Page 104 of Storm Caller

Trinity nods, as if that’s the end of that.

I’m not sure I can take any more of this conversation, so I steer us toward more innocuous topics and let her talk about Dire and her E-squad friends. At some point, Trinity drifts back to his side. It’s clear he’s wasted, his head dipping as he slides back in his seat. Trinity is fussing over him, asking if he needs water while he waves her off.

“Ready to go?” Rook asks. I can tell he desperately wants to get out of here.

“Did you . . .” I trail off, but he shakes his head.

“We should go,” he says, then stands up as Dire’s hazy eyes pop open.

“You’re not leaving?” he asks, his speech slurred. He seems truly disappointed, and I wonder what on earth Rook said to him.

“Sorry, man,” Rook says. “Got an early start tomorrow. But we’ll see you around?”

“I’ll be posted at Amery for the foreseeable future,” Dire says. “We should get a drink.”

“Sure,” Rook says, and I have to admire how convincing he is. “I’d love that.”

They execute some kind of bro fist-bump, though Dire misses a few times thanks to his impaired coordination.

We weave through the club, making our way toward the door with Rook’s hand on the small of my back.

“Did you learn anything?” I ask under my breath.

Rook leans in close. “Maybe. Skies, what a fucking loser.”

35

Rook and I spill back into the square, which is still humming with people. The sky has darkened, revealing stars and the slightest hint of distant amethyst clouds.

He takes my hand and tugs me through the crowd until we reach the main canal, where we walk along the quiet path that runs beside it.

“What were you talking about?” I ask Rook. “Did Dire tell you anything?”

“I’m not sure if any of it was useful. He was saying . . . a lot of things.”

“He seemed really interested in you.”

He shakes his head and rubs a hand down his face. “I had to pretend,” he says, “that I agreed with his bullshit.”

My fingers tighten around his.

“He’s definitely curious about me,” Rook says. “About the Wastes. About being a Solitude.”

“Anything else?” I ask as we keep walking.

“I acted interested in what they do with the Keepers they capture. I don’t think he was supposed to tell me any of it, but he was drunk.” He pauses. “And he seemed to like me.”

“Ew,” I say, and he laughs.

“I think he just sees me as something of an oddity to be gawked at. Maybe bragging rights for befriending a Solitude. Said he’d watched me fight during cadet training and that my ‘talents’ are wasted in the Storm Guard.”

He breaks off, and I watch him.

“He wants you to use your skills to hunt down innocent people.”

Rook shudders. “Apparently.”

“What did you tell him?”