by Sadie Moss
“Of course,” Roman replies, his tone completely neutral and his expression blank. But I know him well enough by now to recognize the gleam in his cobalt eyes. “That’s very sound logic. It’ll be good for you two to stick together. Strategically speaking, I mean.”
Tamlin flushes and purses her lips, looking like she’s considering how much hassle it would be worth to try to lightly stab him.
My group—the men and myself—are among the last to leave. Asher and Cam spend all morning re-setting the protective enchantments around the grounds while I work with Dmitri and a few others to repair the broken-down gate at the front. Megan and a couple other Griffin students use telekinesis spells to move the rubble out of the way and piece everything back together as much as possible. We want it to seem like we’re sticking it out here, like we’re hunkering down and camping out, making a last defensive stand. Hopefully, our protective wards will be strong enough that by the time a new army breaks through and realizes we’re gone, we’ll all be way the hell out of dodge.
We see everyone off, and Professor Perkins, who has power over light, uses his magic to obscure the vehicles as they leave the complex in case Agustin has some kind of spies watching us. Maybe he can talk to birds now, who even knows.
Before she leaves, Kendal gives me a big hug. So do Tandy and Erin and Tom. Even Alyssa gives me an aborted nod of respect as she climbs onto her assigned bus. But Kendal’s the one that I hug back the tightest, the one that makes my eyes a little itchy.
“Look after yourself,” I tell her, my voice a little hoarse. “You’re a fighter. I’m not good with all this ‘words’ shit, but you’re a lot stronger than you think you are.”
Kendal squeezes me. “You’re a hero. I know you don’t think of yourself that way. But you are.”
She pulls away, smiling, then climbs up onto her assigned bus.
I wave until everyone’s vanished into the horizon.
And then there are just a few groups left at the facility, and it’s time for us to go.
A lot of the other groups were bussed out, since that’s how we were brought here originally. Once they’re away from the facility, they’ll either get ahold of other vehicles or use magical means of transportation. But Roman’s car is here, so the five of us will be taking that. It’s convenient, and it’s also decked out with some pretty top-notch protective enchantments.
“That everything?” Cam asks as we finish up.
“I think so.” Roman looks around. “The lights are on a timer, so it’ll look like people are here at night—”
“Get down!” Dmitri hisses.
Just as he says it, I hear what he hears—a car.
We all duck behind Roman’s car as another car pulls up, stopping right outside the gates.
My heart is hammering. This doesn’t look like something Agustin would do, just a lone car, but who knows what he could have planned? Maybe there’s a bomb inside. Or maybe it’s more Unpredictables who are looking for shelter. Or—
The driver’s door opens, and before I even consciously realize who it is, I’m running for her.
“Maddy!”
My little sister jumps up and down, waving and grinning, then starts running for me. I yank the gate open a second before she crashes into me, and then we’re hugging each other so hard I can barely breathe, and I seriously don’t know if I’ll ever let go.
“You’re okay!” she gasps, over and over. “You’re okay!”
“Yeah, I’m all right, Mads.” I squeeze her tighter, even as my face scrunches up in confusion. “But—what are you doing here? How did you get here? You have school!”
“School can fuck off,” she says firmly, and my eyebrows shoot up. I know I have a mouth like a sailor, but Mom and I were always kind of strict about Maddy’s language, and she’s a soft-spoken person in general, so hearing her swear is always a bit jarring.
Mads pulls back so that I can see her face. “I’m here to help. I know you want to keep me safe and try to protect me, but I want to fight with you. None of this ‘being apart’ bullshit. I’m not sitting this fight out, and I’m sure not gonna fight without you. I want to be with you. You’re my sister, and whatever happens, we’re going to face it side by side.”
Behind her, I see Justin getting out of the front passenger seat of the car. He looks a little dazed, and I can’t help but wonder just how fast Maddy was driving.
Also, my sister doesn’t have a car. Is that Justin’s, or did Mads just steal one off the street?
