Текст книги "Broken Skies"

Автор книги: Theresa Kay

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

SEVEN

The one good thing that came from the stupid ceremony is that everyone is gathered over by the square, entirely the opposite direction from where I need to go. Already late, I walk quickly, the moon lighting my way. A breeze flows down the street and raises goosebumps on my arms and legs. I rub my hands up and down on my arms to try to dispel the chill.

Before the Collapse, Bridgelake was just another small college town. It didn’t really have much of a police station or a jail, but it did have a science building with a basement full of metal lined lab rooms. I guess that was where they kept lab animals or something. Those rooms became the holding cells. There are only about ten cells and most of them are empty at any given time. Breaking the law here will get you swiftly kicked out, so it’s not like people sit around there for long. The cells are more for containing people until Dane can do some sort of public exile ceremony. Though I don’t think that exile is what he has planned for Lir. Not the way Daniel was talking about it.

Probably the only thing keeping Dane from taking care of Lir already is the festival. Can’t keep his loyal public waiting, though many of them may have enjoyed the spectacle of a public execution. I shiver, but it’s not from the chill creeping into the air. What would Dane have done if one of the groups of soldiers had found Lir in the woods? What would have happened if I hadn’t been there when Jace was taken? My brother would have disappeared and I would have never known what happened to him– just like our father.

Dwelling on that isn’t going to help me now. I shake my head and speed up.

“Jax.” Emily’s whispered call comes from my left.

“Yeah.” I slide into the space between two buildings where she’s waiting.

“What the hell took you so long?” Her hands fly up in exasperation. “Did you run into trouble? I’ve been getting worried.”

A chuckle escapes my lips. “Well, if you call running into Dane, getting promised to Flint, and then knocking him out trouble…. Then, yeah I ran into trouble.”

Her arms drop to her sides and she gapes at me. “What?”

“If you call—”

“I heard you,” she says. “I don’t even know what to say to that.” Emily shakes her head and then her eyes find mine. “Did you at least get the keys first?”

That brings a laugh bursting out of my mouth. “Not one to get distracted by the little things are you?”

One side of her mouth twists up. “Seems like you took care of it.”

“Are the packs in place?” I ask.

While I was getting the keys, Emily was supposed to grab the packs at my house and put them by the West gate for Lir and me to grab on our way out. They aren’t even half as full as I’d like them to be since my market trip was…interrupted…but we’ll have to make do. Dane is bound to realize pretty quickly that I’m gone and he’d assume I’d head straight to the city. They’d start looking by the East gate, so I’m going in the opposite direction. We’ll have to make an extra stop for the satchel now too.

“Of course, Jax. You’re not the only one that knows how to sneak around here.” Emily threads her arm through mine and we step out onto the street. “Let’s do this then.”

Two guards stand silhouetted by the doorway and they tense up as we draw closer. Neither of them are anyone I know, but that’s not saying much. “What’s your business here, ladies?”

Emily smiles. “Hello, Brian. Hello, Seth.” One of the guards Emily knows, that’s either really good or really bad.

“Hello Emily,” says Seth, a grin lighting his face. So good thing then? My stomach twists at the hungry look in his eye, but Emily ignores it.

“We’ve come to deliver food to the prisoner.” The guards eye the covered dish resting on Emily’s palm as she shifts on her feet.

“Aren’t you just the good Samaritan,” Brian says, leering at Emily. “Has this been approved?”

Emily opens her mouth to reply but Seth breaks in. “Emily’s always taking pity on the prisoners. Just let them go down and get it over with.” He points his finger at Emily with a stern look on his face. “Just slide the food in through the bottom like normal Em, stay away from the door. It’s subdued but it might still be dangerous.” He reaches out and brushes his hand down Emily’s arm. “Then maybe you can keep us company for a while?”

Emily giggles. “I’d like that. You too right, Jax?”

He’s not touching me, keep it together. I fight the desire to close my eyes and count my breaths. “Yeah.” It’s the best I can do, the only word that is small enough to make it up my shrinking throat. Emily adjusts her arm and gives my elbow a gentle squeeze. Some of the tension leaves my limbs. It’s only a part to play. I won’t actually be coming back up here with them.

Brian waves us by and I let out a long, slow breath. Then a hand grabs my arm and I freeze.

“You’re Jace’s sister, right?” asks Brian.

I nod. Emily, slightly ahead of me, looks back. Her eyes anchor me enough that I relax a little. “Yeah, I am.”

