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Her eyes darken.

“I hated them.” My voice cracks. “I hated my brothers for having the courage to take what you willingly gave them.”

The truth is ugly but there it is anyway.

“And I hated myself because all I could think about was whether you'd look at me that way too.”

She does.

Right now.

Fuck.

I cup her face, and the second her eyes fall closed, the Earth erupts around us.

Roots tear through the ground with enough force to send the crowd stumbling back, their screams rising as the corn bows violently toward us. Behind Sage, the throne cracks straight down the middle.

Then the entire field heaves.

Once.

Hard.

Like something huge beneath the soil just rolled over and woke up.

Sage's eyes fly open.

I tear my hands away. “No.”

The Harvest settles instantly.

There. Proof.

Sage sees it. “So that's it.”

I can't speak.

“It isn't waiting for me.” Her eyes lock on mine. “It's waiting for you.”

Yes. The Sower. The last choice.

She steps toward me and I step back. “Don't.”

“You want me.”

“Yes.”

“You just admitted it.”

“Yes, I did.”

“And I want you.”

The field trembles.

I shake my head. “That is exactly why I can't.”

Her face hardens. “Then when?”