My respect for her grows at hearing her self-awareness, how she won’t risk our safety just to try something new. But it does mean we’ll have to struggle with the boys, dragging them between us. If I had a few minutes to rest and something to eat, I’d be more willing to attempt both the levitating and invisibility commands. But since I’ll be Speaking my power over the five of us—real, live human beings—just one stray thought could cause untold damage. The boys could end up flying miles into the sky, or I could make us not just invisible, but disappear entirely from where we are. I can still hear Keeda’s warning about “irreversible damage” … and I like my organs where they are, thank you very much.

“How will we do this?” Cami asks, eyeing her brother and the breakout.

They’re both similar in size—both tall, both broad.

“I already dragged this one through most of Lengard,” Arryn says, patting the shoulder of the breakout, the gesture oddly affectionate. Then again, she’s been up close and personal with him for a while now. “A little farther won’t kill me, if you two think you can handle Ward.”

“We’ll manage,” I say, determined. It’s not like we have another choice. I can’t exactly levitate them visibly through the crowds.

“We’re almost there,” Arryn says. She bends down and puts her arms around the breakout’s back, slinging his arm over her shoulder and straining to pull him upward.

I have no idea how she knows that the elevator has nearly reached the surface, but I trust her judgment. I’m used to taking two elevators to get out of Lengard, not just one. I’m not sure which option I prefer. All I know is that I’ll be more comfortable once we’re outside—and once the pressure in my ears has faded.

Together, Cami and I take positions on either side of Ward and haul him up between us. His body is warm and firm against me. I refuse to think about how good he feels, how good he smells, and I instead marvel at just how heavy his limp weight is.

“You’re up, Lyss,” Arryn says. “Work your magic.”

I take a deep breath and concentrate. When Jet used her ability on me, I could see the outside world but I couldn’t see anyone she was cloaking, with us completely invisible to the naked eye—and to each other. The same thing happened last night with Pandora’s infusion. I don’t want to replicate that entirely, since there will be too many complications if Arryn, Cami, and I can’t see each other and who we’re carrying. So I focus on what I want to happen, on our bodies becoming transparent to everyone but us, and I Speak the first word that comes to mind, “Hide.”