The ship's alarm split the air like a blade.
Elias felt the children's fear before he heard the klaxon. The new link in his mind flared—a dozen small hearts beating too fast, a dozen small minds reaching for him. He staggered, one hand against the bulkhead, as the rush of their panic nearly knocked him off his feet.
"Elias!" Lyra's voice came from behind him, sharp and afraid. "They're coming. The Overseers. They found us!"
He turned. The children were spilling out of the cabin, their eyes wide, their hands still linked. Some were crying. Others had their jaws set, trying to be brave. Isaac was at the front, his small face pale but determined.
"Get them to the lower hold," Elias ordered. "Ava, Becky, take them below. Now!"
Ava didn't argue. She began herding the children toward the st
