by J. L. Weil
I didn’t want to part at all, as unrealistic as that was. “What does it matter?”
The lines around his eyes softened, and he caught my chin between his thumb and finger, tilting my face up. “I don’t know. It just does.”
There were so many emotions pouring through me, but I couldn’t voice them. He needed to leave. I wanted him to stay. I wanted to stay with him. But our paths had come to a fork, each of us with a different path before us. There were things we needed to take care of, but afterwards. …
“So how do I get to them?” I asked, accepting my choice. “Am I supposed to just walk through the front gate and announce who I am?”
“You could, but I wouldn’t suggest it.” His eyes shifted toward the city before he sighed. “Okay, this is going to make you mad.”
I kicked him in the shin. Not hard, but enough to have him frowning.
Dash raised a brow. “What the hell?”
My eyes flared. “That was for whatever you’re going to say to piss me off.”
He shook his head. “You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told. Now what were you going to tell me?”
“Look, I know you’re scared, and I don’t blame you. You’re going into the enemy’s territory, but if you at any time change your mind, I won’t be far away. Ember promised me you wouldn’t be harmed. I told her I would deliver you to the gates of Diamond Towers but she had to give me time to explain about your parents.”
“You talked to Ember?” I racked my brain. When had that happened?
He nodded. “Yeah, when you passed out, we struck a deal.”
“A deal? Since when are you in the market of making deals with the Institute?”
“I didn’t have a choice. There was no way I was going to outrun them carrying you.”
Right. I should have just been grateful he hadn’t handed my unconscious body over or left me behind. Instead, he had made a deal with Ember and given us the chance to say good-bye. “And you trust her?” I asked, thinking maybe this was a trap and the Institute was going to double-cross him somehow.
His lips formed a straight line. “No. I don’t, which is why we are going to do this my way.”
“You don’t have to do this. I’m sure I can get to the city on my own. I don’t want to be the reason you get caught.” He had done enough for me. If my parents were really there, I needed answers.
“That’s out of the question.” He snapped his mouth shut. “And if you try anything funny, I’ll drag you into the mountains.”
“Okay, smart guy. How do you plan to get me there without getting caught?” I knew enough about Dash’s character to know he would make sure I was safe before taking off.
He smirked. “I have a plan.”
“And that’s what frightens me.”
Chapter 23
The clouds had darkened as we approached the edge of Diamond Towers. I was close to tears, mainly because I couldn’t bear the idea of being separated from Dash, and I was scared of what waited for me inside the walls of the white city.
Diamond Towers was situated smack dab in the heart of the four quadrants. Depending on what zone you were in, the landscape surrounding the city was different, moving from snow to desert to woods to mountains. We crept up to the threshold of the wild hedges that grew just beyond the stone wall constructed around the gleaming towers. There was an archway, leading to what I assumed was a courtyard. My eyes weren’t sharp enough to see past the entrance.
We’d come as close as Dash could without the risk of him being seen. I searched his face. He was tense; being nearby the place that had terrorized him was taking a toll. If I would have gotten my way, he would be making his way deep into the mountains, instead of hanging out in the bushes with me.
Not that I wasn’t glad he was here … because I was. Honestly, I didn’t think I could have walked across the field and through the gate without knowing he was there.
Dash touched the curve of my back, bringing my mind to the here and now. I was stalling. Shadows fell over the side of his face, and I blinked furiously. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Meeting my gaze, he took one step forward, and I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck like a demented octopus. “This is what you wanted,” he murmured, running his fingers through my hair, “to find your family.”
It was, but now I wasn’t so sure. I wasn’t sure of anything, except my feelings for Dash. And right now, I didn’t want to go to Diamond Towers without him. It was frightening and foreign. “I know. I just thought it would feel … different.” I buried my face into the side of his neck, inhaling the scent of him and storing it in my memory. I wanted to remember the way he smelled.
“You’re incredibly brave, Freckles. You’re also strong and courageous. Don’t let them change you.”
It was time to say good-bye, and trepidation propelled through me. “What if I’ve changed my mind?”
He set me down on my feet, but it was difficult to make my arms let go of him. Sorrow dampened his silver eyes, his lips pinched with desolation. “You’re going to get hurt if you stay with me. I won’t allow it. I can’t have your blood on my hands. And you need to see your family. I can’t ask you to give them up, not for me. It would always hang over our heads. I’ll be in the area for the next couple of days to make sure you’re safe. If you need me, if you find yourself in trouble, all you need to do is light up the sky, and I’ll find a way to get to you.”
His words tugged on my heartstrings. “Dash,” I pleaded. I didn’t know what I was asking from him, I just knew this feeling inside me was pestering me. I wanted to tell him I would talk to my father and clear this whole mess up. Or maybe I could show him, instead. If Dash was going to hang around, it gave me time. Once my father heard what Dash had done to protect me, to bring me home, I could get him to lift the warrant on Dash’s head.
“This isn’t up for debate.” Lines of remorse crinkled around his eyes as he brushed a strand of hair off my face.
