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"Keep walking," Fen says "I’ll help you"

I hear the surface change to the wooden floor of the roo before, and I hear a door close, and then it gets dark all the way through me

"Rio," Fen says, but his voice is not one that can call ht appears in the corner of e room comes into view--the closet, the dusty books on shelves

"How long was I down?" I ask Fen, who sits nearone of my hands

"A while," he says "It’s afternoon now" He lets go of ood for you"

"Not for you, either," I say

Fen starts to cough It’shand on hihs

"I wish you were True," I say, and that h harder

"Can you convince the people Above?" Fen asks, his voice raspy "Can you do this?"

I remember what Maire told me, just before she saved me The only chance of success is to trust in your oer

"Yes," I say "I can"

We hear soe roolance at the door and see that Fen locked it, the way Ciro told us to before he left The handle isIt’s someone with a key It could be Ciro, but if it’s hi?

Without a word Fen and I both head for the closet at the back of the rooo inside first Fen pulls it shut and locks it from the inside, and we hide behind the heavy robes Even if they find a way to open the closet door, it’s deep enough and dark enough that they ht not see us

"I don’t have a key to the closet in here," so h it is certainly not hie room opens, and I hold my breath "But perhaps this room itself ork for what you need?"

"Yes," another man says, and I stiffen

It’s Nevio

Fen puts his hand on ain, but I’m not In fact I feel perfectly clear, the best I’ve felt since I was in the water cos Plaintive cries

The teht theht? Even though he killed all the sirens, did he have h space until we have more pereous, eventhem to come live here The temple will feel theup on the next transport, and he will see to their upkeep and feeding But for now this roo away from Atlantia?" the other person asks I wonder if he’s a member of the Council of the Above "I know the sirens couldn’t last for long up here"