Page 129 of Storm Caller

“Lost. Scared. Confused. Maybe a little relieved that Sol was telling us the truth about a cure.”

He nods. “What do you think about Ada saying we shouldn’t completely trust her?”

“I think she’s probably right.”

He presses his mouth together, the corners tipping down. “I wonder if she plans to ever contact us again.”

“She said she needed us,” I insist. “That’s why we came back. I can’t be a Storm Guard anymore. The night on the Tower proved that.”

He offers me a sympathetic look. “And what does that mean to you? Knowing that’s no longer an option?”

I shrug. “Like I have no idea where I fit in.”

“And you thought General Sol was offering you somewhere to belong.”

I nod. “I guess I did.”

“She still needs someone to replace her.”

“Maybe,” I say. “Or maybe none of this is real.”

He leans in to kiss me, his mouth softly brushing mine as my breath turns short and my heart pounds against my ribs. I wonder if kissing him will ever feel casual, or if every look and touch will always feel like an awakening.

We pull apart and stare at each other. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over how amazing you are, Poet Graves,” he says. “How deeply I’ve fallen in love with you, or how much you make me wish it could just be the two of us without all of these things pulling us apart.”

“I love you,” I whisper. “I know you came here to find answers, and I’m grateful every day that you needed to, or we never would have met.”

“The people of the old world believed in destiny and fate,” he replies. “In some divine cosmic hand controlling our actions and the outcomes of our lives. Maybe there’s some truth to it. Maybe it was inevitable that we’d find one another.”

I inhale a deep breath, and we hold each other for a moment.

“You should get going,” he says into the top of my ponytail. “It’s getting late.”

“Okay,” I say, nodding.

“Good luck.”

My gaze lingers on him for another moment before I turn away and head to Fiama Society Tower A, where Mrs. Chu lives a few floors below my parents.

I still haven’t heard from either of them since that dinner in their apartment, despite my best efforts. My father promised we’d talk, but he obviously didn’t mean that. As for my mom’s silence, I suspect that he’s forbidden her from answering my messages. While it hurts, I also try not to blame her for it. It’s always been less painful to believe she has good reasons for choosing him over me.

I enter the lobby and wave to Cyril, who cheerfully waves back without hesitation. I was right to leave Rook behind, as much as it breaks my heart to do so.

I ride the elevator up and knock on the door. It pops open, revealing an elegant woman with shiny black hair falling around her shoulders, dark-amber eyes, and a smooth brown complexion dusted with pink along her sharp cheekbones.

“Yes?” she asks. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to see Mrs. Chu,” I say. “I’m a friend of Edward’s.”

The woman’s eyes widen, and then she gestures for me to come in. “It’s so nice of you to visit,” she says. “Elena loves it when his friends stop by.”

“Have many come?”

“A few,” she says. “People are worried. We all are.”

I nod, conflicted with emotions. While our world might be cutthroat, we try to care for one another when it counts. Edward said his mom wasn’t close with her sister, but it’s obvious they’re rallying around her during this tragedy. There is some good left here, and that’s worth protecting.

“Call me Annie,” she says. “I’m Elena’s sister. With Edward gone, we’ve been taking turns checking on her. I’ve been trying to convince her to move into our apartment in Tower B, but she doesn’t want to leave.” She pauses and swallows, her eyes shining. “I think she’s afraid he’ll return and she won’t be here.”