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If Claire noticed, if she was relieved or saddened, she said nothing

Nona was not even sure her friend had any concept of ti

Claire was too beyond herself, too detached But when she walked, the city see to sos were hollow because the dead were piled in the street Marks of violence were everywhere, roving bands of looters still pillaging as if there was treasure to be found in the decay

That was reality—exposed reality

Half cognizant, Claire alht to the Citadel

The black specks of Followers in the distance startled her out of her stupor She drew back with such speed, she slipped on an unseen patch of ice Heart in her throat, Claire fell into the gutter, scah the first open door in her path

It took almost an hour to snap out of her panic, to look around at the wreck of a stranger's hoht filled the room hispers

It was paper bowing in the wind Overturned shelves, fallen books scattered over the floor

Under her hand lay the words:

He who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits

Disgusted, Claire snapped the worn book closed to find Sun Tzu's The Art of War

She wanted to throw it, to rip every last page fro-eared pages Sprawled on a pile of sos, she read until it was too dark to continue Then she slept, passing another night free of Shepherd, utterly lost, and broken inside

Whencame and she woke stiff, Claire rose from her makeshift burrow and walked out the door as if she'd never been there It was not until she was back at the Oers were still gripping Sun Tzu's one white

She was staring at it like it owed her an explanation for being there

Nona crept nearer to see "What is that?"

Eyes on the book, the green-eyed waif , and strong when you are weak" Claire began stripping off her clothes "Go get the COMscreen I need you to eneric apart Alpha—one on the verge of snapping Shepherd prided himself on his steadiness, his focus and dedication to purpose, but at that nity, he was not at his best Where the pair-bond connected, Shepherd felt soe pulse The force that burned and stole his focus condee The sensation had denounced his actions often over the past ht with it severe disco that the final result made ere sometimes reprehensible deeds necessary for his mate