Page 78 of The Black Key

And there he is. His hair is even longer, and rough stubble covers his cheeks. He wears a black shirt, the white band standing out starkly on his arm, a rusty, dented sword in his hand. He is facing the wrong way, still calling my name, searching the crowd.

For a split second, I wonder if he’ll even recognize me, if he’ll remember I look different. Then he turns and his gaze lands on me. The sword drops from his hands and falls onto the grass.

“Violet,” he says, and I can’t hear him but I know it’s my name on his lips. He walks toward me, slowly at first, then faster, then I’m running, too, and we crash into each other in a tangle of arms and tears.

He smells like blood and sweat with a faint tinge of gunpowder. The stubble on his jaw is rough but I press my face against it, holding him tighter than I need to, feeling his chest rise and fall against mine, drinking him in, almost delirious with joy.

“You’re alive,” he whispers in my ear, breathless with the same elation I feel.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry, Ash. I should have believed in you.”

“It’s all right,” he murmurs. “You’re alive . . .”

And then he starts laughing, his chest heaving, and I’m laughing, too, though I don’t know why.

“Ochre,” I gasp, pulling away from him. “Is he—”

“He’s fine,” Ash says. “He and a few other boys have been confusing the Regimentals in the Bank, leading them to the wall where the Society was waiting.”

Relief washes over me. My brother is safe.

Now I need to help my sister.

“Lockwood!” a companion in a tux comes running up to him, Garnet by his side. “The Regimentals have fled. Some are still inside the Auction House, but we fear others are shoring up the rest of the Jewel. We think many of the royals are dead or in their safe rooms, but we don’t know how many more could be hiding in the palaces.”

“Search every floor,” Ash says. “Imprison as many as you can, but anyone who resists, we shoot to kill.” He gazes through the opening in the wall, toward the Bank. “We need more help.”

“You need Paladin,” I say. I turn and call out to Sienna, Sil, and Olive. “Sil, take as many girls who can connect with Earth and Air as you can. We need the rest of this wall taken down. Sienna, get your own group together. Go with our Regimental force and search the Jewel for more royals. Olive, you gather some girls and go with the companions to clean up the Auction House.”

Sienna immediately rushes off to find Sloe and a few other girls she knows. Olive claps her hands and says, “My mistress might be in there!” before forming her own little group.

“We’re going in there, too,” I say, turning to Ash. “I think Hazel is still inside.”

Ash is staring at me with a look of wonder on his face.

“What?” I say.

He flashes me my favorite, secret smile. “You’re incredible.”

“You’re pretty impressive yourself,” I say, nodding toward the companions gathered around us. “You’ll have to tell me everything once this is all over.”

“Once this is all over,” he agrees. “Let’s get your sister.”

He turns to the waiting companions, Regimentals, and Society members and begins giving quick orders. I move toward the Auction House, impatient.

“Where’s Raven?” Garnet asks suddenly. I look around, but in the swarm of bodies, I can’t find my best friend anywhere. Then I look up.

I know exactly where she is heading, because we studied these blueprints for months and the only place she made sure she knew the location of backward and forward and every which way was the Countess of the Stone’s safe room.

“There,” I say, pointing to the turret that holds the Founding House safe rooms. “That’s where she’ll go.”

Garnet swears under his breath. “Is she crazy?”

I look at him, then Ash.

I’m not leaving my sister abandoned in that awful place or my best friend to face the Countess on her own. “Let’s go.”

Twenty-Five