ana

ing through the territ

d the west storage sheds. My lungs burn. The cold night air cuts my throat r

hear is

ceremo

patrol

hu

r

and looks back toward the courtyard,

bs, trying to steady my

a look. "Now i

It i

. Orders thrown low and fast. They're not sear

myself t

warn

hould

es ma

know what t

ong cold, sharp enough to make me

es at once.

no

let her. Her fingers close around my wris

ice drops. "T

eels

eels

es straight u

nd back. "Do

s slightly. "I'm not

't need

am sweeps acros

th fr

ut turning in. One of them mutters, "Check t

omach

lpha

gg

r jaw tightens. "He's

er one," I say befor

arply. "You're sti

n my

g come

I don'

ying to save me, trap me, or both. I only know his face i

a man who would sacri

know which t

to move

once. "West

ifferent at night when you're no longer one of the people it protects. Every wal

d fencing on one side and the outer wall on the

hear fo

behi

ea

st as two warriors turn into the path. We flatten ourse

rriors

y. "You think she'll real

. "Not unless so

pa

rops lower. "You heard

itnes

d turns

ock around my arm

n, boots crunching

ond, I ca

itne

er about sen

king sure I dis

ce pale and hard. "No

he nausea rising in

pride. No room

sur

ain, faste

away, but the path opens slightly ahead. F

e steps out

rd my shoes

gg

s rigid b

dressed in black from the ceremony, but he looks less controlled out her

t does something

front of me a

her. "You need

hat's the second time you've said that

ightens.

can stop me. "You do not get to say m

hes acros

l p

st immediately

o

him t

despite everything I'm doing to hold it steady. "You let them strip me o

s one step

s her teet

er leave mine. "If you sta

o hard the nigh

cks in a

at him

answer fa

" I r

at last. "And anyone f

wrist pulses so

again, and for the first

e

or hi

r

t clear

rt of me still

whisper. "Why

ists at his sides. "I

not good

kno

diate. Rough. Hone

ond, none o

oo still. Too tight. Like e

ise somewhere

st

ng cl

When he looks back at me, every trace o

he west route. Don't stop at the boundary.

fens. "Bla

o t

terr

ctly what that sounds like and hate

ot?" I

esit

ion tells me

meone ther

meone ther

tron

b

behind him

through the tree

ack into the

n't

tinct and the part of me that still wants hi

doe

wrist one last time, and his

the mark,

ath ca

e

and disappears into the dark just as torch

grabs

ian

d at he

the pa

he b

er waits

nt closing in b