search for you. We saw the hunters come back all green and puffy, so we knew you were still alive."
"Tick's coming?" Sky asked , surprised despite all that had happened. Tick was, of course, the football team captain, who Hannah had dumped a few months ago. He-along with Hannah, Lazy Eye, and Squid-had also been instrumental in locking Solomon's prison last year.
"Yeah. According to T-Bone, he's still heartbroken over Hannah, but he hasn't given up," said Andrew. "Plus, after we made them honorary monster hunters last year . . . well, we didn't really know where else to turn if Malvidia refused to help."
"Tick's persistent, I'll give him that," said Sky. He paused.
"What happened down there?"
"You saw the explosions," said Andrew. "They knocked us back and out of the worst of it. Nackles led us to the surface after the cemetery collapsed. By then, you were gone. So we split up. Crystal, Nackles, and I waited until the hunters returned, to make sure you were still alive. Then Nackles took off-"
"Where?"
"The Sleeping Lands somewhere-she didn't say," said Andrew. " Either that or she did say and I couldn't understand her. My Gnomon isn't really all that great. But they've been there for a few days, by the sounds of it-her and Rauschtlot. They're working on something. She wanted to come here, to help search for you, but with so many hunters around, we thought it wouldn't be safe. She was only back in the cave to collect some kind of baking fungus from the walls when she heard us."
"Baking fungus?" Sky scoffed. "I wonder what they're up to? "
Andrew shrugged. "Beats me. Crystal and I came back here to wait. That's when we found Chase. He's the Hunter of Legend you mentioned-the one who fought Beau and led the hunters to the manor, right?"
"The same," Sky replied, wondering how Beau was faring. Whatever else happened, Sky felt certain that Malvidia would work out a deal to save Beau. Even though Beau wasn't technically a hunter anymore, Malvidia relied on him far too much to let these hunters have him.
"Well, Chase is pretending to be a friend from school-a hunter friend , " said Andrew. "We've played along because we weren't sure what he'd do if we didn't."
"So that's why you didn't say anything to my parents ... , " said Sky.
Andrew nodded. "We need to get you into hiding. T-Bone should've been back by now-not a promising sign. You handed these hunters over to Malvidia, but if she was on their side to begin with-"
"She'll keep her promise," Sky insisted, hoping it was true. "She's a heartless killer and a horrible person, but once she gives her word, she keeps it."
"Then maybe something else went wrong," said Andrew, sounding skeptical. "But whatever the case, if the hunters honestly believe Bedlam's controlling you, they're going to hunt you no matter what Malvidia does. We need to get you out of here."
''I'm not running anymore," said Sky, shaking his head. "Crystal needs me, and maybe T-Bone and Beau, too. Besides, I'm tired and it won't do any good. They know I'm here." Sky gestured at the hall where Chase had disappeared. "They're not going to just let me leave, and if I tried now, a lot of people could get hurt."
"And you think we're all just going to stand around and watch while they kill you?" Andrew asked. "People are going to get hurt one way or another."
"Not if I can help it," said Sky. "Look, my plan either worked or it didn't. If it did, great. If not, I'll improvise. I told them where to find the antidote for Bolger venom-I let them live even after they tried to kill me. That has to count for some thing. Plus, I know things now, things they'll want to know about Bedlam and what he's after. I have leverage."
Andrew frowned. "All right, Sky. If this is what you want, we're with you. But if things go badly, don't think we're just going to stand by and watch."
Sky nodded to show that he had heard Andrew, not that he
"Tick's coming?" Sky asked , surprised despite all that had happened. Tick was, of course, the football team captain, who Hannah had dumped a few months ago. He-along with Hannah, Lazy Eye, and Squid-had also been instrumental in locking Solomon's prison last year.
"Yeah. According to T-Bone, he's still heartbroken over Hannah, but he hasn't given up," said Andrew. "Plus, after we made them honorary monster hunters last year . . . well, we didn't really know where else to turn if Malvidia refused to help."
"Tick's persistent, I'll give him that," said Sky. He paused.
"What happened down there?"
"You saw the explosions," said Andrew. "They knocked us back and out of the worst of it. Nackles led us to the surface after the cemetery collapsed. By then, you were gone. So we split up. Crystal, Nackles, and I waited until the hunters returned, to make sure you were still alive. Then Nackles took off-"
"Where?"
"The Sleeping Lands somewhere-she didn't say," said Andrew. " Either that or she did say and I couldn't understand her. My Gnomon isn't really all that great. But they've been there for a few days, by the sounds of it-her and Rauschtlot. They're working on something. She wanted to come here, to help search for you, but with so many hunters around, we thought it wouldn't be safe. She was only back in the cave to collect some kind of baking fungus from the walls when she heard us."
"Baking fungus?" Sky scoffed. "I wonder what they're up to? "
Andrew shrugged. "Beats me. Crystal and I came back here to wait. That's when we found Chase. He's the Hunter of Legend you mentioned-the one who fought Beau and led the hunters to the manor, right?"
"The same," Sky replied, wondering how Beau was faring. Whatever else happened, Sky felt certain that Malvidia would work out a deal to save Beau. Even though Beau wasn't technically a hunter anymore, Malvidia relied on him far too much to let these hunters have him.
"Well, Chase is pretending to be a friend from school-a hunter friend , " said Andrew. "We've played along because we weren't sure what he'd do if we didn't."
"So that's why you didn't say anything to my parents ... , " said Sky.
Andrew nodded. "We need to get you into hiding. T-Bone should've been back by now-not a promising sign. You handed these hunters over to Malvidia, but if she was on their side to begin with-"
"She'll keep her promise," Sky insisted, hoping it was true. "She's a heartless killer and a horrible person, but once she gives her word, she keeps it."
"Then maybe something else went wrong," said Andrew, sounding skeptical. "But whatever the case, if the hunters honestly believe Bedlam's controlling you, they're going to hunt you no matter what Malvidia does. We need to get you out of here."
''I'm not running anymore," said Sky, shaking his head. "Crystal needs me, and maybe T-Bone and Beau, too. Besides, I'm tired and it won't do any good. They know I'm here." Sky gestured at the hall where Chase had disappeared. "They're not going to just let me leave, and if I tried now, a lot of people could get hurt."
"And you think we're all just going to stand around and watch while they kill you?" Andrew asked. "People are going to get hurt one way or another."
"Not if I can help it," said Sky. "Look, my plan either worked or it didn't. If it did, great. If not, I'll improvise. I told them where to find the antidote for Bolger venom-I let them live even after they tried to kill me. That has to count for some thing. Plus, I know things now, things they'll want to know about Bedlam and what he's after. I have leverage."
Andrew frowned. "All right, Sky. If this is what you want, we're with you. But if things go badly, don't think we're just going to stand by and watch."
Sky nodded to show that he had heard Andrew, not that he
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