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All her life, she had tried to do the right thing. She had put other people’s comfort above her own. She had sacrificed and suffered and survived without praise or thanks, starving of kindness.

It was too much. It was not enough.

“You lied to me, too, you know!” she snapped, tears burning behind her eyes. “Actually, actively lied. So I’m sorry if you’re having a terrible day, but I nearly died trying to save you, and you dare accusemeof lying?”

She marched away from him, heading to the next carriage. It was a ridiculous, opulent, over the top bathroom in terracotta pink and gold. Clover stood by the sink, half-naked. He blinked as Elena approached.

“I’m going first,” she said.

Clover did not complain. He turned off the taps, grabbed his filthy shirt, and headed back to the others.

Elena stripped herself and tumbled into the bath. She found a bar of soap and scrubbed herself raw, not caring that there were others waiting to use it, not caring that there wasn’t time to linger and others were sitting in their own filth too. Let them wait. She’d been sitting in filth for the last five years.

No more.

No more.

Her skin scraped, her hair devoid of muck, her fingernails scrubbed, she wrapped herself in a towel and headed back to the others. Someone—Snowdrop, probably—had set aside her old clothes for her. She took them into another carriage to change, avoiding Pip’s gaze. It wasn’t hard. He was staring out of the window at the blackened tunnel as they hurtled down it, even though there was nothing to look at.

Snowdrop caught her gaze when she returned, fully clothed. She frowned when Elena sat away from him. “Trouble?” she asked, dropping into the seat beside her.

“He’s angry at me. He thinks… well, it doesn’t matter. He has no right to be angry either way.”

Snowdrop patted her hand. “No one can stay mad at you for long, cousin. He’ll be back to worshipping the air around you before long, I’m sure.”

Elena smiled weakly, wishing she could believe that. “Cousin?”

“You said we were distantly related, didn’t you?”

“I—yes. I suppose so. But well… it’s very distant.”

“Good. Makes my one-sided crush on you slightly less weird.”

Elena laughed.

“I don’t have much in the way of relatives,” Snowdrop continued. “It is nice to have one I don’t despise.”

“You mean you don’t get along with your dear stepmama?”

Snowdrop chuckled. She extended her pinkie finger. “Evil stepmother club?”

“Allies to the end.” Elena linked her finger into hers and squeezed it. “Friends, even.”

“Friends,” Snowdrop agreed. “And I think you’ll find I’m a very good one. If Pip doesn’t wise up, I’ll shoot him for you.”

“You’re supposed to make an alliance with him.”

“Friends before alliances. Girl’s code.”

“You are making things up.”

“Yes, but I’m hilarious, so who cares?”

The bathroom door clicked open, and Clover emerged. Snowdrop got out of her seat. “I’m going to freshen up,” she said. “I don’t think we have much longer until we need to blow something up. I’d like not to reek of bin juice when we do.”

She disappeared. Clover headed to the front carriage. Dandelion was already gone. Elena found herself completely alone with Pip once more. She was still too angry to explain things, and she supposed he had a lot to think about too. Maybe they both needed time. Maybe…

She stood up, and crossed the carriage to stand beside him, searching for the words.