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Back The Art of Exile Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Map
  4. Dedication
  5. GENESIS INSTITUTE GUILDS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  50. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  51. IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS

“But I’m learning so much, like how to control my abilities and advancements we could use—”

“And it’s a shame you’ll lose that, but it’s preferable to me losing you.”

“You’re not going to lose me.”

“I haven’t already?” His expression is dark with sadness and disappointment. “You didn’t even tell me you were coming to the city. You snuck here and broke out a prisoner! And I shouldn’t doubt where your allegiances lie?”

“What was I supposed to do? You told me nothing. Nothing! I came here to warn you. To tell you they have photographs of you. And to find out what I’ve been helping you do. I thought I was helping you improve the world, not kidnap children!”

“All you had to do was keep your cover, and instead you tell a dangerous royal who you are and bring him directly to us? We’re going to have to move everything to another facility now that he’s been here.”

“Think what you like, but I made the right decision. The fact that I got myself off that island and am here talking to you now is the sign of my success. It was your choice to keep me in the dark, so I was forced to act on my own. And I chose the perfect person to tell. The person most likely to underestimate me so he may actually think I’m innocent in all of this despite my familial connections. A person who has his own agenda and his own secrets, so he’ll stay quiet when this is all over. Now stop underestimating me like everyone else and trust me with the information I need to do the job you sent me to do.” I’m not sure I’ll want to keep doing any kind of job for them once I find out what the Oculus has been up to, but right now ensuring I’m the one in control of making that decision feels paramount.

“You’ve completed your job already. The information you sent us is enough. With it, combined with what we have from Prometheus and our new lead, there’s no reason for you to return.”

“But I finally have information about a stone that allows non-Sires to use Ha’i. I’m the only Sire in the family. You need me to—”

He cuts me off. “That’s no longer quite true.” Kor plucks a leaf from the tree next to him and presses it into his hand, which makes shiin. I feel the hum of Ha’i and—much more easily than I managed with the sticks—the leaf bursts into a momentary flame. Then it’s gone, a puff of ash snowing to the ground.

“You’re not the only Sire in the family anymore, Ada.”

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