I really, really hope Justin has a car.
Maddy finally steps back from our hug, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at me with her jaw set, like she thinks I’m about to send her packing.
Which, to be honest, I’m sort of tempted to do. The shit we’re up against is terrifying, and the thought of Maddy getting hurt makes my heart seize up in my chest. But the thing is, she’s not a little kid anymore. I don’t have the right to make those kinds of decisions for her.
“Look,” I tell her, “you’re an adult. I can’t stop you. But are you sure this is what you want to do? You have an education, you’re not Unpredictable, and it’s going to be crazy dangerous. I don’t want you to do this because you feel like you have to, because I’m your sister.”
Maddy shakes her head, her blue eyes shining.
“You are my sister, and I want to do this. It’s the right thing to do. Lots of organizations—other academies, businesses—are still limping along. Trying to act like they did before the government shutdown and Agustin’s takeover. Trying to make it normal. Some people are cooperating because they’re scared, turning in their charms and potions, that kind of thing. But a lot of people want to fight back.”
She gets more animated as she goes on, and I get the feeling she’s spent the entire drive from Neptune Academy with these thoughts running around and around in her head.
“A lot of people at Neptune are realizing that they shouldn’t have pushed Unpredictables down, and that it was all… orchestrated. That their hatred was whipped up and engineered, that they were used as tools and their worst traits brought out so that they could be taken over—and it worked.”
She scowls, practically vibrating with energy. “There are still people who want to keep their heads in the sand, who insist that everything will be okay if we cooperate with Agustin. But after seeing that video you posted, more and more people are starting to realize they’ve been played. Classes at Neptune are still limping along, but a lot of people are leaving—to go protest, to go be with family, just to do something. But I knew you’d be fighting, and I want to fight with you. No more sitting on the sidelines while my big sister gets her ass kicked.”
I snort. “My ass isn’t getting… okay, yes, I am getting my ass kicked. And I worry about dragging you into that, but I’m also glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.”
Maddy grins at me. “I’m glad I’m here too. I miss you all the time.”
Truthfully, I feel like it’s a bit… okay, if I’m letting myself be petty and bitter here, it’s too little too fucking late on the whole ‘oh no, we were so wrong about Unpredictables’ thing.
Bull-fucking-shit. Of course people only realize something’s wrong when it affects them, and suddenly they’re the ones with their rights taken away. But if it’s someone attacking another group, oh no, then it’s fine. We’re all so willing to hate other people for the slightest reason, to see the worst in others, and to imagine that others are out to get us. But we’re all other to someone else.
So, yeah, I’m kind of pissed.
But there’s no point in saying all of that to Maddy—not when she sounds so happy that everyone is starting to do something. My sister sees the bright side of things, the good side of people, and I’m glad for it. I’m not going to rain on her parade.
And more public support for us has to be a good thing. It’s better than having public support be against us anyway. Even if most people are too scared to do much, it means they won’t
try to stop us or get in our way, and some of them might even be willing to hide us, shelter us, help pass information along or something.
So it’s a good thing. It is. And I need to focus on that.
“So anyway, we’re here,” Maddy says brightly. She gestures behind her as Justin walks up.
He’s probably about Maddy’s age, with skin the color of oak and warm brown eyes framed by glasses, and he shifts his weight awkwardly as he stops beside her, looking nervous as hell. It takes me a second to figure out why—he’s already met me, after all, and that went okay. But then I feel a wave of warmth at my back and turn to look over my shoulder.
All four men are glaring at Justin like he’s a hungry lion and Maddy is a little baby gazelle.
Ah. Right.
“Justin.” I smile broadly as I walk up to him and pull him into a hug. I’m not a hugger, and the men know this, so that should help get the message across that they can back down on the older brother protectiveness.
As much as it fills me with joy that they’re so worried for Maddy and are ready to pounce on this guy if he so much as breathes wrong at her, I think Justin’s a good person, and I know for a fact that Maddy will not appreciate it if they scare him to death. Experience has taught me this.
