Page 108 of Infinity Reaper (Infinity Cycle 2)

Or maybe the Spell Walkers have been waiting for the moment to attack since you filmed me impersonating their healer and Emil and Brighton’s mother. Did you really think you were going to get away with that? Do you really think no one is going to notice that Sunstar was behaving differently and is now missing?”

“I believe all of this. This is a country full of easily fooled people,” the Senator says.

I wish his voters could hear the way he talks about them.

“Edward,” Luna calls from the top of the stairs. “I’d like a word.”

“I’m in the middle of something,” he says.

“You’re interrogating your son over something you already know the answer to,” Luna says. “Your time is better spent punishing him for his crime and testing his loyalty. Once and for all.”

This is it.

Luna is finally going to tell the Senator about Emil’s past lives.

In saving his mother’s life, I just ruined his.

Fifty-Seven

Ghostly

BRIGHTON

The Halo Knights haven’t been welcoming since we returned to the Sanctuary.

They’ve been following the news and know about us breaking into Iron’s home. They see that chief enforcers are expanding their hunt for us. I get that our spotlight has only grown brighter and brighter since I became the Infinity Savior. I don’t want anyone storming these sacred grounds either, especially since Ma deserves some peace after everything she’s been through. If there’s danger, we’ll handle it.

Wyatt and Tala agree to take first watch for any sign of trouble.

The kitchens are closed, so I risk pissing everyone off some more by sneaking in. Ma and Eva need a substantial meal after living off soda, soup, and crackers for two weeks. I cook an entire pot of bow-tie pasta and broccoli with lemon while checking in on social media. I have a flood of comments from celestials trying to cancel me and calling me a traitor to the cause for using my powers to not only seem above the law, but to attack a man of the law’s home. The Silver Star Slayer is calling us dangerous instead of heroic, as if he understands the physical and psychological abuse my mother suffered. There’s no telling what I’ll do to him if I find out he knew. Celestial politicians are condemning our behavior too without knowing the full story. People turn on their allies too quickly these days.

Everyone will know the truth soon.

I bring the meal to the dining hall. Eva is talking to Maribelle as we await the arrival of Iris and Wesley’s family, who we reached on the drive back. Emil returns with Ma just in time from standing guard outside the bathroom as she showered. She wanted privacy and protection and Emil gave her both. Prudencia is working on the Starstifler potion, which will be done sometime in the middle of the night.

Eva is half-asleep on the table and too sick to finish eating as Ma tells us all about how Ness was tricked into getting personal stories from them for the Silver Star Slayer’s interviews. Then she confirms our suspicions about Luna and the Blood Casters working with Iron. It’s despicable the lengths Iron’s team has gone through to rig this election. I wonder how many of his supporters will even care that his bodyguards had no problems assaulting two women, one of whom is a pacifist who wouldn’t fight back even if she had an offensive power.

“EVA!”

We all turn.

Iris is running so fast through the dining hall it’s as if she thinks she’s swift-speeded like Wesley, who’s coming up behind her with Ruth, Esther, and Tala. Eva nearly trips over herself in her sleepy daze, and Iris picks her up into the tightest hug. I expect them to say how much they love each other or something, but they’re both quiet and just breathing together.

This is the closest thing to a family reunion the Spell Walkers can have, but I only see one thing at this large gathering—our army is growing.

Everyone is packed into the Sanctuary’s lab. This reminds me when we first gathered with the Spell Walkers in Nova’s brewing chamber except we’re not guests this time—we’re in charge. It’s almost two in the morning when we finish updating the Spell Walkers and Co. on everything we’ve been up to since first arriving here.

“Wow. Time travel,” Wesley says. “It doesn’t seem fair that we hosted you in our secret home too, only to miss out on all the cool time traveling.”

“They also stole your car,” Iris says, her arm wrapped around Eva’s shoulder.

“Rules don’t apply to time travelers.”

“False,” Emil says as he puts what little muscle he has into stirring the Starstifler, which is thickening like paste. How on earth is anyone supposed to drink that? It’s going to be exhausting for him when he has to retrocycle again to figure out where he went wrong.

Ma fights back a yawn, refusing to rest because she misses us so much.

Maribelle is on my laptop with one earphone in. “Iron will be making a speech shortly.”