Page 234 of Gathered Sparkle

I glance down briefly. Veronica is surrounded now, her guards stiff and motionless as the police bark orders, guns aimed. But I don’t stick around to watch it unfold.

Pulling myself fully onto the balcony, I take a second to catch my breath, my fingers gripping the edge as I steady myself. My heart pounds, but I can’t stop.

Jump. Land. Balance.

Repeat.

The rhythm keeps me moving, the chaos below fading into a dull roar.

“Nico, dammit, talk to me,” Novalee’s voice crackles through the comms, laced with worry. I must have gone silent too long.

Shit.

“I’m fine,” I mutter, my breath ragged. “The police have her, and I’m almost there.”

The van comes into view through the thinning crowd, parked like an island amidst the chaos. Koen’s leaning out of the passenger seat window, his eyes scanning the masses with laser focus. When his gaze lands on me, his face twists in relief and exasperation, the emotions battling for dominance. “I got him.”

“Koen Lane!”

My stomach sinks.

Heads swivel, and a ripple of recognition spreads.

“It’s Koen Lane! Koen Lane is in the van!”

The shouts grow louder, the crowd shifting again.

Can’t this be fucking over already?

“Fuck,” Sylus mutters while Koen pulls up the car window. “What do I do?”

“Drive,” I bark as I push off and leap to another balcony. The impact reverberates through my legs, but I keep going. “I’ll follow you. Just get moving!”

“Don’t get yourself killed, Snickers,” Koen snaps.

“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, my eyes fixed on the van as it starts to roll forward. “Just make sure you don’t either.”

The distance between us widens, the van moving slowly, but I quicken my pace, leaping to another balcony, even as my breath starts to burn in my chest.

Keep going. Keep moving.

Sylus maneuvers through the crowd with painstaking care while people are pressing closer, cameras flashing, hands reaching out. If he brakes, they risk being trapped or worse, overrun.

The van inches its way free, the crowd thinning until Sylus can finally accelerate. One more jump. My legs coil, and I leap to a rain drain that rattles under my grip as I slide down, hitting the ground hard. My knees jolt with the impact, but I push off, sprinting after them like some other people are doing, their phones still up and recording.

We’re gonna go viral for sure.

“Slow down!” Koen demands, probably having seen me in the side mirror.

“If I go any slower, we’re done!” Sylus snaps back.

A few moments later, the van’s side door slides open, and Koen leans out, his hand outstretched toward me.

“Come on, Snickers!” he yells. “Get fucking moving!”

I push harder, my lungs burning as the pavement blurs beneath my feet, and I overtake everyone else who’s following them.

A few more steps, and I stretch my arm, my fingers grazing Koen’s. The van jolts over a bump, pulling just out of reach.

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