“I hear you’re pretty good with a knife.”

“I guess so.”

“You the one that cut its arm?”

Sewed it up too, but I don’t think that’s what he wants to hear. “Yeah.”

Brian tilts his head back a new respect in his eyes. “Great shot. I think that’s the first I’ve ever heard of someone getting the drop on one of them. You must have weakened it enough so it could be taken.”

I did? Obviously the aliens are fast, but someone before me had to have fought with one, injured one, something. If they’re that strong how in the world will I get Jace out?

Brian rubs a hand through his hair and meets my eyes. “You girls just let us know if you have any trouble down there, okay?”

I nod and pull my arm away from his grip. Once Emily and I are out of sight, I stop and lean against the wall. “I just need a moment.” Emily stays silent and I focus on taking one big breath and letting it pass slowly through my lips. “Sorry, I just…”

“It’s okay. Take all the time you need.” She squeezes my arm. “It’s actually a good thing Seth was on duty this evening. I don’t really know Brian, but Seth is one of the good guys.” When my eyes widen and my eyebrows raise, she continues. “You can’t always think the worst of everyone.”

She’s right. When I replay the interaction in my head, it’s clear to me that Emily likes Seth. Her blushing. Her giggling. Maybe he even genuinely cares about her. Even Brian grabbing my arm was nothing like what Daniel did earlier. Between getting knocked out in the forest, getting Promised and my swelling knuckles, it’s been a long day and my fight or flight instincts are on overdrive. I’m no good to Jace like this. I’m no good to anyone like this. I’ve got to pull myself together.

Emily and I descend the stairs into the darkened lower level. Upkeep down here has obviously not been much of a priority. The paint is peeling on the wall and, although it doesn’t really smell bad, there’s a persistent musty odor in the air, like a wet animal. The farther down we go though, the worse it gets. When we finally reach the basement level, my lip curls and my nose scrunches.

What had been only mildewy before has morphed into the stale stench of mold and age. Old equipment clutters the narrow hallway and the lights flicker and buzz, giving the whole place an eerie feeling. I can only hope that Jace isn’t being kept in a place like this. A shudder travels from my shoulders down my back and I swallow while trying to avoid inhaling through my nose. It doesn’t work very well and I gag, a burning starting up in the back of my throat.

“Here.” Emily hands me a small piece of cloth and I use it to cover my mouth and nose.

I smile gratefully. The cloth doesn’t block out the stench entirely, but it keeps the worst of it at bay for now.

We peer into the window at the top of each door until we find one cell with a shadowed form lying in the corner.

Emily glances at me. “Keys?”

I pull the key ring out and toss it to her. She locates the correct key and fits it into the lock. The lock releases quietly, but the door hinges squeal when she pushes it open.

Emily looks from me to the interior of the cell, a questioning look on her face. I nod. I should be the one to go in and talk to him. Lir might not exactly consider me a friendly face at this point, but at least I’m someone he knows.

“Just wait out here for me,” I say, slipping into the cell through the small opening.

The smell isn’t as bad inside the cell. Metal walls reflect the light from the buzzing overhead fixture. There’s a small cot against the wall, but nothing else besides a ratty blanket. Lir is slumped in the far right corner, head bowed down over his chest, the flickering light creating shifting shadows across his face. He doesn’t even look up when I enter the cell. Ropes bind his hands and I can’t tell if he’s even had water. Probably not if Emily hasn’t been down here today. Seth might be one of the good guys as Emily said, but it doesn’t seem like he’s too concerned about their prisoner. Seeing him huddled on the cold concrete floor injured and alone sends a shot of guilt into my gut. It’s my fault he’s here.

“Lir,” I say softly. “Wake up.”

His head slowly rises until his eyes meet mine. “I am not sleeping. The accommodations leave a little to be desired.” A bruise mars his cheek, expanding outward and swelling his eye nearly shut. I gasp and reach forward to put a hand on his cheek, but he flinches away from me. “What is it that you want, Jax? Come to weasel more information out of me? I must admit you guys had a pretty good set up there. How did you know we were coming?”

“What are you talking about?” I ask. He doesn’t sound like the cheerily sarcastic guy I met earlier. Though perhaps this is who he really is.

