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"But we are," she said, and they were, noto convince her otherwise

"Then what are you doing, watching sunrises and drinking tea with hi? I don’t knohat I’ herself to Morocco to find Razgut; flying through that slash in the sky to… Eretz A chill snaked through her She’d been so focused on getting gavriels that she’d avoided thinking too o, and noith Akiva’s depiction of his world fresh in her mind--war-torn, bleak--dread crept over her; suddenly, she didn’t want to go anywhere

What was she supposed to do when she got there, anyway? Fly up to the bars of that forbidding fortress and politely ask if Bri of ene"

"Good for hiood Bad Bad Jackass"

"Oh no What did he do?"

"Well, while you’ve been watching sunrises with your enemy, the news has been all over you, and a certain actor has beenthe world all about you Like, uster’s ster--"

"Anyway," Zuzana cut her off "I’ht have had, blue-haired girl, your flying stunt put an end to it The police are probably at your flat--"

"What?"

"Yeah They’re calling your fight a ‘disturbance’ and saying they just want to talk to the, er, people involved, if anyone knows their whereabouts"

Akiva, seeing her distress, wanted to knoas being said; she quickly translated His look darkened He stood andout "Will they come for you here?" he asked Karou saw the protectiveness in his stance, shoulders hunched and tense, and she realized that in his world, such a threat ht be much more dire

"It’s okay," she assured him "It’s not like that They would just ask questions Really" He didn’t move away from the door "We didn’t break any laws" She turned to Zuzana and switched to Czech "It’s not like there’s a law against flying"

"Yes there is The law of gravity The point is that you are looked for" She shot a glance at the waitress, as skulking nearby and ht?"

The waitress blushed "I haven’t called anyone," she was quick to say "You’re okay to stay here Do… do you want more tea?"

Zuzana waved her off and told Karou, "You can’t stay here forever, obviously"

"No"

"So what’s the plan?"

Plan Plan She had a plan, and it was near its fruition All she had to do noas go Leave her life here, leave school, her flat, Zuzana, Akiva… No Akiva was not part of her life Karou looked at him, watchful in the doorway, ready to protect her, and she tried to ihtness, the patch of sunlight, the pull All she had to do was get up and leave Right?

A moment passed in silence, and Karou’s body did not so

"The plan," she said, exerting a o away"

Akiva had been looking out the door, and only when he pivoted to face her did she realize she’d spoken in Chi this to hi up "I told you I’ to finddawned "You really have a way to get there"

"I really do"

"How?"

"There are e of thei It took me years to find this one--"

"You’re not the only one who knows things, I guess Though I would rather you showed ure it out, and Karou saw by the flicker of disgust when he did "The Fallen That thing You’re going to that thing"

"Not if you take uard--"

"Well then Maybe I’ll see you on the other side sos sent sparks shivering across the floor "You can’t go there There’s no kind of life there, trust me"

Karou turned away fro out her hair, which had a damp mermaid quality to it and lay in coils over her shoulders She told Zuzana that she was leaving town, and she was fending off her friend’s inevitable queries when Akiva took her elbow

Gently "You can’t go with that creature" His expression was guarded, hard to read "Not alone If he knows another portal, I can come with you and make sure you’re safe"

Karou’s first impulse was to refuse Be that cat Be that cat But as she fooling? That wasn’t the cat she wanted to be She didn’t want to go alone--or alone with Razgut, which orse Her heart ha, she said, "Okay," and once the decision was made, a tremendous burden of dread lifted

She wouldn’t have to part with Akiva

Yet, anyway

34

WHAT’S A DAY?

What’s ainto the future, i what her reunion with Brimstone would be like, but another part of her was settled firainst her shoulder They alking down Nerudova with Zuzana, against the flow of tourists heading up to the castle, and they had to press close to navigate a horde of Germans in sensible shoes