Seven lets out a mirthless chuckle. “The difference is, my father would have let me die in that brig without a second thought.”
I shake my head. “Not if getting you out gave him a tactical advantage, even as it hurt the people who were depending on him to help them,” I say. “Getting you out was the right thing to do, I know that, but it isn’t why I did it. That’s what scares me.”
Seven hesitates. “A lot of awful things can be said about my father—we’ve said most of them. The idea of sharing anything with him is enough to make me want to tear my skin from my bones. But it can’t be denied that he wins his battles. He’s a monster, but maybe understanding him is the only way we can hope to beat him.”
His words reassure me more than they probably should. I still hate the idea of being like t
