Page 59 of Reckless
But it’s another woman’s shout I hear despite it being on the tip of my tongue. A flicker of flame paints the wall, shedding light on the scene. Dozens of bedrolls litter the uneven floorboards, most of which are occupied by groggy men, women, and children. A tall woman stands among them, her short red hair glowing like an ember in the flickering light. Lenny grins, pulling her into a crushing embrace.
“What the hell is going on here?” Finn murmurs beside me. I shake my head, unable to do anything but stare.
“Everyone,” Lenny says after finally being released, “meet my mother.”
We blink at him and the strangers beginning to stir awake. Leena is the first to move, extending a hand to the woman. “Hi. I’m Leena.”
“Meredith,” she says warmly, shaking her hand.
“Mom,” Lenny says, “this is Paedyn and Finn and—”
“And the Enforcer,” she finishes, her lips thin.
“Yes, the Enforcer.” Lenny rubs the back of his neck. “We still aren’t sure what to do with him.”
“Well”—she flicks her brown eyes to me—“you are the Silver Savior, yes?”
“Unfortunately.” I smile slightly.
She doesn’t seem to be scared of me or what I’ve done. Instead, she returns my smile. “Then you use him to earn your freedom. The king needs his right-hand man more than a girl on the run.”
Lenny nods slowly. “That could work. We’d need to figure out the exact plan but—”
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Finn cuts in, “but where are we? And who are these people?”
There are dozens of them now sleepily stirring in their beds or standing to join the greetings. “This,” Meredith says with a smile, “is a refuge of sorts.”
“Len Len!”
A squealing blur comes charging at Lenny before he scoops it into his arms. The little girl giggles uncontrollably as he spins her around, kissing her on the cheek. “There you are, little dragon!”
“Did you miss me?” she squeals.
“Depends on how much you missed me.” Lenny smiles, pinching her nose.
She grins, eyes bright. “More than a little.”
“Good,” Lenny says. “I missed you more than a little too.”
I watch her swat at his hair before hesitantly asking, “Is this your sister?”
Lenny shrugs. “In a way. Ma found her on the streets of Ilya and knew she couldn’t stay there, so she brought her to live here. We’ve grown more than a little attached to one another.”
“And where ishere, exactly?” Leena asks, looking around at the crumbling building.
Meredith smiles. “It’s a place for…” Her eyes land on the bound prince who’s studying the little girl intently. “Well, he’s certainly figured it out.”
Kai takes a step toward the girl before Finn nudges him with the tip of his crossbow. “Easy, Prince.”
The Enforcer ignores him to scrutinize the strangers surrounding us. “They’re… partial. Percentages.” He shakes his head, struggling to sort out what it is he’s sensing.
Meredith nods, smiling slightly. “That’s right. They’re the outcomeof Elites and Ordinaries. Some have more power than others, but all of them are here because they belong nowhere else.” She speaks pointedly toward Kai, studying him as he swallows every word. “They cannot risk living in the slums of Ilya because their powers are too weak to be considered Elite, but they cannot live freely in the surrounding cities because the people loathe the power they cannot control.” She steps aside, allowing us full view of the many figures now staring at us. “So, they sleep here and blend in as best they can.”
“Show us what you can do, little dragon,” Lenny whispers into the girl’s ear.
She grins, showing us her palms and wiggling her fingers—the same fingers that suddenly flicker with flame. She smiles up at Lenny, who nods encouragingly. “Go on. Show ’em why you’re my little dragon, Luna.”
She nods, her dark hair streaked with firelight. Then she lifts her flickering fingers toward her mouth, taking a deep breath before blowing it out at the flames. They ripple from her fingers, stretching into the room as though she’s breathing fire.
