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“Oh, yes, the famous Code of Conduct I’ve heard absolutely nothing about.” I smirked at him.

“As I said, it’s classified.”

“I love classified secrets.”

His chuckles rumbled inside his helmet. “So do I.”

“So you’ll tell me about the Code?”

“Of course. Once you’re a Knight.”

“I’m not that patien—come on, we have tomove!”

I gave Kato’s hand a tug, and we started running toward one of the Cursed Ones. It was glowing as bright and blue as a lapis lazuli stone. The glow was so strong, the Cursed One must have been standing right next to the tear.

I hurried toward it, pushing my legs as fast as they could go—then I screeched to a sudden halt.

“What is it?” Kato asked as I backed away from the Cursed One. “Did the halo change color?”

“Yes.” My hope faded away as I watched the ultramarine blue glow finish melting to a dull, lifeless blue-grey. “We were too slow.”

“Hey.” He squeezed my hand. “It’s ok. There are still two more tears.”

I fought off the wave of despair threatening to drown me. Or maybe that was nausea. “Right. There are still two more.” I winced when an ultramarine-blue halo lit up another Cursed One—then immediately turned blue-grey. “One more.”

Kato didn’t say anything. What was there to say? We had only one tear left, one chance left to get back to our dimension before we were stuck here forever.

There was another flash of ultramarine-blue light, and this time I didn’t stop to think. I just ran, pulling Kato along with me. We were almost to the Cursed One when its halo started to flicker, like it was about to change color.

Oh no you don’t!

I poured all the energy I had left into my legs, sprinted past the Cursed One, and slipped into the tear in the veil.

I knew it the moment we were in. Everything went silent and numb all at once.

And then it felt like someone had wrapped a warm blanket around my body and was lifting me up, up, up out of Shadow Fall.

I blinked, and Kato and I were in the Garden again. I stumbled, suddenly overcome with dizziness, but Kato caught my arm before I fell.

The silence shattered. The Garden exploded with applause. Everyone was standing exactly where they’d been before we’d gone to Shadow Fall. Wow, time really did progress differently there.

The other Apprentices rushed forward. Everyone wanted to shake the hand of the Knight who’d saved them from the Cursed Ones.

Kato ignored them all.

Seven? Are you all right?

I almost jumped when I heard his voice in my head.

I guess this means your magic’s returned, I thought back, hoping he could hear me.

It has.

I’m glad.

His chuckles sounded even more delightful in my mind, as sweet as a purring cat.So am I.

“Enough!”