Page 86 of The Truths We Burn

“The what?”

I lift my gaze. “The Gauntlet? He never told you? It’s like the biggest game of the year. The Hollow Boys play every single year—wait, no, theywinevery year.”

When she still looks confused, I continue. “On the first day of spring, West Trinity Falls and Ponderosa Springs go to war. It’s been called the Gauntlet since I was a kid. Usually, high school and college students play ones who live for the rivalry that exists between us. Basically, if you’re hosting, you get to pick the location of the game, and if you’re not, you can pick the game. I think it was tag last year. Lyra, I can’t believe you didn’t mention it.”

She pulls her cap off, her hair flying in a million directions, the static out of control. “It’s been an…eventful year. It wasn’t on my list of priorities. Probably because I’ve never played.”

Eventful year.

I want her to elaborate, to see just how much Alistair trusts Briar—if they know about what happened to my sister, if they know about the murders and the missing girls. However, I know I can’t just ask them straight out, not without seeming suspicious.

“I’ve never played either. Only heard about it.”

“We should all play this year, then. It’ll be a first for each of us,” Briar says, grinning. “Does anyone know the game this year?”

“That’s the best part—no one knows until you show up the night of. We are hosting this year though. I’ve, uh, been gone a while, so I haven’t heard much about the location.”

“Lochlan Daniels. I heard him bragging in biology he got the keys to Roaring Spring from his dad. Well, stole them, but from what I heard, that’s where it’s happening,” Lyra shares, always so good at picking up on the little things. Always listening, always observing.

“Let’s do it, then. First day of spring, we take on the Gauntlet.” Briar smirks, already excited for the challenge.

“You sure? I hear the people in the Wastelands play dirty. People end up in the hospital from injuries at these things.”

She shrugs. “After this past year, I think we can handle just about anything.”

Her eyes meet mine, and I know that when she saidwe, she meant all of us. They know about Rosemary dying and me being in a psych ward, even if that’s all they know.

“I’m in,” I say.

“You do realize if this game requires running, I’m screwed, right?” Lyra looks at us both, before sighing, “Fine, let’s do it.”

We celebrate her decision by ordering way too much food. I dip my fries in my milkshake, looking at the groups of teens inside this place. Months ago, I’d have been tucked in a booth with those who were most influential, the ones who made me look good, surrounded by conversations I had no interest in and friends that spent more time judging other people than actually bonding.

This feels so different. Better.

It’s a genuine bond that’s forming, and I’m afraid for myself, afraid of hurting them like I hurt Rook, of hurting myself.

Because I know what I’m capable of doing to people who get too close.

“So I told myself I wasn’t going to ask, but I can’t help it. It feels weird keeping it to myself when you’re more involved than me or Lyra. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want, but…” Briar says, laying her burger down. “What happened on the cliff the other night with the guys? Alistair told me you showed up.”

A beat of silence passes, and I look at both of them.

“You two know, don’t you?”

Lyra chews the inside of her cheek, something I’ve noticed she does when she feels anxious or uncomfortable.

“Yeah. We know.”

“How?”

“It was an accident. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or I guess depending on how you look at it, the right place. But once we saw what they had done, we were involved whether we liked it or not. It wasn’t pretty at the start. I thought—wethought—they were behind the girls going missing. That they were just going on a killing spree. I mean, who could blame us with their reputation?”

Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, she continues. “But once we learned about your sister, what really happened to her, things changed. Feelings changed and—”

“And I had to participate in burning down a tree. So Briar is bound by love, and I’m bound by assisted arson,” Lyra butts in, plucking the cherry off my drink and popping it in her mouth.

Briar rolls her eyes. “It’s not always great. Especially because I have to put up with Thatcher, but we are in it now. There is no going back, and it’s been hard not saying this to you, but we are here. I’m sure it’s been lonely, Sage. Holding all that in, knowing all of those things, and having no one to tell them to. It felt wrong not telling you.”