I didn’t want to leave him. I didn’t want to lose him, but everything in my heart told me this was good-bye. My insides felt torn in half. I wouldn’t see Dash again once I walked through the gates of Diamond Towers. “I hope you find what you’re looking for,” I whispered. Tears welled in my eyes as I pressed my lips to his in one last kiss. At first he stood firm, hands fisted at his sides, and then he was kissing me as if he needed my lips to breathe. The desperation we both felt reached me in my core. I threw my arms around his neck, pouring every ounce of love I had into the kiss.
I realized in that moment that I had fallen in love with him. It was an elating feeling, overshadowed by the possibility that I might never get the chance to tell him how I felt. And with his warm lips covering mine, I never wanted to let go and wouldn’t have, if Dash hadn’t peeled my arms off him. I stared up at his face and opened my mouth, but the words I wanted to say were clogged up in my throat by raw emotion.
I loved him. Oh God, I loved him more than I loved shopping and chocolate croissants. I loved him more than cheerleading. And that was some serious, hardcore love. But I couldn’t utter the words. If I told him how I felt, he wouldn’t let me go. I wouldn’t let him go. I wouldn’t get to see my parents and ask them about Monroe. I had to do something—save her, get her out from under the Institute’s control—but to do any of that, I had to go into the walls of Diamond Towers and leave Dash.
If I didn’t, Dash wouldn’t find his mom or brother or the girl he left behind. I didn’t want that guilt between us. It would always be there—the what-ifs.
“Good-bye, Freckles.”
My eyes burned as he backed away, keeping his gaze steady on mine. Messy, hot, sticky tears rolled down my cheeks. I wanted to scream his name, beg him not to leave, to stay with me. What was I going to do without him?
My knees shook as I stood there, tears waterfalling down my flushed face, pressure crushing my chest. It felt like I was never going to see him again. My eyes clung d
esperately to his ridiculously, book-cover-handsome face, searing each feature to memory. I didn’t want to forget anything.
I was actually going to miss the nickname “Freckles.” Who would have thought?
I would find him again, I vowed, as soon as we got Monroe back. I would comb the boundaries of all four quadrants until I found him. I swore it, for my heart would never be complete without him, even if he wasn’t ready to admit the connection between us.
I was even willing to help him find the girl he still thought he was in love with, because I knew in my heart, once he saw her again, he would realize it was me he loved. But until then. …
Dash turned and gave me a sad smirk right before he disappeared into the woods. My whole body slumped, knees wobbling, barely keeping me upright.
The walk toward the gate was the longest of my life. No matter how many steps I took, the span between the white city and me never seemed to close. Maybe I was dragging my feet. Maybe there was some sort of spell to prevent unwanted visitors. And just as I was about to check if I’d fallen down a rabbit hole and entered Wonderland, a distinguishable voice sounded.
“Charlotte.”
After one long wistful look at the spot where Dash vanished, I turned around. My father looked just as I remembered, dignified with a touch of dork. His temples were peppered with gray, and his green eyes filled with warmth.
“Charlotte, I thought we’d lost you.” He held open his arms.
I started to make my way across the field, my feet picking up speed as happiness bloomed inside me. A soft breeze swept over my face, tossing my loose curls and carrying a light scent of honeydew. Tears I couldn’t contain collected in my eyes. I hadn’t ever been sure I would see him again.
Movement behind my father caught my eye, and a great sense of foreboding took root and spread rapidly, breaking my stride. Something felt wrong about this joyous reunion. Why were there so many people? The crowd gathering along the wall turned out to be guards, their blue uniforms coming into focus. I came to a halt just short of reaching my father. “What is all this?” I asked.
The smile on his face faltered. “A safety precaution. You understand, don’t you, dear? The world isn’t a safe place anymore.”
Now that I could really see him, there was something off about him. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but a shiver rippled through my muscles. This man might look like my father, but his mannerisms were different. The way he held his head. The lack of twinkle in his eyes. My father had been a brilliant man. This man before me had a devious ambiance. I glanced over his shoulder at the gleaming white city sparkling in the distance. Its fortress walls and iron gate didn’t appear welcoming. It felt like a prison.
What waited for me inside those walls didn’t feel like home. A chill skirted down my neck. It didn’t feel safe, and I had so many questions for him. What was he doing inside Diamond Towers? Didn’t he know what the Institute was doing? How could he be a part of something like that? What about Monroe? How could he have let Monroe, now Ember, become a lunatic with a fire complex?
“Where’s mom?” I asked, noticing her absence.
“She is waiting for us inside. Come, Charlotte. Let’s go home.” He put an arm over my shoulders, and I let him start to lead me toward the gate. “I’ve waited a long time for us to all be united again—to be a family.”
“Monroe. …” I started to say, but the sound of stomping feet roared over the ground as a truckload of guards poured out of the entrance, and I halted.
There were so many of them, all wearing the same blue uniform with the white star, but that was where the similarities ended. The phrase, the freaks come out at night, instantly came to mind as more than twenty good little soldiers shuffled onto the field, including my sister.
I blinked. Panic seized my gut as what felt like a wave of death swept past me. No. No. No. This wasn’t a welcome home party, it was a trap.
