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"You don’t have time," Lena says "If you care about either of theive up on this rebellion until he’s dead or we’ve won The only way to win is with Taltrayn’s help"

The shower squeaks off in the bathroom, and snakes coil in the pit of my stomach Lena knows Aren better than I do Maybe he will listen

"Can Aren do it?" I ask

"If he can put a sword in Taltrayn’s hand, I believe so" Aren and Kyol fighting side by side? It could work If they don’t kill each other

"Okay," I say "I’ll talk to him"

AREN’S alone in the study, sitting in a black swivel chair with his back to the door He stares at the center of a redwood desk and doesn’t turn when I enter I’h I’ht streah the ’s open blinds On the wall to the left, two tall bookcases are crammed with atlases, loose maps, and spiraled sketchbooks My shelves back hoh Naito’s look like they’re anized His desk is in order, too--clean, with all his pens in the holder beside a blank legal pad There’s a jar of anchor-stones sitting there, too I walk over, pick it up, and study the torld maps--one of Earth, one of the Realates on both with red pushpins

I rotate the jar in lass "Aren?"

No response

I biteto decide how to reach hih, and his silver eyes slide to e y "This isn’t about him It’s about the rebellion"

"It’s about you" He stands, sending his chair careening towardto think of a way to do this without hurting him "That’s the problem, Aren It shouldn’t be about me You have a chance to end the war"

"I can do it without him"

"How?"

He stares out the

"I’d really like to know Sethan’s dead His supporters are abandoning you"

His jaw clenches

"Think about it, Aren Kyol knows the king He knows General Radath"

Not even a twitch at those words

"He knows the locations of the other Sidhe Tol"

"Damn it, McKenzie!" Aren spins "He lost you! He can’t have you back!"