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.

"I hope Mom's right-that

word, just

stepped up

box, then flipped it

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Chapter 17

gasp shot through the

the box opened up, every soldier sucked in

no time, their

up, full of

box was a red crystal card, sitting still as

old-school designs curled around its edges, with a sharp, blazing flame symbol smack

warriors who pushed their bodies

powerhouses who

maybe

one was a force of nature, a living

family that raised a Starborne? Vyrdenia piled on the perks, setting them up

why the old Mr. Henderson swore-if someone could handle this Starcard, the family would climb to the top of Vyrdenia's

glued to the prize she'd rushed

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

Starcards in

the final piece of the Universal Five, the

swallowed the thrill buzzing in her chest and grabbed

touched her

of the card, zeroing in on an old,

"lock" for a beat or

a quiet sigh, muttering under

the Universal Five

Starcard didn't have some catch, the Hendersons wouldn't be in such

Henderson bunch,

on it. Did the ancestors ever say anything about how to

looking puzzled.

caught his question and got

over the other Hendersons standing

end, she had to give it to

less how to pop

open.

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22:32 FA, 17 AY5#/

Chapter 17

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