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She closes her eyes, holding the gun steady for me--but not before I see her in there, as broken and shattered as I a for a way out For any way out

I can’t pull the trigger

Then pounding footsteps break the silence, and I spin around to face the tunnel Turlough Doyle is the first into the cavern, and he stops two steps in, so the next h--Sean--collides with him McBride’s the last one to appear

For an instant the five of us are frozen in place Turlough shatters the stillness with a shout, sturabbing his husband’s shoulder and turning hi over Mike to bury his face against his shirt

Then Sean sees Fergal My cousin goes perfectly still, suddenly carved froht of the cavern, I can see it when the blood drains froh’s sobs al his Gleidel out of its holster "Move away, Cormac," he says, his voice low and level, absolutely calht to be there have fled froer, McBride certainly can I want to drop Jubilee’s gun and push past McBride to get to Sean, but , won’t listen to my orders

McBrideat all I hit the floor hard, the jolt of pain coursing through the sa it for a fraction of a second McBride stops in front of Jubilee, lifting his Gleidel,to a slow, faint smile that only I can see "Captain Chase," he un, ready to put a shot straight between her eyes; she doesn’t er shifts on the trigger, and I surge to oes wide, the screa ain My voice sounds different,that’s bigger than this--we need her"

Recovering his balance, McBride’s starting to lose his veneer of calh you" He keeps the barrel of his Gleidel pointing square atup to steady it

Behind ainst the stone "Just let hilass

"No" It’s like sorief; someone who doesn’t care that the sound of Jubilee’s voicebeyond repair Someone who cares only that I need her to saveviolently as he holds it at his side, uncertain "Flynn," he calls, hoarse Straight from his lips to my heart "Don’t do this"

"What did she offer you?" McBride demands, voice thick with disdain "You’ve always been weak, Corive up your family for a taste of a trodaire"

I still can’t takewildly now

Hands shaking, I lift Jubilee’s gun, flicking off the safety The soft whine of the battery powering up fills the cave For a h, hunched over Mike’s body Sean, standing still, his eyes onfor an end For an endless instant, there’s only the choice I’ve just made

Then it’s over "Traitor," McBride whispers as I aihinstead on Sean, still standing with his gun at his side "This won’t bring Fergal back This wasn’t her, it was the Fury It’s real You’ve trusted me all our lives Trust me now"

The world narrows, and all I can see is my cousin’s face, and all the years behind it, the cocky srief, the quiet nize the truth, that the Fury’s real; that our planet is diseased and the madness could come for any of us now, that Jubilee is our only hope to find answers He knows un--and aims it at me His red-rimmed eyes er

The shot goes wide, screa the spell

McBride roars and steps forward, Gleidel trained on Jubilee onceher to her feet, my body between her and McBride The laser shrieks I keep eway behind us

My feet know the way, taking over froal’s behind h’s still back there with Mike, and Sean, o of Jubilee she’ll fall I wrap nore her cry of pain when razed her side, and pull her on into the dark

It co burning The counter vibrating as sounshots So, "That’ll be a bitch to clean up" A little girl screa from far away The taste of metal