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Eight starts towards the vendor, but I grab hirins at e your mind?"

"What do you mean, you never thanked me properly?" I ask "Thankedmy life in New Mexico You broke the prophecy, Marina Setrákus Ra put his sword right through htand looking down at "

"It was literally everything to ht’s teasing sross hot dog"

Eight clasps his hands across his chest like I’ve wounded hiht! I’rabshis forehead to the back of my hand "My savior, what can I ever do to repay you?"

I’etic looks to the people around us, ht’s display with curious soofing around and flirting

I pull Eight back to his feet and, still holding his hand, continue on down the lakefront The sun winks across the surface of the lake It’s not quite the sea I was named for, but it’s beautiful all the same

"You can proht

He squeezes ht and I finally coo pizza We’ve still got hours before Four and Six arrive in Arkansas, and Ella never sent up any telepathic alar is just as we left it

Except Nine is awake and standing so close to the elevator door that we almost crash into him e enter

Nine doesn’t move e come in, he just stands there with his arlares at us "Where have you two been?"

"Geez," says Eight, inching around Nine’s bulk "How long have you been standing here waiting for us? Aren’t your feet tired?"

"We just went out for a bit," I explain, feelingcaught sneaking back into the orphanage after curfew, and I briefly picture Nine trying to take a ruler to ht?"

"Everything’s fine," snaps Nine, focusingaround the city without telling ht

"Because it’s bullshit," growls Nine I can see hiselse to say "It’s irresponsible and careless It’s stupid"

"It was a couple hours," co his eyes "Spare me the Cêpan lecture"

It is kind of funny to see Nine so enraged about us acting out of line, especially considering the stories I’ve heard Four tell about their ti He puts on this big show of being this tough-as-nails loose cannon, but when he woke up to find us gone, he was actually concerned about us

I touch Nine on the ar to defuse the situation "I’m sorry orried you"

"Whatever, I wasn’t worried," Nine snarls, jerking his arain "You think that was a lecture? Maybe I should show you the kind of lectures I used to get, back when I was a cocky little duging hi, but this is one of those tiht up to Eight; they’d be nose to nose if Eight was a few inches taller Eight doesn’t back down, still soof

"Come on," says Nine, his voice low "I’ve seen you in the Lecture Hall playing patty-cake with Six You ain’t trained with inary watch "Sure, dude I’ve got some time to kill"

Nine smiles He looks over his shoulder at onna need you"

CHAPTER NINE

"I’M GOING TO WHIP YOU INTO SHAPE," DECLARES Nine "That way, the next ti on our asses"

Eight and I stand in the Lecture Hall side by side, watching as Nine circles around us, sizing us up like soa fit of laughter Still, I do feel sort of guilty about basically sneaking out with Eight, and I’ couldn’t hurt Plus, I think Nine is still bu left out of Four’s rescueI decide to humor him

"Unless you’d rather just be benchwaro eat pizza while the rest of us kill Setrákus Ra?" Nine snarls as he stops in front of us, staring us down

"No, sir," I say, trying to be serious Eight iht for now, focusing instead on ht vision That’s about it, huh?"

"I can breathe under water," I add helpfully