Chapter 17

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Angel

Evey had to practically drag herself back to the Shadow Gallery. She was stiff from hours of sitting, and her mind was exhausted from racing through all the possibilities this new world might offer. She just wanted to be home.

Home.

She supposed the Shadow Gallery was her home, now. The thought made her sad and delighted at the same time. As William Shakespeare had said, When I am home, I am in a better place.

As Evey veered down an alley and then stopped to get her bearings, she felt a tug on her sleeve and whirled around, ready to fight for her life against a Fingerman, but when she turned, she saw nothing.

"Excuse me?" a small voice said.

Evey started again and looked down. In front of her was a little girl who could not have been more than six, and in her hand were a basket of wildflowers.

"Are you V?" she asked.

Not wanting to ruin the smile on this little girls face, Evey nodded.

"Then you must be an angel. My mom said you died when you saved us, but I told her you were a real live angel."

Evey said nothing, staring in wonderment at the girl through the slits in her mask.

"Evie!" another child shouted from the street at the end of the alley and Evey's eyes shot to him.

"Coming!!" Evelyn yelled back, before turning back to Evey.

"I have to go back to my friends now," she looked down at the basket of flowers and grabbed a fistful, "Here. I'm selling these, but I want to give some to you. Just like you gave us the masks and helped my mommy and daddy stop crying so much."

"Evelyn!!" The other child called again.

Evey accepted the flowers with tears spilling down her cheeks as she watched the girl scurry back to the other children.

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