“I’m going to try something,” I say. “I don’t know if it’ll work.”
I can pull people into a time freeze before it happens, but I have never tried bringing people into an existing one. I’m not sure it will work. But I hope for their sakes it will.
I crouch down by the girl. Her face is covered. Her eyes are wide and glassy with tears. I put my hand on her shoulder and close my eyes. For a while, nothing happens, but then she gasps and looks around.
“What…?” she starts.
“Go to Miles, now,” I say.
She scrambles up and races towards him, sobbing into his chest. I do the same to the other kids.
“You need to hurry,” I say. “I can’t hold this any longer.”
“Let us take him,” Miles says. “We brought a sedative.”
“And how are you going to carry that beast on your tiny shoulders?”
“Rude,” Miles says. “I work out. And we were going to use a cart.”
“What about when the sedative wears off?” I rapid-fire. “How far is the closest settlement or safehouse? How about when he uses your fears against you and makes you kill one another? What about when he drags you to the Forge and tortures you until you give up my name?”
I grab his shoulders, staring into his brown eyes.
“Go. Now,” I say sharply. “And never do something foolish like this again.”
Miles hesitates before he leans down and presses a quick kiss to my cheek.
“Until next time, sweetheart.”
Miles ushers them out, and I fall to my knees, wincing in pain. My head throbs from the effort of using my powers.
“What the fuck?” Ender roars. “Where did they go?”
“Speedster,” I say. “Took the others when you did that illusion. You scared them off.”
“I didn’t even see that asshole move,” he says. “I’m going to track them down.”
Ender takes a step forward, and panic rushes through me. If he finds them, he’ll kill them. I saw the murderous look in his eyes when Miles had the gun pressed to my head. And then when he touched me. Ender looked like he was about to combust.
I let out a loud gasp, dramatically clutching my side.
“Are you hurt?” he asks.
“I think it’s fatal.” I lie. “I won’t make it, but you can probably catch the rebels. Go, leave me behind.”
He’s on me in two strides, scanning me from head to toe.
“You’ll lose them,” I whisper.
He brushes my hair back from my face.
“I’m not leaving you, Warrick.”
“But—”
“I’m not leaving you behind,” he repeats. “Come on, let’s get you fixed up.”
We take shelter in what used to be a service room. The rusted door hangs crookedly from the hinges, filmy spiderwebs stretching across like glue. It nearly falls apart when Ender seals it shut. He stares at it intently for several long seconds.
