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The very suggestion was absurd. "No."

"Like... never?"

"No."

"What about your parents?"

"I never knew them."

"Friends?"

"I did not have those."

Her smile vanished. "Your commander?"

The thought of Asmodeus, Belphegor hugging me or each other was utterly absurd. "No."

Silence settled between us. She looked at me as though I'd just confessed I'd never seen the stars.

"Oh, Azaren." There it was again. That tone. The one humans used when they pitied someone.

"I do not require—" She closed the distance before I finished speaking.

Warm arms wrapped around my waist. Soft. Firm. Certain. Every muscle in my body locked. What... was she doing? Her cheek rested against my chest. She smelled faintly of lavender. And soap. And sunshine warmed by autumn leaves. Something inside me lurched so violently I almost stumbled backward.

No.

No!

Absolutely not.

I caught her shoulders and pushed her from me. "Do not do that."

The words came out far harsher than intended. She took an involuntary step backward. Confusion flashed across her face, followed by hurt. It was tiny, barely visible, but unmistakable. Enough to make something twist painfully beneath my ribs.

No.

Not that.

Anything but that.

Not because of me.

"I..." The word lodged somewhere between my throat and lungs. Brilliant, my entire existence, the thousands of battles fought, were reduced to a single, thoroughly inadequate syllable. "I wasn't..." Equally useless.

Poppy's smile disappeared, it faded slowly, as though someone had gently extinguished a light. "Oh."

She looked down, rubbing absently at her arm where I'd pushed her away.

"I thought..." Her laugh was small. Fragile. "Never mind." She turned. "I'm sorry." The words barely carried above the breeze. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just..." Her shoulders lifted in a helpless shrug. "Mrs. Wilton said everyone deserves a hug now and then."

Her voice cracked on the last word and stopped walking. She lifted one hand to quickly brush at the corner of her eye. As though she hoped I hadn't noticed.

I had. All the instinct I possessed sharpened at once. At the same time, my chest tightened with pain. But not with mine. Hers.

Because of me. The realization struck with astonishing force.

No. Absolutely not. I crossed the distance between us before the thought had fully formed. "Poppy."