A new voice drifted from another hallway, and I cringed. This was it. I was going to be caught, because I’d been stupid and softhearted, and hadn’t silenced this kid when I had the chance. But the girl turned her head, eyes widening, then glanced back at me.

“You better go,” she whispered. “Before they see you.”

I stared at her, stunned, and she made shooing motions as she backed away. “Go,” she whispered again. “Hurry up and hide! I won’t tell anyone where you are, I promise.”

“Madison!” The voice sounded annoyed, and closer. The girl grinned and, before I could do or say anything, turned and scurried off, vanishing around a corner as quickly as she had appeared.

Just like that, I was alone.

“There you are,” said the man’s voice, as I pressed against the door frame, listening with a kind of numb anticipation. “I thought I might find you down here. What do I keep telling you about wandering off? Who were you talking to?”

“Nobody,” Madison drawled, way too sweetly I thought. “I wanted to see if Peter was down here. He promised he’d show me the server room if I was good.” My heart pounded, but the man, whoever he was, simply grunted.

“You and your computer fascination. Well, come on. I have to finish one last report, and then we’ll go get breakfast.”

And their footsteps faded down the hall in the opposite direction. A door slammed shut, and silence fell once more. I let out my breath in a rush and collapsed against the wall.

Waaaaay too close, Cobalt. Still a lucky SOB. Now get out of here, before that bomb goes off…

Shit. The bomb.

I started to move, to hurry back into the shadows and make a beeline for the gate as quietly as I could, hoping to somehow avoid both the soldiers and the deadly explosion minutes from going off.

Then…I hesitated. In the middle of a St. George chapterhouse, surrounded by enemies who would kill me on sight, with my seconds rapidly ticking away, I hesitated, unable to make myself take another step. If I left now, if I finished the mission and walked away, everyone on this floor would die.

Including that kid. Madison, the girl I’d met for only a couple minutes, would die. She was human, she was part of St. George, but she wasn’t a soldier. And without even knowing it, she had saved my life.

I raked my hands through my hair. So, what are you going to do, Cobalt? Not complete the mission? Go back to Talon and admit you failed? You know they won’t accept that.