by Ryals, R. K.
I knew as soon as I saw Gibson's eyes that Roach was going to be assigned as Emma's new Guardian. He isn't at the Acropolis because of me. He's here for her. She'll be dead within hours under his watch. Out of all of us, Roach holds the biggest grudge against Demons. His resentment runs deep. His sister was raped and murdered by a Demon, and he has been full of hatred ever since. Gibson knows this. It makes me wonder why he assigned Roach in the first place. Do they fear Emma that much?
"We've got to get you out of here," I say as soon as the door shuts behind us in the small room at the back of the residence hall.
Emma stares at me.
"What?" she asks, her eyes wide. "Are you suggesting we run?"
"Yes," I answer.
She sits down heavily on the edge of the bottom bunk.
"Where would we go?"
I sit down next to her, my hand moving to her back. She doesn't pull away. If anything, she leans into my touch, and I let myself enjoy it.
"To Italy. To Alessandro."
Emma's eyes meet mine.
"You can't do this."
I know she feels what I'm feeling, know she recognizes my resignation.
"I am more gargoyle in this moment, sweetheart, than I ever would be if I stayed. Understand me? Gargoyles don't allow the innocent to be murdered no matter the blood that runs through their veins. I am not making a decision I will regret."
"And he won't be alone," a male voice adds.
I look up to see Will standing in the open doorway. The residence hall beyond is empty. Will smiles.
"You're getting sloppy, Cuz," he says with a wink.
I know he's referring to his entering the room without me noticing.
"You're not coming," I argue. "I'm breaking the law, Will. They'll write an Extermination notice for me and Emma. I won't let you do that to yourself."
Will crosses his arms.
"I'm not asking, Con. You know as well as I do that the gargoyle system has got to change. This is a new age. We need new laws. More tolerance. This could be our chance to change things, to make the Acropolis great."
I see idealism in Will's gaze, and I don't want to be the one to shatter it.
"It's three of us, Will. Running now isn't going to change the system."
"There's four of us," a soft voice adds, and I groan as I recognize Marion's lilting tone.
She moves into the room with Deidra clinging to her.
"Five," Deidra squeaks.
Emma stands up.
"No, they'll try to kill all of you because of me. I can't live with that. Just let them reassign me to whoever they are planning to reassign me to. I'll take my chances."
I stand next to her, my hand taking her chin, and I force her face in my direction. I see the red haze in her eyes, and I know she's fighting not to cry.
"You will not die. Not now. Not on my watch. Will's right. As much as I hate to admit it, Will's right. The system has got to change. The older generation doesn't want to accept the fact that the lines are becoming blurred."
I am repeating Luther's words. Damn him! The Demon had been right. He had been trying to tell me something in his own narcissistic, insinuating way, and I had ignored him.
"The Acropolis will become a killing ground if we don't try and do something now. I've seen the documents in my father's office. Guardians are lying about their hybrids' violent tendencies," Marion adds.
I have new respect for the quiet girl.
"And they'll kill me if I stay," Deidra whispers fearfully. "Without Marion, without Emma, they'll kill me."
I am not a fan of the imp, but she has a point. I drop Emma's chin, letting my eyes gaze into hers a moment before turning away.
"Fine," I say. "We all go. We leave near dawn. Anything earlier will garner attention."
There are nods of agreement around the room, and I am sculpting a plan of escape in my head when Emma touches my arm.
"We can't leave the other hybrids," Emma says quietly.
I look at her in surprise.
"Emma . . . we can't take them all."
"Not all. Just the ones willing to leave," she argues. I see the resolve in her gaze, and I know I'm defeated. "You talk about change, but if we leave them here then it won't change anything."
"She's right," Will says quietly.
I sigh, my eyes meeting hers.
"You have until lights out to convince them."
She looks triumphant. It's a good look for her.
"They'll turn us in," Deidra says fearfully.
Emma shakes her head.
"No, they won't."
