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ONE

Mare

We drown in silence for a long moment

Corvium yawns around us, full of people, but it feels empty

Divide and conquer

The implications are clear, the lines sharply drawn Farley and Davidson regard me with equal intensity, and I stare back at them

I suppose Cal has no idea, no inkling, that the Scarlet Guard and Montfort have absolutely no intention of letting him keep whatever throne he wins I suppose he cares more about the crown than about whatever any Red thinks And I suppose I shouldn’t call him Cal anymore

Tiberias Calore King Tiberias Tiberias the Seventh

It’s the name he was born with, the name he hen I met him

Thief, he called me then That was my name

I wish I could forget the last hour Fall backward just a little bit Falter Stuely blissful place where the only thing I felt was the ache of tired muscles and repaired bones The emptiness after battle’s adrenaline The certainty of his love and support And even through the heartbreak, I can’t find it in e will come later

Concern crosses Farley’s face It seee on her I’er from Diana Farley She notes my stare with a twitch of her scarred mouth

“I’ll relay Cal’s decision to the rest of Co the silent tension Her words are low and e”

The Montfort prereement “Good I think Generals Drummer and Swan may have an idea of these develop tabs on the Lerolan queen since she came into play”

“Anabel Lerolan was in Maven’s court long enough, at least a feeeks,” I reply Somehow, my voice doesn’t tremble The words co, even if I don’t feel it right now It’s a lie, but a good lie “She probably has ave you”

“Probably,” Davidson says with a thoughtful bob of the head He narrows his eyes on the ground Not searching, but focusing A plan spirals out in front of him The road ahead won’t be easy A child would know that “Which is why I have to get back up there,” he adds, al what he must “Ears and eyes open, yeah?”

“Ears and eyes open,” Farley and I respond in unison, surprising each other

He steps away frolossy gray hair He was careful to clean up after the battle, washing away the sweat and ash, replacing his bloodstained uniform with a fresh one All to present his usual calely ordinary dey to their appearance, to the false pride of visible strength and power And none soand his faeline, Ptoleisters He could blend into the walls if he wanted to They won’t see hi

I take a shaky breath and s, forcing the next thought And Cal won’t either