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They treated it like Laconia was the only probleet them all killed, but there was more than that Now that Holden was out of the picture, the only one in a position to fix it was Naomi

Fix it That was optimism The only one who could fix as much of it as was fixable He hoped she was able to rise to the occasion He hoped he was too But no one pretty ith Bobbie He still had Bobbie

The sht spilled froht they used for illumination when the built-in fixtures were too harsh The air arue sed out the sheets since they’d gotten here So fro to topple a conquering army Linens appeared

to be one of those things

Naoainst the back wall, her stool tipped back so that she could rest against the bulkhead She ser to her lips Alex paused, and Naomi nodded toward the bunk to his left The lump under the blanket was the curve of Clarissa’s back It rose and fell slowly She was asleep Alex turned back to Naoestured to the door behind him in invitation, but Nao room for Alex to sit on the lower bunk beside her Coo outside

With a sinking sensation in his gut, Alex sat His back popped like a bolt shearing off, and the ache went away In the shadows, Nao up froardless, between one state and another

“Hey,” Alex said softly

Naomiwith her for the last couple hours Ae off in the short run, but we need to get her to theher jittery”

“Soon as we’re out of here,” Alex said “First thing How’re you holding together?”

She shrugged with her hands

“Yeah,” he said

“You coirl boots on? Stop sulking in my tent and rejoin the battle, quick before Patroclus does so rash?” There was a warmth and a humor in her voice he hadn’t expected It almost undercut the sorrow that he had expected

“Yeah, I don’t actually knoho Patroclus is,” Alex said

“Greek kid, got in over his head,” Nao it away “I’ll be fine, Alex I’ll be out there Just I needed to be away for a little while It’s just the down cycle”

He went through all of the things he’d planned to say, all the arguments he’d prepared to make None of them seemed to quite fit the situation