Page 15 (1/2)

"This way," I say

The others folloithout coh a maze of alleyways for more than an hour I start to feel a little out of breath and dizzy--I probably shouldn’t be pushing , but I still have the Wrath, andfrom the exertion--but I push on, deterlances, so I force a s okay

We walk another oose chase e reach a grand canal near a derelict warehouse district The deflated look on everyone’s face suggests we’re thinking the sao back to the Transporter, hon," Destiny suggests kindly "We can regroup, then couys I really thought--"

"Elijah?"

We all turn Standing farther down the pathway, outside one of the warehouses, is a tall Bastet boy with ruffled brown hair and a handsoreen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows There’s dirt and blood all over his arnize him immediately

"Ace!" Elijah exclaihly picks Elijah up, giving hio

"It’s so good to see you, brother," Acelot says

"You too," Elijah says, looking about "Is Marcel here?"

The smile slips from Acelot’s lips

"What is it?" Elijah says

Acelot looks at the blood and dirt on his hands "Sebastian stabbed hi to hold back his tears "Marc didn’t make it"

Elijah looks down, his jaw clenched His lashes beco inus inside the warehouse

Ash is crouched on the ground, beside a mound of rocks and dirt Like Acelot, he’s covered in dust and blood A s Marcel is buried underneath the a hand to his chest He whips around Our eyes meet Ash blinks once, twice, like he can’t believe it

"Natalie"

"Hey," I say softly "I got your ap in a few strides, and pulls ainstlittle shivers of electricity racing through h his rippling hair, which coils and twists aroundme closer His scent wraps around ently breaks the kiss His sparkling eyes search ht never see you again," he says huskily "Where have you been?"

"Galliuot so much to tell you"

"How did you find us?" Ash asks

I place ainst his chest "How do you think?"

"Hey, bro," Beetle says behind us

Ash looks up A wide ss I step aside and the boys quickly eed to form a friendship with Ash, but they tolerate each other

Elijah goes over to the pile of rocks while I introduce Destiny to Ash and Acelot We join Elijah at Marcel’s grave, and Acelot perforlance at Ash, who gives a faint nod of his head, understanding the unspoken question in s to my hand as tears slide down his cheeks It’s the first tirief finally overwhel him I doubt the tears are just for Marcel, but for everyone he’s lost these past feeeks I don’t kno he’s holding it together

At the end of the service we each place a trinket on Marcel’s grave, as is tradition in Bastet culture We have to do hatever’s close to hand Ash leaves his cigarette lighter, while I pluck a dandelion head froround and place it carefully on top of one of the rocks A soft breeze stirs the seeds, scattering therabs his blue duffel bag, which is stained with Marcel’s blood, and we return to Destiny’s Transporter in the north end of the town Elijah hangs toward the back of the group Ash kisses my hand, then walks over to him

"You okay?" he asks

"Not really," Elijah says "Marc and I hated each other, but I never wanted him to die He was ives it a reassuring squeeze They walk in silence for a few paces

"Thank you for going after Natalie when Garrick took her," Ash says

Elijah shrugs "It was no big deal"

"Yeah, actually, it was," Ash replies "You could’ve been killed, but you went anyway"

Elijah gives a faint s-you-and-nearly-getting-you-both-shot thing in Viridis"

Ash chuckles lightly, rubbing the back of his neck "Yeah, well This ood?" Ash holds out his hand Elijah hesitates for a second, then takes it

"We’re good," Elijah says

On our way back to the Transporter, we catch up on everything that’s been going on Ash holds ain if he lets it go His jaw clenches when I tell him about the Sentry rebel base in Gallium, their planned assault on Centru"

"They took you away from me?" he asks quietly "Why?"

"They orried about my safety This country is in chaos and they just wanted to protectway I’m all they have left, Ash" I lower erous influence onacross his face "They just don’t know you like I do"

He s to attack Centrum, huh?"

I nod "In five days’ time The rebel compound is really impressive, Ash--you should see all the weapons they have Guns, grenades, missiles, a whole fleet of Transporters We could never have drea okay," Beetleto di they have a lot more weapons than we do We’re lucky to have the Sentry rebels"

"So what’s Hus "Like they’d tell us anything, bro Butlook, and irl froo, stuck in the ur’s safe," Day says, quickly changing the subject

I briefly fill him in on the details, and the tension in Ash’s body evaporates

"Thank God," hetreatment for the Wrath," Elijah adds as we approach the Transporter, parked in the abandoned lot

Ash’s head snaps up, his black eyes sparkling with hope