Page 40 of Fall into Place

“And the backpack?” Octavia asked, already weary.

“Pillows and sleeping bags! I know you’re nocturnal, but I’m not, and anyway it’s always nice to be cozy.”

“You think I’m getting into a sleeping bag in a public park,” Octavia deadpanned. “This dress is MINJUKIM.”

“Your body, your choice.” Joni shrugged. “Should we head to the subway?”

“Subway?” Octavia’s shoulders sank. “Surely you have one of those apps to order a black car?”

“Are you serious? An Uber Black to Manhattan would be a hundred bucks at least. The subway costs three dollars and will probably be faster.”

“But…you attend an Ivy League school. I assumed you’d have…”

“Money?” Joni snorted. “Dude, I’m a grad student. I bet your dress costs more than I make in a month. Come on, we’re burning moonlight. Let’s go!”

Octavia sighed heavily. Would the indignities of her current situation never cease?

They took the L to the C to the Upper West Side, and the whole way Joni prattled about portals and Blood Feud and how cool it would be to find a secret route to the Isle.

“Of course, there’s always a chance the portal correlates with the cycle of the moon or the placement of Cassiopeia in the sky or whatever. I bet we can figure out if there were any big planetary movements the night you crossed over on the Chani app.”

“The what?”

“Omg, Chani is my favorite astrologer!” Joni exclaimed. “Hey, when’s your birthday?”

“June fifth,” Octavia answered dryly.

“Shut the fuck up, twins born in Gemini?” Joni squealed. “No wonder you love fashion. And gossip. And Callum’s personality turns on a dime, this all makes so much sense.”

“I beg you to stop talking,” Octavia muttered, but she knew there was very little chance of Joni’s compliance.

It was fully dark by the time they walked out of the subway at 72nd and Central Park West, across from the Dakota and Strawberry Fields. Octavia hadn’t been to this neighborhood since she’d come back from the Isle, and she felt a distinct unease as soon as she and Joni stepped into the warm night air. This was the area where she’d spent most of her time on the Isle, west of the forest where she and Callum and the rest of Nantale’s clan protected the territory. Being here in Manhattan, the grid of the streets the same but the contents completely different, the endless mundanity of the buildings and cabs and pedestrians, filled Octavia with the strangest sense of déjà vu. It was the same, but it wasn’t. The Isle was real, but it wasn’t.

“Did you spend a lot of time in the forest?” Joni asked. “On the Isle, I mean.”

“Not really. Callum did—he was always spoiling for a fight. But I tried to avoid the violence as best I could. I didn’t want to die in that place.”

“The books made it seem like you hated it there.”

“That’s an understatement,” Octavia said bitterly. “Years feeling like a rat trapped in a cage, researching any possible way to get out of there, but nothing worked. I got so desperate, it started to feel…”

She trailed off.

“Feel like what?” Joni prompted.

“It doesn’t matter,” Octavia clipped. “Let’s just get to the fountain.”

It was a beautiful night, warm but not too humid, with a bit of a breeze; it only took about ten minutes to get to Bethesda Fountain. Octavia felt tense as the hulking angel statue came into view. She was flooded with the memory of arriving here, the confusion, gasping for air, not understanding what had happened, the realization she’d lost her powers, that she was totally alone—

“Hey, are you okay?” Joni asked. Octavia hadn’t even realized she’d stopped walking. Joni was so earnest, eyes brimming with concern, so overloaded with her stupid backpack and grocery bags. It was all a little touching, really. Octavia didn’t care for it.

“I’m fine,” Octavia said smoothly. “Where did you want to sit?”

“Oh, over on one of these benches?” Joni led Octavia to an L-shaped seating area carved into a corner of stone. She took the sleeping bags out of her backpack and started to lay them out on the two benches—

“I told you, I am not getting inside one of those,” Octavia insisted.

“It’s just for a little cushion! But if you’d rather be uncomfortable, suit yourself.”