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Chapter 4Corday looked over the newly freed O space froer created compost for the fare in the streets Now rotting htened wos better left undescribed

One thing it did not sh estrous, the girlfor relief

Corday was ada heat cycles, but whatever had been done to her, her sobbing response could not have been normal

He kept his distance The other Oether for war on the rations he had provided

An old wo on his door It was Claire, she said, who'd directed her to find him It was Claire who'd proas

It was the na

He'd taken supplies without the per to kill hio fuck herself He was not going to let Claire down

When he'd arrived the previous night, the O just as badly as the garbage heap they'd chosen to shelter in

Nona had warned hiht shoot any ht She had even warned him not to follow her back once she'd procured supplies

Corday was having none of it He needed to see Claire

But Claire was not there Even hours after the women had settled in, their liberator failed to show her face The night dragged on, ainst a slimy wall

Had Claire been captured? Had the tyrant killed her?

Nona gently told him that Claire's plan required her to arrive fro for dark before she moved; that she had always been overly cautious when away froroup

Corday scoffed The Claire he kneas reckless She was also badly hurt

Over and over, Nona reminded him that if Claire had been taken, Shepherd's men would have already come for them

Claire O'Donnell was out there

And so he waited past the point of exhaustion, exasperation, and flat out fear Evening fell At first Corday thought his eyes were playing tricks on hiered down the plant's dark garbage chute Milky eyes stared right through him; they never blinked—just as the aped in a fixed expression of hopelessness

It was the face of a corpse