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When I reach the throne room (the twins at my heels), I can hear the voice of the Eldest before I even show up. That shrill, matronly tone isn't one I'll soon forget, so I take pause, lingering outside the entrance for a moment to hear what's being said.

*quot;We still can't trust her.*quot; The voice of the Eldest. I can only assume she's talking about me.

*quot;She's Kith!*quot; came the fast retort. It's also a voice I recognize, one I've become intimate with in the past few hours - Zin.

*quot;She's half-Kith, if that. And we don't even know what faction she's from - she could be Folakith! That would explain why she hasn't expressed characteristics of any specific Kith.*quot; The Eldest again. Ella squeaks softly, and I elbow her in the ribs to be quiet.

Zin raises her voice, taking a tone I've never heard her use before. *quot;You would dare accuse someone of being Folakith?*quot; she snarls. *quot;You don't even know this woman, and you would-*quot;

She's abruptly cut off, though I can't see by what. It's a few moments before someone speaks again, and it's Zin. *quot;I... I just think she deserves the benefit of the doubt. The Kith aren't executioners, we never have been. And we certainly don't execute our own.*quot; Her tone is more mild now; she's trying to be reasonable.

There's another pause, a palpable tension and anger. I hear the voice of the Eldest again. *quot;If you, fugitive, advocate for her...*quot;

*quot;Eldest-*quot; Zin attempts to interject. She fails.

*quot;If you advocate for her then she shall be your responsibility,*quot; the Eldest continues. *quot;Expose her to the Bondings until you find which family she belongs to. If you cannot find a family she belongs to, or if you give up, then she will be named Folakith and put to death.*quot;

I turn to the twins with a mildly constipated look. *quot;This doesn't sound good,*quot; I whisper.

Elle nods at me. *quot;Zin's an exile. To carry you across the Glade might spell her doom if she is... accused.*quot; Kartal Grup Escort She's holding something back, that much I can tell. But I'm also smart enough to tell that the thing she's hiding isn't something she's going to open up about if I ask. I decide to let it slip.

The eavesdropped conversation between Zin and the Eldest ends abruptly and I hear fast-moving footsteps moving back down the hallway, toward the twins and I. I clear my throat and try to look natural, backing up before starting to walk towards the sound, as if I had just started sauntering over and hadn't yet heard anything. As I quickly see, the source of the footsteps is Zin herself, looking... well, I'd say *quot;the worse for wear*quot; except for the fact that she looks like she'd just as soon kill me as talk to me. *quot;You, outsider,*quot; she grumbles as she comes near to me. *quot;Are going to get me killed.*quot;

*quot;Are we giving up on the *quot;Maxie*quot; thing and going back to the *quot;outsider*quot; thing? Because while I think the latter would make a great name for a superhero or something, I don't really feel like it's me, if that makes any sens-*quot;

*quot;Now isn't the time to be flippant,*quot; Zin says, her voice grave and death in her eyes. *quot;In case you've forgotten, your life is on the line. The Eldest wants to pronounce you Folakith.*quot;

*quot;I don't know what that means,*quot; I say matter-of-factly. These Kith chicks really need to keep up with the fact that I have no fucking clue what's going on. Whether or not it's embarrassing, I need to have my hand held on this one.

Zin opens her mouth to respond, but hesitates. Elle intercepts and answers for her. *quot;Folakith are... they're called the Blood-Folk. Evil Kith with no true form, they take on the characteristics of another type of Kith. They integrate into our cultures, to cripple us. A single Folakith can bring disaster on a myriad of scales - whether political, economic, or something worse.*quot;

I furrow Kartal Manken Escort my brow and fold my arms, momentarily taking notice of the fact that Zin has yet to comment on my new outfit before realizing that she is, indeed, a bit preoccupied. *quot;Wait, no,*quot; I say, shaking my head. *quot;What's the point of evil Kith? You guys have a paradise here, why is there an entire species dedicated to fucking it up?*quot;

*quot;Many times, we have asked the same of your humans,*quot; Zin grumbles. *quot;Some humans have a darkness inside of them, a lust for power or a fear of acceptance that causes them to be violent and destructive. It is so with the Kith, as well - some Kith are born with a darkness in them. They can be born into any clan, to any family, but within them is madness and evil. Greed. Rage.*quot;

I shake my head. It still doesn't add up. *quot;No. With humans, they're still humans, they're just awful. They aren't a different species that can be identified.*quot;

*quot;Because your kind relies so strongly on science, rather than magic. The Kith invented the Bondings, rituals that grant us natural abilities based on the inclinations of our clan. Most Kith undergo these in their earlier years, but the Folakith - the Blood-Folk - cannot partake in them. Their souls are tainted. They are not true Kith, and the ritual can detect it. This is often how we detect Folakith among us, though some of them flee before they take the rites.*quot; Zin inhales deeply, looking distinctly troubled. *quot;These outcasts created sects in the wildlands of the Glade, and they created Bondings of their own. The Folakith are monsters, Maxie. They're evil.*quot;

I nod and try not to look too blank-faced. There's still a ton that I don't know about these people and I figured it's probably best to just accept that they say rather than trying to debate them. I exhale heavily, nervously chewing at my bottom lip. *quot;So it sounds like I'm toast.*quot;

Zin lowers her eyes, Kartal Masöz Escort no longer letting them meet mine. *quot;You needn't be. I've convinced the Eldest that you're half Kith, and she's made me your official guardian. It's my job to guide you through the Glade and introduce you to the Bondings until you find the one that works for you. If none of them work... then there won't be anything I can do to save you.*quot;

*quot;You sound kinda pissed, Zin,*quot; I observe aloud, keeping my eyes focused on her as the twins shuffle awkwardly behind me. Filistata, my little ixling, chirps idly in my ear and then drapes himself over my shoulder casually. *quot;I thought the Glade was this amazing place, it shouldn't be hard, should it? Hell, couldn't it even be fun? Road trip, just the two of us girls?*quot;

*quot;Not all of the Glade is pleasant, Maxie,*quot; the Faoikith girl says, sighing softly and still not meeting my gaze. *quot;There are wildlands we will have to go through, and rites you'll have to go through to even be considered for a Bonding. Plus I'm not exactly... popular with most of the Kith, which is better than how they'll react to an outsider like you. It won't be easy, it will be hell.*quot;

I chew the inside of my lip, folding my arms. I then smile, leaning down to gently bite Zin's earlobe and whisper to her. *quot;I can make it worth your while?*quot;

What? My life's on the line, and it isn't like I haven't already been fucked silly by Zin. It's worth it if it means I live. Besides, I'm a big girl and I can make my own decisions about who I do and don't fuck and get fucked by. Zin's cute in the scheme of things.

She looks up at me, not smiling but managing to look just a little less dour. *quot;Yes, perhaps you can. Have the twins take you to one of the harem guest rooms and... and I'll pick you up in the morning. The Eldest has offered to let you attempt the Faoikith Bonding as a freebie, so who knows? Maybe this will end easy. If not... we'll have to head aboveground, and things are gonna get rough. I hope you're ready.*quot;

I swallow, hard. *quot;Like, super ready.*quot;

As the twins start leading me away, I hear Zin call out from behind me. *quot;Hey, Maxie?*quot;

*quot;Yeah?*quot;

She smiles. *quot;Your clothes look nice.*quot;