"And what makes you so sure?" Marion asks.
Emma looks at our three co-conspirators with a grin.
"Because they all want freedom. I've felt it. And those who don't will fear death from retaliation either from us or the gargoyles they'll be left to face tomorrow. The Acropolis doesn't have to be a school. It's a cause we take with us."
Chapter 32
Emma
I have twenty minutes to convince as many hybrids as I can that leaving the Acropolis means more than survival, it means starting over. I've never been good at talking with others, and now I have to be more than a good conversationalist. I have to be a revolutionist.
Fiona is brushing her hair in the bathroom when I approach her. I step behind her awkwardly and her eyes meet mine in the mirror. Two more she-demons move behind me. Hesther and Gwenyth. They have their arms crossed. No one here confronts another hybrid for friendly conversation. I hold my hands up in a gesture of peace.
"I need to talk to you," I say quietly.
Fiona's eyes meet the twins.
"We don't talk here, Chase. It would be best if you back away now," Fiona warns.
I don't heed her warning.
"I'm leaving the Acropolis," I say bluntly.
Fiona's brush clatters into the sink, and the twins' eyes go wide. Fiona spins.
"What?" she asks.
I have her attention now, and I take advantage of it.
"They are reassigning me a new Guardian. Conor Reinhardt says they fear me, that this means they are planning to kill me."
Fiona's face falls.
"And you want us to care? Any games you play can get us killed too. Move it, Hybrid."
I remain motionless.
"Conor's helping me leave the school."
The twins' mouths fall open as they rush toward me, one on each side of me now.
"You're going to run with him?" they ask simultaneously.
I nod
"And I want you to join me," I say firmly.
Fiona laughs, her gaze moving over me slowly.
"There aren't many of us here, Chase. Have you seen the gargoyles at this school? Even with our abilities, we are outnumbered and still mostly untrained. It's suicide."
"It's hope," I breathe.
Hesther and Gwenyth's eyes are bright, and I know they don't need much convincing.
"Where would we go?" they ask.
"Conor says there's a place in Italy . . . ."
Fiona shakes her head.
"And you trust everything Conor Reinhardt tells you? Oh, that's smart."
I lift my chin, my jaw tight, my pride wounded.
"Will Reinhardt and Marion Durand are leaving as well."
The twins gasp as Fiona's gaze searches mine. I feel her surprise.
"Why?" she whispers.
"Because staying here is the same thing as dying. There's too much prejudice against the hybrids. They're scared of us, scared we'll unite. We don't have to be evil. We don't have to be good," I say.
Hesther looks at Fiona, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.
"She's saying we have a choice. She's offering us freedom, Fiona."
"We're in," the twins say together.
Fiona is thoughtful.
"And if we decide to go? What then?"
I watch her, my eyes meeting hers.
"We train on our own. We learn how to be the best we can be
without restriction," I say.
Fiona nods. The lights flicker in the bathroom, and I know I'm running out of time.
"I don't have access to the main residence hall," I say as I back toward the door. "If you decide you are in, spread the word. Give the other hybrids a choice. We're meeting by the lake before dawn."
And with that, I walk away. It's the best I can do. With the little time allowed me, I have planted the seeds of rebellion.
"Did it go well?" Conor asks quietly as I exit the bathroom.
He is leaning against the wall, and he pushes away to move beside me. I nod as we walk. He leads me to the small bedroom, and I walk inside with my stomach tied in knots.
The door clicking shut behind us in the small room is too loud. I'm afraid. I'm afraid that everything will go wrong. I'm afraid we will be hurting more people than we help.
"There's no time to worry now, Em. Lay down," Conor orders.
I back toward the bunk, sliding onto it carefully. I haven't changed into pajamas, and I won't. Not tonight.
"Scoot over," Conor says suddenly, and I realize he's standing next to the bed.
I look up at him, startled.
"What?"
He smiles.
