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"I told you to stay out of this," Clancy said, his voice shaking, even as he eyed the exit, even as I could see hi it "Why can’t you ever listen?"

"Please," Nico begged

"It’s too late," he said, hands fisted in his sweatpants "If you weren’t so stupid, you’d have realized that Can’t you hear it? They’re on the roof They’re here"

"But you could get the hi this, weighing Nico’s words I didn’t e spell that had fallen over the roo between the two boys just outside of the cell The tension in the roo naturally

"Who’s here?" caet you?"

And just like that, Clancy hardened again, shoving past Nico "Hello, Mother Were you hoping I’d leave without saying good-bye?"

"Who did you call?" she repeated, her stiff posture perfectlyher son’s

"Who do you think?" he said, all sweetness "I called Dad"

"I told you to leave!" I barked at her

"No, stay," Clancy said "Clearly, last tiain, and this time Ruby won’t be there to help you"

There was a beat of silence, and then the whole building rocked, shuddering under the force of some kind of explosion Clancy looked past her, toward the door, and in that ht the gun--un, the one that had been knocked out of my hands in the computer room--as Lillian Gray raised it and aimed at Clancy

"I love you," she said, and fired

23

A SPRAY OF BLOOD BURST frolass wall But Lillian wasn’t finished She took another step forward, ignoring her son’s screa The whole time, her face was a cold mask, as if she’d had to shut off soh

Nico and I jumped with each shot He covered his face and turned away so he wouldn’t have to see it I watched I had toshook, the sound of heavy footsteps thundering over our heads We’d have minutes, maybe, before they found us It would need to happen fast And wouldn’t you know it? The only thing I could think of as the old, familiar calm came over me was one simple phrase: accept, adapt, act