“Yeah, I think so.” He glanced at the large clock and saw that the gala had officially started twelve minutes ago. She was late, but not that late. And Hugh had mentioned that he’d seen her at headquarters earlier, so she had probably worked up to the last minute. “I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”
“Come on.” Ruby threaded her arm through Oscar’s elbow. He stood straighter in surprise, but then Ruby laced her other arm through Adrian’s and he deflated again. “My family is excited to see you.”
She dragged them into the sea of tables.
It wasn’t just Ruby’s brothers who were at the gala, but her mom, dad, and grandmother too. Adrian felt like he already knew them, from everything he’d heard from Ruby, and it wasn’t long before her brothers were begging to hear about what it was like to take down criminals, and was it true that Hawthorn had a forked tongue, and was it weird living in the same house as the Dread Warden because if they could turn invisible they would come up with the best pranks.
Adrian was as friendly as he could manage, but he was constantly scanning the entrance, watching the guests filter in. Eventually, Oscar’s mom showed up. Their group, including Adrian’s dads, who were socializing on the other side of the room, took up two full tables. Adrian saved a seat for Nova, and he noticed Ruby stashing her purse on the seat beside her, too, reserving it for Danna.
Twenty minutes passed. Oscar and Ruby went to stand by the kitchen doors, where they could be sure to accost the waiters every time they brought out a new tray of appetizers.
Thirty minutes passed. Adrian spotted his dads purveying a long table full of gift baskets and desserts—a silent auction that was part of the fundraiser intended to replace some of the stolen drugs. Simon put a bid down for a latticework pie, though Hugh was the pie lover and Simon definitely would have preferred the chocolate cake beside it.
Forty minutes passed.
Adrian’s heart sank, ever so slowly. His smile became more forced. He caught Oscar giving him a sympathetic look, which only irritated him.
One hour into the gala, the guests were encouraged to take their seats and the salad course was served. Adrian stared down at the delicate stems of some unfamiliar lettuce, candied nuts, and glistening purple beets. His fathers joined their table and Oscar’s mom looked like she was about to faint from their mere presence. Adrian pushed his salad around with his fork, grateful that between Hugh Everhart and Oscar Silva, no one would notice that he wasn’t saying much.
She wasn’t coming.
He’d blown it.
It was for the best, he tried to tell himself. There was no way he and Nova could be anything more than friends and teammates. Not if he was going to keep his secret. Already he’d started planning different ways that he could tell her the truth.
But Nova hated the Sentinel. If he thought she would be thrilled to learn his identity, that she would somehow be impressed by him, then he was in more denial than he realized. No. A real relationship would never work, not while he was trying to be the Sentinel too. Not while his loyalties were so divided. Not while—
“Holy smokes,” Oscar whispered. “Adrian.” He smacked Adrian’s shoulder with the back of his hand, dislodging his thoughts. Ruby noticed, too, and they both turned at the same time.
The air left him. Every doubt evaporated at once.
He was just kidding. A real relationship could totally work. He would make it work.
Jumping up from his seat, Adrian made his way through the tables, unable to take his gaze from Nova. She was standing by the doors, searching the crowd, and when they landed on him she started in surprise. He beamed. She smiled back, but warily. Maybe she was nervous too.
Somehow, the idea made him borderline giddy.
“Wow,” he said when he reached her. “You look—”
“Don’t get used to it,” she interrupted. “I’m never wearing a dress again. I don’t know why anyone would willingly subject themselves to this torture.” She tugged at the hem of the black lining beneath a lacy overdress.
Adrian chuckled. “I’ll admire it while I can, then.”
Nova blushed and her gaze swept down his tuxedo. She gulped, and didn’t make eye contact as she said, “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“It’s okay. You haven’t missed much. I’ll show you where we’re sitting.”
Nova peered into the crowd. Her expression seemed troubled. She didn’t follow him.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m not really that hungry. Do you think maybe we can just walk around a bit instead?”
“Sure,” said Adrian. “They actually have a gift shop here, if you want to check it out.”
“A gift shop?”
“Yeah. This started to become a popular tourist destination a few years ago, and Blacklight thought a gift shop would drum up extra revenue. It’s pretty cheesy stuff, but still fun. Especially if you’re in the market for a snow globe, or a new key chain. Or a magnet of the Gatlon skyline with your name printed down the side of the Merchant Tower.”
Nova’s smile became a little less strained. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been searching for exactly that.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
NOVA MEANDERED THROUGH the gift shop, her mouth open in disgust. Every piece of Renegade merchandise ever made must have been on display, with an unwholesome amount of shelf space paying homage to the Council—the beloved five.
Thunderbird alarm clocks. Tsunami lunch boxes. Blacklight night-lights. Dread Warden stickers and Captain Chromium …
Well.
Everything Captain Chromium. From themed dishes to sun visors, guitar picks to action figures, skateboards to refrigerator magnets. There was no product that someone, somewhere, hadn’t thought to put Hugh Everhart’s sparkling face on.
It was with a sick feeling that Nova realized, if someone was selling this junk, then someone else was buying it.
