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“All right” I inhaled slowly “First I need to relax So if we could all be silent for a ”

“I thought you were supposed to be powerful?” she pushed

“I said she was green, Sage Give the girl a minute I promise you won’t be disappointed” Ansin folded his meaty, scarred-up arms across his broad chest and leaned back in his chair

Knowing King’s life was on the line, I closed my eyes and tilted back ift under this kind of pressure Come on, Jeni Come on You can do this…

Fuck! I was getting nothing but a white rooain I had to be prepared tobelievable just in case You can do this Just relax Push your ht actually enjoy watching See…

Suddenly, I was flying through that sa round, saht And like the last tih clouds and pockets of cold air, through that stone roof

I blinked, realizing I was here in this very roo in this very chair What the hell? Ansin stood behind Sage, his knife drawn and ready to slice her throat from ear to ear, just like he’d done to Victor

My eyes flew open, and I locked eyes with Sage “I’m so sorry,” I said

“You can’t seeher pale hand on the table “I knew it! I knew I’d never die Yes!”

“No,” I said, “I’rinned just as Ansin’s arm reached across her neck and sliced deep

Sage’s hands flew to the wound, her eyes ith terror as her blood gushed onto the table

I looked away, covering my mouth I couldn’t say I felt sorry for her, not after everything she’d done to King, but I didn’t get off on it either The only consolation was there’d be one less Ten Clubpeople’s moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and children

With a final, gruesoe’s body slumped forward, and her blood crept across the table I scooted back into come in contact with it

“You all right?” Ansin asked as I quietly stared at Sage, sing my horror

I shook my head no, but said, “I think so”

“Good Now you need to look away,” he said

“Why-why?”

He reached down and cut away the top of her dress Her collarbone—what I could see of it—was covered in an elaborate tribal tattoo, almost like a necklace