"Just scoot over, Em. It's not safe tonight. If anyone tries to get to you before we leave, they'll have to get through me first."
He pushes me over gently and climbs into the bed next to me. I'm not sure what to think of this, and I awkwardly scoot into the wall. I suddenly have six legs, and a million arms. I can't figure out where to put them all.
"Just lie still," Conor whispers, and I can hear the smile in his voice. He's enjoying my discomfort.
"There's not enough room," I mumble.
Conor chuckles.
"There's plenty of room. Trust me."
He rolls onto his back, facing the bunk above us before stretching out his right arm, offering it as a pillow. I look at him warily, my eyes searching his gaze before finally settling down next to him, his arm under my neck. The lights go out, and we are plunged into darkness.
The dark has a way of making everything sound louder. Every breath Conor takes moves through me, causing tingles to shoot down into my toes. And every time he shifts, the sheets sound like sandpaper rubbing together. I need a distraction.
"Do you think this is going to work?" I ask.
I feel Conor's breath on my neck, and I know his head is facing me. I'm still staring up at the bunk.
"I don't know, but we're out of options."
I let my head roll to face his. We're only an inch apart now. Even in the dark, I can make out the features of his face. We're both silent, still, and then . . .
"Emma, what happened in the woods . . ." he begins.
This isn't the distraction I was looking for. I don't want to pretend the kiss we shared never took place, but I will.
"Never happened," I finish in a whisper.
Conor's finger is suddenly touching my lips, and I jump as he traces them slowly. My whole body catches fire.
"No," he breathes. "It happened. It sure as hell happened."
"Conor . . ."
His finger presses against my lips, shushing me.
"You and me, right or wrong, it happened, Em. It happened. I'm not sure I'd be here right now if it didn't. I shouldn't have told you to forget it."
It's too dark for me to make out his features as well as I'd like to, and my heart is beating way too fast. It's loud in the darkness, deafening.
"What are you saying?" I whisper.
His hand is cupping my cheek now, and I close my eyes against the pressure.
"I'm not sure, Em. I'm really not sure."
I smile against his hand.
"Unsure is okay, you know. Unsure is where you discover sure."
Conor chuckles.
"And how do you discover sure?" he asks.
I let temptation get the better of me, and I reach out to touch his face with my hand. There is light stubble under my fingers, and I know Conor hasn't had time for anything resembling a shave, much less a haircut.
"You don't. It finds you," I answer.
I feel Conor's smile against my skin, and he takes my hand in his, kissing my palm before folding my fingers around the kiss.
"Should be one hell of a journey," he whispers, his lips touching my forehead now.
I close my eyes, letting the sensation run through me as he presses his lips lightly against the tip of my nose and then my lips. There, he stops, pulling away as he runs a finger down the side of my face.
"Get some sleep, Em. We've got a hard journey ahead of us."
I roll onto my side, my back to Conor."
"Conor?" I ask.
He's quiet a moment, his breathing even.
"Yeah?"
"I kind of like unsure."
Conor laughs, his hand playing gently with the back of my hair.
"Unsure is good."
And with that, I let sleep take me.
Chapter 33
Conor
The hours before dawn come too soon, and I am shaking Emma awake.
"Come on, sweetheart. Time to move."
Emma stirs quickly, and she sits up, her hands moving through her hair as I climb out of the bed. I reach down to take her hand. If she has the power to see in the dark, she hasn't learned how to yet, and I don't know how to teach her.
"Ready?" I ask when she's standing next to me.
She nods, and I approach the door. This is the part of the journey that could get us killed. If any of the Guardians wake up, we are more than screwed.
"Remember, project feelings of calm. If you got some kind of sleepy emotions hidden up your sleeve, feel free to use those too," I mumble.
Emma snorts.
"Got a whole bag of sleepy mojo all ready to go."
I recognize the sarcasm, and I know she's terrified. My hand finds hers.
"Let's go."
I pull the door open carefully, my eyes alert. The room is quiet, still. I step through the door, Emma close behind me.