She picked up a snow globe with the Gatlon skyline beneath the glass, prominently featuring the headquarters tower. It made her think of the mason jar where they were keeping Danna’s butterfly, at that very moment perched on Honey’s vanity back at the house on Wallowridge.
She put down the snow globe.
“Prodigies used to be hated,” she said, her attention skipping from shelf to shelf. She inspected a set of Captain Chromium and Dread Warden salt and pepper shakers, flabbergasted. “They used to literally hunt us down and burn us alive. And now…” She held up the shakers. “Now we’re tchotchkes?”
Adrian grimaced. “Those are disturbing.”
“It’s weird though, right?” Nova put the shakers back on the shelf. “To be despised for so long … and it wasn’t all that long ago.”
“A lot changed in the last thirty years,” said Adrian, turning a rack of key chains. “Ace Anarchy showed humanity that some prodigies should be feared and hated, while the Renegades showed them that some prodigies should be loved and appreciated.”
“Appreciated,” said Nova. “But surely not … idolized.”
Adrian grinned at her. “That’s human nature, isn’t it? People want to put someone on a pedestal. Maybe it gives them something to dream about.” He started to flip through a booklet of postcards.
Nova stared at him. There was a tiny speck of lint on the sleeve of his tuxedo jacket, and it was only because her fingers itched so much to pick it off that she clenched her fist and tucked it behind her back instead.
She’d been anticipating another kiss from Adrian, which made her both excited and nervous and even guilty, knowing that this relationship was doomed. But she’d been at the gala for five whole minutes now and he’d made no move, not even to hold her hand.
The conflicting emotions were more than a little alarming.
“What would you have done if you’d been alive before the Age of Anarchy?” she asked. “Do you think you would have hidden your power? Or tried to make a living as a magician or an illusionist, even if you risked getting caught? Or would you have tri
ed to defend yourself and other prodigies, like Ace Anarchy did?”
One side of Adrian’s mouth quirked wryly. “I definitely wouldn’t have done what Ace Anarchy did.”
“Why not?” said Nova, and though she could hear the defensiveness in her voice, she couldn’t stop herself. “Back then, you would have been afraid for your life. You would have known that if you were ever found out, they would kill you. For no other reason than…” She hesitated. “For no reason at all.”
Adrian seemed to consider her point. After a long moment, he said, “I think I would have found some cause that I could have helped. Like making artificial limbs for war veterans, or toys for children whose families couldn’t afford any, or … I don’t know, something charitable like that. And I would start making these things, and donating them anonymously, so no one would know where they came from. But I’d keep at it, and eventually they’d start to think of me as some protective guardian, and they’d be so grateful for all my help and all the things I made, that when I finally revealed myself and they learned all these things were made by a prodigy, they’d see that our powers can be used for good. And maybe it would have started to change people’s minds about us.” He glanced at a set of Council-themed shot glasses and shrugged. “Just like the Renegades changed people’s minds, by helping people, rather than hurting them.”
“And what if,” said Nova, “after you revealed yourself, they decided that all those things you made must have been the result of evil forces, and they took them away from all those war veterans or children, and they still killed you? That happened, you know. Lots of prodigies tried to use their powers to do good things. Lots of prodigies tried to show the world that we aren’t evil, and it wasn’t gratitude they got in return.”
“Maybe you’re right,” said Adrian, “but I still would have tried.”
Nova bit back her response.
Ace didn’t try to change the world. He did change it.
But she knew that Adrian meant what he said. He would have done things differently. He would have tried to change the world by helping people. He would have done what he believed was right for humanity.
And though she knew it wouldn’t have made a difference, she admired him for it.
When she and Adrian returned to the gala, she was disappointed to see that only fifteen minutes had passed. She needed to spend at least an hour here to fend off suspicion, but the longer she stayed, the more anxious she became. She felt the importance of the night hanging over her head, refusing to allow her to relax. To have a good time, as Honey had insisted.
Adrian showed her to their table and introduced her to Oscar’s mom, a plump woman with gray-speckled black hair and a smile as amiable as her son’s. Nova recognized Ruby’s brothers too, who had claimed the seats on either side of Captain Chromium and were bombarding him with questions.
Nova scanned the nearby tables. She recognized most of the Renegades by now, and it was odd to see so many out of uniform. Eating. Chatting. Enjoying one another’s company. They did not seem like superheroes.
They did not seem like the enemy.
Her mouth suddenly dry, Nova gulped down a glass of water.
It was too late to back out now. She had a job to do. Ace was relying on her.
Oscar made a joke and everyone at the table laughed, except Ruby, who turned to Nova and rolled her eyes at whatever ludicrous thing he’d said. It might have been an inside joke between them, if Nova and Ruby had any inside jokes.
If they had been friends.
The speakers squealed, drawing the audience’s attention toward the stage.
“That’s my cue,” said Hugh Everhart, flashing one more perfect smile at Jade and Sterling as he got up from the table.
Nova watched him go, remembering how not very long ago, she had tried to put a poisoned dart into his eye.
