Page 92 of Heart of Mischief

THE MORE TALK, THE BETTER TALK.

Charlie chuckled, shaking her head. “Always full of surprises.”

She looked back at Elias, who was still waiting with one arm extended. This time, she didn’t blow him off. Instead, she kicked off her shoes and tossed them aside. Then she took Elias’s elbow and let him lead the way, even though it would have everyone gossiping within minutes.Let them gossip, she thought. They didn’t know what she and Elias had been through. They didn’t know the truth.

And the truth—one she no longer felt the need to run from, to squash so deep down within her that it could never be found—was that Lou was right: Elias was trying. He was working hard to earn back her trust, even if it was only because his boss—her father—had ordered him to.

Still, something in her gut told her that it wasn’t only that. It wasn’t just an order, a job to be fulfilled. Something told her that Elias was trying to gain back her trust because he trulywantedit. Because he wanted a friend. Arealfriend, not just the guys that invited him around because of his face and his ability to shotgun beers.

And Charlie had no qualms about entering a party arm in arm with a friend.

32

The party started off low-key.A small group gathered around the speaker system to argue about who should control their soundtrack. A large group gathered around the beer pong table to watch the first game of the tournament. A few of the stoners had produced ukuleles from thin air and strummed them as the joints made their rounds. As Lou had predicted, the senior boys and girls made for the dock. It was a ramshackle structure, about ten feet wide and thirty feet long, the last five feet of which looked to be on the verge of collapse. Still, it remained solid and unmoving as it filled with people, groups of friends gathering around the edges and letting their legs dangle toward the water. They turned away any junior who dared to try and join.

And Charlie…

Charlie couldn’t stop thinking about Rattatosk.

She couldn’t stop seeing that photograph. The unnatural shape of his body. The claws sunk into the dirt. Where was he? Was he still in Silver Shores, or had he somehow sensed their departure and followed them? If he was still back in town, had he killed any other innocent kids today? Out here, cell reception was spotty at best. Charlie had tried several times to load the local news, but she never made it past buffering. If there had been another attack, she wouldn’t know until the bus hit the highway.

The shadow of Rattatosk followed Charlie wherever she went.She had no reason to think he was near; she hadn’t even seen that many squirrels. Still, no matter what she did, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

“—was being completely insane,” Abigail was saying. “Don’t you agree?”

“What?” Charlie blinked, looking over at her friend. The two of them were standing in the water, sunk up to their calves, bare toes digging into the sandy bottom. The scent of warm beer drifted up from the plastic cup in Abigail’s hand.

Abigail rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “You’re such a space cadet sometimes. I was just saying how Lou is riding my ass about this whole Valkyrie thing. She thinks I secretly want tobecomeone. I mean, isn’t that the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard?”

Charlie tilted her head, considering. “I don’t know. Is it? Jokes about Linnea aside, you seem pretty fascinated by them.”

Abigail groaned. “Not you, too.”

“I’m just being honest. I mean, they’ve become your favorite subject by far. You talk about them even more than you talk about Columbia these days.”

This brought her up short. “No.” She hesitated. “Do I?”

“By a landslide.”

Abigail chewed the soft, brown-pink skin of her lower lip. After a beat, she opened her mouth to say something, but before she even began, she closed her eyes and shook her head.

“No,” she said, opening her eyes again and looking at Charlie. “Hell no. I’ve worked too hard and sacrificed too much to give up on Columbia now.”

Charlie shrugged. “Fair enough.” She looked at Abigail sideways, flashing her a sly grin. “Youwouldlook hot in that leather armor, though.”

Abigail grinned back. “Damn right I would. And those wings? Theultimateaccessory.”

Charlie laughed. “You could fly wherever you wanted.” Shenudged Abigail’s shoulder. “You’d never have to deal with Mason’s shitty driving again.”

Abigail nudged her right back. “Touché, my friend.” She sighed, her eyes drifting over to the senior dock.

Charlie let her eyes wander, too, looking out over the water. It was clear and still, interrupted only by the purple lights of älvor dancing just above the surface. The moon hung huge and bright white over the dark, dense trees. It was a truly breathtaking night. The kind of night where secrets thrived and miracles felt possible.

“Do you think I should go talk to her?” Abigail asked.

“Who?” Charlie glanced at Abigail, then followed her gaze up to the dock, where she saw Bex sitting with a group of senior girls. Bex wasn’t a senior herself, but no one seemed bothered by her presence. As usual, she wasn’t talking much, but her cheeks were pink from the alcohol, and, as Charlie watched, she laughed at something one of the other girls said.

“Oh,” said Charlie. “Right. I mean, I don’t know. Last you said, she was ignoring all your attempts to apologize, right?”