A snide laugh passes his lips. “Cut the innocent act. Obviously you have had this planned for some time. Even planned for me to take pity on you, is that it? The shaky hands, the big terrified eyes… I must say, you almost had me.” He pitches his voice up into a mocking falsetto. “Oh dear I’ve injured you come with me and I’ll help you. By the way…what are your weaknesses? How do I get into the city?” His face is cold and hard. “And when it did not work, you had your friends come to lock me up…..and now what? You are trying a new tactic?”

I back away and rise to my feet. “What?”

“The dress is a nice touch too.” His eyes run up and down my body. “Can’t beat it out of me so seduce it out of me, huh?” My face flushes, a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

Lir is on his feet before I can blink, throwing his bound arms over my head so I’m in between them. He pushes me back until my shoulders hit the door, slamming it shut, and he holds me there. “Well come on then. Though I must admit your previous attempts have been rather amateurish.” He leans down to whisper into my ear. “This is what you wanted isn’t it pretty girl?”

The phrase echoes in my brain, ricocheting around in my head… pretty girl… pretty girl…pretty girl. My whole consciousness focuses on those two words. Breathing becomes secondary, and my heartbeat sounds in my ears marking the rhythm of the words. A keening noise escapes my lips and the door vibrates against my back when Emily starts pounding on it from outside. Stone and ice shoot through my veins, stiffening my limbs, but almost as quickly a fiery heat flows through me and I’m kicking and I’m flailing and I’m biting. I’m a blur of motion, pushing back, snarling like an animal.

When I come back to myself, my cheek rests against scratchy fabric and a hand is stroking my hair back from my face.

“Jax,” a voice says in my ear. “It’s okay. You’re safe. Relax.” It’s Emily and my still rapid breaths slow. Color bleeds back in around me and the room comes into focus. My head is cradled in Emily’s lap and she continues gently running her fingers over my head. “Better now?”

I nod and shift into a more upright position, a slight residual dizziness keeping me on the floor for now. The on edge feeling that’s haunted me since this afternoon is gone though. Great cure for creeping anxiety– a panic attack. If only I’d thought of that sooner. At least I feel a bit more like myself now.

The door is wide open, but Lir sits in the corner watching me sit up. “Jax, I—” He reaches a hand out and cringes when I shy away from it. “I did not mean to… I didn’t know. They said…” Emerald eyes meet mine. “I am sorry.”

Lir shifts closer to me, bringing his bruised and battered face back into the meager light. There’s fresh blood dribbling from the side of his lip. From something I did no doubt. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, sending a streak of green blood up his cheek.

I flinch. “Sorry for the…new blood there. Friends?”

Lir eyes me for a moment, a mixture of confusion and guilt on his face, and then chuckles awkwardly. “With friends like you, who needs enemies, right?”

“Well, you wouldn’t be the only friend I hit today.”

There goes that eyebrow of his, amusement flooding into his eyes. “I at least hope I’m the only one you hit twice today.”

“I’ve already apologized for the first one though.” Forehead to palm, I shake my head. “It’s just been a bad day.”

“You’re telling me,” Lir says, raising his bound hands. “And you’re not even the one tied up.”

I rise to my feet, pulling out a small knife that was strapped to my thigh. It’s a good thing I didn’t lose the thing when I was crawling through Dane’s window. Normally my knife would be secure in my boot, but I’m stuck in Emily’s flimsy sandals and my boots are waiting for me in one of the packs. I start sawing at the ropes around Lir’s wrists.

“Are you sure releasing it is still a good idea?” asks Emily. She glares at Lir with narrowed eyes. “I’m worried about you, Jax. You’re going to travel to the city alone? With only that alien to help? After that…” She flutters her hands and pulls her lower lip into her mouth. “I know you have some sort of agreement…but there’s got to be another way. I don’t trust it, not after what it just did. It’s dangerous.”

Lir speaks up, sarcasm biting at his words. “I am sure you are familiar enough with the distinction between male and female to realize that I am a he and not an it, correct?” Lir returns her glare. “I did not ask to be here. Who are you to question my trustworthiness? If anyone here has a reason to doubt motives, it is me. Since arriving, I have been attacked, beaten, knocked out, and tied up.” His voice gets softer. “The altercation was a misunderstanding on my part and I have already apologized.” My knife finally gets through the rope and Lir rubs at his wrists and flexes his fingers. “I gave Jax my word. I will do everything in my power to get her to the city safely.”

“How do I know your word is good, alien?” asks Emily haughtily.

Lir rolls his eyes. “What is it with you humans and your affection for labels instead of names? My name is Lir, please address me by it.”

