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"He just wants you to be safe"

"I’ht I’ve been training since I could walk My great-grandfather is a war god; I’ with you If you tell ant and de like her father too "Suit yourself"

Kieran and I snuck away from the square toward the river Once wethe waterfront, then to Canal, and finally to Charity Hospital Josephine was dead, the Handswho knew My only options were to wait for Sebastian or to go back to Arnaud House for the journals I’d dropped in hopes I’d find a clue about the Hands within the pages

The hospital was packed with the injured and the scared We e looks because of our bloodied state The waiting room was filled, but the kids were nowhere to be seen I went to the front desk but found a nurse onthe stairs to the third floor to find her room

The room was peaceful and quiet, such a sharp contrast to the chaos of where we’d just been and the things we had done to survive Stepping into the roo onto another planet

Crank looked so small in the bed Her eyes were closed Thethe blood on my hands, the way it had filled in the creases and wrinkles and lines in ernails

"Ari," Kieran whispered

I ju to her side

"Jeez You look like shit," she hter, Kieran Has the doctor been in yet?"

She nodded and sed, the action taking soave a lio with the lady"

"What lady?"

"The witch," Crank answered, closing her eyes "So pretty"

"Where did they go? Did they say?"

She didn’t know Damn it

"So the witch is bad?" Kieran asked, confused

"I don’t know I think itThe only witch that was here before was the River Witch, and he is definitely not pretty He also said he left the kids here at the hospital"

"All right," Kieran said, obviously having no clue who I was talking about "Nohat?"

"Well, we can wait for Sebastian to show up or head back into the Quarter for Josephine’s journals It’s a shot in the dark, but it’s the only thing I know of that ive us a clue on the Hands"

"How about I round up so? Then we can leave Sebastian a note, tell hiet back"

I slumped on the chair "Okay"

Kieran washed her hands and face in the sink in the sone, I did the sa the blood swirl down the drain It was even inthe white red and black Tiny spray patterns of blood stuck to my neck, my face, ears, and hands I scrubbedmy reflection in the mirror I looked bruised and drawn After all I’d seen and done, I understood the solemn expression in my eyes It was in my father’s eyes at tiht be the right word