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"Shut up," Sebastian snarls

"You’re full of it, Sebastian," I say "You act so righteous, but I know you’ve taken Haze, slept with Darklings, and raped and murdered people Your dad er, highlighting the crimson rose tattoo above his left ear "My father loves me"

"Sure," I say "Remind me: as the last ti his jaw

"No one cares about you, Sebastian," I say "Not your dad, not Purian Rose You’re nothing but an e for you"

Sebastian holdsI turn around in lance at Acelot

"That was petty of uidly "Yeah, but he deserves it"

We fly over the abandoned warehouses until we spot one with a roof that’s stillus soh the wide-open doors and lands inside the warehouse There’s a heavy jolt as it hits the earth Behind me, Marcel lets out a startled cry as he falls off the bench

"Geez, Ace!" Marcel snaps, standing up "Who taught you to fly?"

"Hey, at least I didn’t crash it That’s one up on you" Acelot winks at his brother and Marcel pouts

I step off the Miniport to check that our location is secure Sunlight slices through the holes in the roof, creating a speckled effect on the dirt ground There’s still a few , and at the far end of the warehouse is a large stack of crates Dust and cobwebs coat everything, and weeds poke out of the earth In the rafters is a nest of chirping ss There don’t appear to be any cameras, and the pathway outside the warehouse is deserted We should be safe to hang out here for a while

Acelot strolls off the aircraft behind le the knots in his back Marcel pushes past him, takes one look at the warehouse, curls his lip and then stomps back inside the Miniport

"So what’s the plan, my friend?" Acelot says once we’re out of Sebastian’s earshot We’ve been careful not to discuss anything about our mission in front of him

"Have some lunch, then do a scout of the city," I say "We need to find a way to get into the Tenth undetected"

"All right," Acelot says

I glance over my shoulder toward the Miniport Marcel’s on his hands and knees, searching for so underneath his seat, his tail stuck up in the air Sebastian watches with amusement

"You don’t have to couarantee your safety"

Acelot gazes at his little brother for a moment "I have to come," he eventually says "I’m the Bastet Consul; it’s olden-brown eyes on me "Besides, I owe it to you after what et some food while I start a small fire Acelot returns a ruround and lets out a bored sigh He draws some swirls in the dirt while Acelot opens up the canned beans and places the, he bites his wrist with his saber teeth and pours his blood into the glass There are several older puncture wounds up his arratefully, er, and knock it back in one hit

"Thanks," I say, wipingaround his wrist "Nia probleue "I’d rather not wake up to find you gnawing on uy, but I prefer to be taken out to dinner first" He grins at h

Acelot makes sure the beans are cooked and then passes a can to Marcel The young Bastet curls his lip up at it, in a gesture that re to be Marcel, anyway God, it’s confusing!

"Don’t we have anything nicer?" he sulks "I don’t like beans"

Acelot takes them back "All the more for me"

Marcel snatches the can, and Acelot ht cuts across Acelot’s sli the heat We chat for a while about nonsense, ignoring Sebastian, who is still sitting in the Miniport and cory--he can have soet about the rebellion and the Ora, and just enjoyas he tells a funny story about Acelot getting caught in a very co position with one of theirher scrub the floor," Marcel says, chuckling "Father just stood there, utterly ain?"

Acelot puts on a feh, and it feels good I can’t remember the last time I did that

When Acelot and Marcel are finished with lunch, we head back into the Miniport to gather our weapons and hooded jackets Marcel grabs his dark red frock coat

"What are you doing?" I say

He furrows his brow "I’oon," I say, gesturing toward Sebastian The Tracker gives me a flinty look "Just don’t let hi the incident back at Sentry headquarters