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The gun clatters to the deck as Dar charges forward, using the Grolgath like a battering ram. They crash through the metal railing. The Grolgath's scream cuts off with a distant splash.

"Livvy!" Dar pulls me into his arms. His scales are smooth and warm against my skin.

I push away from his embrace. "There's no time. They've planted bombs throughout the ferry."

"Get topside," he orders. "I'll find them."

"No." I grab his arm. "You need my help. Two people searching means twice the chance of finding them all in time."

"It's too dangerous-"

"Trust me," I say, meeting his red-eyed gaze. "I'm not some damsel who needs protecting. I just melted a Grolgath's face off, remember?"

Dar's expression softens. He cups my face in his massive hand. "You're right. Where do we start?"

"Engine room. That's where they'd do the most damage." I kick off my heels - no time for fashion now. "Let's move."

We sprint down the corridor together, our footsteps echoing in perfect sync.

We find the first bomb hidden behind an access panel - a black disc about the size of a hockey puck, covered in blinking red lights. My heart skips a beat at the sight.

"Here." Dar's scaled fingers dance over the device. "Press these two lights simultaneously, then this sequence." The lights flicker from red to green. "See? Disarmed."

I nod, memorizing the pattern. "Split up?"

"Three minutes until detonation. We have to."

We race through the ferry's bowels, finding bombs in maintenance closets, behind panels, under seats. My fingers move faster with each device, muscle memory taking over. Green light after green light marks our progress, but there are so many.

"Thirty seconds!" Dar's voice echoes from somewhere ahead. "I've got two more here!"

I spot another red glow under a pipe. "One more here!" My hands shake as I input the sequence.

"Livvy, I'm sorry." Dar's voice cracks. "I never should have brought you into this."

The light stays stubbornly red. I try again.

"Don't you dare apologize." My fingers dance across the lights. "These past weeks with you - I finally know what perfect love feels like."

Ten seconds. The sequence isn't working. I take a deep breath, wipe my sweaty palms on my skirt, and try one more time.

"But nobody's dying today," I say with a wink as the final light turns green. "We made it."

CHAPTER 16

DAR

"What about this one?" The jeweler points to a gaudy monstrosity that would look more at home on a rapper's pinky finger.

"No. Show me something worthy of a warrior queen."

"Ah." His eyes light up. He unlocks a different case and brings out a tray of rings that sparkle like captured starlight. "These are our finest pieces."

My gaze fixes on one particular ring. The diamond catches the light like a prism, sending rainbow fragments dancing across the glass counter. Golden ivy leaves curl around the stone in an intricate embrace, reminding me of how Olivia's fingers intertwine with mine.

"That one."

The jeweler's hands tremble as he lifts it. "Excellent taste, sir. This is a five-carat..."