Page 112 of Storm Caller

“Thank you. If word got out, people would surely die. I know you don’t want that on your conscience.”

It’s not an open threat, but the implications are clear.

I can’t help but notice how carefully Domino and Journey are watching Rook and me right now.

I wonder what they’re thinking.

We’ve been lying to them, and now they’ve been dragged into this.

How much can we tell them, and how will they react when they finally know everything?

I throw back the blanket covering my legs and move to get up, but my head spins and my stomach lurches.

Ada chuckles. “Be careful. You took a nasty spill.” A moment later, she gestures to a wheelchair in the corner. Rook goes to retrieve it and pushes it over.

“Can you help her?” Ada asks, but Rook is already scooping me into his arms. He lifts me and holds me close, pressing his forehead to mine.

“I could just carry you?” he offers, and I laugh.

“How about you just push the chair for me?”

“Not nearly as much fun, but I suppose it’ll have to do.”

He gently settles me into the seat, and then he wheels me across the room.

“He’ll be—” I ask, gesturing to Henry, who looks so peaceful where he lies.

“I swear to you he’s fine,” Ada says. “Just give him a few days.”

I nod, taking in the faces of these people who I thought I knew.

I thought they were ordinary citizens caught in the same rigid clockwork that makes our world function, but I realize there isn’t anything ordinary about a single person here.

These people have been out there quietly making a difference.

The Fog.

They’re fighting back.

And . . . I will do everything in my power to be a part of that.

38

We return to Amery just as everyone is waking up. I’m not sure if anyone notices that we’ve spent the night in the company of an underground resistance, but no one stops us or remarks on our absence.

Possibly because they’re too busy dealing with the destruction from last night. The hit we saw from the Storm Tower decimated the plaza in front of the building, carving a hole in the side of Amery large enough to fit five people shoulder to shoulder. Dust hangs in the air, and construction crews are already swarming over the site.

We skip breakfast in favor of a shower and a bit of rest before we head to our classes. Dr. Eze said that we must keep up appearances and move through our days as though everything is normal. I think she suspects we’re withholding information, but she’s giving us some time and space to figure out how to share it.

I drag myself through biology, trying not to fall asleep. The day ends with history, where I find myself sitting alone in an empty row of seats.

Rook said he was too tired to attend, and I haven’t seen Journey or Domino all day. Either they’re sleeping . . . or they’re avoiding me. After what they learned about me last night, I wouldn’t be surprised.

The thought of losing the only two friends I have left makes my stomach feel like it’s buzzing with a swarm of frenzied bees.

I wonder again about my place in this life and this city. When I was in the Veil, I thought I needed to return. Partly for Domino and Journey, but if they no longer want anything to do with me, then what’s the point?

After what happened on the Storm Tower last night, I’m no longer sure that becoming a Breaker makes sense. I’ve always assumed I’d be safe enough with a Spark wand in my hand, and it’s obvious that several Keepers are managing the job while hiding in plain sight, but . . . I’m not a Keeper.