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"I’ll have to go look for her," Casper said

"Don’t go unarh like a wori remotely feminine about him, except possibly his hair, and even that ilder than any woht to be He stretched his shoulders and stooped to pluck a wickedpirate

"I had hoped I wouldn’t ever have to find out how bad I am with a knife"

"Then hurry Your only hope is to find your friend while the "

"Where could she be? Where would she run?" I would have paced, but the already s in the tight space My heart jolted with an unco for his pants What would a ," Mikhail said, and then I heard the boots pounding down the hall

"C’irly," a man shouted just outside, and Keen bolted into the roo for her jacket With a casual flick of his arm, Mikhail drove a knife into the oldas another dead pirate fell to the ground

"That’s one proble Keen’s appearance with ease, his head to one side

"Pirates," Keen panted, eyes ith terror

"We were just leaving," I added, holding out my hand to her

Much to my surprise, she actually came to me, nervous as a colt I held her close as she shivered

"What about the" I gulped I couldn’t say it

"Parachutes," Casper supplied

I shot him a dark look

"I knohere they are I can be there and back in a few minutes" With Keen returned, his attitude went fro off an airship was nothing For once, I envied his recklessness

He quickly stripped the long duster fro his hair up under the dead pirate’s disreputable-looking bowler The coat was too sed across the shoulders, but Casper looked piratical enough

"As long as you don’t talk to anyone and they don’t look too closely, that should do," Mikhail said "I’ll keep the princess safe"

"Be sure that you do"

Casper looked attook , and I found , "It’s fine We’ll be fine Go"

Not until he was out the door did it occur to me to wish him luck

Not until Mikhail turned to ht, did it occur to ht not, in fact, be fine

Mikhail turned to Keen where she sat on the bed I went on alert as he reached into his coat, but he withdrew a fist, not a weapon His ar Keen with powder, and he muttered, "Sleep, child"

Keen’s eyes drooped closed, her head falling gently to the side and her e after Ravenna, but now I kne Cri in Dover

Mikhail turned back toto fear fro you do"

"And what’s that?"

"The safety of our people The return of the land to her ancient rulers A world free of the form, so childlike and soft His eyes shone feverishly when he looked at et s In a heartbeat, he was on his knees, my bare hand clutched to his lips