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“But they’re with—” Brighton shuts up.
“The government,” Prudencia says.
“If that was even them in the videos,” I say.
Brighton opens another tab on his laptop, and we rewatch the Silver Star Slayer’s interviews. I can’t speak for Eva, but everything about Ma’s appearance still seems so legit. Ness is also an incredible shifter who could pull off passing as them as much as he has Sunstar tonight.
“That’s definitely Ma,” Brighton says. “She’s even talking about us being ‘high and mighty’ like in my last argument with her.”
“But if everyone is housed together, Ness would know,” Prudencia counters. “We don’t know Eva well enough, but I don’t think she would’ve quit the team. No matter how upset she was at Iris for lying.”
“Then what really went down with this saved-by-enforcers narrative?” I ask. “The Blood Casters wouldn’t be working with Iron, right?”
What could possibly possess them to do that?
Nothing is clear, but there are enough stars that don’t connect into a constellation that I got to see what’s going down. “I think we should go investigate,” I say.
Brighton laughs and claps. “You have been grounding me since I got my powers, and now you’re talking about storming into the home of a gleamphobic presidential candidate to save your other boyfriend?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend!”
Wyatt has been quiet while we’ve been trying to work this out, but I feel the weight of his silence now as if I said something wrong. He’s not my boyfriend and same goes for Ness. But whatever drama comes out of this, now is definitely one of many reasons why I’m not trying to mess around with romance in the middle of a war.
“Bright, if you’re not game, fine. I’ll fly back into the city myself if I have to.”
“No, I’m good to go. Just wanted to be clear whose idea this was in case we’re thrown into the Bounds.”
“This is a bad idea,” Prudencia says. “If we’re wrong, this will only prove everything Iron has been saying about gleamcrafters behaving as if we’re above the law because we have powers.”
“If we’re right, we save our mother, Eva, Ness, and Sunstar,” Brighton says.
Prudencia nods, but still looks uncomfortable. She’s right to feel so and I’m right there with her. Everyone we’re hoping to rescue might already be dead.
Wyatt le
ts out a deep breath. “You lot are truly operating under the gigantic assumption that the man who might become president may have kidnapped your loved ones and staged a public debate with his shape-shifting son.”
“Yup,” I say.
“This country is awful.”
“Yup,” I say again.
“I’ll take to the skies with you, love,” Wyatt says.
“Thank you,” I say, hoping he doesn’t feel obligated, but we can definitely use the backup because stars know how much security the senator must have.
We get ready quickly, having no idea if Iron is returning from Boston tonight or heading off to somewhere else. It’s going to take us over an hour to drive back into the city, and if Iron flies back by helicopter, we’re screwed. Nox unfortunately can’t carry all of us, so Prudencia gets the car ready while Brighton updates Maribelle to see if she’s game to come with us. What really sucks as I run back to mix more phoenix tears into the Starstifler potion is that we’re a few hours away from being done with it. We could’ve brought this with us to try it out on any Blood Casters.
But we can’t afford to wait. Not when Ness just risked his life to send me that message.
I ride backseat in the car so I can strategize with Brighton and Prudencia, and Wyatt, Tala, and Maribelle fly ahead on the phoenixes. I haven’t felt this much hope in a minute, and I’m going to be a disgrace to Bautista’s legacy if my actions get us all captured—or worse—right as we were about to make history of our own.
We all reunite a couple blocks from Iron’s house. The phoenixes are hiding out by the river, staying within whistling distance. Brighton tried to reach Iris and Wesley multiple times in the car, but they never answered, not even when we used Prudencia’s phone, so he left a message and that’s that. It’s going to be the six of us—four powered, two armed with weapons—against however many Blood Casters and security guards are watching over the estate. Once inside, we’ll break into two groups of three—the Reys of Light plus Wyatt, and then Maribelle, Prudencia, and Tala—so power is evenly distributed.
“No killing,” I remind everyone.
“No promises,” Maribelle says as she leads the way.
