Chapter 66
"I didn't suggest there was," Nellie said gently. "I only mean to say, from what I've witnessed, General Silverthorn strikes me as a man of considerable integrity. The kind who proves his loyalty through consistent action rather than empty words. That's rare enough in this world to be worth recognizing properly when you encounter it."
Callie said nothing for a moment, turning the bracelet over slowly in her hands, considering Nellie's words carefully.
"I've lived a long life," Nellie continued, "long enough to recognize the particular kind of fear that comes from being betrayed too many times by people who claimed to care. I imagine you carry considerable reason for that same fear, given everything you've endured. But I would encourage you, gently, not to let that fear blind
