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Holter pulls her into a hug. And when he does, one of the sharks taps its nose at the window. Annabelle places her hand on the glass, and each of them comes to the window. “Be good boys.” When she turns around, there are tears in her eyes. She races over to Nico. “I know you can make your way out of the chasm.”
“Indeed.” Nico kisses her hard and long.
It’s hard to watch, but then we don’t have much time. I have paid off the guards who are picking Nico up. We maybe have a few minutes, and Nico was specific. He wants her to leave the dome before they come and get him. She’s already seen enough of him being led away in cuffs.
“I’m going to miss you.” She leans into him and huffs in his shirt.
“I won’t miss you.”
She flinches back. “Nico.”
“I won’t miss you because I will always have you in my heart.”
She groans and smiles.
“You need to get going, Little Krill. Milo and thesoloawait.” Nico pulls her back in for another kiss. And when they separate, he squeezes her hand and passes it to Holter.
“I love you.” Nico’s words are a loud whisper.
“And I love you.” She sighs, her shoulders curling.
“Good luck, my friend.” I grab Nico’s arm in the customary way. But he pulls me into a hug. Annabelle is right. If anyone can beat the chasm, it’s Nico. My best friend is stronger than anyone I know. But more so, he’s quick thinking. The fact that he was bitten by a bull shark only proved how much he cares for Annabelle. His focus was on her safety, not his own.
“I don’t need luck. I have skill.”
It’s enough to make the rest of us laugh. Holter ushers Annabelle out the door while she’s still laughing. The click the door makes behind us, though . . . That sobers us all right up. I jab at the call button with my finger. Willing it to come faster. The faster we’re away, hopefully the less stress this will cause her.
In the lobby in my peripheral, I catch sight of the guards waiting to claim Nico. Holter points to a statue or something on the other side of the wall, directing Annabelle’s attention away from them. But I know she’s seen them. There’s no way she hasn’t.
Milo’s waiting. The new largersolowith the long-distance range is something I was meaning to buy, anyway. Maybe I’ll have Milo ferry me back and forth from now on. I know he’d like that better, anyway.
“Milo. It’s good to see you again.” Annabelle’s smile doesn’t twinkle in her eye. But the fact that she’s kind to my youngest brother, even when I know she’s hurting, means a lot to me. She and Holter climb in the back.
“It’s nice to see you too. I know M32 is going to miss you.” Milo cranes his neck to look at her, then turns back, focusing on his steering.
“Mickey.”
“Right, Mickey.”
“You’ll give him his afternoon snacks?”
“I’ll make sure.” Milo weaves through the city, past the public buildings and out through the edge of the final force field.
“And lots of pets?”
“Yes,” Milo says, focusing out the front windshield.
I glance at my brother as we get close. He’s rarely been outside the field. But I know he can do it. I hit our cloak as we near the edge of the perimeter and engage the shield that allows us to push through it. He pulls the throttle back, and we’re through. I turn to him. He’s all smiles while the rest of us are gutted. I don’t want her to leave. But I understand why she has to go.
It will be midday by the time we get to Athens, too late to put her on a plane. I wanted to rent a jet, but it’s too conspicuous. She’ll be safer blending into the mass of American tourists. The window of thesolois tinted. Not that I think that matters. They’ve got Nico. I’m not sure they’re going to be watching Annabelle. But if they are, thissolohas some modifications. Ones that will help us remain undetected, at least until we arrive in Athens. She wants her life back.
I glance at her and Holter. “Doing okay back there?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty.”
“Well, we’ve got a long trip ahead of us. There’s a bathroom and some snacks in the back if you need them.”
“I’m good.” Annabelle turns from Holter to look out the window, although she doesn’t let go of his hand.
