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To my surprise, it’s Elodie who meets us on the launchpad.

Considering all that went down, better her than Arthur. And yet, I’m the only one who’s surprised. Braxton looks like he was expecting it, and Elodie’s expression reads as triumphant.

“So it worked.” Elodie’s face eases into a self-satisfied grin that fades the second she takes note of the blood-soaked cloth wrapped around Braxton’s head. “What the hell happened?” she cries, rushing to his side.

“It’s nothing.” Braxton brushes her away. But considering his battered, bloodied state, she clearly doesn’t believe him.

“You need to get over to Medical,” she says. “Now would be good.”

“No.” Braxton tears another swath of fabric from his shirt and presses it to his neck. “No one can know. I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks.”

“Oh, so you’re sure?” Elodie smirks. “Well, that’s a relief.” She shakes her head, shoots me a look as if to say,can you fucking believe this guy?

“Did anyone notice I was gone?” Braxton asks.

“Everything went exactly as planned,” Elodie tells him.

“You planned this?” I glance between them, trying to imagine how that might’ve happened.

“He did.” She jabs a thumb Braxton’s way. “I just manned the control room. And I’d totally be up for celebrating if it wasn’t for that—” She gestures toward Braxton’s general sorry state. Then, looking to me, she says, “Can you at least try to talk some sense into him?”

“I’ll try,” I tell her. “But I’m not entirely sure I understand what’s going on here.” I glance between them, unnerved to think they’ve been conspiring again.

Elodie sighs. “Just consider this number six. As for everything else, I’ll leave it for Brax to explain.”

Brax.The nickname she gave him when they were together. But surely she’s over him now that she seems to have such a good thing going with Jago and Nash?

“I feel like I owe you,” I say. What I don’t say is how uneasy that leaves me.

Elodie lifts a brow, twists her lips to the side. “Then I’ll be sure to collect when the time is right. But for now, get him out of here. I can’t have him bleeding all over the floor.”

Since he refuses to go to Medical, Braxton and I head for his room, and the first thing I see when I walk through the door is that the painting ofThe Nightmarehas claimed a spot just across fromNarcissus. And I hope that once we’ve had a chance to talk, he’ll no longer need to surround himself with paintings like that—unless it’s an aesthetic choice, as opposed to yet another way to punish himself.

After leading him into the bathroom, I guide him to sit on the edge of the tub, then I gather some supplies so I can at least try to tend to his wounds.

“How’d you end up in Florence?” I ask, dabbing a wet cloth to his head.

“Arthur sent me on some bullshit errand to the Elizabethan era. When I returned, Elodie told me Arthur sent Killian with you in my place.” He speaks between gritted teeth, watching me warily as I rinse his blood from the washcloth, wring out the excess water, then return to his wound. “She was worried about you being alone with him and—ouch.”

“Sorry,” I say. After wringing the cloth once again, I have a go at his neck.

“She helped me Trip.” He shuts his eyes, flinching when I press the washcloth to the cut on his throat.

“I didn’t realize Elodie knew how to work the control room.”

Braxton shrugs. “She knows more than anyone else who might’ve been willing to help.”

“Weren’t you worried?” I ask. “I mean, she could’ve messed up so easily.” I cringe to think of all the places he could’ve landed, never to find his way back.

“You’re worth the risk,” Braxton says, and the gravity of his words sends a flush of shame to my cheeks when I remember how easily I doubted him, rejected him, left him to bleed. “And it was a risk I couldn’t afford not to take, seeing how Arthur’s away—”

“Wait—what?” I cut in.

“He’s gone on business—left not long after you. He’ll be out a few days.”

My mind reels with the news.If that’s true, then—

I shake my head and focus on tending to Braxton’s injuries, though this is way beyond my abilities. He needs to see a doctor. The sooner the better.