shoulders, my neck, my ears, my face I watch her as she dabs carefully around entle, her features soft, herShe looks innocent, even happy, but for the grief in her eyes

"You were going to run," I say softly "When they came for you"

"Where would I have run to?" She spreads thewhen she’s sure the line won’t be visible under a shirt "There’s nothing for me on Avon anymore Unless you think the Fianna would takeover so she can work atcarefully around the nails Someone like her would’ve been a ue Maybe she could have helped me fend off McBride

Or al, and I’d have lost one o into the swa her breath out "Let that soak in for a while," she colass full of water hich to scrub at her stained hands over the basin

"Whatever you were going to use this stuff for…can you get s "It’s fine, I can take care of myself" She rinses her hands and tilts her head so she can peer at nize me now" There’s a cut at my heart for that, but I shove it aside

"That’s not what Iacrossto readwhich one to try to swindle out of his extra rations "Flynn…is she worth it?"

That bringsto a crusty aze back at her "She’s not why I chose what I did"

The corner of Sofia’s mouth quirks "You can hide from the Fianna, Flynn, but you can’t hide from me Your eyes dilate when you think about her; you speak ns--how do you think I get things out of the trodairí?"