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Malrek stood quietly next to Rav, his heart sinking as he watched Magra drag Ellie deeper into the forest. He knew there was no use in protesting. Rav couldn’t stop it, even if he wanted to. Zār had always said Malrek had too soft a heart, that he trusted people too easily. But Malrek knew, deep in his gut, that Ellie wasn’t lying. She might have been hiding something, but it wasn’t out of malice.
Malrek had a gift, one he’d never told his brother about. He could see the aura of people when he first met them, and if he tried, he could see it again later. He hadn’t told Zār because his brother was always too busy, too skeptical, for something like that. But Malrek had confided in Rav once, while watching the soldiers train. Rav had listened, unlike