“Okay then, Lir, how do I know your word is good?”

“Does it matter what you know? Can Jax not speak for herself? She obviously trusts me at least that far. You should too.”

“Jax doesn’t know any better!” Exasperation laces Emily’s words.

“What?” I’m not perfect and I make mistakes, but… “What does that mean, Emily?”

Her eyebrows draw together and she puts a hand on my shoulder. “You’re just… Your decisions aren’t always very reliable.”

I shake her hand away. “Well, this is my decision. Like it or not, this is the only way to get Jace back.” The warm friendship I’d been beginning to feel for her recedes a little. Emily is just like the rest of them, thinking I’m some fragile child. “So will your friends upstairs look the other way or not? We’ve got to get out of here.”

“I didn’t mean it like that…I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to get hurt,” says Emily.

“Stuff happens, no matter what you do. If anyone knows that, it’s me. I can’t sit here behind these walls while my brother is out there. Lir, alien or not, is the only way in I have. I know how to look out for myself.” Bringing my hands up, I place them on her shoulders and stare into her face. “If you can’t trust him, trust me. I can do this.”

Emily looks away and nods. “Okay.”

Emily isn’t quite sure where Brian’s loyalties lie and, even if I were sure of the two guards’ loyalties, they don’t seem very fond of aliens. Getting Lir up the stairs and out the door is going to be more complicated than we thought. We throw a couple ideas back and forth, but nothing that really seems feasible. Emily’s ideas mostly consist of getting more people to help, but that makes me uneasy, Lir too, though he doesn’t actually say it. The more people involved, the more potential for us to be caught.

“We’ve been down here too long,” says Emily. “Either way, they’re going to start getting suspicious, if they aren’t already. We could try again in the morning.”

“Sounds great,” says Lir, “except they plan to execute me in the morning.”

“Execute you?” It’s the first time Emily has looked even a little concerned for Lir’s safety and not just my own. “Without a trial? For what?”

Anger and maybe even a touch of fear flashes across his face. “For being an alien. You are not the most accepting lot.”

“Why are you surprised at this?” I ask. Seems I’m not the only naive one around here. “After everything you’ve seen, did you really think they’d let him go? You know how things work around here.”

“I do…but… he hasn’t done anything.”

“Nothing except being non-native to this planet,” says Lir. “Would not be the first instance of the human superiority complex. You have destroyed your planet and much of your race and yet you believe we are the enemy.”

“Aren’t you? You came to our planet—”

“The planet you did not bother to take care of.”

“Our city—”

“That you were no longer able to manage. There is plenty of space here now, why can you not share?” Lir stands face to face with Emily, glaring, his words edged with anger.

Emily doesn’t back down. “Why couldn’t you stay on your own planet? Why are you here?”

Lir breaks her gaze and his eyes shift to the side. “We have our reasons.”

I throw my hands up. “Why the hell are you guys arguing? None of this is helpful. Emily, they’re here and they have Jace, that’s all that matters.” I turn to Lir and poke him in the chest with one finger. “And you… drop it. Seems like you have your own complex. Stop lumping all humans together. Most of us weren’t even alive during the Collapse and had no part in any of it.” Lir smirks and Emily looks at me in surprise. “What?”

Emily’s eyes flick from my face down to my hand– which is once again lingering too long on Lir’s chest. It’s one thing for me to allow others to touch me, a completely different thing for me to touch someone else and, once again, I’ve unconsciously touched Lir. What is wrong with me? Even after… I pull my hand back quickly, like it burns. Maybe it actually does a little because my face heats up.

I direct my gaze to the wall. “Can we just get on with it? We’re wasting time.” The steam of my irritation flows out and my shoulders droop. “Who knows what they’re doing to Jace.”

EIGHT

It ends up that Emily calls the guards down to “help us with the unruly prisoner,” Lir knocks them out and I tie them up. Simple enough really once the two of them stopped arguing and we worked it out. Emily is staying behind. She’s tied up too, better to sell the story that the alien escaped with me as a hostage. That way no one will get in any real trouble, except me– hopefully.

Lir and I slip up the stairs and into the open air. As soon as he’s outside Lir takes a big breath and lets it out slowly. “Smells much better out here,” he says.

There’s really nothing for me to say to that. I’m glad he’s enjoying his freedom, but we don’t have time to waste.

