The ground shook. Dust rained down from the ceiling. A few of the knifejacks opened their glowing eyes and squeaked, then settled back down.

“I hope Muthr’s okay,” Eva breathed.

“Yes. I hope she and Otto”—Rovender flinched at another low boom—“were able to hide.”

“Me too,” Eva said. She shuddered at the thought of them all mounted on display in the Royal Museum with their skin removed.

“Do you think”—Rovender paused, keeping a wary eye on the horde above them—“that the fellow who gave you the beamguide also gave Besteel one?”

Eva was quiet for a moment as she considered this. Zin didn’t seem like the type to turn Eva in. On the other hand, he had lied about helping her escape . . . and she had destroyed the museum. “I’m not sure,” she said. “I don’t think so.” She recalled her meeting with the fortune-teller, Arius. “I think he truly wanted me to find this place.”

There was another vibration, this time much closer, that rattled the walls of their hiding place. Eva and Rovender covered their eyes from the downpour of dust and sand. The dust settled and they looked up to a ceiling aglow with hundreds of tiny eyes.

“Time to go!” Rovender yelled, and pushed Eva back up the stairs.

Hundreds of knifejacks flitted past them, pricking and biting along the way. Eva and Rovender fled back up to the surface and ran right into Otto.

“Otto!” Rovender exclaimed.

“Where’s Muthr?” Eva asked.

Hiding. Safe. Come.

Eva and Rovender ran behind Otto as he took off on his six legs. He led them past the tunnel that he’d been digging and out into the open plain surrounding the ruins. As he did so, the water bear began to squawk loudly. Over his calls Eva could hear the gliders circling overhead.

“Eva Nine.” Rovender looked back behind them at the squadron up in the sky. “I hope Otto has something planned, because we are easy targets out here.”

Eva kept running, and shouted over her shoulder. “He does. Trust me!”

“Here they come!” Rovender yelled, and pointed up.

At the head of the squadron, Besteel led the guardsmen toward Eva. She could hear the hum of their charging weapons mixed with the whine of their racing engines.

Otto’s herd emerged from their hiding places in the ruins.

Using their snapping tails, a volley of water bears launched themselves up into the air, rocketing toward Besteel and the squadron.

The huntsman skillfully maneuvered his glider through the first wave of leaping giants, but several of the royal guardsmen were hit. Losing control, they spiraled down, topsy-turvy, to the ground below and impacted in brilliant explosions.