Page 49

Caspian methodically refills the magazines. Mars sharpens a blade, and the rasp of stone cuts through the quiet. Jace has moved to stand at the edge of our camp, watching the horizon, deep in thought on a plan of attack after talking it over with Mars.

I crouch and run a whetstone down the edge of my blade over and over again until the metal gleams sharp enough to bleed on. Luna shifts closer to press her warm body against my leg, and I scratch behind her ears.

None of us speak while preparing for this battle. We don’t need to. The finality of it all hangs in the air with the smoke from the dying fire.

I clear my throat. “Thank you.”

One by one, they all look up. Even Luna tilts her head back to look at me.

“For being here,” I elaborate. “For this. For everything you didn’t have to do, but chose to do anyway.”

Mars leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, flashing that soft, crooked grin of his. “Always, purple.”

Caspian nods. “You’re not alone. You never were, you just didn’t know it yet.” He flashes me one of his small award-winning smiles.

Jace meets my eyes, and something softer flickers behind the sharp edges. “We’ve got you, fire demon.”

I set my blade down and stand before looking at each of them in turn, one after the other. They’re mine. I step closer and reach for Mars first. Luna rises with me, padding a few steps behind.

Mars’s hand catches mine, and he pulls me in. His other arm wraps around my waist, and his head dips low until his lips brush the shell of my ear. “I love you, my favorite season.”

“You do?”

His lips curve into a smile, and he nips at my earlobe. “I don’t say shit I don’t mean. Seriously. I’ll even give you my last sock if you want it.”

The breath catches in my chest, and my nerves settle when I realize something. My fingers twine with his and I whisper back. “I love you, too, my favorite planet, but why does it feel like goodbye?”

Mars presses his forehead to mine with a smile that’s soft but sad. “Because it could be, and I don’t want to take a single minute with you for granted.” His lips meet mine in a kiss that’s slow and deep, and I let myself melt into him for a moment.

When we pull apart, Jace comes up and lifts me into an embrace and whispers against my lips. “I won’t let anything happen to you. That’s a promise.”

I wrap my arms around the back of his neck and meet him with a serious expression.

“You better not let anything happen to you, either, or I’ll make sure you come back as a rotter solely so I could torment you for all eternity.

You won’t even be able to hobble away because Luna will use your leg as her favorite chew toy. ”

He chuckles and buries his face against the crook of my neck. “I promise to do my absolute best to contribute to the best possible outcome.”

“That’s acceptable,” I say in a serious tone, but I can’t hide the smile that plays on my lips.

“My turn.” Caspian wraps his arms around my middle, causing Jace’s hands to fall to my hips while I’m gently placed back down on my feet.

I turn my head to see Caspian, and his mouth lands on mine in a sweet kiss.

“You’re far too important to use to let anything happen to you.

I don’t like this, and would much rather run off together and live happily ever after, but I’ll help you fight your ghosts like you helped fight mine. ”

“My ghosts will fight back,” I warn.

Mars presses against my side and brushes my hair out of the way, so I’m pleasantly sandwiched by all three of them. “They’re no match for a stubborn-as-fuck woman and her three relentless and slightly overprotective men.”

“Slight?” I say, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. If anything, I pity them.” Mars presses his lips to my temple and I close my eyes, soaking in the moments.

Luna whines, sensing the shift in energy. She circles us once before coming to press against my leg as if to say we’re her pack.

The guys step back so I can bend down to run my hand through her fur. “You too, girl. Couldn’t have made it this far without you.” She licks my hand in response.

I stand, picking up my blade and sliding it into its sheath. My fingers brush over the improvised weapons and explosives we’ve assembled, each one a tool for justice, for answers, for whatever closure is possible.

Before I can speak again, I find myself reaching into my pocket, pulling out Summer’s small music box. The metal is cool against my palm, the once-shiny surface now dull and scratched. I open it, and the delicate melody fills the air. The same lullaby we used to sing together.

The music winds down; the notes growing fainter until they stop. I close the box and tuck it back into my pocket. “It’s time.”

The building doesn’t look like much. Cracked brick walls, a roof with missing shingles, and windows boarded up so tight even the light seems afraid to get in. On the outside, it’s nothing more than another ghost in a dead city. Forgotten and rotting. But I know better. This is where it ends.

