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“Does Mars ride for Luna, n?” she asks

“You knoe can’t yet”

“Then what do you want?”

“Just to speak with—”

“And of ould we speak? Of how they nailedmonsters out of the ether? Of how you could have saved Darrow but didn’t?”

“Victra…”

“Ortortured by that Abolares down at ht think I obeyed your orders, that I…molder here out of fidelity to your leadership No I am here because without reinforcements my fleet would be massacred by the Vox, er in my chest “You abandoned my husband Our eneht now, fuck off”

She turns back to her practice

The knights look away as I strip off my jacket and unbutton my tunic to my compression bra “Victra” She turns Her eyes trace the divots Lilath’s hatchet left on my stoave me on my flanks and arms, and a tension releases from her shoulders Her love and hate are made of the same passion “I tried,” I whisper “Truly” Her eyes search each one of the scars I now have more than she does Her heavy hand reaches to clutch ether

“If we cannot engineer salvation for our eance will suffice,” Victra says

I nod against her

My husband would have it no other way No matter what they say, Darrow is not dead He endured for me, and I did not arrive I will endure now until he does Victra will have her wrath till her dying breath I will have ain

There’s a stirring in the courtyard frohts A defense pulseShield warps the air of Hippolyte, and Pax rushes into the courtyard with his datapad in hand By the look on his face, I knohat it is

“Earth has fallen,” I whisper

“Already?” Victra snarls