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“The slaves have to rise They need a reason, a real reason Not talk Otherwise, the rebellion would be over before it started”
“‘Tiame’” I touch my lips as I say the words
“What?” Gareth kneels at my feet
“It’s soht you and save Chastain ‘Ti saying I never really knehat it eneral idea”
“My beloved” He swipes the tears away, but fresh ones roll down “I’m so sorry”
“And you didn’t tell h the wash of tears “She’s put her skin in the game, and no one can save her”
“Her plan—”
“How can she have a plan?” I have the urge to strike hi my voice as best I can, I continue, “How can she have a plan when she doesn’t have any idea what Zatran will do to her?”
“She knows him, just like she knows all the slave masters in this city He will parade her toets out that she is being …” He struggles to find the words
That’s all right I already knohat they are “Beaten, tortured, worse—or maybe a creative mix of all three Given Zatran’s flair for flashiness, I wouldn’t be surprised if his revenge took the for flayed alive for the sake of art”
“He’s keeping her in a cage Word will get out The slaves will hear, and then they will come to her aid An entire city will heed her call” He drops his head, his dark hair falling to hide his face “That was her plan What she wanted”
“And Chastain? What did he have to say?”
“He said no He refused He fought with her”
I absentine the horrors Silht now “But she didn’t listen?”
“No She made up her mind and wouldn’t be turned from this path”
“Reminds me of me”
He shudders “Please don’t say that I could never let you suffer like this”
“I already have” The memories of what I’ve endured try to seep fro theht of Arin’s sun
It’s horrible and wrong that Silet it And I understand why she didn’t tell me
Understanding is a fine thing
But acceptance is soether different
14
Gareth
She doesn’t sleep More than once I fear she’ll try to sneak away, to find Silmaran in the dark and save her from her fate But deep down, I think she knows that this was Sile it, it is not up to me Just as it is not up to Beth
I keep her wrapped in iven me It doesn’t matter I did conceal the truth from her, so I deserve whatever punishment she sees fit But I will never leave her side, never stop trying to repair the fracture that Silmaran’s choice has caused Beth iswithout her is the saht, without life So, I hold her I wipe her tears I kiss her softly and tell her in the old language how precious she is to me
The house wakes long before dawn, voices floating down the hallway and the sounds of ha quiet
Beth turns over, her eyes open in the dark “What are we going to do?”
I stroke her hair “We are going to the Bazaar Chastain will give the signal when it’s tiht”
“Then what?”
“Then I’ to protect you while Chastain frees Silmaran and leads the slaves to victory”
“You make it sound easy”
“It won’t be Silnite the slaves, and second, Zatran will let his guard down and assu as he has the slave leader, the Bazaar will be safe” I pull her on top of ht and soft “Butah to start the uprising”
“What if it’s not?” She blinks, her eyelashes tickling my chest
“Then we’ll deal with it”
“Why do you sound so sure?”
“Because the Ancestors have granted ift in Arin, and I know that I will do anything and everything to keep her safe Fighting your battles is just part of it Slavery must end, and we must continue on our journey to the mines”