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Jack was right Cole no longer had his Surface heart, which o back and forth

Cole nodded "Hopefully the lockdoill last only until we destroy the Everneath"

Will leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head "Just like ays said We destroy the Everneath or we die trying"

We had always said that Only noe couldn’t take it back

Just then the door flew open, and Ashe blew in He caught sight of us around the table and looked toward the door again as if hehere?" he asked

Jack and I looked at each other

Ashe frowned "Don’t tell me You’re the reason for the lockdown"

Cole nodded

"Shit" Ashe looked at the hich were all covered by blinds, and tugged a loose one a little closer so that no one could see in

"You’re not going to turn us in again, are you?" Cole asked

Ashe shook his head "You destroyed the orb Whichus all Which means you’ve set the Shades free Without the orb, I’ation to do what the Everneath wants"

If that was true--if Ashe was no longer tied to the Everneath-- the Surface hearts Jack looked atthe sa

I nodded

Jack turned to Ashe "They confiscated all the Surface hearts Whichstored in one place We need to get to them"

Ashe frowned, then looked at Cole "I knohere she keeps them All the Shades kno that you’ve destroyed the orb, I can tell you"

We all leaned toward Ashe expectantly

"Hearts are kept in the center of the High Court In a vault in the throne room At least that’s where she keeps the Everneath hearts I can only think that once they confiscate the Surface hearts as well, that’s where they keep theht a look at Jack’s set your hopes up If you thought getting to the Tunnels was toughthe throne room is Fort Knox Yes, there won’t be as many Shades around in all this chaos, but if this is all you have"--he gestured toward our knickknacks on the table--"you’ll never destroy it"

Cole put his hands on the table, lacing his fingers "But what if you took us to the throne roo has an affinity for his or her own heart One time when I dropped my own heart, all I had to do was think about it and it cah to the actual heart"

I studied his face "Did you just remember that?"

He seemed to wilt a tiny bit under the scrutiny "Bits and pieces are co to remember because of what he’d just witnessed with the band The professor said adrenaline would trigger ine more emotional turmoil than the band vaporized before our eyes I couldn’t decide if I wanted hie of the vault of hearts--or if I wanted him to remain clueless for the rest of his life about the pain and heartache he’d been through

"So we go to the throne roonet act, and then the second he touches it, we can zap to the Surface and plan our next move Maybe we can research some sort of Everneath ammo we can use to destroy the throne roo thiscoup?"

"There’s no better time than now," Ashe said "The Shades are newly free They’ll be all over the place, including going to the Surface to get their fill They’re not li are Before, the existence of the network kept theanized The hearts are the least protected that they’ll ever be"

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes "The Shades let loose on humans" I shook my head "Can they drain them completely?"

"Yes," Ashe said "It’s what they do"

"Then we really do have to destroy it We have to destroy it all, now Before anyone else dies"

Jack stood "Let’s go Ashe, will you take us?"

Ashe nodded He started toward the door, but Cole asked him, "Why?"

"Why what?" Ashe said

"Why are you willing to help us destroy the Everneath?"

Ashe srin that dripped with oil "You laid out a convincing argu to die for"

THIRTY-TWO

NOW

The Everneath Ouros

We followed Ashe through the chaos of the streets of Ouros Everlivings darted in all directions, probably looking for a way out and up to the Surface Apparently the immortals were a calm bunch until their freedoed anili down in their ho this would all blow over Soh so to each other I had only a moment to reflect on the occasional displays of love

We followed Ashe around a corner that led to an alleyway Tall buildings reached into the sky on either side We’d made it several yards before I realized that it looked like a as blocking off the end

I hesitated "Dead end?" I said

Ashe waved us forward, and that’s when I noticed, in the center of the wall, a black, rectangular-shaped splotch that looked as if it had been drawn on with oil It was about the size of a door

"Touch me," Ashe said

We placed our hands on Ashe’s arms

"Everyone attached?" he said

When we all nodded, he approached the doorway The black of the splotch seeulf first Ashe and then the rest of us It felt like a draft of cold air against h The doorway led to a s over it

Ashe lowered his voice "This is the Shade entrance Juinate only here It’s how the queen lih the labyrinth" He took a deep breath "I just barely started being able to use it Keep your hands on me," he ordered

We did as he commanded Then we rose up in the air, the cha slided through the at of Water, came into vieatched itout theof an airplane We continued over the Ring of Wind and then the Ring of Fire, which was accoust of hot air It was the only tis