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“Alright, she’s yours, but you see the problem, right? You’re lucky you didn’t come home bleeding after today, or worse.”

“I’m nothis,” I argue, only my head visible outside the blanket. None of them bother to acknowledge me.

Eli scoffs. “It’s not easy to make me bleed, and no one can find this place or come anywhere near it unless I allow it. It’s like it doesn’t exist.”

“We all bleed.” Milo nudges Eli with his knee. “And are you really going to trust your life with your ancestors’ gifts? Because the Centresswillkill you if she finds out about the Hollow.”

“I’m not worried.”

“What do you want her for?” Sypher asks, rubbing his hands nervously on the thighs of his snug jumpsuit. He’s thicker all around and shorter than Eli and Milo, but still muscular.

Eli is quiet, his jaw teasing out an answer. “I want to see how this magic-stealing Hollow shit works.”

No…He said heneededme and made Sypher leave before that. Whatever he needs, he’s hiding it from them. And they’re okay with the ridiculous reason he gave? They have no problem with him keeping me prisoner and deceiving their leader?

“That’s what the plant was for?” Sypher gestures to the smashed sprout and dirt on the cell floor. “I thought it was easy for Hollows to take magic.”

“It is. She’s stubborn,” Eli says.

Milo runs a hand through his messy golden hair, shaking his head at Eli as though he’s crazy—which he is. “You can’t pull shit out of the ground and expect the magic to work the same.”

“That’s—” Eli starts, a fist forming, then relaxing. “That’s probably true. Dammit. Let’s go.”

In seconds, he has me outside the cell and through the hatchway. A clearing inside a ring of pine trees sits in the shadow of the enormous house above the “castle.” Hands on my shoulders, he coerces my legs to bend, shoving me down to my knees in the mud.

“Hey!”

“Go on.” He presses on my upper back until I’m on all fours, my hair hanging in my face. I look over my shoulder when his hand peels away, just in time to see a muddy boot descending toward my back. Milo swipes Eli’s foot in midair and guides it back to the ground without a word, saving me from the boot. Eli grumbles and replaces his hand on my back. “Do it.”

“Rescue Kelter,” I demand through gritted teeth.

He groans, his hand pushing down harder. “Fine. Deal.Afteryou pull magic.”

My heart picks up. He’s actually going to rescue him.

“You can’t do that. It’s too risky,” Sypher says, not getting an answer from Eli.

“Kelter first,” I say. “Then I’ll do what you want. He can’t wait.”

Eli huffs loudly. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“They’ll kill him.”

“Then you’d better figure it out. I have time to spare—unlike your boyfriend.”

I have nothing to barter with, so I picture Kelt in my head and pinch my muddy fingers around the stem of a plant, velvety leaves between my rings. I’ll play along with anything if he’ll bring me Kelt.

Nothing happens, as expected.

“Maybe she’s doing it wrong.” Milo crouches at my side for a closer look.

“Maybe it’s because there’s no such fucking thing as magic,” I say. Eli’s fingers dig into my back.

“Maybe she needs motivation, like us,” Sypher says.

It’s quiet for a moment, then Eli shifts his weight above me. “You’re right. We’ll start tomorrow night. Sypher, you know what to bring.”

“What are you going to do?” Milo asks with a high-pitched note of worry—though nowhere near the amount that’s building up in me.