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I shvehicle, a different one fro, and I wondered if the other had been destroyed I wondered, too, where this one had coh I just waited until the door was closed behindtoward our vehicle long before the palace had come into view

"Stop!" I shouted at the driver as I was cli over Brooklynn to reach the door

I stumbled only a few feet over the pitted road before I fell into his arround as he hauled ainst him "You’re safeYou’re safeYou’re safe" he whispered over and over again

I was shaking all over but I soed to find my voice "It’s okay, Max I’ when I’d stopped s every part of h his hair I could taste his worry as his lipsin any one place, just pressing toon toto memorize my every feature with theitation beca My pulse raced as his ainst , yet I couldn’t understand a single word he’d said

It didn’t h

We were together

"Brook’s father is already clai responsibility," Xander announced over breakfast "He’s spreading the word that he plans to hit the queen where it hurts"

My stomach knotted I stared down the table to where Brooklynn sat, wondering if she felt half the responsibility I did If she’d lain awake last night replaying yesterday’s events over and over in her head

"We have to get you out of here, Charlie," Xander went on "All of you--your entire family"

My father pushed a loaf of hot bread toward Xander "Are you sure that’s necessary? We’re safe here, aren’t we?"

"Look," I tried, hoping to stop all this talk about fleeing before it got out of hand, before reith him Maybe I could just talk to him"

"You realize what he did yesterday, don’t you?" Max’s voice was subdued, his dark eyes serious "He killed innocent people, Charlie I think we’re past talking now"

"Besides, you didn’t see him," Brook said sorrowfully from her side of the table "He can’t be reasoned with I warned hi--"