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The drones home in on him, as he stands shivering on the sands. They’re broadcasting his fate to the universe.

Queen Jasmine raises her hands to calm the crowd. “With this justice, the Toad King must denounce Oblog and bring the other guilty finger, Lord Qavar, to us to face equal justice! Otherwise, we’ll know the Toad King himself endorses this treachery – and there will be war!”

War.

If the Toad King doesn’t hand over Lord Qavar and pin the smuggling operation on those two Toad Lords – as an individual, unsanctioned act – it won’t just be the Separatists facing off against the Aurelian Empire.

The entire universe will be plunged into war.

The Planet-Killers will come out of storage.

Trillions will die.

I’m witnessing history in the making – but all I want is for the universe to forget.

Not forget the treachery, or the bloodshed. Just to forget the four of us.

All I want is to find my safety and build my own life.

Down below, Lord Oblog turns, falling to his knees and beating at the sand. He’d appeared so strong when he’d bought and sold helpless human women. He’d seemed so strong when he’d ordered us to be sold to the Bullfrogs.

Queen Jasmine motions to me. The Elite grunts behind me. The stone walkway between us is certain under my feet. I walk to her, grateful, but her eyes are expressionless.

“I am not a fool.”

Those are the words she greets me with. Her voice is normal now, not amplified to greet the crowds. She’s speaking to me, and me alone.

“I know what your triad did.” She shakes her head. “Fools! Fools that I should make an example of.”

Her voice is like ice. She’s a formidable creature, and I was foolish to ever think she was a pawn of the Aurelians. If anything, it’s the other way around.

“You’re lucky that the Bond is too precious to be wasted,” Jasmine says coldly. “Those men of yours were naïve. I hope you have more sense than they do.”

I nod fervently.

“I’m entrusting you to raise Aurelian sons less foolish than their fathers.”

Raise them?

She’ll let us be together.

As if reading my mind, Jasmine nods.

“But your triad will not be honored here. You are henceforth banished from Colossus,andthe Aurelian Empire. Youwillgo to that hidden place your triad thinks is so far from war, and there youwill raiseyour triad’s sons.”

She sighs then, deep and earnest. I see the weight she carries on her shoulders. She may have the face of a woman in her mid-twenties, but she has been through horrors I can only imagine.

She’s had the entire Aurelian Empire on her shoulders for hundreds of years – navigating the rivalry between Separatists, while negotiating with the other species for centuries.

“You will bear sons that will repopulate the Aurelian nation,” Jasmine continues. “To fill the places when our men are cut down – and they will be.”

I shudder.

“Wewillwin this war,” Jasmine intones, “but only if there are enough of us left…”

Then, she looks away from the pitiful Toad grovelling on the ground below us.

I watch, transfixed, as Marcel walks up to him. Quint and Lucius stay in the middle of the Arena, watching their leader approach Oblog like a wolf stalking an injured calf.