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What? I scan his face to make sense of his words

"By ‘you’ I mean the House of Noly grips Anwar’s relaxed forive my finest sneer He approves because he smiles "Who would push us? Who would turn our hearts to jealousy, give life , make us burn?"

He slaps me My head whips to the side with the force I turn back to hi to wipe the blood away "But you won"

"Winning is nothing It is a byproduct of superiority," Santiago says "How could we claied by you?"

Anwar should be awake for this Santiago Chantico has adainst which they prove theain I’m too pleased to feel it

"We are so cold, Nommos Only blood sacrifice and our hatred of you warers of bone "How could you give up? Don’t you relorious battles?"

I’d standup if I were that stupid Instead I shrug "I wasn’t alive for ainst his mouth and the others chuckle CeCi calls out, "But you know our histories because of me Don’t you, Nommos? You adore me, you live for fashion, and you love your family line Without doubts this impasse troubles you ase takes place between Santiago and CeCi before he looks back at ive you tioes into the house

White noise fills ifts," I say

Living forever isn’t so I crave It’s not the blood that scares ain, without end, is so one lifetime makes bearable Beyond that I couldn’t account for my sanity

The third Chantico returns with a woman in his arms Her body is a testimony of cuts, old and new, soo makes room and Galen lays her down in front of me

I hate them, these Chanticos I let them see it in my eyes, and embrace her, my sobs muffled by her hair Auntie So her froo says "I will reat opponent when he took Soma down "The blood transforms," he says, "and for the first fifty years or so you’ll be able to spawn" Adriana pretends to retch Santiago nods and continues "Soift and so and challenge us again"

With glances at each of his siblings or kin--I don’t knohat to call therows and thickens, taking on the shape of a leaf blade With it he slices a long gouge into his tongue A drop of blood falls from the tip of the nail and flowers on the cuff of his white shirt

Fascination overtakes my fear He kisses So Anay, Santiago curses, slicing his tongue again His fingers dig into my scalp when he lifts me His mouth seals over mine The blood pours down o lets hfrom too many places to be sure They tricked us with all the talk of i hurts this badly without killing you I twitch, face down in the courtyard, and accept death

The beast, Santiago, spits and it lands centiusted as he is, so I closeI see It isroo across a couch His skin is now dark bronze with golden highlights, like mine Behind me, my aunt is propped in a chair Her scars heal over while I watch and her skin takes on the sao chose to leave sprawled on the floor Gaer to the stairs; confident my family will rise when they’re ready In my rooms, I shake the buns frolint catches h I’m affianced to immortality Yes

After a shower I put on the patterned Pucci halter dress I found on e shop The pink ruffles, fro again The Chanticos meant it to remind they’d ultimately won and I’d forever chase their lead That isn’t how I see it Foris a symbol of my succession to CeCi’s throne The Chanticos will rue my deathless state and we’ll duel with every collection, leaving blood on the runway