“T minus three minutes until we move out, Kael!” Pandora’s familiar voice calls, and I look up to see her purple pigtails disappearing into the crowd.

“Look, you should really go—” Kael tries to say, but Cami interrupts him.

“You walked past our door just before. We heard everything you said. We know you’re going after a breakout.”

“Know” is a strong word, since neither of us can be sure. But Kael looks startled, again glancing at Cami for only a second before turning back to me. “In that case, you’ll understand that we’re in a hurry to reach them before Lengard swoops in. We’ve already waited long enough that they could get there first. And if we cross paths …”

I have no idea what happens when the Remnants and Lengard are both chasing the same breakout and arrive at the same time, but it doesn’t take much imagination to guess.

Let’s act as if you’re in a Speaker battle.

Pandora’s hypothetical scenario from earlier echoes in my mind, and I wonder if, before the night is out, it won’t be so hypothetical.

“I want to come,” I tell Kael.

“Me too,” Cami jumps in.

“No chance,” Kael says firmly. He points a finger at me. “You’re still recovering, and you”—his finger turns to Cami, but he hesitates before settling on—“need to be watching over her.”

I cross my arms. “I don’t need a babysitter. And I’m done recovering.” I was done three days ago when Cami healed me, something Kael would have known if he’d deigned to visit in that time.

When he opens his mouth to argue, I hurry to add, “I’m a Creator, remember? The odds will be better if you bring me along.” I’m careful not to mention that I couldn’t come up with an answer to Pandora’s hypothetical scenario earlier today. I’m also hoping that she and Keeda, who I can see barking out instructions on the far side of the room, keep their distance until this conversation is over.

“And I’m a healer, so you’ll want me there if anything goes wrong,” Cami reminds him. He still won’t look at her for more than a few seconds. “Face it, you’re better off with us.”

“One minute and counting, Kael,” Pandora says as she rushes toward us, carrying a crate of tennis balls, of all things. She catches my questioning look and winks as she passes straight on through the door, sharing, “You can never have too many balls.”

Some of the others trail after her, including Keeda, while a small group remain behind and take up positions in front of the various screens around the room.

“They’re not coming.”

Arryn comes to a halt before us, her glare now focused on Kael.

“They have a point,” he argues, soothing my growing irritation. “Creator and healer—they could be useful.”

I resist the urge to frown at him. Even on our weakest days, we’d be invaluable assets, and he knows it.

“I don’t care what they can do,” Arryn says. “I won’t have them sabotaging our mission.”