They were after Dash, and my father had used me as bait.
I whipped my head toward the man I used to idolize as a little girl, accusation glaring in my eyes. “You used me,” I hissed.
He put on his I-know-what-is-best-for-you face. “I know you think you know him, but Charlotte, he is dangerous. He must be apprehended.”
“You don’t know him. He saved me.”
“That may be, but it doesn’t erase his past crimes.”
“Please,” I begged. “Let him go. He just wants to find his family.” This was going wrong—horribly wrong.
He remained stiff.
I looked at my father’s face and realized it was a winless battle. Nothing I could say was going to change his mind. This man was only a shell of the father I remembered, and it was a hard pill to swallow. I backed up, deciding to take matters into my own hands.
Spinning around, Dash’s name fell from my lips, and I whipped toward the woods, taking off. “Dash!” I screamed. “Dash! Run!”
I didn’t get very far. A hand wrapped around my arm, abruptly bringing me to a halt. “You shouldn’t have done that. I was hoping to avoid a scene,” my father said, his voice flat.
A scene? If he wanted a scene, I’d give him a sight to behold.
Static gathered in my veins, humming to the surface of my skin so the hairs on my arms stood straight up. If he wasn’t willing to listen to me, then I was going to make him listen. I was feeling so betrayed, I didn’t think about what I was doing.
His fingers immediately released me, eyes sharpening. “So it’s true. You’re gifted.”
I couldn’t believe I had actually shocked my father, but he was acting like a madman. “I’m radiating with untapped talent,” I scoffed.
“You must come with me. We can help you, Charlotte, to learn to control the power inside you.”
“I’ve done just fine on my own,” I said.
“It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay,” he said, stalking toward me.
How could he say that? Nothing was going to be right again. “Don’t touch me,” I croaked. It dawned on me that I’d just shown the Institute a glimpse at what I was capable of.
I froze as the guards rushed forward. Never had I seen anything like this before.
Instinct finally kicked in, and I secretly thanked my father for insisting I take fencing lessons. They were going to pay off today.
I didn’t have a plan, only to get away from the guards and make sure Dash wasn’t harmed. The fly by the seat of your pants worked for Dash; here’s to hoping it worked for me.
I whirled around, prepared to unleash a fury like the Institute had never seen, but his dark form appeared at the shadowy edge of the woods, eyes glowing like silver glass and his bow drawn.
What was he doing?
I shook my head, silently telling him to get the heck out of Dodge. There might not be hope for me, but he could still get away. If they got their hands on him. … He had said countless times that he was never going to go back. Why would he reveal himself now? Damn him. He was protecting me, even now. I showed the Institute what I was capable of, and they would undoubtedly try to use me as a weapon. But for what purpose?
Our eyes locked, and a wealth of emotion shone on his face, but I wouldn’t ever forget the terror or the look of helplessness.
I shook my head. No. No. No.
I wasn’t going to let him surrender himself for me. Maybe he knew we were outnumbered, that there was no way I would be able to get away. Maybe he thought he could save me … but not this time. He was probably stupid enough to try though.
He held up his bow in the air as he walked out from the shadows in surrender, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Dash never gave up, so that made me think he was up to something. I carefully slid my fingers down my thigh, hovering over the tip of my blade.
Everyone was on pins and needles as they waited to see what the slayer’s next move would be. Dash didn’t let them down. When he reached the edge of the clearing, it became open season.
He slid over the ground, releasin
g arrows as he went.
Holy crap. What was he doing? He was going to get killed.
Arrows rained down on the guards, taking out three before the line of guards reacted. I should have known Dash wouldn’t run from a fight but run straight toward it. He let a howl of anger as he sent another arrow in the air.
Darkness like I’d never seen licked over the ground, smoky tendrils curling and spreading. A female guard was controlling the darkness as it danced toward Dash. It was time I got my hands dirty.
Two could play this game.
Flinging out my wrist, a bolt of white light shot across the field, striking her in the back. The impact knocked her down to her knees, causing the tendrils of darkness to dissipate, and the guard met a similar fate. The shimmery white light that had hit her spread, encompassing her entire body in a glow that eventually exploded and her along with it.
For a second, the flash of white light blinded me.
“Charlotte!” Dash shouted.
Holy shit.
I just blew up a guard.
I swallowed the nausea that started to rise up the back of my throat. Killing didn’t sit well in my stomach. My gaze flew to Dash. I caught sight of him as he engaged two guards who had tag-teamed him. Dash whirled, slamming his boot into the chest of one and then ducking as the other took a swipe at him with a blade.
Bright orange balls of fire formed on Ember’s hands. Dash shot out of the way at the last second, giving me a heart attack. The balls of fire slammed into a tree behind him before fizzling out.
Things were getting hectic.
“Charlotte, run!” Dash bellowed.
Ember wasn’t about to let that happen. The world turned tawny and gold as she unleashed a maelstrom of flames.
I took off, my feet flying over the ground.
Heat blew at my back, but I didn’t stop.
Dash was firing off arrows, incapacitating the guards standing between him and me. I ran, faster than I’d ever run in my life.