“You have time to explain where you’re taking my son,” my mom insists, grabbing my arm and starting a Vane-tug-of-war.
“Okay, ow!” I jerk away from both of them, wrenching my wrist in the process. “Come on, Gus. You can’t drop the ‘we’re under attack’ bomb and not tell us what’s going on or what we’re supposed to do or where my family’s supposed to go or—”
“Honestly? I don’t know,” Gus admits, staring at the cloudless sky—which seems way too clear and blue for an attack. “Feng sent me a piece of cactus covered in his blood. All the message said was ‘ambush.’”
His voice cracks and he looks away.
My mom reaches for my hand, squeezing so hard it cuts off my circulation.
“Has there been an echo?” Solana whispers.
Gus shakes his head.
She places her hand on his shoulder. “Then there’s still hope. And we both know there’s no better fighter.”
Gus stares at her hand, a single tear streaking down his cheek as he nods.
I never realized he and Fang were so close.
Feng, I correct.
“Anyway, that’s all I know,” Gus adds after a second. “Os took a fleet of Gales up to Joshua Tree, where Feng had been patrolling. The rest of our force is divided between the Borderland Base and the Clear River Base, which also sent us alerts this morning. So Os told me to get you both underground in case Raiden’s next move is here.”
“That’s your big plan—hide him underground?” my mom asks, pulling me back to her side. “Let me take him. I’ll drive him anywhere you want. The car has a full tank of gas and—”
“It doesn’t work that way, Mom.” I cover her hand with mine, hating that I can feel her shaking. “I know you want to help, but if they’re really coming for me, I won’t be able to outrun them. Especially not in our beat-up old Honda.”
I can tell she wants to argue, but all she asks is “Where will you go?”
“Os said you knew a place,” Gus tells me. “Somewhere near the desert’s center?”
My skin itches just thinking about going back to the Maelstrom—and the last thing I want is to spend a few more hours with Arella. “But what about my parents? Someone needs to stay with them.”
“I told you—everyone is gone.”
Solana sucks in a breath and my stomach gets all churney. Suddenly, hiding in the Maelstrom seems like a pretty good idea. Except . . .
“I’m not leaving my family unprotected, Gus. If there’s no one else, then I’ll stay with them.”
“That’ll only put them in more danger, Vane. You’re the one Raiden wants.”
“But at least I can defend them.”
Gus snorts. “You really think you can take on the Stormers by yourself?”
“I’ll be fine,” my mom interrupts—though her voice sounds anything but. “Go with Gus. Don’t worry about me. I’ll just . . . I’ll grab your dad from work and we’ll head out of town again.”
“There may not be time to get far enough away,” I tell her.
“Well, then I’ll . . .” She doesn’t finish the sentence, because there’s nothing she can do. This one’s on me.
“I have to go with them,” I tell Gus, straightening up so he knows I mean it.
He sweeps back his loose hair, smearing a thin stripe of blood across his forehead. “I have my orders, Vane.”
“Yeah, well, this is my family, Gusty.”
His eyes flash when I full-name him. Guess he thinks it sounds as stupid as I do.
“And let’s not forget that I’m the only one who knows where you’re supposed to take me,” I remind him. “So . . . you’re kinda screwed.”
“How about this?” Solana asks, stepping between us as Gus lunges for me. “I’ll go with Vane’s parents to keep an eye on them, and you can take Vane underground.”
“You don’t have to do that,” my mom tells her, but it’s actually a pretty good idea.
Gus doesn’t seem to agree, though. “You’re not a Gale—”
“I know how to fight,” Solana insists.
She does have muscles to go with her curves. I could see her beating the crap out of a few people. Though it’s hard to imagine her doing it in that dress. Well . . . without something popping out.
Gus still doesn’t look convinced though. Not until Solana adds, “I’ve been without a guardian for two years now. And the only reason I survived that attack—”
Gus holds up his hand and she falls silent.
I can’t tell if he looks like he wants to strangle something or curl up in a ball and cry. All he says is “My orders were to take both of you underground.”
“Screw your orders.”
“I think what Vane means,” Solana says, jumping in, “is that sometimes it’s better to protect the most people we can. Let me do this. And keep in mind that this is probably the only way you’re going to get Vane to cooperate.”
I can’t help grinning, and when I meet Solana’s eyes, I kind of want to hug her. But that would be ten thousand kinds of awkward so I just mouth thank you and leave it at that.