I wanted desperately to belong to something—to face the real and emotional demons of the world with someone beside me. But that was impossible. The only person I belonged to now was myself.
Climbing out of bed quietly, I wandered to the window and propped my elbows on the sill. The full moon glowed above the rooftops. It reminded me of my mom. She used to say a moon like this was full of wishes, and if one of those wishes belonged to you it might come true when the moon broke open and the cycle started all over again. Maybe I hadn’t made enough wishes.
I took one last look at the alleyway and dragged my arms off the windowsill. Carrying my boots, I tiptoed toward the break in the sheets.
I was steps from the door when I heard a voice. “Going somewhere?”
Jared sat at Priest’s worktable under the dim glow of an emergency lantern.
Of course he’s awake. He probably never sleeps.
I slipped on my boots and walked over. Priest’s journal lay open to the diagram of the Shift. Jared waited for a response, his features almost ethereal in the lantern light.
“I’m leaving.”
A deep line settled between his eyebrows. “I guessed that much. Mind if I ask why?”
“I’m not one of you.” My chest tightened. “I proved that today.”
“Because you couldn’t take down a vengeance spirit the first time out?”
“Because I almost got myself killed. And Lukas and Alara could’ve been hurt.”
Jared’s bloodshot eyes met mine, and this time he didn’t look away. “You think you’re the only one who’s been attacked by a vengeance spirit?” His voice sounded deeper—more his own and less like Lukas’.
“I’m not?”
“No. And you won’t be the last.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “We’re being hunted by a demon. The five of us need to stick together.”
Five of us.
I felt the sting of the words again. “Yeah, you made that pretty clear today.”
He seemed confused. “What are you talking about?”
“The only reason you care about what happens to me is because you think I’m the one you’ve been looking for—the missing member of the Legion.” I fought to keep my voice steady, but the anger burning through me seeped out with every syllable.
“Kennedy, I’m sorry if I—”
“Don’t.” I held up my hand. I didn’t want his pity. I wanted my old life back—my mom or Elle—someone who cared about me. “Stop wasting your time and go back to looking for the right person.”
He walked around the table until he was standing in front of me. “I don’t think I’m wasting my time.”
Everything I’d been trying so hard to hold inside came spilling out. “I’m not like the rest of you. My mom never said a word about any of this, and no one in my family ever chose me for anything.”
Unless my dad choosing to leave me counts.
Jared took a step closer, staring down at me with an intensity that sent a shiver through me. “That doesn’t mean you aren’t the one.”
How could I tell him that my own father walked away from me without even saying good-bye?
Jared’s blue eyes remained locked on mine, and it didn’t feel like he was looking at me. It felt like he was looking into me.
I wondered what he saw.
“Maybe you want to believe it’s me so you can stop searching,” I said quietly.
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Jared’s eyes still hadn’t left mine. He paused, choosing his words carefully. “The Legion is the only way to stop Andras. So before you walk away, you’d better be sure. Or a lot of innocent people are gonna die.”
Now I was responsible for other people’s lives? Keeping myself alive was hard enough.
I felt the weight of his words bearing down on me.
Before I could respond, shouts cut through the silence. They were coming from the opposite side of the warehouse.
Jared took off running.
On the other side of the sheet, Lukas, Priest, and Alara crowded around the window as the metal frame rattled. Thick screws untwisted themselves and hit the concrete floor one after another.
Lukas pressed his palms against the frame, trying to hold it in place. “I don’t know what happened. The window was salted, but there’s a break in the line.”
It was the same window I’d been looking out not even an hour ago.
A break in the line.
I lifted my arm slowly. A thin layer of white dust coated the inside of my forearm from wrist to elbow. Jared noticed and pulled me closer to get a better look. He touched the crystals and brushed them off my skin as if he expected to see something underneath.
“I didn’t realize—”
Jared cut me off. “We have to leave. Now.” He dropped his voice so no one else could hear him. “Don’t say anything about this. I’ll handle it.”
Alara started to pour another salt line along the windowsill, but Jared took the bag from her and tossed it on the floor, white crystals spraying across the gray concrete.
“There’s no point. It won’t be long before Andras finds out about this place.” He turned to Lukas and Priest. “Grab the gear. We’re gone.”