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Worn deep against his flesh in terrible cruel points, so each movement would cut into Rhyder’s chest.

I brushed at a smear of fresh blood, my stomach plummeting as my fingers ran over the hard lines of scar tissue underneath.

The world felt unreal around me, horror filling my hollow body in a scream that seemed to wrack me from within.

“What—what is this?” I gasped, my fingers trembling as I felt all over his broad chest, his broken ribs forgotten.

“My penance,” he said. “For not protecting you six years ago.”

“You’ve worn this. . .since then?” I wailed, my hands over him, trying to wipe the blood away, wipe the pain away, wipe away the daily, hourly torture he had put himself through.

“Every day,” he said. “What was a little pain if my penance was rewarded with you?”

“Rhyder, you’re—you’re not sane,” I cried, feeling tears gather in my eyes, fall down my face.

“Aren’t I?” he asked, the ghost of a smile on his face.

“This—this isn’t normal,” I cried, my hands pulling at his shirt, making little cuts all over my fingers in my haste to get it all the way off. “You have to stopnow!”

“All right,” he said, the lines of exhaustion on his face lightening as he pulled me between his legs and rested his head on my shoulder with a sigh.

My tears mixed and flowed and through them I climbed on my brother’s lap and kissed him. Something had shattered in him a long time ago and I was going to knit it back up piece by godsdamn piece.

*

WE MET UP WITH THErest of the Congregations that had remained after the disastrous incursion into Ronan’s territory.

“The war against him continues,” the Prophet said confidently. “We’ve turned one of his own men. At the appointed time, he will go into their guard house and damage the power flowing to the gates, so we will be able to bring all our Avenging Angels and men in this time. This time,he will fall.”

But Rhyder didn’t genuflect. He didn’t get on his knees to kiss the Prophet’s ring.

“I would like to make Temperance my Helpmeet now,” he said. “As far as I am concerned, she is already my wife in the eyes of the Allfather.”

The Prophet’s crafty face didn’t move and I knew he was turning manipulations over in his mind, trying to figure out how far he could push Rhyder and still keep him loyal.

“Talk to me when we have conquered The Gardens,” he said. “We have more drones now. We will make another attempt, then wipe their weakness and laziness off the earth and they will be no more.”

“They are not lazy,” Rhyder said, and he headed back to set up our fire-damaged \tent.

I was pleased when he did nap in the tent. His broken ribs and other injuries would heal, although he might always have a slight limp.

When I went out to get him some broth, I saw Norah, sitting with a vacant expression on her face and a black eye.

“What happened?” I cried, going up to her. “Where is Elizabeth?”

“Elizabeth didn’t make it,” she said. “They were angry when the raid was unsuccessful. When they came back. . .Elizabeth didn’t make it.”

I wanted to vomit.

“And I’ll be next,” she said dully. “I don’t know when but I’m not getting out of this alive.”

“You need to get out of here,” I whispered to her. “Immediately.”

“When? They watch me like a fucking hawk.”

“Tonight?” I asked. “Could you leave with William? His drones got shot down today. You know he’s in danger too.”

“I would,” she said. “If I could figure out how to. If they see me next to another man, they’ll kill me.”