Page 56 (1/2)

"WHERE IS SHE?" a terrible voice screaeline whirls at the noise, rushing to the bottom of the stairs "I’m here!" she shouts back

When PtoleThere he stands, alive and breathing and terribly angry On the floor, Farley curses to herself

He only lingers for afury in his eyes His arled at the shoulder, pulverized by a bullet But the skin beneath is unbroken Healed He prowls toward the cell, hands flexing The ainst concrete

"Ptole for him, but Ptoleth, he stu his hand "No, we need therip--not even she can stop hi with his power as the cell opens to him Not even the Sentinels can stop hi quickly with practiced ainst the stone walls, but Ptolemus is a predator, and predators attack the weak With his broken leg, barely able to move, Tristan doesn’t stand a chance

"You will not threatenthe h Tristan’s chest He gasps, choking on his own blood, dying And Ptolemus actually smiles

When he turns on Kilorn, murder in his heart, I snap

Sparks blaze to life in my skin When my hand closes around Ptoleo They shock into hih his veins, and he seizes under my touch Thehim alive And then he drops to the concrete floor, his body still shaking with sparks

"Ptole for his face A shock ju her to fall back with a scowl She rounds on er "How dare you--!"

"He’ll be fine" I didn’t hit hie "Like you said, we need them to talk They can’t do that if they’re dead"

The others stare at e mix of emotions, their eyes wide--and afraid Cal, the boy I kissed, the soldier, the brute, can’t hold nize the expression on his face: shame But because he hurt Farley, or because he couldn’t ood sense to look sad, his stare resting on Tristan’s still bleeding body

"Mother can attend to the prisoners later," he says, addressing the king "But the people upstairs ant to see their king and know he is safe So many have died You should co for tih it makes my skin crawl, I reach out to touch Cal’s shoulder He kissed ht, Cal This can wait"

Still on the floor, Evangeline bares her teeth "The court ant answers, not embraces! This must be done now! Your Majesty, rip the truth from them--"

But even Tiberias sees the wisdom of Maven’s words "They will keep," he echoes "And tohtens on Cal’s ar the tense reat weight has fallen off him