Page 62 of No Capes
“No, she’s not,” says D.S.
“No, I’m not.” I have my own powers. All I require are water and a plan.
But before I can get either of those, I need to find another unoccupied place in Arielle’s mansion, just for a moment, tocry. I walk away from Golden Ace and D.S. and neither of them follows. I run into the next room in the hallway, which seems to be where Arielle keeps her shoes. An entire room for footwear. Despite what one might expect from such a space, it smells outstanding, like calming citrus.
I sink against the wall, my dress splaying around me and realize I will also have to change. At least Arielle and I are almost the same size. I fling off my heels and look for a pair of sneakers I can borrow without permission. Again, there’s no mirror in her closet, and I can’t know if I look like I’ve been through a blender or not. Are thereanymirrors in this house? Arielle often checks her peach lipstick in a compact, and maybe it’s the only mirror she owns.
Dark Static could be right about it being dangerous to look for Arielle, and I could be walking into a trap. However, Dark Static did not need to hurt me to get his point across.
One of the best things about feeling dejected and confused is that it’s all energy. Energy I can work with. I grab a pair of sneakers and return to Arielle’s suite for a change of clothes. The boys have left, and I find a pair of workout leggings and a sweatshirt in a wardrobe.
Downstairs, the party continues to rage. I dig out my phone and text Kristen that I need to find Arielle and will find my own way home. I text my dad,Arielle is missing, I’m safe, be careful,then turn off my phone.
I grab two water bottles from the bartending station and rush to exit the party. Before I can ask the valet for a cab, however, someone catches up to me.
“Madeline.” Fox’s blond hair sticks up from his blue mask. His gaze vacillates between me and the road. “Last chance to get some help.” Maybe it’s because D.S. wouldn’t let me help him, or maybe it’s because I’m done arguing with Fox, but I nod. Fox hasa strange way of figuring things out. I just have to keep him from figuring out about my powers. And, Fox has wheels.
“You good going in a suit?” While I’d been able to change, he’s still in his tuxedo.
“If I can take this stupid mask off.”
We step in the driveway. I have a long list of places to search for Arielle, starting with her friends that I’d overheard with D.S. I down a swig of water and consider if there will be water near where I want to search. I hope so.
“Please do,” I say, after the haziness clears my brain and my legs feel strong again.
“I knew it. You enjoy looking at my face.”
We fall into step together as Fox leads me to his car. A wet mist remains from my storm earlier, and I wonder if D.S. had noticed that too. I ask Fox to turn off his phone. He doesn’t ask why.
Twenty Two
“Where to?” Fox asks. His SUV glides away from the ballroom. When your ride is as nice as Fox’s, you can drive yourself to such affairs.
“30thand Rivers,” I reply. We’ll start with the home of one of Arielle’s film club friends who I overheard planning. I used to go with my mom to pick Arielle up from that house, before Arielle could drive and I was still too young to be left alone.
The vehicle smoothly shifts into gear, and a fogginess weighs in my brain. I’m prone to getting car sick, but I’m pretty sure I won’t throw up. I focus on something in the distance—Arielle’s mansion. It’s ridiculous that she has so many rooms to share with one man—a man who didn’t even search for her himself. Suddenly, I’m not as jealous of the glass-walled pool in her basement as I used to be.
“Thanks for giving me an excuse to get out of there,” says Fox.
“Fox Levine wants to leave a party early?” I twist my hands in my pockets to keep steady. “Could tonight get any weirder?”
“Maddragon. You don’t become as awesome as I am without knowing how to bail when things turn boring. The cake is the best part of Hallowfest anyway. Sorry you didn’t get a piece.”
“Way to rub it in.”
People tear their hair out to receive an invitation to Hallowfest, literally. Kristen told me her parents only donated toPhil’s campaign to score an invitation, which has to be all kinds of illegal, and Fox is saying that it’s over-hyped.Would he still say that if he and Brynn weren’t invited every year?
“Sorry again for giving you a hard time about Damian,” says Fox. “I can’t explain why it didn’t occur to me that you’d want his number, but—”
I stop him. “It’s alright. I think I know.”
Fox stares at the road. He finally answers with just a nod.
“Does Molly know?” I ask.
“I would assume so.” He flicks on his turn signal, and we pull away from the cars behind us. “Given that they were fake dating, and it was all her idea.”
I gasp.WHAT? They were fake dating this whole time?