I might have scared away Maddy’s prom date. We don’t talk about it.
Justin awkwardly hugs me back, a little stiff from surprise, and I draw back to put my hand on his shoulder, turning to face the four men. “Guys, this is Justin.”
Roman raises an eyebrow. Dmitri narrows his eyes. Asher’s forehead is wrinkled, which means—
“Asher, stop reading his mind!”
He stops, looking sheepish.
Mads rolls her eyes. “This is my boyfriend, guys. Honestly, he’s cool.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you all,” the tall boy says affably. He puts on a nervous smile. Ugh, poor guy. “Maddy really likes you all, thinks of you as family. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Cam, ever the friendly one, clearly decides that if anyone’s going to break the ice, it’s him. “Hey, Justin.” He walks over and offers up his hand. “It’s great to meet you. Nice shirt.”
Justin’s wearing a shirt that says To Boldly Go, because of course he’s a Star Trek geek.
“Thanks.”
“Maddy’s got a real thing for nerds,” I announce.
My sister punches me in the shoulder.
“We’re glad you came to help,” Cam says, smiling, then pointedly clears his throat.
Asher walks over next, and he and Justin shake hands. Still looking a little chagrined, Ash apologizes for trying to read his mind. “Maddy’s become like a little sister to us too, so I guess we’re a little protective of her.”
“And she failed to mention you,” Dmitri adds, sounding betrayed.
Mads folds her arms. “I am not going to call you all the moment I get a boyfriend, it’s my personal business.”
All four men look affronted at the suggestion that Maddy won’t tell them every single detail about her life. I lift a hand to cover my grin, stifling a laugh.
Roman says hello to Justin next, and apparently Justin knows a bit about Roman’s career, because he starts gushing about doing his freshman semester final on Roman’s work with the Circuit police in regard to a serial killer when Roman was only fifteen, and for the first time in my life I get to see my handsome, stoic professor embarrassed. His cheeks go a little pink as he tries to shrug it off, saying it was nothing and that he was happy to use his necromancy to help with the investigation.
It’s adorable as fuck.
Dmitri is last, and he grips Justin’s hand so hard I can see the poor kid wince.
“Ease off, cowboy,” I mutter, sidling up beside Dmitri.
He lets go of Justin’s hand, but his eyes are still narrowed to slits as he says, “Nice to meet you.”
Hoo boy.
“He’ll warm up to you,” I promise Maddy’s boyfriend, giving mine a firm look.
He’ll warm up to Justin if he knows what’s good for him, in other words. I’m not above withholding sex until Dmitri starts playing nice.
Dmitri correctly interprets the look on my face and puts his hands up in a gesture of surrender as he steps back, smirking slightly—probably because he knows my “punishment” would torture me just as much as it would him.
With the introductions out of the way, it’s time to go. Roman puts some of the wards and enchantments from his car onto Justin’s so that he’ll be protected too. Two cars could be better than one—it’ll mean we can split up if we have to, or send one vehicle somewhere as a decoy.
Justin gets into his car along with Cam and Asher, who seem the least likely to rip the guy’s head off. Maddy wants to stick with me, so she’s in Roman’s car with Dmitri and myself.
“You ready?” Roman asks, glancing over at me as he starts the car.
I nod.
As ready as I’ll ever be.
Chapter 9
Our first stop is to hit up Asher’s family.
His brothers are a bit scattered across the country, but several of them are in San Francisco—it’s where they all grew up, and where their parents still live. There’s a big family home at the top of a hill in one of the best neighborhoods, and it’s not until we pull up the drive that I realize just how loaded Asher is.
Dmitri’s family uses their wealth and power like a weapon. They constantly wield it, wear it, draping it all over themselves like some kind of spiderweb that sticks and refuses to come off.
