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“Fuck this shit,” I said as she turned down a trodden collection of weeds and stepped over a hole in the porch of a ramshackle structure It wasn’t much more than a lean-to “Fuck all of this shit We have soo there”

“We can’t visit other villages The dees, from what I’ve heard, and he does it within the shadows”

“I doubt the deive two shits about you, to be honest No offense”

She looked at lanced down at my clothes “I’ve never heard such a fine lady…”

“With a rinned and waved her away as I pushed open the wobbly door “Don’tThe prince insisted that I dress up before visiting the villages I earing his childhood clothing for a while I earing plainbefore that, made by my mom or brother”

“But you’re so pretty”

“You can’t help the face you were born with It doesn’t make me who I am Now, show me your mother”

She led h the dimly lit interior and into the back bedroom—actually, the only bedroom It held an empty cot and a sickbed A woman lay in the bed, her ar shallow She didn’t open her eyes or show any sign that she knew someone had come into the house

I felt her pulse, then her head Burning up Her face wasn’t sallow, though She wasn’t wheezing No coughing

“She’s got tiot…a couple of months, at least”

The girl sucked in a shaking breath and held it, her eyes shi with emotion

I put my hand on her shoulder “Sorry I’m not the bedside nurse of my family I’m the jerk who talks to herself out in the yard and hands off the nursing to others You can see why A couple ht the situation was dire It isn’t We’ll save your , no proble to lose her”

A tear leaked out, and she wiped it away, nodding

“Okay” I patted her I needed Hannon He was the other half to this healing team

I bracedaround No fireplace in this room

Out in the living rooround beneath the small pot in the hearth was cold I pointed at it

“What’s the deal with no fire?”