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Soers away froulps of fresh air Luc bore Kar to the couch cushions and even as Sin sucked deep breaths, she gripped Kar’s ankle and started work again

It seemed to take forever, and by the time the last virus strand was a cru and her poas nearly drained "It’s… done," she breathed The world spun, and as she keeled over, Con was there, tucking her against hi her hair, and … to have soain

Kar groaned as Eidolon dug through his medical duffel "The baby," she rasped "How is the baby?"

"It’s fine" Sin cleared her throat, which was still tender "I think it’ll be fine" Then Con, ss, shook his head "Who would have seen this co? Luc the family man"

Luc snorted "Trust me I would not have bet on those cards" He inclined his head at Sin "Thanks" The as barely ht have doubted his sincerity But his hands trembled with the emotion that wasn’t in his voice, and his throat worked on audible ss that spoke voluo, Sin would have been rolling her eyes at the intiesture Now, she just reler, and Con had been at her side, holding her hand the saoing to take soet you to the hospital forantibodies to this virus is major"

"Won’t it take some time to make a vaccine?" Sin asked

"If it can be done, yes, but I’ve got des at my disposal I should be able to test the first batch of vaccine within a day or two if all goes well"

"Bone devil eggs?" Kar asked, and Eidolon nodded

"They’re e use instead of chicken eggs to develop vaccines They cut incubation time by two-thirds" "You said if," Sin said "Why?"

"Because I can’t guarantee it I think it’s likely, but I’ to make any promises"

Sin’s sto care of Luc and Kar, Sin backed up until she bu, she slipped out, needing space, but once she was out in the cold, where the coppery zest of spilled blood still hung in the air, there was too much space Too much blood, too much death

All of which she’d caused

She stood there, taking it all in, watching as the UG staff tended to the injured and dragged the dead into the forest, where they could be hidden froled, a precursor to the pain that would erupt

Feel, Con had said

And yeah, she owed these people that

Grief welled up in her, a ony that burst out as a sob She ran, stu, into the forest, and by the ti so hard she could barely breathe, and tears were trailing down her cheeks

"Con, I hate you for this," she whispered She’d worked so hard to protect herself from pain, and now it seemed like that was all she could feel She sucked in a shuddering breath, desperate to get herself under control, and then… the air went still And colder Her breath forodawful, evil screech that Sin felt deep in her marrow The distinct whistle of a missile made her heart skip a beat a split second before an arrow punched into the snoeen her feet Secured to the end of the arroas a twisted piece of sinew fro she was a dead woman, Sin turned The horseman came out of the trees like a wraith, with brimstone siant white beast reared up, flashing hooves larger than an old Chevy’s hubcaps When the horse settled, the rider re white hair spilled out over the male’s broad shoulders, which were covered in armor, and just like in the mountains of Montana, it was dull, sooty, and an oily, bloodlike substance oozed frouine light, the same as the stallion’s His face should have been handsoave Sin a two-finger salute, and then wheeled his mount around and disappeared as if the forest had sed him whole

Unbelievably, Sin was still alive