“She’s not answering on the transceiver. She could be anywhere.”

“She does work for Scion,” Nick said. “She might get away with saying she was an emissary. But it’s not ideal.”

“Did Eliza come?”

“No, we left her at Dials. We needed one Seal in the citadel.”

Jaxon got to his feet and brushed himself down. “Let us all be friends for now. We can discuss our differences on our return.” He beckoned. “Diamond, Bell—cover us, if you please. We have a train to catch.”

“What about Dani?” Zeke looked nervous.

“She’ll make it, dear boy. That girl could make it through a minefield.”

Jaxon brushed past me, lighting another cigar as he went. How could he smoke at a time like this? He was putting on a nonchalant act, I was sure. He didn’t want to lose me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to lose him, either. Why had I said all those things? Jaxon wasn’t an oracle or a soothsayer, but his words had sounded prophetic. I couldn’t end up busking—or worse, nightwalking—in a voyant slum like Jacob’s Island. There were far worse places to be than in Jaxon’s employ in the safe area of I-4.

I wanted to apologize. I had to apologize. I was a mollisher; he was my mime-lord. But pride stopped me.

I fired another flare. The last one. A last chance for the last survivors. Then I started to run, following Jaxon. Warden shadowed me.

The flare lit our path. A few more humans made it to the sally port. They followed us into the meadow—some in pairs, others alone. Most were voyant. When Michael arrived, he caught my arm. He had a bad cut on his face, running from eyebrow to jaw, but he could walk. He hefted my backpack into my arms.

“Thanks, Michael—you really didn’t have to—” He shook his head, his narrow chest heaving. I slung a strap over my shoulder. “Is anybody else coming?”

He made three quick signs. “The emissaries,” Warden translated. “They are coming with their bodyguards. How long?” Michael held up two fingers. “Two minutes. We must be well ahead of them when they arrive.”

This was a nightmare. I looked over my shoulder. “Can’t they just let us go?”

“They will have been told to contain every last witness to this event. We may be heading for a fight.”

“We’ll give them one.”

A stitch pulled at my side. In our path, a wounded man was sprawled on the grass. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. I had half a minute to get this man on his feet or we’d have to leave him here. “Go ahead,” I said to Warden. “Let them know I’m coming. Can you open the tunnel?”

“Not without you.” He looked down at the man. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “Be quick, Paige.”