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I suck in a shallow breath The air isn’t cold enough to quell the hurt burning in the pit ofbut stare He stares right back at me

"So sorry to interrupt what I’ little quarrel," Lorn says from the sofa-chair "But if Taltrayn abandons the Court, the nobles will take note They trust hiiance without reason They’ll consider your cause They may consider Lena"

A muscle twitches in Aren’s cheek "We don’t need him"

"We do," Lena says

"We don’t!" Aren’s eyes flash "Besides, he’s in the dungeons beneath the Silver Palace We can’t get to him"

"We could if we knew the location of a Sidhe Tol" Lena looks at rab a sketchbook off the coffee table I found it last night and started drawing all the shadows I could re for It isn’t my most accurate map--I sketched it in the dirt while I waited for Kyol to speak to the Sidhe Tol’s guards--but the rebels have Sosch The shadow-reading will take theh for the kier down on the center of my sketch I’ate’s location

"Moldova?" Naito says "That’s in this world"

It is Aren doesn’t seeive me the Sidhe Tol now," he all but snarls "For hihs

I dig ers into my knees, attempt to hold on to my temper, but I’m too tired for this "Don’t be an ass, Aren You need hi to be executed, he knows he can’t reason with the king"

"So that’s how it is," he says "You want me to risk my life for his"

"I--" I stop Jesus, that’s what I’, isn’t it? With the Sidhe Tol, Aren has surprise on his side, but he still has to get out of the Silver Palace It won’t be a siht not make it How can I even ask him to try?

"Aren--"

"I’ll talk to our other supporters I’ll make them listen" He stands and abruptly opens a fissure

"Before you go," Lena says, "you should shower and change clothes"

Her suggestion cooing to ignore Lena and step through the slash of light, but then his shoulders relax He lets his fissure disappear "I won’t changeThe living roo, tense moment before Aren finally heads to the hallway

"Soone

He has reason to be He’s exhausted and frustrated He’s lost friends, the rebellion is falling apart, and I just asked hiers throughto save me I can’t abandon hi involved

I look up, ande, McKenzie The Sidhe Tol isn’t useful to me if others know its location Besides, you still owe ain Kyol will owe you" I hear the desperation in my voice, but I’m too worn-out and shaken to try to hide it

"Now you’re offering favors that aren’t yours to give away," he says "No, I’ve done far too much already My people can’t be involved in a raid on the palace If Aren has no interest in freeing Taltrayn, then this rebellion is over"