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"Best? I don’t know--Six is pretty good at ass kicking, too"

Nine snorts "Yeah, she was super-badass in her freaking ceiling cocoon That’s not the point, Johnny The point is, I need you to tell onna go stir crazy up in here"

I take another look at Nine’s sketchpad Froht to work on these drawings as soon as we returned fro his best to coadorians Meanwhile, I’ve been stuck in this rut, unable to sleep, thinking myself in circles alone on the rooftop

"I wish Henri was here," I say, "or Sandor Any of the Cêpans, really Someone that could tell us what to do next"

"Yeah, well, they’re dead," replies Nine, bluntly "It’s up to us now, and you’re always the one with the ideas Hell, the last ti with your plan, I almost had to throw you off a roof"

"I’ know-it-all" Nine pats me hard on the back, which I’ve coets to real affection "Quit whining, cut down on the snuggling with your little huirlfriend, and coo I would’ve bristled at Nine callingto motivateas it is, I sort of need to hear it

"What if I just don’t have a plan?" I ask quietly

"That, John-boy, is simply not an option"

CHAPTER SIX

I’M BACK ON THE ROOF OF THE JOHN HANCOCK Center This time, I’m not alone

"We don’t have to talk about it, if you aren’t ready," I say gently, looking at the huddled for Indian style on the roof next to me

Ella has a blanket wrapped around her shoulders even though it isn’t that cold on the roof Somehow she looks s her to revert back to a younger age Beneath the blanket she’s wearing one of Nine’s old flannel shirts It comes all the way down to her knees Lately, it seems like the only time she’s able to sleep peacefully is in the afternoons She probably wouldn’t have even gotten out of bed at all today if Marina hadn’t gently prodded her to come up here and talk with me

"I’ll try," she says, her voice hard to hear above the wind "Marina said you ht be able to help"

Thanks, Marina, I think I’ve barely spoken to Ella one-on-one since we first et to know her better, although I wish it was under better circumstances I badly want to help her; I’m just not sure I kno--I’m hardly an expert on these visions, or a psychiatrist, if that’s what she needs This is the kind of talk that would normally be left to a Cêpan, but like Nine reminded me earlier, we’re all out of those

I try to sound confident "Marina’s right I’ve had dreams before"

"Dreams about him?" Ella asks, and by the way her voice drops there can be no doubt who she’s talking about

"Yeah," I reply "That ugly freak has spent sohim rent"

Ella sravel across the roof Tentatively, I put hs, almost like it’s a relief

"It always starts the sa Setrákus and his "

I nod "Yeah, I remember that part"

"I pick up a piece of metal from the floor I dunno what it is exactly, a broken piece of a swordinto piece this part together "Is that what happened or is this just in the dream?"

"That’s what happened," she says "I was scared and just grabbed the first thing I could My big plan was to just chuck stuff at hi Nine"

"Fro, it looked like soht, all the s you got from your Chest"

"I never had a Chest," Ella replies sullenly "I guess they forgot to pack me one"

"Ella, do you knohat I think?" I’, but the excitement is hard to keep out of acy back there and ere all too panicked to realize it"

Ella looks down at her hands "I don’t get it"

I pick up a handful of the loose stones from the roof and hold the to that broken piece of sword And when you hit Setrákus Ra with it, you hurt hi at all thrilled