Page 92 of The Hive Queen

Pen looks at the man. “And kids come here to make out?”

He shrugs. “Fear gets people horny.”

“Enough of the history lesson.” Sharpe turns to Flint. “Where’s your zombie?”

Flint points at the haunted tower.

Of course. At least we have a soul witch who can take care of any ghosts that show up.

Flint lists to the side, and Sharpe reaches out to catch his arm.

Or maybe not.

Sharpe’s hand moves to Flint’s shoulder. “Can you sense any other beings in the house?”

Flint shakes his head and rubs his temples. “Everything’s fuzzy.”

Sharpe nods. “Pull your spirit back. Thank you for getting us this far.”

“I…can’t,” Flint says. “I lost my hold on him as soon as the drone took him.”

Alarmed, I lunge forward and grasp Flint’s shoulder, wrenching him around. His glamour is completely gone, now, without even a flicker of effort to return, and the violet light swirls in his one good eye, casting his face in deathly light.

I cup his face and tip his head back to shine the moonlight on his face and see him better.

“Stop.” He bats at me weakly. “I’m fine.”

I sweep my thumb under his nose, leaving a smear of blood behind. “Cut the link with the spirit, right now.”

He pushes my hands away. “I can’t.”

Pen joins us. “Flint, I know you’re attached to Ailill, but you can find him again. Keeping the link open is draining you.”

“You’re not listening,” he grits out through clenched teeth. “Ican’tcut the link. All I can do is stop drawing more power to feed it.”

I grab his hand. “Then keep feeding it until we go get Ailill.”

He snatches his hand back before I can place it on Anny’s head. “No. I’m burning out, regardless. I won’t burn her out, too.”

“We don’t know what will happen to Anny if you die.” I grab for his hand again.

“We have no idea what will happen to her if she burns out before me.” He pulls out of reach. “Stop arguing when we could be going to get my spirit back.”

“He’s right.” Pen scratches the top of Anny’s head. “Worse comes to worse, we just burn the whole place down. Drones can’t buzz if they’re ash, and Flint will be able to reclaim Ailill, then.”

“We’re trying not to kill the victims,” Sharpe reminds her, his expression hard. “Fire is a last resort.”

Pen’s gaze remains on Flint, and she stays silent.

“Cay,” Sharpe warns, reminding her who’s in charge. “No being a hotshot, remember?”

Sharpe really should know better than to tell a firebird not to protect what’s hers first. He should have learned that lesson when Pen stepped between him and a dragon.

I grab Flint’s chin so he looks at me. “You stay behind me, understand?”

“You’re not the boss of me,” he snaps.

“No, but I am right now,” Sharpe snaps. “Stay behind Marc, or go back to the van.”

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