It’s only when Cami starts fidgeting beside me that I notice the meeting is beginning to wrap up, the closing questions from the crowd now being answered.

“Finally,” Cami whispers under her breath, while I stifle a yawn.

“Mmm-hmm,” I murmur around my hand, watching as the crowd is dismissed by Kael after being given orders to report back with any findings they can uncover.

I give myself a mental shake back into alertness, knowing that now is the time for us to act.

“Can you see her?” I ask as I scan the faces moving from the room.

Cami knows who I’m talking about, our half-baked plan having been decided in whispers before we fell asleep mere hours ago.

“No, I—Wait, there she is.” Cami points, but there’s no need, since I can already see our target, who is waving goodbye to Pandora as she turns and rushes out of sight.

We step forward together, closing the distance until we’re blocking Keeda from following the crowd back into the tunnel.

“Hey, guys. Rough morning, or what?” she says, sipping from a jumbo-sized takeout coffee cup with the zoo’s logo on it. “I’m beat. This sleeping beauty needs more than four hours of shut-eye to function, that’s for damn sure.” She jerks a thumb at herself before throwing back the dregs of the coffee and squinting at the empty cup as if offended there’s nothing left.

“We need to ask you something.” I gesture toward an alcove cut into the side of the chamber, aware that we’re standing out in the open as people stream past us, aware that Kael will be coming this way any second and he won’t be pleased if he learns about the conversation we’re about to have. “Do you have a moment?”

Keeda sighs but follows as Cami and I lead her away. I don’t understand the sigh—I presume it’s because she’s out of coffee, but then I turn to face her in the small alcove and find her eyes wary, her face guarded.

“I already know what you’re going to ask, and I can’t help you.”

I share a glance with Cami, uncertain. “How—”

Keeda tosses her braid over her shoulder. “Kael said you might ask for my help breaking into Lengard. That’s what you’re after, right?”

I bite the inside of my cheek, frustrated that Kael sought her out first. I should have seen this coming, but I’m still annoyed.

“You got us out, you can get us back in,” I say. I hold her gaze as I add, “It’s important. You know it is.”

She sighs again, this time with much more feeling.

“I hear you, I really do.” She raises the cup to her lips before frowning as she remembers there’s nothing left. “But I can’t disobey direct orders. I’m sorry, Lyss. Truly.”

Throughout all this, she doesn’t look at Cami. Not once. Not until Cami speaks up, her voice barely more than a croak of emotion. “Keeda, please. We need your help. Landon, Enzo, Sneak, Crew—they all need your help.”