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“I fucking would not!” he shouts. “I’ve beenpatient–“

“Oh, fuckingthank you, Prince Kincaid!” I shout back. “In a world where you owneverything, where you’ve got a damnedthronecoming your way, when everyone falls to their knees at the sight of your pretty face – thank youso muchfor thegiftof your fuckingpatience!”

I turn to walk away, but he grabs my arm, pulling me back.

“What do you want me to do?” He shouts.

I snarl – snarl like a wolf – and snap my head back up to him, my teeth bared in warning to let me fuckinggo–

His hand loosens, and I rip my arm from his grip. “I want you to fuckingfix it!”

He stares at me, at once somehow furious and completely baffled.

“You don’t want to upsetme, Cole?” I snap, stepping close, my hands going again to my chest. “Lil ole me? You don’t want me to feel anounceof sadness? What aboutthem!”

I cast my hand out in the vague direction of the Children of Solace, wherever it is.

“What aboutallof the people wholiveddown there? Who werechainedup every night – maybe all day! People! People, Cole! With lives, and hearts, and hopes – you careso muchfor me that you won’t eventellme about them – butwhat about them?”

He continues to stare at me, even as his expression softens.

“I am not special,” I say, my voice cracking, starting to tremble. “You treat me like I am because you think I’m your – your fucking –“

But I snap my mouth shut, not wanting to say that word. Hating it.

He swallows hard, watching me, rapt.

I take a deep breath. “You neglected them,” I whisper, shaking my head. “And if not you precisely, then your family did. They’re supposed to beyourpeople – this happened onyourwatch –you Kincaids, youhadthe power to do something and youdidn’t. You want to protectmefrom even feeling upsetbecause you think you have some sort of –“

Something in me gives me a sharp nudge, reminding me that we’re not alone. I skip the words, knowing Cole intuits what I mean.

“Butthem–“ I continue, shaking my head, livid at the thought, thetruthof all of this. “You’re saying that I can’t be upset for a moment, but your family’s regime letthemsuffer their entirelives–“

“Nadia, you’re being unfair!”

“I don’t care!” I shout, tilting my head back to shout at the sky. “You need to hear it!Youhave the power to make a change!Youcan help them! And all you do is worry about whetherI’mupset! I came up here to helpthem, and you won’t even give me the information I need when I ask for it!”

I shake my head, trembling all over, pressing my eyes shut.

He reaches for me again but I somehow intuit it and step back out of his grip. When I open my eyes again, I see guilt all over his face.

“You can’t keep me in the dark, Cole,” I say, my words shaking. “You have totellme what I need to know – unconditionally! Even when it’s horrible! You’re wasting all this timeprotectingme – while those people - who are still out there - are suffering! Admit it – you, with all of your abilities, arewastingyour time here on guard duty becauseI’mhere.”

I smack my hand against my chest at the last two words.

Cole clenches his jaw but doesn’t deny it.

“And I’m actually trying todosomething and you’renothelping me – you’re holding me back! Holdingyourselfback! You don’t want to see me upset? Then help me to helpthem.”

I stare at him for a long moment before I turn, heart pounding, head hanging. When he doesn’t say a word to stop me, I storm off toward the dorm tent.

Cole doesn’t follow.

I take deep breaths, willing my mind to clear, my blood to stop rushing in my ears, but I still flinch when I feel Shayne’s hands on my shoulders, and then her arm wrapping around me as she trots to keep up.

We walk together a few feet in silence, leaving the Prince behind.

“Wow, you really let him have it,” she whispers, glancing back.