“You shouldn’t be here,” I told Ye Eun as we neared the chasm’s edge. I choked out the words, trying not to breathe—the pit stank of sulfur. Standing near it made me want to scrub off my own skin, as though the stench alone could infect every pore. Ye Eun sighed softly, foul wind from the Breach tousling her short hair. “I know,” she said. “But it was the only way I could make sure you’d enter the Breach.” “Make . . . sure?” “I can’t let Ae Ri be sacrificed.” Her gaze was frank. “Not like I was. She’s all I have.” I breathed a laugh. “If I hesitated, were you planning to push me?” “Yes.” “Ah.”
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