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My heart races, so wild that I’m sure Stanton could detect me from the other side of the world. I only know one person whose fire are those colors.
Then there he is, alongside a Halo Knight as they drag mattresses out of cells and throw them into the burning pile.
Emil is stronger than he believes.
His beautiful face is the last one I expected to find inside the Bounds.
I make my way for the stairs, taking careful steps when I feel a foot on my back. I tumble down, banging my shoulder, my knees, my elbows, and my face slaps against the bottom step. I spit blood, surprised to be alive and wanting to be more than ever.
I use every last ounce of my strength to shout, “Firefly!”
Seventy-One
Winner
EMIL
That stranger called me firefly.
Before his gray glow finishes, I’m running toward him. The beautiful brown of his skin returns, the once-shaved sides of his head have grown out since I last saw him, and he looks like he’s been through hell with all these bruises and cuts and blood. I cradle his neck, and I suck in the biggest breath at being able to touch him again.
“You’re alive, you’re alive,” I say, which is more important to me than I ever could’ve known.
“Firefly,” Ness says. It’s my favorite word.
Wyatt crouches, lifting Ness from under his arms. “Come on, champ, let’s get you out of here.”
I want to stay here and hold Ness, but Wyatt’s right; we got to get out of here before he’s recognized.
My chest tightens as someone steps out of the smoke—Stanton. I waste no time throwing fire-orbs, hoping to lay him out again just like back at Gleam Care. One catches him in the shoulder and he slams on his back. I grab my whistle, blowing on it over and over, praying to every damn star that my full squad will hear this over this chaos and come help us.
Wyatt lifts Ness onto his shoulder and runs past the burning mattress, but not fast enough. Stanton recovers and dodges every fire-dart I throw over my shoulder. His footsteps pound the floor and it’s too late; he grabs me by the back of my neck and throws me against the wall. Stanton rips Ness off of Wyatt’s shoulder and slams him onto the ground like a sledgehammer. There’s fear in Wyatt’s eyes, which Stanton seems to be drinking in before throwing him back toward the fire.
Stanton pounces on me and rages against my face with his fist.
“You thought you were free of me?”
Whenever I try to concentrate on setting my own fists on fire, he breaks my focus with another hit.
It’s hard to keep my eyes open. . . .
I don’t even feel the punches anymore. . . .
It’s getting dark, even though my healing power tries to find the light. . . .
Someone tackles Stanton off me, but it’s a blur.
First I think it’s Ness being an idiot and saving me for the infinitieth time. He’s still on the floor, struggling to breathe. Same for Wyatt, who is groaning in pain.
The person isn’t blurry anymore.
It’s my brother, rescuing me like a hero who has fallen out of the sky.
Seventy-Two
Infinity Reaper
BRIGHTON
