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“No. I know how to protect Caldren. How to protect…everyone.” Even the Scourge, but I didn’t dare say that to him. It was Branok; he’d figure out too much anyway.
He reached for me, and I danced back.
“I love you, Bran,” I told him.
His face clouded. “Why are you saying that now?”
“You should say it back to me. Never miss a chance.” I told him lightly.
He reached for me, looking angrier now, and I danced back. He really had no ability to handle emotions.
I had a deal to make with Ebba.
“Honor, stop.” He lunged forward. “It’s about Hanna.”
My blood ran cold.
“What is it?”
“She was caught up in the attack of the Scourge when they invaded the city.”
Kessily had sent the Scourge against Rylow to try to bring me to my knees. And now I went weak, imagining not just Calla being turned, but Hanna. If Kessily had turned Hanna and hidden her amongst the Scourge… the thought I could have killed Kessily and never been able to find my sister as the Scourge took her over made my stomach lurch.
Branok grabbed my shoulders, his face shifting with alarm. “Hanna is fine.”
I almost sagged in relief. Branok’s fingers tightened around my shoulders as if he were holding me up as I scolded him, “You could have opened with that news.”
“Sorry,” he said. “That's the good news. The other half, you might consider bad news.”
“What's that?”
“She's with me.”
“What? Why?
“I can keep her safe,” he said defensively.
“No, she's not going to be safer wherever you are. The Posselbaum Academy is the safest place for her—”
“Honor,” he said softly. “She was scared, and she was ashamed of being scared, and it was the only thing I could think of to help her... she didn't want to stay there anymore.”
“But she was safe there. She had the chance to become a spy herself, to live her dream.”
“Is that her dream or yours?”
I stared at Branok, feeling as if he had just slapped me. “What matters is that she is safe.”
“You appreciate it so much when we take that same perspective about you,” he muttered.
“She’s a child!” I reminded him sternly, stung by his accusation of hypocrisy. “I’ve tried to keep her safe all my life.”
“I'll keep her safehere.Anyway…” He rested his hand over mine; I still gripped the little chaos doll. His eyes met mine frankly. “When you are about to go off on a bloody suicide mission negotiating with the chaos god, I don't think you get to lecture anyone else about making wise choices.”
My heart sank. He’d seen right through me. “That's my little sister.”
“I am well aware. And that is part of why she is so annoying. And part of why I would do anything to take care of her.” His green eyes locked on mine. “Trust me, Honor. It's a shitty situation, but bringing her with me was the best of all the available choices.”
I hesitated, my feelings in a roil. Then I nodded. “I do trust you, Bran.”
