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In my last vision, he asked me what number I was, and I feel an enorh, clear my throat, and I know my voice has finally returned I yell, ‘I am Number Four!’ just as the arena falls silent

‘Have you made your decision?’ Sam asks He continues to twist and turn in his shackles, the other boy still struggling to break his chains above hiht at me and I can see his eyes are a deep maroon color This is not Sains shaking so violently that the other boy loses his grip on him and I can only watch in horror as he falls and disappears into the salow then surrounds Sam, and the chains break of their own accord Instead of falling, like the boy, like the agents, Saht snaps on and I watch, disbelievingly, as Sarows and transforms – into Setrákus Ra The three Loric pendants around Setrákus Ra’s neck glow brightly, as does the purple scar circling his throat ‘Do you want the human back?’ he bellows

‘I will take him back!’ I yell at hi but abyss around et closer to hiround He lands and the rocks show no sign of giving way as they have for the rest of us ‘This is your surrender? Fine I shall accept your pendant now’

I look down andfroiant fist His cracked lips open to reveal a sharp, crooked-toothed grin

‘No! I will not surrender!’ The ht around my neck My pendant is back

The other boy leaps from the chasm into which he fell and lands near Setrákus Ra, his head held high The boy joins htout,’ Setrákus Ra says and I now realize he is speaking to both of us – that he has been the whole tiet both of us to surrender Did he think he could convince us both to sacrifice ourselves in the belief that he would allow the others to live? I can only hope none of the others fall for his tricks

The blue stain on the ceiling of the train car is suddenly all I see, and I sit up abruptly, trying to shake off the dream that has left my brain fuzzy I touch the bracelet around ht on the bracelet’s abilities, I was able to remove it But the moment it left my wrist, I felt unsafe without it and hurriedly popped it back on I touch it again and wonder ifAll of a sudden, soainst my back and I jue frole, htmare?’ Nine yawns fro symbols into the ith a nail, the very picture of soe The soles of his bare feet are black

‘They’re getting really strange,’ I say, and I hope I don’t sound as shaken as I feel Last thing I need is Nine seeing me as so them at the same time’

Nine lifts the nail to examine it more closely He tilts his head, as if it’s a rare specimen and not theout of the corner of his ies on this one nail With a s it into two perfectly equal pieces He turns to facevisions of sohts you are?’

I shrug ‘I don’t know I keep seeing this really skinny kid with curly black hair He’s wearing one of our pendants, so I have to assus in the dream seem to be tailored for him in some ways and to me in others I see you in these visions too’

Nine frowns, then opens his Chest and digs around inside I’ that will help , I’m supposed to do with them ‘I’d like to try to contact the others with the red stone, but I guess the government has it tapped so frustrated

I walk across the e He has a yellow cube in his hand that I’ve never seen before ‘What do you think it overnment has your stone tapped? How do you think it happened? I s, but how did they convince the government to ith them?’

Nine looks at me incredulously ‘Are you serious? Who cares why they’re working together or what the Mogs had to say to get theether The US governadorians have teauys!’

‘But the Mogs will destroy Earth – or worse – once they get rid of us Doesn’t the governuys?’

‘Apparently not Who kno it happened? Maybe they’re just using one another; both trying to double cross the other Whatever it is, the governs If they weren’t, they’d be scared out of their freaking minds’ Nine places the yellow cube in his mouth A look of satisfaction appears on his face

‘What is that?’ I ask

‘Sustenance,’ he says, his voice garbled ‘It’s a food substitute You suck on it and it fills you up for a little bit Take a look You ht have one too’