I knew Asher’s family was wealthy and well-connected, but I always assumed they were on the modest end of that spectrum. He’s got twelve older brothers, thanks to some crazy old spell on the family line that blessed them with a lot of sons—which probably made much more sense in medieval times than in the modern age. Even for people who’ve got a lot of money, that many kids can put a strain on the budget. And Ash certainly doesn’t act like he’s filthy rich. He doesn’t drive an outlandish car or wear designer clothes.
But as I slide out of the front passenger seat and stare up at the massive three-story house with a sweeping yard, pristine flower beds and marble fountains everywhere, and a gorgeous view of the bay beyond, my jaw sags open.
Holy shit.
Justin and Maddy are gaping a little too. I don’t know how much Mads knows about Asher’s family situation, but it’s probably less than I do. And Justin knows nothing.
Asher sees Justin gaping and gets a pleased little gleam in his eyes, as if he’s thinking, yeah, if you break Maddy’s heart I can afford the best hitmen to destroy you.
Not that Asher will need to hire a hitman. Dmitri will definitely already have that covered. I feel bad for poor Justin, Maddy clearly didn’t expect her sister’s four boyfriends to play big brother when she introduced him. He’s had no warning.
Ah, well. If he wants to be a part of the family, then he’s going to have to win the men over, and that’s that. I’m sure he’ll be tough enough for it. Maddy might like ’em nerdy, but she also likes men of strong character. The good guys. Superman was her favorite comic book hero growing up. If she likes Justin and he’s worthy of her, then he’ll have a good backbone underneath the Legend of Zelda references.
Cam grins as we get out, gazing up at the house with eagerness instead of awe. He’s stayed with Asher before, so he’s comfortable as can be. Roman raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything. He’s got some family money, but I don’t know how comfortable he is around rich people.
I lean in to whisper to Dmitri as we walk up the wide front steps. “What do you think?”
He shrugs, glancing around. “It’s a nice little house. Quaint.”
“You realize your parents cut you off, right, Mr. Smarmy Pants?” I say, but then I notice the way he’s pressed his lips together to try to hide a smirk.
That asshole, he was joking with me.
I punch him in the shoulder. “Very funny.”
His dark eyes gl
int with amusement. “Your face was hilarious.”
As we step inside the large foyer, Asher is immediately enveloped in a hug by his mother.
“Thank goodness you’re okay!” she exclaims. She’s got brown hair like Asher and a face that always seems to be smiling a little.
Cam’s pulled into a hug next, then me, and so on down the line. Maddy welcomes the hug because she’s Maddy and she’s a hugger. Justin looks a little confused but rolls with it and thanks Asher’s mom for putting us up.
“Oh, please, call me Linda,” she insists.
“Not Lin,” Asher whispers to me. “Only my dad’s allowed to call her that.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I whisper back.
Linda gets us all set up in guest rooms, which brings a moment of awkwardness. Not from me, which is what I’d expected. I think Asher’s explained our whole dating situation to his parents, because Linda simply tells me I’ll be staying with Asher and Cam, who always share a room when they’re here, and asks Roman and Dmitri if they would each like their own room or would like to share as well.
No, the awkwardness comes when Linda asks if Maddy and Justin will be sharing a room.
I raise my eyebrows at her. I don’t care—I mean, I do care, of course I care, but I can’t judge. The first time I met Roman, we fucked in the alley behind the bar where I worked. If I even thought about calling Maddy out for sleeping with her official boyfriend, she’d have receipts on me so fast my head would spin.
All four of my boyfriends are pointedly looking in other directions. Maddy’s an adult, but she’s five years younger than Cam and Asher, seven years younger than Dmitri, and nine years younger than Roman. To them, she’s still a kid in a lot of ways.
But my sister stands staunchly, keeping her chin up. “Justin and I will be sharing,” she says. “Thank you so much.”
I smother a grin as Linda shows Justin and her to their room. Maddy’s got a bit of my fire in her as well, that desire to be contrary when people try to put expectations on her. And I can’t be mad about that.