Nova thinks of Alex's Death Day and her own attempts to sabotage it. As if he wouldn't have already done enough damage himself with his stupid canto and stupid contract. "Trust me, I've seen someone really kill the buzz at a party. This is nothing."

And it seems to him that no matter how much a person does or doesn't like being in Darrow, loss is just part of the experience. Even the people who claim to be happy here always have that little edge, the way their words fade out on a 'but...'

It's life.