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Then Gaia fled, pursued by smoke as fire took hold in the Stefano Rey National Park

SEVENTEEN

29 HOURS, 24 MINUTES

ASTRID, DIANA, AND Orc arrived in Perdido Beach at the head of a strung-out procession of exhausted kids, an hour behind Dekka and Jack Most collapsed upon reaching the town plaza, just dropped where they were

Edilio had already checked with the wounded at Clifftop Noith barely controlled panic, he raced to each person, looking into each face

"Have you seen Roger?"

Most didn’t answer Edilio wasn’t sure they even heard hiot burned up"

"Did you see hih? Did you see him?"

Head shake No

Edilio’s heart ached No way Roger had been killed That wasn’t fair It wasn’t right He and Roger had just, finally, been able to acknowledge how they felt about each other, how they had felt for secretiveeyes met Astrid’s

She didn’t need to hear his question "We didn’t see him, Edilio Jack rowed around the boatsthere were bodies in the water Roger and Justin were probably both on their boat It was cut in half, burned"

"But you didn’tDid you bury" He couldn’t finish the thought

"Listen, Brianna kept Gaia fro us all off, but we couldn’t stay there We had to run We had wounded kids Everyone was scared; we couldn’t stay and search"

Edilio nodded dully He had to put this reality in a box, like he had done so : it wouldn’t go; it couldn’t be put aside for quiet grief at a uish rose from Edilio Astrid put her arms around him, and he cried into her hair

"I should have been there," Edilio whispered

"You couldn’t have stopped her," Astrid said "Did Brianna and Dekka and the resttears from his cheeks "Brianna’s hurt bad, but she’s alive Her and Dekka are up at Clifftop"

"Don’t ever let ain," Astrid said "Everyone who made it out alive owes their life to Brianna Edilio, it wasGaia would haveShe was enjoying itfloating kids into the air and then"

Edilio nodded bleakly "What do we do now, Astrid? Did you see Sam? He should be here, but Ididn’t work It’sis your fault" Astrid called Diana over Orc had taken it upon hiallon plastic tub Kids were drinking greedily while Orc watched in satisfaction

"Listen to me, Edilio" Astrid took his face in her hands, forced hirieve There are things you need to understand"