The world sharpens into focus as the danger of the situation hits me. I’m on the ground, hands cuffed behind me. Lyre is slumped at my side, unconscious and also restrained. The twins are seated back-to-back with us. And all around, forming a tight noose of uniforms, are Gaian law-enforcers. One in front notices me raise my head, and places her hand on her blaster as I try to wriggle out of my binds.

“Sir? This one’s awake,” she says, glancing behind me. The man who was speaking moves to my front, scrutinizing me for a moment before looking down at the comm secured around his wrist.

“Ah, yes,” he says, tapping the screen with one slender finger. “This would be Scorpia Kaiser.” He meets my eyes. “You have an additional charge. Terrorism.” He glances over at the other officers. “She’s the one who instigated the Code Blue.”

I wince at the following shocked silence from both the officers and my siblings, wondering briefly if I could fake losing consciousness again.

“Scorpia, I’m going to kick your ass,” Drom says.

“I’ll explain later.” If there is a later. My head is still foggy and my thoughts jumbled, but I know the situation we’re in is incredibly dangerous. If the twins really resisted arrest while I was out—even just “a little”—they’re lucky to be alive. Fear and guilt churn in my stomach, making it hard to breathe for a second. Damn, we are really in over our heads here, and it’s all my fault.

“How long was I unconscious?” I ask, trying to turn toward the twins. I catch a glimpse of Drom, one eye swollen and dried blood caked on the side of her face, before the officer grabs my shoulder and yanks me forward again.

“No squirming,” he says, squeezing hard enough to make me wince. I grit my teeth and glare at him as he releases me. My heart is pounding in my chest, but like hell am I going to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

“About an hour,” Pol murmurs behind me, once the officer looks down at his comm again. “Lightweight.”

Despite the circumstances, there’s a hint of barely contained laughter in Pol’s words. I shut my eyes, guilt further wrenching at me. I’m sure the drugs aren’t helping, but the twins really don’t understand the situation we’re in. None of my siblings know Gaia and its heavy-handed police force as well as I do. Apparently a thorough beating wasn’t enough to get it through the twins’ skulls.

“Then why haven’t they moved us yet?” I ask, my voice tight.

“Don’t know. They’re waiting for something.”