“You’re wrong, Max,” he said in a low, dark tone that made butterflies in my stomach. “There’s a you and me, all right. There will always be a you and me.”

I pushed past him, hard, and tried not to run for the room Nudge, Angel, and I were sharing.

Chapter 35

35

“MAX!”

I was assaulted by excited bird kids as soon as I stepped over the threshold. Iggy and Gazzy were sitting on our bunks, and there was so much energy in the air that we could have powered the boat with it.

“Yeah?” I said, trying to calm my jangled nerves.

“Max, this is great!” said Nudge. “This is way better than going to school. Or being on the run. It’s like we have something fun to do, plus we have people protecting us, plus food and beds, all at the same time!”

“The food and beds are a huge plus,” I agreed.

“And we have a real mission,” said Gazzy. “I mean, you’ve been having a mission. But now we’re in on it too. And it’s a good mission!”

“You think?” I looked for a place to sit down and finally chose the tiny chair at the tiny built-in desk as my only option. Total was stretched out on Angel’s bunk, not sleeping, just sighing heavily from time to time.

“Yeah, I think!” said Gazzy.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Iggy. “Despite being cooped up like sardines in this can. It still makes sense. I’d like to do some actual good, instead of just trying to thwart bad all the time.”

“What’s wrong with him?” I jerked a thumb at Total just as Fang joined us. I didn’t look at him and was furious to feel my cheeks heat up again.

Angel patted Total’s small black head. “I think it’s Akila,” she confided.

“Cruelty, thy name is woman!” Total moaned. “Or rather, dog.”

“She won’t talk to him,” Gazzy told me.

“Total, she doesn’t talk,” I pointed out.

“She won’t even talk to me in the universal language,” Total said.

“French,” Angel said knowingly.

“Love hurts,” Fang said, almost to himself.

“Oh, shut up!” I snapped.

Which made five heads swivel toward me. I wanted to spit.

“Let’s talk about something interesting,” I said pointedly. Fang + Brigid = pain. Check. Fang + me = confusion, and also pain and fear. Check. Mission to save the world? Scary, challenging, uncertain, possibly very worthwhile. Check.

Total in love with a Malamute? That I could handle.

“What’s the problem, Total?”

“She won’t give me the time of day,” Total said wearily. “I can’t blame her. Look at her — she’s purebred, classy, important. Tall. I’m . . . a short mutant with no papers. Always on the run, hanging out with hunted criminals —”

“Hey!” I said.

“You’ve stolen three cars,” Total pointed out. “That I know of. Plus breaking and entering, assault —”