I grab his shirt and pull him in the direction of the packs and the West gate. The moon rests behind a cloud and there’s little light to navigate with, but we manage. He follows close behind me, darting in between buildings, and hiding in doorways. We try to avoid the main street, but are forced to travel the last few blocks on it after making a quick detour to grab the satchel. There aren’t many people, in fact, we’ve only seen six and they were guards on patrol. The festival must still be going on.

An open grassy area stretches between the edge of the last building and the gate. Unfortunately, it’s also well lit by two lampposts on either side of the gate. I scan the surroundings.

No guards in sight. Where are they? There’s always someone on duty. There. A shape to the left of the gate pulls my attention. Only one guard tonight and he’s sitting against the wall, looking in the opposite direction.

The packs are waiting behind a bush along the wall to the right, about twenty feet from the gate and thirty feet from the guard. He may look like he’s not paying much attention, but I’m not going to risk both of us getting caught. I glide to the right, my back pressed against the building. Once I am directly across from where the packs are supposed to be, I take a cautious step forward. Lir steps up behind me and I shake my head, pointing at him and then back at the building. He nods and fades back into the shadows.

Quick and careful steps bring me to the bush and I sit down beside it, out of the sight line of the guard farther down. The rustle of the branches makes me cringe, but I have no choice, I’ve got to get the packs. Not only for the food and water they contain, but I damn sure can’t waltz around in the woods in a dress. I can’t wait to get back into a pair of pants. My wardrobe will have to wait though, at least until we’re well away from here.

The guard is just sitting there, not even scanning the area. What is going on? I’m pretty sure Dane wouldn’t put up with that level of incompetence. Something isn’t right and a twinge of anxiety creeps down my back. Lir slides up to the wall beside me, startling me into nearly screaming. As it is, I jump and then turn to glare at him.

“What are you doing? I told you to wait.” The whisper hisses past my teeth.

“That guy is not going anywhere.” He points toward the guard.

I follow his finger and really study the guard leaning against the wall. He’s not moving and, now that I think about it, he hasn’t moved since I first observed him. Is he sleeping? I shoulder one of the packs and skirt around the bush and press close to the wall on the other side. Slow side steps take me closer to the gate and the guard. Lir mimics my actions behind me, joining me in scooting closer.

The caution isn’t necessary. Ten feet closer and I can already tell the guard is dead, his head tilted at an unnatural angle. I should be relieved. I’m not. Instead my muscles tense up and my eyes move around my surroundings in short, quick movements. Whoever did this might still be here and they aren’t someone I want to run in to. Even more concerning is that the body is going to draw attention to this gate, the one I so carefully planned to take to throw them off our trail.

There’s no time to slink along the wall to the next gate, the festival will be wrapping up soon and people will be headed back to their homes for the night. There really isn’t even time for me to be standing here thinking. No other choice then. I’ll find another way to throw them off. Grabbing Lir’s arm, I run the last few feet to the gate and slip through.

* * * * * * *

We’ve been making fast progress away from Bridgelake for what feels like forever, but in reality is probably only a couple hours or so. There should be plenty of time for us to make our escape. Emily said the guards don’t switch over until morning so our escape won’t be discovered until then. Our westerly direction, away from the city, should help keep them off our tail as long as the dead guard doesn’t give us away. That is, if Dane actually cares about retrieving me. It’s not like he was very concerned about Jace.

The weight of the day’s events is catching up to me and my steps are slowing. We walk in silence, the sound of the forest surrounding us and the occasional twig breaking underfoot. I mumble an apology when a small branch swings back after I push by and hits Lir. He mumbles something in return. Small talk is not my specialty and it doesn’t appear to be his either. The lingering quiet between us unnerves me, sending doubts flooding into my mind.

What have I gotten myself into? Now that I really have time to stop and think, or at least concentrate on thinking, I realize I have no idea what I’m doing, not really. The combination of hope and adrenaline that has been keeping me going is fading, leaving me with nothing but a very vague goal to work towards. Yes, I’m going to get Jace back, but how?

The increased anxiety speeds my steps until Lir falls behind. My feet beat out a steady cadence. Step. Breath. Step. Breath. What if I should have waited for Flint? Step. What if the alien is dangerous? Breath. What if I’m too late? Step. What happened to the dead guard? Breath. What if Jace is dead? What if—

“Jax?” He’s beside me now, his voice breaking me out of the endless stream of what if’s floating through my brain. “Are we stopping here?”

Huh? I realize I’ve stopped walking and I’m practically hyperventilating. The buzz of anxiety is back, filling my body and throbbing in time with my rapid breathing.