My fingers twitch around the hilt of my blade.

I can feel the guys at my back, silent with their own weapons ready.

Jace stands to my right, his white t-shirt stark against the drab landscape, the bandage I’d wrapped around his forearm on full display.

Mars is on my left, having ditched his flannel for a black long-sleeve shirt that stretches tight across his torso, the outline of hidden knives he has strapped to his body barely visible beneath the fabric.

Caspian hangs back a bit, his platinum blond hair tied back, highlighting his impressive bone structure. He holds out his hoodie in offering. “Your explosives are too obvious in the little clothing you have.” He nods to my shorts and my shirt that has the bottom half torn off.

“Thank you, Cas.” I slide the hoodie on and finish adjusting my weapons.

We’ve managed to strap all the weapons and explosives to our bodies, most of them concealed.

Molotov cocktails are tucked into specially designed pockets on Mars’s cargo pants, except for the one I snatch away to stuff into the pocket of the hoodie I’m wearing.

The throwing stars from the arcade are strapped to Caspian’s thigh.

Jace has extra magazines tucked into his belt.

Various knives, pistols, and the coin dispensers rest inside every available pocket.

We move as a single unit across the lot, with Luna walking silently by our sides.

Lucy comes into view, but I no longer care. Her chance to talk to me has long passed, and now we’re going straight to the source to cause necessary trouble.

She comes up from the far side of the block.

Her red hair catches the last slant of light, and her head stays low like she’s hoping to go unnoticed.

Her whole body tenses when she spots us.

Instead of running again, she freezes for half a beat before changing direction and making a beeline right for us.

Luna’s growl starts low in her throat, and her body stiffens beside me. She bares her teeth.

“Autumn,” Lucy snaps when she’s close enough to not have to shout. Her eyes flash in warning. “You shouldn’t be here.”

I don’t stop. We don’t slow down. I don’t even acknowledge her.

Lucy plants herself in front of me, forcing me to a halt. Luna’s growl intensifies, and Lucy’s eyes dart a nervous glance at the dog before returning to me. “I don’t understand what’s going on, but you look ready for war. This isn’t your fight, Autumn.”

I step in close enough that she has to tilt her chin up to meet my eyes, being an inch shorter than me. “You can turn a blind eye all you want, but that doesn’t make it all go away. This is my fight. They initiated it, and I’m going to finish it.”

Her eyes narrow. “You don’t know what you’re walking into.”

I let out a huff of laughter that’s sharp and bitter. “No, Lucy. You don’t. Wake up already.”

She takes a step back, but I follow, crowding her space, making sure she feels every ounce of the fire boiling under my skin. Luna stays at my heel, her growl a constant warning that makes Lucy shift uncomfortably.

My words come out on a hiss laced with venom. “We’re here to avenge my sister, and if you still want to pretend your brothers are saints, that’s fine, but we’re going in.”

Lucy’s jaw tightens, and her gaze darts toward the building in front of us. She shakes her head. “I don’t believe you.”

I close the distance again, shoving her back a step. “Then come with us and see for yourself. ”

She frowns, but she doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t move, either.

“We’re not asking,” I growl out. Luna echoes my sentiment with a snarl that makes Lucy flinch. “You can come and face the truth, or you can get out of the way, but I’m telling you now. If you stand between me and them, I will kill you.”

My words hit her like a slap. Her eyes widen and her breath hitches when she realizes how serious I am. This is happening whether she wants it to or not.

She looks past me to the guys. Caspian watches her, his pale eyes unblinking. Mars stands loose but ready to strike, with one hand casually resting near a concealed weapon. Jace grips his gun tighter with his jaw clenched so hard it could crack stone.

“You don’t understand,” Lucy whispers, but the fight in her voice is fading.

“I understand well enough,” I snap. I raise my hand to show off the burn marks on my palm from trying to escape the burning car.

It’s not nearly as bad as Jace’s, but it’s still evidence.

“They set our car on fire while I was in it. While my dog was in it. They saw me through the flames and they laughed. Killing me was more fun to them than whatever reward they would have gotten by dragging me to the place they sold Summer to.”

Lucy shakes her head again and backs up half a step, not wanting to believe what’s right in front of her eyes. “There must be a mistake. You’ve got the wrong guys.”