me, making me turn around. Just as I do, every soldier of my security team collapses to the ground as if they’re mechanical toys and someone has turned them off. Then I’m struck by dizziness. I sway on my feet. Ahead of me, New Amster soldiers swarm over the courtyard. Among them, I recognize Giffen and another dusty-blond, long-haired soldier. He has a look of concentration on his face as he raises his hand out in my direction. As he brings his hand down in front of me, it’s lights out for me. I lose all ability to function and drop to the ground like a stone.
Aboard Kyon’s Hallafast, I open my eyes, staring up at the ceiling as someone strokes my hair. “She’s waking up,” Jax says beside me.
Confusion and disorientation make me feel nauseous. I start to retch. I try to sit up, but someone has me on their lap, so instead, I lean over.
“What’s wrong with her?” Jax barks at someone behind me.
“Jaden is an arterial contortionist.”
“What’s that?” Jax demands as he hands me a small bag and I vomit into it.
“Jaden has perfected the ability of contorting the arterial vein to cease the flow of blood in the neck. It momentarily cuts off the flow of blood to his victim’s brain, rendering them unconscious. A side effect of what he does is usually dizziness and vomiting when the victim regains consciousness.”
When I’m done throwing up, Jax takes the bag from me and hands me a handkerchief. I wipe my mouth. “Jaden is a total knob knocker,” I growl.
Jax takes the handkerchief from me and gives me a small square piece of paper. He pushes it toward my mouth, saying, “It’s mint-flavored antinausea medication. Take it and you’ll feel better.” Trusting him, I put it in my mouth. It dissolves instantly.
From across the room, I hear Giffen say, “We need that plan you promised us, Kricket. Excelsior is still drawing breath, and it’s making us angry. People are dying.”
A warm hand touches my clammy skin, smoothing my hair back from my face. I look up and blink a few times, seeing Trey looking back at me with a pained expression. My head is in his lap and I’m stretched out on a long divan in the common area of the aircraft. “Can we talk to her alone, without you?” Trey asks as he looks in Giffen’s direction. “I want an opportunity to explain things to her in a way she can understand,” he adds, like I’m some kind of halfwit.
I glance around me. There are a lot of New Amster soldiers on the ship. They’re all staring at me with their burning matchstick eyes.
“You have a quarter of a part, then we’re out of here.”
“All right,” Trey says.
Giffen frowns at me as he and his men leave the ship. I realize when they’re gone that Wayra is here as well. He’s just staring at me as if I’m a favorite pet that he has to put down. His look makes goose bumps break out on my skin. I try to sit up on my own, but I end up needing Trey’s help. I hold my head in my hands as I rest my elbows against my knees.
“Please tell me one of you can fly this airship. I can, but I’ve only done it once,” I mumble, before lifting my head and trying to see through my double vision. “If we can make it to the Forest of O, we can be at the reservoir to Earth in a matter of a day or two—maybe we can fly all the way there this time. Once on Earth, we can make arrangements to smuggle out my friend Phlix and your families—”
Wayra moves from the wall and starts to pace, as if he can’t stand to be still a moment longer, “Aww, she’s breaking my heart, Trey! Make her understand why we’re here before she rips the rest of my guts out!”
Trey reaches out and takes my hand. “Kricket, we can’t take you to Earth just yet.”
“Oh. Is it too far?” I ask, rubbing my forehead. “Are we going to New Amster then?”
“We can’t take you to New Amster, either. With Nezra’s ability to track you, it’s too dangerous to them to have you there.”
“Okay, then where are we going?” I ask.
“We’re not going anywhere yet,” he says gently. “We need a plan from you to wipe out the Brotherhood and their leader, Excelsior Ensin. They’ve ordered their troops to