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But Sofia doesn’t speak for no reason--that e it "What is it?" I ask softly, forestalling Jubilee

Sofia’s eyes flick from me to the dumpster "The husks," she breathes, voice barely audible "They don’t hide They’re on aat Jubilee "They’re running a search pattern Why would one corner itself in here?"

Tarver lets go of the edge of the du between me and Sofia

But before anyone can respond, the du a sound like thunder crashing up and down the alley A figure tries to vault out of it, but he’s clearly too craainst the far wall, tripping and then dropping to the streets Before any of us can speak, he’s got his hands up, as though protecting his face fro "Don’t hurtthe un trained on this new arrival

But he doesn’t respond to that warning, still babbling pleas He’s in his fifties or sixties and out of shape, clad in the ruins of a suit He’s filthy, the odor of garbage and fear ripening the air, but as his eyes flash, terrified, between the five of us, I can see it: his eyes are hazel And though they’re dilated with fear, they’re not eent, and though it cuts across the e of that husk in the next block turning our way flashes up inbefore I have ti into a crouch, I reach out and pressafroain

Sofia’s lances up to follow the aze "Guys--" She lifts a hand, then turns it paluns"

"We’re not going to hurt you," I whisper "But you’ve got to be quiet If I take my hand aill you pro back toward ulps air

"Who are you? What’re you doing here?" Sofia’s voice is soft, despite her line of questioning

"We were--I’m Chuck My wife and I were…There were evacuation sirens They said this part of the city wasn’t safe,wildly into theto rest gently on his shoulder "It’s okay Just take a deep breath" The genetag tattoo she worked so hard to conceal is exposed now, and stands out stark against her inner arives the man’s shoulder a squeeze My stomach clenches as I realize this probably isn’t the first ti up on Avon in the middle of a war

He shivers "She just stopped Like so flipped a switch Stopped, then turned around and started walking back that way" He lifts his chin, pointing back in the direction of the Daedalus "When I tried to stop her, to ask what she was doing, it was like she didn’t even know me--she looked at h he aze "She grabbedme with her, but I pulled free and…"

"And hid here," Sofia finishes for hiHe’s not fit enough to keep up with us, and with everything hinging on our success, we can’t afford to slon But he could turn into one of those husks if he steps outside the protective field of ed whisper shields, and if Lilac can’t sense us through our scra fields, she’ll certainly be able to access what he knows about us

My eyes rake the alley, and Chuck hied to hold off the whisper’s influence for so long--then ht serve to protect hiet back inside" I’uy’s arm even as the others turn to look at ive you supplies You have to stay in there or you’ll end up like your wife"

Chuck’s trying to shakehi other survivors I open my mouth to explain further, but before I can speak,over the edge of the wall in the shadows at the end of the alley The fingertips grope, creeping along the cement until they find purchase in a crack; it’s not until they curl and tighten that I realize one of the like the others A head and shoulders appear, becoe of the wall

I lurch to rab for Sofia and pull her with er back The others see it alun on the figure creeping over the wall, Tarver spits a curse and swings his weapon over toward thee of the wall and drops into a heap on the paves, and I can see its profile, head turning toward us as we burst back out into the sunlight I collide with someone just in front of me--the others have stopped It’s all I can do not to shout at them, Run, run, for the love of…

And then I see why they’re not running

The street outside the alley is filled with husks

There are dozens upon dozens of the as far as I can see Most of them would seem perfectly normal if not for the slack faces and the empty black holes where their eyes should be--but some of them have obvious injuries, like the one at the back of the alley with the broken finger A girl, no older than eleven or twelve, stands only a few feet away, a shallow scrape across her arainst her pale yellow sundress; a h to see over the sea of faces, stares at us from only one black eye, the other crusted shut with blood froainst Flynn, who’s still gripping his arm "No, no, no, nooo" His whisper turns to a rasp

"Wait--" Flynn’s lunging after hi, back down the alley, toward his due of the altered palht have protected hi to do anything against the husks Others have joined the solitary shadow at the back of the alley, and they descend on Chuck fro spot, but the husks grab hold of hiing him away from the dus to its edge Then he’s gone, pulled down into their midst