“I understand,” I say. I can’t imagine the pain of knowing that if they chose to do something else, she’d lose her brother permanently.
We step out into the hallway, but as Torin talks to Story and Lark, I get a strange feeling in my chest. I can’t quite pinpointwhat it is, but it makes Kit look to the left, where she stares at a closed door.
Slowly, I walk over to it and press my ear against the door so I can listen.
“I understand,” a muffled voice says. It sounds like Sterling, which wouldn’t surprise me. As the acting leader of the group of branded outcasts, it would make sense for her to be involved with what’s going on and to be here at the hospital, but I haven’t seen her yet.
“Why do you hesitate when it comes to trusting me?” she asks.
I hear footsteps and barely step back from the door before it’s pulled open and Sterling smiles at me. “Riley, I didn’t know you were back.”
“Just got here,” I say as I look into the room where no one else stands, and there’s no other way out. The whole time I’ve been here, I’ve never seen anyone using technology that would allow them to communicate so easily outside the capital.
“Who were you talking to?” I ask, pushing up the bow over my shoulder that’s beginning to slip.
“My sister, Jan.” She taps her head. “Please keep it to yourself. Lark knows I have some magic that allows me to communicate with her, but it would destroy me to lose that.”
“Of course,” I say.
“Jan’s… a bit more rash than me. She lives inside the capital. I don’t think she understands what it’s like out here. She just… wants us back together like we were before our parents realized what I was and tossed me out here.” Sterling takes a deep breath and smiles. “Do you have any siblings?”
I start to say “No” before remembering that I technically have three very hotheaded and irritating siblings who are hellbent on destroying multiple worlds. “Three.”
“Oh? Are you the youngest?”
I don’t quite know how to answer that but decide that since I’d died last, I’ll take the position. “I am.”
“Me too,” Sterling says. “I really look up to my sister even though I haven’t seen her in years… ten, to be exact. But my magic has allowed me to keep communicating with her all this time.”
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Maybe soon.” She looks rather hopeful at the thought, and I question whether the two sides would ever willingly come together before they ended up destroying each other.
Torin peeks into the room with Lark and Story behind him. “I thought something snatched you up and I’d have to battle them for you.”
Chuckling, I respond, “Not quite.”
“I just heard that Onyx and her people have agreed to a meeting,” Lark says. “She agreed to meet at the capital gate. Who knows what they have in store for us, but it might be our only chance to talk some sense into her. I think she can be reasonable, but if her father is there whispering in her ear, it might cause problems.”
“I wish the asshole would just keel over already,” Story complains, which Lark doesn’t seem to find appropriate to say out loud even if everyone is thinking it.
“I’m good and ready for it,” Sterling says before turning to us. “Will you all be staying here?”
“No, I’m going with you,” Torin replies, sounding determined, before looking over at me. “Is that okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll check to make sure Vero can stay with Mickey.”
“I can stay with Mickey,” Story offers. “I’m not much help out there and Vero is terrifying, so he could at least bully a few people.”
“That’s true,” I say as I head into Mickey’s room, only to find that his eyes are open. I see that his mouth is moving and Verois leaning in close, looking perplexed and maybe even a little annoyed.
“What is it?” I ask, rushing forward just in time to hear, “True love’s kiss will surely revive me.”
Vero snorts at Mickey’s words. “Well tough shit, you’re quiet like this and much preferable.”
“Hey, you’re okay. What a relief.” I grab Mickey’s face in my hands before kissing his forehead. That puts a smile on his half-dead face. “My kiss must have worked.”
“Aw. I love you, Riley. And I missed you so much while you ran off and had your pity party for the past few years,” he says. “You’re the best of friends and I didn’t realize how lost I was without you until you came back. Vero, your turn.” Mickey puckers his lips.
