Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Margaret jumped up, her voice cutting through the air. "Hold it right there!"

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She turned to General Yardley, softening a bit. "General Yardley, we screwed up, and we're sorry. Let us go, please-I'll hand over the Henderson family heirloom. It's all yours!"

Raven quirked an eyebrow, throwing up a hand to freeze everyone in place.

She hadn't even started hunting for it, and now Margaret was just tossing it her way like a gift.

Well, that saved her a whole lot of hassle.

The Henderson family members stood there, stunned, their eyes popping out at Margaret's offer.

A few of them yelled at once, "Margaret, don't do it!"

One guy stepped up, his voice shaky with panic. "That's the heart of our family! We can't just give it up!"

Another jumped in, his face red and worked up. “Grandpa said before he passed- if one of us can tame that thing, we could get the whole Vyrdenia under control! Margaret, I'd rather sit in a cell than watch that dream die for good!"

Margaret's face tightened, her voice dropping.

"You all know what Bastion Prison's like," she said, "These old bones aren't walking out of there. What? You want me dead?"

She kept going, steady and sure. "Anyway, that thing's been collecting dust with us for years, and nobody's cracked it. Maybe General Yardley can actually put it to use!"

Before anyone could argue back, Margaret leaned toward Jonah.

She picked her words carefully. "General Yardley, can my son go get it?"

Jonah's eyes flicked to Raven.

Raven gave Malcolm a quick look, her tone calm. "Go ahead."

The guy holding Malcolm let him loose.

Malcolm took off toward the Henderson family's safe room, finally free.

Five minutes later, he was back.

He held a small, gleaming white platinum box-about two fingers wide-like it was something holy.

He stopped in front of General Yardley, staring at the box with a pang of regret.

"This thing's been ours forever, but nobody's ever gotten it under control. If people knew about it, it'd just bring trouble," he said, his voice shaky.

to himself. "I hope Mom's right-that

say a word, just

up

the platinum box, then

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Chapter 17

shot

second the box opened up, every soldier sucked

time, their breathing got heavy-Jonah

up, full of greed and

box was a red crystal card, sitting

curled around its edges, with a sharp, blazing flame

who pushed their

Starbornes-rare powerhouses who fought with Starcards

maybe ten Starborne

was a force

raised a Starborne? Vyrdenia piled

handle this Starcard, the family would climb to the top

firm, her eyes glued to the prize

little, but her face stayed stone-cold calm while everyone

Starcards in her pocket: gold, wood,

Universal Five, the game-changer Vyrdenia needed to turn

chest and grabbed the Starcard

touched her hand, her

the card, zeroing in on an old, gnarled "lock"

at that "lock" for a beat or

she let out a quiet

had seen it coming-collecting the Universal Five wasn't

there if this Starcard didn't have some catch,

Henderson bunch, her

ancestors ever say anything about how to

frowned, looking puzzled.

and got the

drifted over the other Hendersons standing

the end, she had to give it

sealed, much less how to

open.

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22:32 FA, 17 AY5#/

Chapter 17

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