Renegades.
They. Are. Renegades.
At the microphone, Blacklight was welcoming them to the gala and explaining what their generous donations would be put toward. He did not mention the hospital heist, though of course, everyone here knew about it. Everyone here knew that they needed funding to replace the stolen drugs, for kids who were sick, patients who were dying. Here was something that the Renegades, with all their extraordinary powers, couldn’t fix. Sure, they had prodigy healers who rotated shifts at the hospital, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough to help save every person who became afflicted with every disease.
But people relied on the healers. They assumed that if they ever had to go to the hospital, a prodigy would be there to take care of them, even though statistics proved that far more people were cured through modern pharmaceuticals or preventative medicine than any amount of prodigy assistance.
There was no profit in pharmaceuticals though. Not with prodigies at the helm. Would there be now, after this theft proved the value and necessity of modern medicine?
Onstage, the rest of the Council joined Blacklight, and the whole lot of them beamed with pride. Nova was transported back to the parade, where they had stood like kings and queens atop their float, basking in the cheers from their doting public.
This was why she was here. To put an end to the idolizing of these so-called heroes and the promises they made but couldn’t keep. The heroes who had not saved her family. Who had not saved her. The heroes who had ruined Ace. Who had made society dependent on them.
Her reasons were stuck on repeat in her head, like a mantra, lest she dared forget them again.
Captain Chromium took the microphone from Blacklight, all teeth and dimples.
“I am inspired every day to be working with some of the brightest, bravest, most compassionate prodigies this world has ever seen,” he began, “and I hope each and every one of you will leave here inspired as well. Because it is together that we have restored Gatlon City from the despair that once burdened it, and it is together that we will continue to establish a city, a country, and a world that will become better and brighter than ever before. The amount of support we see here tonight is proof of that!”
The audience cheered, and Nova forced her hands together, though every clap echoed with resentment.
They had not protected her family. They had not saved Evie.
She barely heard the rest of his speech. She paid no attention as the others said a few words, and then the winners of the silent auction were announced. The applause was dim in her ears.
She glanced at the clock.
Her heart rate sped. Her blood pounded through her veins, in sync with the seconds ticking by.
A flurry of servers emerged through a side door, carrying trays laden with dinner plates. A fillet of flaky white fish was set before her, drizzled with dark balsamic vinegar and thick orange marmalade, a dollop of mashed potatoes sprinkled with rosemary, a pile of sweet roasted carrots and charred cherry tomatoes. There was even a sprig of parsley, bright green and fresh.
It was the most enticing meal Nova could ever remember having been handed to her, and she had no appetite for it.
Everyone around her was talking about the money that had already been raised for the hospital. Nova forced down a few bites, though her stomach tried to rebel.
The more she thought about it, the more her eagerness grew. Eager to get on with it. Eager for this night to be over. Eager to be on the other side, to be past the dread and the guilt and the uncertainty. Eager to have Ace look at her with shining, proud eyes and tell her it had all been worth it.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“SHOULD WE DANCE?”
The words, whispered almost against her ear, made Nova jump nearly out of her skin. It took her a moment to process the question, blinking at Adrian as her nerves tingled. She had a list building in the back of her thoughts. A dozen lists. Everything she still had to do. Everything that could go wrong tonight.
Adrian gestured toward the dance floor. She spotted Ruby and Oscar already out there. Nova hadn’t noticed them leave the table. Rather than letting hi
s cane impede his moves, Oscar was using it as a prop—spinning Ruby away one second, then using the cane as a pretend fishing pole to “catch” her and reel her back in. Ruby shook her head, momentarily mortified, but her laughter soon took over. And then she was following along, puffing out her cheeks and pretending to swim circles around him. Other dancers were giving them odd looks, but the two could have had the dance floor to themselves for all they seemed to care.
“Yeah,” Nova breathed, reminding herself to act normal. As normal as possible, anyway. “Okay.”
Adrian took her hand as they made their way through the tables. Though his grip was loose, it still sent a series of lightning bolts shooting up her arm.
Only once he’d taken her into his arms and they were surrounded by the upbeat notes of the band did Nova remember that she didn’t know how to do this. She had been trained to fight. To kill. What did she know about dancing?
But Adrian seemed no more comfortable than she was, and she was relieved when the extent of his skills seemed to be pressing one hand against her lower back and turning them around in time with the music. Nova observed their fellow dancers. Her attention found Blacklight, who normally struck her as pompous and vain, but she was surprised to see him intentionally making a mockery of himself. One moment he was flourishing his hands in the air, then twisting his hips in imitation of some mid-century dance steps. He looked like he was having fun.
Not far away was Tsunami, who was dancing with a man who was almost portly compared to her petite frame. They were moving way too slow, and gazing into each other’s eyes, as if for the moment they were the only people in the room. Was that her husband? Nova had never seen him before, and he didn’t at all fit what she would have pictured Tsunami’s partner to look like. Too short, too round, too … balding. He was about as opposite the mate of a great superhero as she could have imagined, but there was no mistaking the doting glimpses between them.
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