Sylvie hoisted herself up. “Let’s get out of here.”
Georgia stared absently. “W-what’s going on?”
“Did we make this mess?” asked Flora.
The slidrian is kicking in.“I’ll explain later,” said Sylvie.
Fernand lunged forward, taking a swipe at Sylvie. He almost managed to grab her, but the tangled nest on the floor wrapped around him. He reached for his Blade, but a thorn pinned his pocket shut.
“Shouldn’t we help him?” asked Georgia.
“No,” said Sylvie. “I need you both to trust me. Fernand isn’t here to help.”
Georgia stitched her brows together. “What are you talking about?”
“Yeah. That makes no sense,” added Flora.
“I know,” said Sylvie. “That’s because Fernand gave you something, so you’d forget.”
“Don’t listen to her,” said Fernand. “Sylvie isn’t well. I think the stress of it all has gotten to her.”
“He’s lying,” said Sylvie.
Flora glanced from Fernand back to Sylvie, as if trying to decide.
A look of concern spread across Fernand’s face as he struggled to break free. “Poor Sylvie needs our help.”
Georgia gnawed on a nail.
Sylvie scooted toward the rope vine, dangling out of the skybox. “Please, Georgia. I need you to believe me.”
Georgia continued to chew. Finally, she looked at Sylvie. “You could’ve just left me in the train when I got stuck, but you didn’t… . You had my back. So, I’ve got yours.”
Sylvie felt her body exhale.Georgia’s with me.
“There’s a small black box with a red button. Make sure Fernand doesn’t find it.”
Georgia nodded. “Anything else?”
“Yes.” Sylvie turned to Flora. “But only you can help me with it.”
She didn’t want to leave her friends behind. But it was safer for them to stay here. If Fernand found the box, Zotter’s kitchen would turn into a pile of tinder. “Make sure no one can follow me.”
Flora lifted her Blade. Light glinted across it like a sunbeam. “When you questioned me about sneaking around the school, I asked you to trust me. You did. Now, it’s my turn.”
The affable mask faded from Fernand’s face as he growled, finally yanking his pocket open. He cut himself loose and scrambled toward Sylvie. “I’ll get you!”
Sylvie hoisted herself onto the daisy chain, dangling over the arena. “Sorry. If you can’t handle the heat. Get out of the—”
Whack!
Flora’s Blade sliced through the vines. Sylvie’s body turned weightless. Thick barbs and fragrant blooms rained down. “Ahhh!”
Sylvie never cared much for roller coasters. Flying through the air at ferocious speeds made her want to vomit. But this was worse. Her stomach leapt into her throat. The wind pounded in her ears. Sylvie’s hands cramped as she tried to hold on.“I’m going to be sick!”
She didn’t look down as she sailed across the arena. Instead, she focused on Zotter’s skybox, moving closer and closer.
Reaching it probably took no more than a few seconds, but to Sylvie, it felt like ages. Finally, the cool glass brushed against her fingers. She grabbed onto the ledge and scrambled up.
