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A soft laugh "And now you want er that"

"I understand why you did"

"All theainst the timber slats of the walls "Locked in the enclaves, servin’his iron fist up, he clenched it, staring at the shifting metal "They said I owed ’em fifteen years for this Fifteen years in that hell" A harsh laugh "Then you with your pretty promises All I e’er wanted was soin’ us to wait, build yon fuckin’ metal army" He spat to the side "I worked metal for o’er ten years What you wanted would ’ave taken at least another three I couldn’t wait that long"

"If you did, perhaps ouldn’t be sitting here now"

"Aye" He rubbed at the bruise on his face absently, then winced "Got a ht ’ook, you do Never seen you in action afore You could ’ave done soainst his"The Echelon, they want Mercury bad, don’t they?"

She nodded

"Then answer iven ’er to ’ely astute "I don’t knohat you mean"

"I saw the way that dandy ’anded you up in ’ere Whatever you’re plannin’, ’e don’t like it none" Narrowed eyes "What are you plannin’?"

He thought this a ploy Rosalind looked away "I’e for Lynch They want Mercury, so I’ll give her to them"

"What?" Mordecai looked incredulous, then a canny expression crossed his face, a se Them weaker emotions be the death o’ you"

"I know"

He shook his head "A blue blood, eh A bleedin’ Nighthawk"

"The Nighthawk," she corrected

"Aye And still a bleeder"

"So I used to believe" She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall "They’re not like the Echelon"

"No?"

"No" A small smile crossed her lips "If it reatest threat to the Echelon won’t be you or I It will be the Nighthawks They’ve already got an arreeted this state at her "You believe that?" No matter his bravado, she sensed the need in hi

"I do"

"You ain’t so bad," he muttered "When you ain’t so cold A pity We coulda worked well together"

A huhthawks on you," she reminded him

Despite the bruises, he almost smiled back "That were clever I ain’t never suspected that"

The words trailed off as both of theh the barredat the back of the prison cart Her sto closer now They were nearly at the tower She could al shadow of it over the prison cart

"What would you ’ave done, if this ’adn’t ’appened?" Mordecai suddenly asked "If ’is lord Nighthaere free and you weren’t facin’ the guillotine?"

She had to think about it Indeed, she’d had soor right, everything she ht have done differently "I wouldn’t start a war," she said "Not in the streets Not the way I planned There was so the way to win The Echelon are so strong because they are feared, because no one dares to speak against theainst them?"

"I’d find a way," she said "Perhaps I’d join the Huh burr "You wouldn’t follow Not for long You’d want to lead"

"Perhaps I’ve learned my lesson," she replied "Or perhaps not Who knows? The point isin the background Then Garrett’s voice, cutting through the shouts as he proclaimed, "Prisoners For the tower"

Their eyes rime "Do you think they’ll call us ’eroes out in the streets?"

"Anything is possible" Rosalind’s breath caught She could taste fear, see it in his eyes and knew he saw it in hers

"Alanted to be a ’ero" He took a deep breath as the lock on the back of the cart rattled "Guess this is it A damned shaained," she agreed hoarsely

Their eyesbehind his eyes "They don’t even want me, do they? All they want is Mercury"

Rosa nodded

Mordecai licked his lips and shifted in his seat "Guess I’m dead then and the bastards won’t even remember me name Curse ’em Curse ’em all to ’ell"

Twenty-seven

"This is ridiculous," Barrons snapped, stepping to the front of the dais in the closest he’d ever co the prince consort

"You dare defy your prince?" The Duke of Bleight asked

Of course that vulture would be here They all were, Balfour taking the place left vacant by the deers on his chair, the only sign of le dart of his eyes

Lynch stood with his shoulders squared and his head high He couldn’t quite control the racing beat of his heart Death would never have been his choice, but then he had no choice He could have handed the mech leader over in soerous Too many people kneho Mercury was and Mordecai was the only one whose tongue he couldn’t control

"I offer council," Barrons replied icily, "when the rest of you would rather bite your tongues and bob your heads for fear of offending" He turned to glare at the prince consort "I know I’m not the only one who thinks this is foolishness I’m just the only one who dares voice it"