“We can’t help them now!” Ember growled and pulled the other girl off the wall. The chatter of gunfire was getting closer, as were the footsteps of the squad. “She’s with Riley, she’ll be fine. But we have to get out of here, right now.” Faith took a breath to argue, and Ember snarled at her with the fury of a fire-breathing dragon. “Move!”

Faith gave a desperate sob and stumbled past me down the hall. I started after her but Ember paused, shooting one final glance at Riley and Ava, who were already sprinting in the opposite direction.

“Be careful, Riley,” she whispered, before spinning and catching up to me and Faith. We rounded a corner just as the squad reached the intersection, sending a storm of bullets after us, and whatever feelings I had about Ember and the rogue were quickly replaced by thoughts of survival.

Riley

Riley

I might not get out of this one.

Angrily, I banished the thought as I led Ava through the maze of corridors, the echo of gunfire and soldiers’ voices ringing behind us. I couldn’t start thinking like that. I’d survived worse than this, and besides, I had too many who counted on me; I couldn’t die now.

“Riley, wait,” Ava said, bringing me to a halt in the middle of the hall. The pale-haired hatchling shot a quick look around, blue eyes searching, then jerked her head at an open doorway. “This way,” she announced, and darted into the room. Frowning, I followed, hearing the soldiers close behind us, wondering what she was planning. We couldn’t afford to be trapped.

“What are we doing?” I hissed, as the hatchling hurried to a pair of balcony doors. “We can’t fly, Ava. They’ve got snipers out there—”

“We’re not going to fly.” Ava unlocked the frame and pried back the glass doors, glancing over her shoulder at me. “I know what I’m doing,” she said to my dubious look. “Trust me, Cobalt.”

Shouts echoed from the hallway, making my skin crawl. “Looks like I don’t have a choice,” I growled, and followed her onto the balcony. She didn’t launch herself into the air but hurried to the railing and swung over, making my heart jump to my throat. For a half second, she dangled over a lethal drop, feet swinging out over nothing. Then she pumped her legs twice and let go of the rails. My heart gave another violent lurch as I leaned over and watched her drop onto the balcony directly below us, landing in a graceful crouch.

Straightening, she looked up at me, as I told my heart it could start beating again. “Hurry!” she urged, just as the glass behind me shattered. Bullets sparked off the railing, and I scrambled over the edge, taking a half second to swing my legs forward as I released my grip.