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“It’s just hearsay. We don’t know if that's true.”
Lena nods, her lips pressed together in a flat line. I can tell that she doesn’t believe that, though. “Do you remember hearing anything, seeing anything around the time when she disappeared?”
There’s no more “left town” when talking about her mom. I don’t think any of us in this room think that’s what happened.
Octavia gives a sad shake of her head. “Nothing that will tell you what you need to know. I remember Evelyn Wilds was worried about her, had been asking around after her, but nothing ever came of it. I’m sorry, Lena.”
Lena shakes her head, looking tangled in her thoughts once again.
“You knew our parents before and after they tried to form the Axis. Did it change them?” We came here to talk about Lena’s mother, but I’m curious what else Octavia knows about the rest of our parents.
This time Octavia slowly inspects our faces, taking time to search both of us for clues about what’s going on. “Your little gang thinking of forming yourself an Axis?”
I shouldn’t even be surprised she’s figured out what’s going on. “It’s already happening. We’re trying to figure out if it’s something we should run far away from, or if all our worries are for nothing.”
“It did change them, but not always for the worse. Listen, I don’t know what happened when your parents tried to form the Axis, but something didn’t go as planned. That much I figured out on my own. Evelyn Wilds disappeared from town not long after and she was scared. I saw her the morning Cliff Deluca gave her a ride off the island. She was running, no doubt about it. The others, I don’t think they got off so lightly.”
“What do you mean?”
“The rest of that group, outside of Anthony, I’ve known my entire life. James Radford, Scott, Isbeth, they were always power-hungry little turds.”
I snort. Thinking of my mother hearing someone referring to her as a turd is immensely satisfying.
“Evelyn had a good heart. I think she saw the evil around her and couldn’t get out of their clutches fast enough. Rebecca, well, she was already a mess. Playing around with magic they weren’t powerful enough to manage, just sent her off the deep end.”
Rebecca was Ruby’s mom and calling her a mess is a polite way of putting it.
“A lot of that crew grew up thinking they were better than everyone else. Cruelty can be taught, but some people just have that blackness tainting their souls. After they tried to form the Axis, it’s as if it amplified those negative qualities in them. It turned the dial up and they stopped caring about being decent humans. If I had to guess, and mind you, that’s exactly what this is, I think trying to form the Axis brought out the most dominant traits in them all. Unfortunately, a lot of those traits weren’t good ones.”
There’s not much to say after that, is there? Lena and Octavia both look exhausted, but I’m feeling edgy as hell. I take the tray with our cups to the kitchen and clean up while the two of them chat softly in the other room.
I buss a kiss across Octavia’s cheek and thank her as well, getting ready to leave shortly after.
Octavia grabs my arm, halting me while Lena heads to the door. “Take care of her, Archer. Even if she’s been thinking this for years, I can tell it’s hitting her hard. She needs your sunshine now more than ever.”
“Doesn’t even need to be said.” With a gentle squeeze, I leave Octavia’s side and take my place beside Lena. I follow her outside and watch as she tips her head back and closes her eyes. The sun is shining today. If the weather matched our emotions, it would be pouring rain. Lena inhales deeply as the sun warms her face. She looks like a dark angel. My beautiful Luna. I’m starting to realize I’ll do anything to protect her. Anything to keep that sun shining on her face.