"They won't hear you," a male voice says, and I jump.
Emma gasps, and I place a hand over her lips hurriedly.
"They won't hear you," the voice repeats, and I look up to find Gray Harris standing casually in front of us. He's a hybrid, but I don't know much about him other than his name. He nods at us, his eyes on Emma.
"I'm Gray, son of Iudal. I can cause deafness. Both permanent and temporary. They can't hear you."
I watch him warily. Gray is of average height and skinny with brown hair that is well beyond the need for a haircut.
"Are you with us?" I ask.
Gray gestures at Emma.
"I'm with her, Dude. I don't trust you."
Right away, I can tell I'm really gonna like this guy. And that's sarcasm at its best.
"Are there more hybrids?" Emma asks.
Gray nods.
"They're waiting at the rendezvous. Fiona told us we were supposed to meet you at the lake?"
"That's right," Emma answers.
"Then let's go. The deafness is definitely temporary. I give it another hour or so," Gray says before moving ahead of us.
"Oh well, he's friendly," I mutter as we fall in behind him.
Emma is antsy, and we are just about in the courtyard when I see her looking toward another exit in the stable. She stops moving, and we stop with her.
"What is it?" Gray asks.
His eyes are bright. I can't feel his excitement, but I know it's there.
"Ace," Emma says, and I nod, my eyes moving to Gray.
"Go on ahead. We have one more stop."
Gray looks at Emma. She nods, and he takes a few steps backward before turning to break into a run.
"They really hate me that much?" I ask as we move to the door leading into the un-renovated sections of the stable.
Emma ducks into the darkness, and I duck with her before taking her by the elbow. The dark doesn't pose as much a problem for me as it does
for her.
"They fear you," Emma whispers as she searches the inky interior.
I see the drex slinking from a corner, snuffling toward Emma slowly.
"He's coming to you," I tell her.
Emma is watching her feet now, her eyes squinted.
"Just how well can you see in the dark?" she asks.
I grin.
"Noticed that, huh?"
The drex's nose hits Emma's tennis shoes, and his head lifts. Emma runs a hand over his leathery hide, and I shudder. Out of everything that has happened, I understand the drex the least. He's ugly as sin and beyond creepy even for me.
"You move around well in darkness," Emma says as I pull on her arm.
She follows me out of the stable, the drex behind us. The creature keens, and Emma shushes him.
"All gargoyles have the ability. Demons do as well."
"Oh," Emma answers as we skirt the school's courtyard. There are stone gargoyles stationed at the forest's edge, and we avoid the area.
"I think you have the ability too. It's just a matter of learning how to do it," I say softly as I help Emma over one of the garden's stone walls.
The moon isn't as full as it was a few days ago, but it's bright. I can see the lake in the distance, the moon's reflection shimmering on the surface. There are figures moving near its edge, and I know everyone else has made it to the rendezvous point.
"We've got to hurry," I say urgently.
Emma nods, and we break into a run, my arm on Emma's to keep her from stumbling. Even with the moon's glow, my eyesight is much better than hers. There are murmurs as we draw near, and I know the hybrids and gargoyles at the lake have noticed the drex.
"No F-ing way! She does have one!" I hear one of the Garner twins say excitedly.
Someone shushes her, and I'm pretty sure it's her sister. I can't tell the two apart, and I honestly don't ever try.
"Well, the Garner sisters showed," I whisper to Emma.
Emma doesn't answer. The drex has felt the presence of the other Demons, and he's getting excited. It's taking everything Emma's got to keep him calm. I see a figure break away from the group at the lake.
"Need any help?" Will asks as he climbs up the hill. I breathe a sigh of relief.
"We're good. How many showed?" I ask.
Will looks at me, his face stronger than I remember. Will is definitely an idealist, and finding a cause is giving him purpose. It's giving him a reason to fight, and for the first time, I realize my cousin is a force to be reckoned with.