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"Their – the Blues would be able to tell us that,wouldn't they?" Madeleine had beendismayed by Pan's offer of amnesty, and yet glad of it. "So far it's been very rare for any ofthe non-Reborn to survive separation, anyway."
A scrambling noise rescued Madeleine from a subject shewasn't certain she could face, and Noi, only a few feet away, said: "Anyproblems?"
"Do stubbed toes count?" Min, who had been sent to take care of thewebcam, eased into a spot near Madeleine and Emily. "I just shifted the angle upward, ratherthan turning it off. Can't guaranteethose two kids will stay there though. It's mad the number of people round here who want to play hero."
"You say that, but I remember you ru
"Heat of the moment," Min's voice wasdismissive. "And not exactlyeffective."
"Does that make a difference? I hope those two stay put – maybe we shouldsend someone back in there to keep an eye on them."
Ari and Tia, their youngest Blues, had been assigned cameraduties, filming the battle in the hopes of passing on dragon-fightingtechniques – and keeping the pair out of a fight they were keen to join. Madeleine's primary feeling about her owninvolvement in the coming battle was dread combined with resignation, and animpatience for it to be done. To knowwhether the Spires would fall, and what that victory would cost them.
"Challenge is finishing up," Noi said tersely. "They'll keep to the pecking orderheading back, so we're on schedule. Millie, come keep an eye on the feed for me."
Emily clambered over to the shielded hollow Noi was using tohide the glow of the laptop. Once shewas there, Noi balanced on top of a fallen tree trunk, and held a torch high,turning it on and off three times in rapid succession. After a pause, she jumped down.
"Haron's team's in place. Defenders are heading in. Count off the entries that you see, Millie,and let me know when you get to fifty, and then eighty. And everyone eat something."
The Ul-naa were hundred and fifthin the primacy. That was a lot ofdragons to fly on home, and Madeleine doubted Sydney's Core would return beforedawn. She sighed, and tucked her handsinto her armpits as Noi curled down beside her.
"I said eat."
"I have been. Everyone keeps trying to feed me."
"Yeah. Well." Noi evidently chosenot to point out that Madeleine had spent most of the last few hours eitherunconscious or trying to hide in her cousin's armpit.
"Why was Emily angry with me?"
"Because it didn't happen to you. Because you escaped it."
The certainty of Noi's answer meantshe'd probably already discussed this with Emily. Or perhaps felt the same way.
"Was – was it very bad?"
Noi didn't answer immediately, and Madeleine again felt thenew gulf between them.
"It hurt all the time." The words came slowly, each an obviouseffort. "Almost likeshield-paralysis combined with the pins and needles afterwards. Not so sharp, but never ending. This – this constant, swooping distress oftrying to move, to speak, and nothing. And suffocated by its presence. Sat on. That without evenconsidering what your it is like, and what it's doing with you."
Regretting asking, Madeleine slid closer, and Noi leanedagainst her, shaking. But then, in anexhibition of sheer determination, the shorter girl's breathing eased, and shestraightened, taking Madeleine's hand instead.
"Fifty," Emily said, and all around them came thefaintest rustle of anticipation. Soon. Fighting, killing.
"Do you think Pan was wrong?" Madeleine asked. "To offer amnesty?"
"No. I hate theidea, but the alternative is..."
Genocide. A hard wordto link to your own goals.
"Pan says his Moth was mostly frightened," Noi wenton. "Not someone who'd put anyonebefore himself, just a scared squit trying to keephis head down. I'd still kill everysingle one of them to free the Blues they're riding, but...well...there's a bitmore nuance to my attitude thanks to Fisher's little speech."
Fisher's recording had left Madeleine struggling to hidetears, grateful but perhaps even less able to deal with the tangle betweenthem. At least he seemed to share herimmediate need for avoidance, staying at a careful distance.
"He is distinctly different, isn't he?" Noi added,tone low, edged with sympathy. "Iasked Nash and Pan how they could not notice he was possessed. They thought he'd gone suddenly politewanting to impress you."
Not knowing how to respond, Madeleine simply hunched hershoulders, and after a pause Noi said quietly: "I owe you an apology."
"What for?"
"I did kind of encourage you into bed with him."
"Oh." It waslike a jab to a wound, sudden and shocking for all they'd been talking aroundthe subject. "No, don't besorry. I'm not, not for that." She recognised a truth spoken, even thoughher throat immediately locked with unshed tears. "I was so happy," she said,struggling to get the words out. "It fell into a flaming heap, and I want to crawl under a rock, butI can't regret it. I'd never beenhappier in my life."
Noi's hand tightened on hers, thenrelaxed, and they sat co
"Eighty."
"Right." Noistood, and signalled again with her torch. "Keep counting, Millie, and let us know when you hit a hundred, butfrom this point on we're assuming it could be any moment."
Noi wasn't quite able to keep a hint of breathlessness fromher voice, an awareness of how critical the moment was, and the consequences offailure. Madeleine stood as well, andtried to look at the Spire. South-west,its base was little more than an impression of depth, though its upper reachesstood out spear-sharp. Even on its ownit was a difficult thing to encompass, and she struggled to frame the wholetruth of it – not a ship, not a building, but a kind of spike or tentacle of acreature so vast it must look like a mountain range, clawing an alien sky.
Feeling cold and wobbly, she searched through theincreasingly visible shapes around her until she found Tyler, incongruouslyseated on a park bench which had survived and remained upright. It rocked a little as she sat beside him, butit was a good place to collect herself. Lost in his own thoughts Tyler didn't speak, but gave her a small smile,and Madeleine recognised that even after years of having little to do with hercousin they retained the simple acceptance of family. Noi, along with so many millions of people,had lost that completely.
"Hey, Maddie, what's the nameof that statue?" Pan, poking hishead over her shoulder, pointed at the bronze figure Noi was leaningagainst. The gloom had lifted enough toreveal a woman armed with a bow, kneeling beside the mashed remains of a stag.
"It's the Roman goddess, Diana."
That imp's grin lit up the morning. "Thought so." He bounced across to Noi. "You know, Wonder Woman's real name isDiana. I'd call that a sign."
Noi almost visibly dragged her thoughts out from under theshadow of the Spire. "If that meansspandex in our near future, I want a different sign."
Pan took Noi's hand and swung itgently. "You don't need a costumeto be super."
"One hundred."
Noi flashed the torch again, and everyone held theirbreath. Madeleine found herself lookingaway from the Spire, at her feet, at Tyler, at the faces of theMusketeers. Fisher.