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single match floated through the air, carried by a hand, to light a hunk of wax in a metal holder. Once the wick caught the flame, light illuminated Icarus’s scarred face.
    Luckily, the meager light didn’t extend to my side of the room, charitably leaving me in shadow long enough to swipe at my eyes and nose with my sleeve. Icarus squinted at the sound of sniffling. “You’re crying?”
    I shook my head. “Not really. Just tired.”
    He nodded to dismiss the topic. “We need to talk.”
    “Can it wait?” I’d hoped he’d take the hint and leave me alone. Apparently it was just not my lucky night. Hell, it wasn’t my lucky life .
    He limped forward. With the light behind him, I couldn’t see the scars on the side of his face and body, and he looked almost handsome. “Afraid not.” He nodded toward the cot and waited until I was settled to pull over a stool for himself.
    The dim light and the close quarters created unwanted intimacy. I folded my legs in front of me on the bed to gain some distance.
    “What’s up?” I sounded brittle, but I was too tired to disguise it.
    “We have to talk Saga out of his plan.”
    I didn’t bother asking him how he knew. Despite his dramatic exit from the conversation, I should have known better than to assume he wouldn’t eavesdrop.
    “I refused.”
    A lazy laugh escaped his lips. “We both know he’ll convince you tomorrow.”
    “I would have thought you’d love the idea of killing Dr. Death.”
    “I would if I thought it was possible. Saga means well, but he hasn’t been on the inside. Hasn’t seen what Dr. Death is capable of. Even if you could get inside and kill him, which is highly unlikely, you’d have no chance of escaping the camp.”
    “You escaped.”
    He lifted his ruined left arm. “Barely. And that was just me. You’re talking about getting at least two other people out with you.” He shook his head to indicate the mere idea was futile at best.
    “Look, I already said I’m not interested. There’s no point arguing about whether his plan can work.”
    “Okay, all right.” He rubbed the scars on his left forearm with the palm of his good hand. “You can’t let him intimidate you.”
    Now it was my turn to laugh. “That’s funny, coming from you.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “You’ve done nothing but threaten and coerce me since the moment Sister Agrippa introduced us in the tunnels under the convent.”
    “You don’t get it, do you?”
    I shrugged.
    “If you die, every hope of defeating the Troika goes with you. Have him send that kid alone, I don’t care. But you’re not going.”
    Cold spread from my scalp to my chest. I wasn’t sure what I’d been hoping he would say, but telling me the only reason he wanted me alive was for his precious rebellion? For someone so set on saving the human race, he was incredibly mercenary when it came to caring for individuals.
    “I get it,” I snapped.
    He frowned and leaned forward. “Why are you angry with me? I’m trying to save your life.”
    “No,” I said, standing. He had to lean back to get out of my way. “You’re trying to save the rebellion.” I opened the door. “I’m tired.”
    He froze and watched me for a few moments, as if I were a riddle he was trying to unravel. Finally, he slapped his hands on his thighs before rising. “Just promise me you’ll be strong tomorrow.”
    I looked him in the eyes as he approached. “I’m always strong, Icarus.”
    He met my gaze steadily. When he spoke his voice was unexpectedly soft. “I know you are.”
    With that, he brushed past me and disappeared down the corridor like a ghost.
    I slammed the door harder than I’d intended, but it felt so good that I didn’t regret it. Using dry fingers, I pinched the wick to snuff out the flame. The bite of pain felt good too.
    Plopping onto the cot, I realized Icarus had done me a huge favor. As usual, talking to him made me so angry I forgot to feel sorry for myself.
    I