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Mercy doesn’t answer. She just stares.

“Mercy.”

A laugh escapes her.

Except it breaks halfway through and becomes a sob.

“What?”

She reaches for my wrist with trembling fingers. “Bride.”

I stare at her. “Yeah, we’ve pretty thoroughly established that.”

“No.”

She shakes her head.

Another broken laugh slips out.

“No, Sage. Not Bride.”

The last symbol burns itself into my skin.

Mercy reads it.

Whatever strength has been holding her together disappears.

She sobs.

“Keeper.”

I look from her to the mark.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

I never get an answer.

The floor explodes beneath me.

Roots coil around both ankles and rip my feet out from under me.

I hit the ground hard.

And this time, the Harvest is fucking furious.

“SAGE!”

Rhett.

His voice from somewhere outside.

I kick and a root wraps around my thigh and another at my waist.

Mercy tears at them. “LET HER GO!”

The Harvest roars.

The barn roof rips open and moonlight pours down.