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Clearly Hoas not going away Clearly they were going to keep torturing hior forced hi that sor could feel his eyes and nasal passages stinging

"Breathe!" he heard Howard co breaths, being brought back to consciousness, only to be forced to try again Finally when he really thought he couldn't bear it for one antic breath, and suddenly the ribs on his left side popped back into place The air rushed out of his body in a cry of relief He could fill his lungs; he could speak again His back ached, but the blinding pain had lifted

"Better?" Howard asked, leaning back on his heels

"Yeah," said Gregor, giving a little laugh "Yeah"

They eased him out of his armor and cut off his shirt, which was too bloody and torn to be saved anyway Howard found the new photograph of Gregor and Luxa and slipped it in Gregor's back pants pocket without co hih, it was like being tick-led "I can find no ie," said the doctor "Give hiet hior could thank her

Howard gave hined to kill pain but not or's ribs in strips of spider silk

"Where's Ares?" Gregor asked as Hoound the bandage around hi for those in need of rescue," said Howard "Although I caught a gli on it"

"He's stubborn," said Gregor

"Like you I hear you severed the Bane's tail after you were hit," said Howard

"Oh, yeah," said Gregor It was true He had made that last cut even after his ribs had been knocked out of whack "I guess I had a lot of adrenaline pu on?"

"Well, we have found you now Many stories of your fate have been circulating The fliers have been evacuating the city Most of the huht to be retrieved or dead by now The nibblers are barricaded in the arena, but don't be surprised if they decide to airlift them back to the palace The arena is difficult to defend," said Howard "The palace is our only reers?" asked Gregor

"No sign of them," said Howard

"But Vikus said there were or said

"It is likely We do not know for sure But tunneling into the palace will take farour crops Sandwich had it built on a particularly deep shelf of stone," said Howard

"But they could still do it," Gregor said

"If that is their aie "There Do you think you can walk now?"

Howard helped hior felt sore but it was his eyes that were bothering hiht"

"It is not your eyes Look out at Regalia," said Howard

Gregor stared out into the city and realized the problelow, only a handful remained Once, shortly after he had arrived in the Underland, Gregor had asked Vikus why the humans didn't throw the city into darkness when there was to be an attack The old ht, they do not" Hoould the huht now?

They watched in silence as, one by one, the re star fro before it was snuffed out on the ground

Just as the city fell into total darkness, the scratching began