Page 74 of The Last Hope

“On the count of three,” Venita bellows to the fleet. “One.”

Gem and Padgett untangle themselves and wrench their gags to their necks.

“Two.”

Gem—the younger and chattier sister—whips her head to me, blond hair frizzed and sticking up. “What are they saying?” Gem pants for breath.

“Court?” Padgett questions.

I have to lie. For their sake. “I’m unsure.”

“Three!” Venita yells and launches a spiked club to Stork.

Effortlessly clasping the handle, he lifts the spikes against Franny’s throat.

“Heya! You don’t know what you’re doing!” Zimmer struggles to his feet, tearing at the last shreds of rope on his wrists in alarm. “She candie! She’s not one of us!She’s not one of us!”

A pang of hurt rocks Franny back.

In perfect Saltarian, Stork tells my brother and friends, “You want to save her, come fight for her. Otherwise, watch her die.”

Zimmer curses at Stork, yelling obscenities, and he races forward, slipping on rope that falls off his wrist. He catches his balance and keeps pace. “Are you mad?!”

Stork moves Franny into Venita’s arms, and wearing a protective breastplate but no helmet, he confronts Zimmer.

“Don’t hurt him!” Franny shouts at Stork, fear ratcheting her voice.

He drops the club.

Zimmer slams a fist into his jaw, and Stork hardly flinches before returning a blow to his gut. The Fast-Tracker doubles over, and while they both tussle, I look to my right.

The Soarcastle sisters are more methodical. Devising a strategy, Padgett runs to my fallen weapon. “Take this.” She scrambles to pick up the bow and arrow. “You know how to use it.” She tries to push the weapon to my chest, but I raise my hands.

She freezes. “What am I missing, Court?”

“Release your grip!” Gem yells, sprinting her fastest to Venita, who curves her bicep around Franny’s neck.

“Gem!” Padgett shouts, taking one step toward her sister—and then Stork pushes Zimmer hard and he staggers back.

Stork narrows his gaze at the youngest Soarcastle. Probably thinking the same as me.What is she going to do without a weapon?

Gem dives.

For Venita’s legs.

The Earthen captain is quicker. She kicks Gem, sandaled foot meeting cheek in a hardthwack.

Padgett forgets about my unknown intentions, and she lifts the bow and arrow—now aimed for Venita. “Let Franny go. Lest you want a hole in your head.”

Stork holds out a hand. “There’s no need for that.” His voice is casual, unconcerned. “How about we just go with a deal?” His Saltarian is fluent and crisp and the other C-Jays glance to him with utter confusion.

“What kind of deal?” Kinden asks.

My nerves shift, unsettled. Not my nerves…Mykal.

He doesn’t know if this is another ploy.

It has to be.