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A faint scuff of boots on grating, then another, slightly out of sync. Veyr’s eyes narrowed. “Footsteps.”

Of course. Why would I even ask?

He turned from the door, moving along the interior wall instead. His fingers brushed over the surface as if reading something written there.

I stared. “What are you doing?”

His gaze cut to Darev. “Structural panel?”

Darev gestured sharply toward the diagnostic unit. “Behind that.”

Veyr didn’t hesitate. He gripped the edge of the panel where it met the wall, braced one foot against the baseboard, and pulled. Metal groaned, then gave way with a shriek of stressed fastenings. He held the torn panel in his hands like something he’d simply picked up.

I stared at the jagged edges, the exposed wiring behind it.

He looked at me. “Move.”

I moved. At this point, if Veyr told me the floor was about to explode, I wasn’t arguing until we were somewhere else.

Darev shoved the diagnostic unit aside.

Behind it was a narrow utility access.

“You really do have secret passages everywhere,” I whispered.

Darev looked offended. “This one is legitimate.”

Veyr pushed me toward the opening. “Go.”

I looked back. “You first.”

“No.”

“Veyr—”

“Now.”

He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.

I crawled through.

Darev came behind me.

Then Veyr.

Another shot struck the wall just before he pulled the panel closed behind us.

Darkness swallowed us.

Darev activated a small emergency light.

The passage was barely wide enough to crouch in. Pipes crowded the ceiling, and we had to turn sideways to fit, moving forward one at a time.

Veyr came behind us.

I could hear his breathing.

In. Out. Even. No rasp, no catch, no change when he shifted around the pipes.