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“How?” Tharsus asks

“You’ll gain us an audience,” Sevro says “Get us in nice and tight”

“But…the Ash Lord hasn’t had an audience in three years He reigns in solitude”

“Three years,” I repeat, not believing it “That’s absurd”

“Nonetheless, it is true”

“How the hell is that possible?” Sevro asks

“There was an assassination attempt, so the rumors say”

“By whoot even close

Tharsus looks perplexed “I assuo through his daughter, Atalantia” He looks to his brother, soe that I don’t like It was a risk in letting them reunite Men with unspoken bonds like the one Sevro and I have are always the erous “But Atalantia has vanished,” Tharsus says

“What does that mean?” I ask “A woman like that can’t just disappear”

“It means I don’t knohere she is If the Carthii or the Saud know, they aren’t telling me I’ve been frozen out”

“Is the Ash Lord cloistered on Gorgon Isle?” I ask, hoping Republic Intelligence was correct about the darkzone “At least tell us that”

“Yes” Tharsus nods “But you cannot approach the island without a summons The place is a fortress” Sevro looks over at me “The air around the island is restricted to House Grimmus aircraft for two hundred kiloions You’ll never get in”

“Not unless we bring an army of our own,” Apollonius says with a smile

I RUSH TO CASSIUS AS DIDO sends herin the safe He’s fallen to the floor Color has fled his cheeks I shake hione, how much blood of his has stained the whitehis pulse—so faint I can barely feel it “Cassius!” His eyes open a sliver