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Xander lifted his hand, gesturing to Eden, who stood just outside the circle of our voices, watching us with her polished black eyes I never actually saw her nal of her own

Froroup of Xander’s soldiers marched toward us in unison, dressed inunpolished weapons They were the antimilitary, but clearly just as for their disorganized-looking group a sense of order

Then one girl stepped to the front of theover her shoulder

It was Brooklynn

I knocked ripped her shoulders,to be alarainst ed cheek "You’re okay Thank heaven, you’re okay"

But somehow, she felt different in my arms, like a different Brook from the one I’d known all my life She certainly looked different

She pulled away, and I surveyed her face It was harder than I reer, Charlie" Even her voice sounded unusual to ined

I wasn’t sure how to respond; ed in just one short day

Xander came to stand beside me, and that hen I saw it, a flicker of the old Brooklynn--my familiar friend--behind the cool exterior she noore Her eyes seelanced at him

"Send your team to the surface," Xander told Brooklynn His voice was no-nonsense, a leader giving a command "Tell them to check on Charlie’s parents, and to let theelina are safe, that they’re under our protection now" He squeezedBut like that, with that single gesture, the light faded fro for Xander

THE QUEEN

Queen Sabara waited until the room had been cleared, until it was just she and Max and his two guards, before she spoke again It gave her the time she needed to compose herself

But her voice, when it found its way to her lips, was like unyielding steel "Who is she, Maxrandson stepped forward, his expression earnest But his voice rang false, giving her pause "She’s no one, just a girl I met in one of the clubs" His loyalty was now in question

She studied hi her armrests until her knuckles ached She would need to choose her questions carefully "Which club? Perhaps it was the one in which the resistance was last headquartered? Was it that club?"