"Now I have a question for you: why did you kill those men? You knew you wouldn't make it out of the citadel. Was it just to spite Galbatorix, as he said?" She sighed and pushed herself off Murtagh's chest so she was sitting upright. With some reluctance, he released his hold around her shoulders. She sniffed, then looked him square in the eyes. "I couldn't just lie there and let him do whatever he wanted to me. I had to fight back; I had to show him that he hadn't broken me, and I wanted to hurt him however I could." "So it spite!" "In part. What of it?" She expected him to express disgust or condemnation at her actions, but instead he gave her an appraising look and his lips curved in a small, knowing smile. "Then I say well done," he replied. After a moment, she returned his smile. "Besides," she said, "there was always a chance I escape." He snorted. "And dragons might start eating grass." "Even so, I had to try."