and Mira's head knock

He took the corner so

eadlights blazing through the rain. She had grabbed her coat and nothing els

u lost them,

em twice. This is

s not

swerved around a deli

dshield spiderwebbed. Mira ducked b

shootin

u alive." He said it so calmly that her stom

rackled. A woman's voice cam

n. Pul

nt white on the

like she was sitting in the back seat. "Hand over the girl, and I'll let

peror I'm no

r your opinion." A

breath

vely place. Dusty." Lyra laughed softly. "You can't hide fr

nto the seat. Three years of bein

witched off the radio. Th

" he said. "T

sh

n't k

answer he had given her.

k, and he hadn't said a word about it. "This is what happens," she said quietly. "People ge

this is y

n't

fault. This is the Empire's fault. You're j

rgue. She didn'

l left, and they shot down a narrow service road between two wareho

nute, neither

uble back,"

r to yo

es. If we'

f we'r

gearshift and pressed against his ribs.

leeding,"

s fi

ine. That's a

burned against her skin, hot as a coal. She gasped and tried to jerk free, but he held on. "Your blood is th

nst her pulse. It didn't just burn

" she wh

burning stop

warm where he had touched it, and he

. Kaelen drove through without slowing, and the gate swung ope

ut. His legs buckled be

ele

He was heavier than he looked, and his

them. A woman burst into the light, her dark braid whipping behin

saw Mir

blade from her belt and

e shaking with fury. "What h