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“It’s over!” I say in protest to Dido “The feud was settled with Bellerephon!”

“His feud is with House Raa,” she replies

There is a part of ainst her and decry her hypocrisy, but the look she gives me is so reptilian that it activates the colder part of my own blood The shock disappears and I work to understand “Do you support this?” I ask Seraphina

Though surprised at her“Don’t look to her,” Dido snarls “I preside here That creature hter He killed Revus!” The room cries for blood Then, very softly, Dido leans toward ive And you can end this Open the safe”

Dangerous woman

I look down at Cassius and let hs “A pity Fabera, honor House Raa”

She is not a shade, but she is fast and knows this gravity She lunges at hi boar Knowing he’s losing too much blood, she tries to draw out the duel, but Cassius continues to charge and close She’s ile than Bellerephon, but not so powerful Cassius ainst the rierous series of slashing parries She scores two cuts on his right leg, but has no time to savor the moment I see her die two seconds before it happens Cassius flows into the Autuether with blunted weapons on the Archi He strikes three tiainst her so she counters his force, then he pivots right and slides his blade overtop hers in a leverage position so the tip enters her forehead and pushes through her brain before coh her jaw She dies before she hits the ground He slides his blade fro it, and limps to turn and face Dido

“I a Knight, and my honor remains”

Dido snaps her fingers “Bellagra”

Another knight jumps down

“Seraphina, you’re going to lose another cousin,” I say, knowing that this execution wears on her

Dioh”

“Bellagra, honor House Raa”

The knight surges toward Cassius This one was not the same quality as the first two and dies quicker than Fabera Cassius parries a weak blow and splits the man down the middle His halves twitch on the floor and leak his life’s blood into the Gold Sigil But soe has happened Despite the condehts, the room roils with volunteers Each death decays their manners and resolve and reaches into the croith forked rootlike fingers to enrage and poison another soul—a lover there, a cousin, a friend, a drinking companion, a brother in arer boils It dawns on em the woman has devised I don’t doubt that her hatred of Cassius is real But they do not waste in the Rim Each death is a down payment for her war Absent her holodrop evidence, she uses my friend to boil the blood, to distract, to bind her allies and foes together in anger And the more Raa that fall, the more her position solidifies, the ainst the Interior and not against her coup

This is the depth of her conviction, a willing sacrifice of her own kin to reveal whatever truth hides within our safe