Lir’s brow furrows. “Are you alright?” His hand extends toward me and mine flies up to meet it, grasping his wrist and squeezing.

I can feel his wrist bones grating together under my grip. “Don’t touch me.” My hand releases and he yanks his arm away.

“Got it. No touching.” Wariness enters his eyes and he takes a step backwards.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

And his hands go up in front of him. “Like what?”

“Like I’m crazy.” And there goes the eyebrow. “And stop with the eyebrow thing!”

Lir blinks his eyes twice and then a short burst of air escapes from his chest. “Eyebrow thing?” His lips fight to turn up at the edges.

I scowl, but the wavering edges of his mouth start my lips to mimicking the motion. I lose the battle first. A smile spreads across my face and my anxiety releases into a laugh. “Yeah. The eyebrow thing. You know, like this?” My pointer finger goes to his brow and lifts his left eyebrow up. “Just the one.”

The muscles in his forehead move under my finger and the green tips of one curl brush against my knuckle. If I move my hand his eyebrow would stay up. Lir doesn’t say anything, he just trails his eyes down my arm and up to my finger until his gaze is twisted up. Crap. I’m touching him again… Right after I told him not to touch me. What is wrong with me?

I was right, the eyebrow stays up when I pull my hand away and drop it to my side. The tingling buzz recedes along with the previously unnoticed tension in my limbs. “Sorry,” I say. “I’m just a little on edge.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Lir says dryly, rubbing at his wrist. “I would hate to see you a lot on edge.” His eyes widen at his own statement and he starts stammering. “I mean… Just… I wasn’t referring to…”

“It’s okay.” I sink down, my backpack pressing against a tree trunk, until my butt lands in the dirt. “I think I just need a moment. There’s too much noise in my head right now.”

Lir sits down across from me, pulling his knees into his chest and wrapping his arms around them. I mirror the movement. The edges of the dress flap against my thighs. Oh yeah, I’m wearing a dress. So not only did I touch him, now I’m flashing him. My face heats and I slide my legs to the side, pulling the dress down around my knees.

I shrug out of one shoulder strap and swing the backpack around. First things first, I need to change. A light jacket. Two soft t-shirts. A small bundle of food. Canteen. Sleeping bag. My knife and hilt. Pants? Please tell me there are pants in here. My fingers brush across a rough texture that can only be denim. Thank goodness.

I pull the jeans out and shimmy them up underneath the dress. Next comes socks and some nice sturdy boots. I’m almost as excited to get rid of the stupid sandals as I am to get rid of the dress. A shirt goes over my head and I strip off the sleeves of the dress, pulling it down and stepping out of it before sliding my arms into the shirt sleeves. Lir jumps a little when I toss the now crumpled dress past his head and into the woods. It probably would have been better for me to stuff it in the pack, to cover our tracks and all, but it’s too late now. I lean back against the tree and close my eyes, finally a little more comfortable.

“So what is your plan exactly?” His words are quiet, near a whisper.

So far, I don’t really have much of a plan, but that probably wouldn’t be the best thing to admit to right now. I open my eyes and squint at him. He’s staring at the ground. It’s the first time since Lir stepped off that ship that his wall of confidence really cracks. For just a moment, a flash of vulnerability, maybe even fear, passes across his face. What must it be like for him stranded out here alone and hurt with only me to depend on? He looks so incredibly lost in that moment– and young.

“How old are you?” I ask.

The wall slams back down. “In your years? Nineteen.” His head comes up and he narrows his eyes. “Why?”

“Just curious.” I roll my shoulders and straighten my legs out in front of me. “I’m seventeen, well almost eighteen now. My brother too. We’re twins.” His head tilts to the side, his shoulders lower and one leg extends forward. Silence fills the gap between us again. I want to know him, to know something, anything to ease my fears about Jace. “What about you, any siblings?”

“One,” he says. I just stare, waiting for the rest. Lir avoids my gaze and his voice softens. “A sister, Stella. She’s seven.”

“I’ve always wanted a sister. Do you guys get along?”

“Yes.” Again, I wait for more words, but he doesn’t continue.

Elaborate swirls appear in the dirt as I trace my finger through it. There’s a burn behind my eyes and I have to swallow twice before I can get my next question past my lips. “Do you think they’re hurting him?” My eyes dart up to meet Lir’s emerald gaze and one of my hands curls in on itself, my nails pressing into my palm.