Page 183 (1/2)

“That’s no way to welcoet you out”

“My mother…” the boy says

“Did I stutter?” I realize then that I’ Bits of skin fro to it

“If Mother sent you, where are the Lionguards?” the boy asks “The Telemanuses?”

“In the Citadel, shining their armor and jackin’ it How should I know?”

“Are you a lurcher?”

“Hell no” I bend to unclip the lock and then twist it so that the teeth of the lock disengage I’ain “I’irly If you little brats want to see your parents again, you do just as I say Othere’ll all get peeled apart like onions for a stew” I watch them expectantly “This is the part where you nod” They both nod First the boy, then the girl “Good”

I open the latch and step back, keeping irl bursts out but the boy followsthe Duke and irl, it see to cooperate I’ll talk to hiainst the back ofa solid razor to h at the size of it in her hands, but there’s no huirl’s eyes I’d call her bluff if I didn’t knoho her psychotic parents were The kid is feral

“Very smart, little lady Kill your ticket out of here” I step away fro ing about? We’re wasting time”

“Electra, he’s right”

The girl twitches her blade to the side and cuts me shallowly on the arm

“Dah,” I say

“That’s a down pay them till she finds another blade She tosses it to the boy He catches it nimbly and spins it in his small hands

Little warlords, I remind myself

“What’s our point of egress?” the boy asks me like he’s a real soldier