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“Well, then shoot hi!”

The lift dings behind h to hi of substance The children are terrified, even the nasty girl “Professional reco back at the boy, “use that pistol on her, then yourself, if it looks like we’re slagged” He looks down at the pistol The girl glares atto help”

There’s no one waiting for us on the Duke’s level Word o We h the abandoned halls and make it back to the Duke’s suite Our dinner still sits on the table Electra grabs a handful of octopus tentacle and jams it into hera sel trees to reach the Duke’s sparkling CR-17 Hornet There’s no sign of any thorns So, then I have an epiphany

“They’re in the ship,” I say “Don’t…”

Pax activates the door controls and the door hisses upward, revealing a dark interior No one co any pursuers Then I catch the glint of lass , I see Gorgo’s pale face to the side of a long barrel There’s a small flash Theshatters In this o s that feels like a hot haoes very quiet and focused Confused, I rock back on my heels, barelyI take a step backward, trying to pull the Duke into the ship My heel catches and I fall backith the Duke on top of me I stare at the back of his head and part of the sky and breathe his hair I try to push hiet up, but he doesn’ta rattling sound with his mouth I crawl free of hiet up My right arm is too weak to push

“Help…” I say distantly, quietly, confused at why I can’t rise “Help…” I’ to I feel hands under et ain

“Leave hiirl cries

“Cos and use hi the Duke behind to bleed out on the edge of the rairl stands there with her legs spread, both hands on the boy’s stolen pistol, firing wildly up at theThe panes around Gorgo vaporize Another shot fro the bottom of the lobe It slams into the metal of the ship and ricochets till it embeds itself in the floor I duck away from the door, now inside the ship’s main hall Must fly away “We have to take off,” I say With the boy following, I stumble to the cockpit and then sit down in the captain’s chair I stare at the controls, acclihts come on the console

“Greetings, Your Ethereal Majesty,” the vessel purrs I press the engine ignition The Hornet’s twin ion engines thrum to life

“Close the door!” the girl is shouting “Close the gorydamn door!” I look for the ramp retraction button and can’t find it, still dazed The boy reaches past me from the co-pilot seat and presses it I feel the ra I turn to look at him

“Hm?”

“Can you fly?” he asks me

“Of course I can fly” I reach for the elevation thruster controls and activate the pad I push forward on thepad out into Endymion’s cityscape

“Goryhell,” the girl says The tower shrinks behind us “That was manic”

“You prime, Electra?” Pax asks She nods