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I didn’t ask for the price because it didn’t matter what he wanted in return—if he could help o No leads”

He cocked his head slightly as he listened toI said—and didn’t say “Ironic You turn your back on us for your daughter—but you lose her anyway”

I inhaled a deep breath and steadied the ile twist of my hands “Please”

His grin was gone, and now his coldness reed in an instant, the su into frostbitten winter “I allowed you to break your coh?” His tone deepened into an icy threat, echoing otten, and the men who listened in attentive silence

My ar at a steady pace because there was no threat that could frighten me in this state of mind The only reason I wanted to live was so I could find hter “Get Claire back My life will be payenerosity”

Bartholo in the air between us He disappeared into the throne, beco one with the stone, dead like the six million souls that lived in these walls, but simultaneously alive “And if she’s already dead?”

I droppedin pain at the assugled through every beat My lungs struggled to draw breath My eyes watered at the i world “Then take my life…because I don’t want to live anyway”

2

Constance

When I opened my eyes, I sucked in a deep breath, so deep that it felt like the first one I’d taken since the last time I was conscious I died and came back to life…but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be alive

My body jolted upright, and I looked down at the bed that supported ertips, pure white, fluffy, and clean My chin lifted, and I looked at the head of the bed where there was a display of white pillows on a gray headboard A string of white lights was on the wall above it, looking like Christhts “Where the fuck a underneathbetween olden harp in the corner, along with a stool next to it The s showed a forest outside, brown earth with patches of grass and weeds It was quiet, just the sound ofme company