Page 48 of Shattered Stars

“You want to be crushed then? Or maybe arrested?”

“What happens if we’re arrested?” she yells at me, finally relenting and letting me drag her along. I push people out of ourway. One or two spin around, ready to give me shit. When they see it’s me, though, they have a swift change of mind.

“IfI’marrested, fuck all. They see it’s me, they speak to my family. They let me go. Ifyou’rearrested …”

I reach the door and yank her through it, out into the dank night. I’m only wearing shorts and the fall evening is cool. I don’t feel it though. The adrenaline’s still pumping through my veins and now, with her so close, with my hand gripping her body, it’s even wilder. The beast practically purrs inside me, desperate to touch her himself.

I could leave her here, leave her to find her any way out of this mess. But I don’t want to.

“If they arrest me, what, asshole?” she hisses, shaking her arm again as we run.

The beast inside me balks at the insult, but I let it fly.

“It’s your first offense?” We skid down the slope behind the Warehouse, the water right there in front of us, black and ominous. I think about where to go next. I came with Tristan and his cousin in his ride, but that’s parked in the lot round the front. Exactly where the cops will be.

“How was being at the Warehouse an offense?” she asks.

I scoff. Is she serious?

“That fight was illegal. Anyone watching it was breaking the law. They’d probably let you off with a warning and a fine. But it would go on your record, and considering all the trouble you’ve caused at the academy, York would probably kick you out.”

“How about the peopleactuallyfighting?”

“No idea about that other dude,” I say, peering back at her. Her gaze falls to the ground. She can’t even bear to look at me. “But like I told you, my family name gives me protection.”

“That’s so fucking unfair.” I shrug. We’re still running, both of us breathless, the people around us thinning as we weavethrough the streets of the dockland. “And,” she continues, “I haven’t caused any trouble at the academy.”

I chuckle, coming to a stop. “You broke Summer’s nose.”

“I don’t consider that trouble. I consider that justice.”

“I think we’re okay,” I say, peering over my shoulder at the now distant Warehouse visible above the tightly packed gray buildings.

She hunches over her knees and catches her breath while I spit on the ground and examine the gash on my thigh and the graze on my side. They aren’t too deep. Something I can heal easily with my own magic. I hover my hand over my leg and, closing my eyes, let my magic do its work. Is it my imagination or does it feel more vivid, more alive? Is that the effect of being so near her?

The beast strains inside me, wanting to break free, wanting his chance to be near her too and I let my hand fall to my side and concentrate everything I have on keeping him contained.

“What’s wrong?” she says. My eyes open in alarm and I find her looking at me with curiosity. “You’re not hurt from the fight?”

“Do I look hurt?”

She tugs her jacket around her body and I see only now that it’s been ripped. “You know who that was, right? The other fighter?”

I frown. “Who?”

She opens her mouth to tell me but we’re interrupted by someone calling her name.

“Rhi! Rhi!”

She steps out to the end of the road and I go to stop her.

“It’s Winnie,” she hisses. “Winnie!” she screams, cupping her mouth and using her magic to make her voice bellow. “Over here!”

A minute later, two of her friends come skidding around the corner. Spotting the pig girl, they race up to her and the tall girl with dark hair flings her arms around her friend and hugs her tight.

“Oh my God, Rhi! I was so worried about you! Did you see who that was? Did you see who the other fighter was?”

The pig girl’s words are muffled in her friend’s shoulder.