“It’s not!” Rachel cries.
Ace puts a hand up. “We all get the chance to vote, Rachel.”
“I say give them to her,” Aggie whispers. “She deserves a chance.”
Ace glances at Kellen.
“Do what Tatiana said, give her half, see what happens. If she improves, we make a choice, if not then at least we tried.”
Ace glances down at the pills, pausing for a long beat. He’s weighing the way we’re all looking at him. “Adrian is exploring, so we can’t ask him. I think we split ‘em, it’s the best choice.”
He looks to us girls, his eyes moving over each of us.
We all nod. Because it’s better than nothing.
A kind of silence settles, the kind that could either be relief or defeat. Then, Rachel lunges for the blister pack, only to have Ace hold it up and shoot her a look so intense that she runs off crying. I hold my hand out, and he gives me three tablets to begin with. I turn, walking over and kneeling next to Iris, who is trembling so bad she can’t hold the pill, so I press it to her lips and tip her head back, dribbling some water into her mouth.
She swallows, barely.
When it’s done, Rachel comes back and folds Iris into her lap and rocks her, murmuring things in her ear. Something in another language, maybe. I turn away as my own eyes start to sting. I hope we’re making the right choice, because I’ll never forgive myself if Iris dies because of a choice we made.
I just can’t take that kind of pain.
Not after everything.
8
I SPIN, ARMS OUT, LEGSflying, trying to get my balance. I spin and spin until my head forces me to stop. Angrily, I shout, and then do it again, over and over until sweat pours down my forehead.
“You know you’re not makin’ any competitions soon.”
I jerk and turn to see Ace watching me, head slightly tipped to the side. I’m on the flat rocks above the cliff, practicing my dance. Not because I think I need to, but because it is the only thing that clears my head and I need to focus on something other than Iris down there dying.
The antibiotics aren’t working.
She’s going to die.
We all know it, but no one is saying it.
Zeke and Kellen were right, she was too far gone.
“It clears my mind,” I say, wiping the sweat off my brow.
“You’re good at it.”
