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“Right, sore subject” She waved it off as if it were nothing “Back to your sister What was I saying? Oh, yeah, does she really not see that you aren’t calling her because you are trying to help her and you believe in her? Honestly, this is why I needed her to leave because she and I would butt heads She wants control; she has a work She’s spoiled She’s not beco a princess; she has always been one Only now everyone else can see the crown She greith the world handed to her, a ready-made army behind her She spoke, and everyone listened She ordered, and they followed She did not work for that power, she inherited it”

“Is that jealousy or bitterness I hear?” I questioned softly

“Neither,” she replied seriously, her gaze hard “If you think about it, both of us are in the same place Married to powerfulit than she is She’s upset she’s not getting the same respect she is accustomed to”

“Really, that does not bother you?”

“I’ve never been accustoht for So, it does not bother me, like it does your sister Besides, she can’t do what she was brought up to do—fight, kill, or steal whatever she needs—to get ahead She does not kno to go forward, and the one person she thought she could ask is you But you know your sister If you lead her to the river, she won’t drink So, she has to find it alone You know she’ll find it eventually So, you just wait until she does Why would I be jealous or bitter of her? She’s still a child who’s upset she doesn’t get what she wants right when she wants it”

There it was

My thoughts vocalized She did it with ease as if to say, “duh” It was ah there was a tiny part ofreater part ofher explanations She was perfectly content, and I allowed her to keep doing whatever it was she was doing

“With Greyson gone, we are going to need new guards,” she said gently

I stared at the nape of her neck for a“With the current state of our fauard was blown to hell, I doubt people are lining up for the chance right now, no ” I hated to ade of this faain She knew that “Unless you have people in mind”

Instead of answeringher phone and dialing a person saved in her contacts as Big Tillio before putting the phone to her ear

“Big Tillio! How are you? Long time no talk!”

I flinched at how loud her voice suddenly became as she spoke on the line

“Yes! I’lanced up tothe back of her ear “Well, I , “Wyatt and me? God no Do I look like I want to babysit another child? The one I have takes too much out of me as it is”

I snickered at that, part ofWyatt had heard her

“I married Ethan CallahanHow many other Ethan Callahans are there? Yes, I’et TNT to come work for me…Oh come on, Tillio! Why? We are basically fa on?” She listened, nodding and nodding again then frowning