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"I need to know, etic She nods to Julian and Lucas, who follow me down "Goes for you two as well"

"I would like a private audience with these"--I throw as ust into -eyed Sentinel standing so close--"creatures We have questions that s to repay Don’t we, Julian?"

Julian sneers, putting on a good show "It’ll be easy to -Eyes snorts His accent is hard and rough, froht We move for no one"

Once, a boy in the Stilts called ood pair of boots "You understand my position, don’t you? I will be a princess soon, and the favor of a princess is a very valuable thing Besides, the Red rats -Eyes blinks sluggishly atit over Julian hovers at my shoulder, ready with his sords if I need the to the others "We can give you fiveso widely, but I don’t care "Thank you so much I ale file, their boots scuffing As soon as they reach the top landing, I allow h

Kilorn aler to be free of his cell, and Walsh pulls Farley to her feet But I don’t move at all I don’t intend to free them, not yet

"Mare--" Kilorn whispers, puzzled at my hesitation, but I silence hihts, bringing me back to the moment the ballroom exploded "Tell me about the boies, to beg e blank looks Farley leans against the bars, her eyes on fire

"I don’t know anything about that," she hisses, barely audible "I never authorized such a thing It was supposed to be organized, with special targets We do not kill at randos--?"

"You know those buildings were empty No one died there, not because of us," she says evenly "I swear to you, Mare, this was not our doing"

"Do you really think we’d try to blow up our greatest hope?" Kilorn adds I don’t need to ask to know he means me

Finally, I nod over my shoulder to Julian

"Open the cell Quietly," Julian netron coh to step through Walsh comes out first, her eyes wide in ah the bars Her aresture to the wall and they move soundlessly, mice on stone Walsh’s eyes touch on Tristan’s body, still lifeless in the cell, but she stays put beside Farley Julian shoves Lucas in next to the his spot next to the foot of the stairs, across fro ht in the cells, with a dead body for company, he still smells like home

"I knew you’d come," he whispers in my ear "I knew it"

But there’s no time for pleasantries or celebrations Not until they’re away safely

Across the open gap of stairwell, Julian nods at me He’s ready

"Sentinel Gliacon,the bait for our next trap The shuffle of feet tells me she’s taken it