Page 100 of Splitting Secrets
“You know you shouldn’t be out here,” he insists when I struggle to explain why I came after him in the first place.
“I don’t care,” I admit unapologetically.
I’m so tired of being trapped. I’m done being told what to do and where to be and how to feel. If today goes sideways andit’s my final day on this planet, I want to spend it with free will. At least, before I have to put a brave face on and help lead a rebellion attack.
“Then, it’s settled. You’re coming with me.” He turns away and begins trudging along an unbeaten path without looking back.
We continue in silence for twenty minutes, dodging branches and sticks and rocks, before shoving through thick brush that randomly spits us out directly onto the beach. I’ll never understand how he knows these woods so well. I suppose after a lifetime in them, he was bound to memorize something.
He walks ahead, his boots forming craters in the sand, sets his pack down, and pulls a large towel out of it and lays it down.
“Have a seat,” he instructs, tapping the empty spot once he falls onto the fabric.
“You chose to forgo sleep so you could come sit on the beach?” I question him, raising a brow.
He leans back on his hands and bends his knees, eyes cast out toward the ocean. “Have you ever seen a sunrise over Nocturne Valley?”
I shake my head, my legs wobbling a bit. I haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours and the exhaustion is finally catching up to me, especially after how much energy we spent together the day before. But I still find the strength to follow his path through the sand. Lowering myself beside him, I allow myself to take in the scene before us.
“It’s a crime they don’t allow students on the beach anymore,” he grumbles. “There was no real reason behind the rule, except that they might run into some locals...”
His sentence dies off as he loses himself in thought. It’s so unlike him, I have to turn and make sure he hasn’t randomly fallen asleep or something.
But when I get a good look at his face, it hits me why he stopped. That’s what happened to him on the day his brother died. They ran into my mom and Divina.
Who would have ever guessed that fateful day would lead us to this moment?
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” I ask him, twisting my lips to the side before I quietly correct, “Or rather, today.”
He turns toward me and raises a brow. “I’ve been dealing with these monsters for most of my life. Areyouready?”
“No,” I answer honestly.
“They’re insignificant. Soulless meat suits wandering around, searching for victims to siphon energy from,” he bites out.
“That’s a comforting thought,” I hum sarcastically. “If you think that, then why are you a part of it?”
“Were,” he corrects.
“What?”
“I’m no longer a part of the Midnight Syndicate.”
“Oh, right.”
There’s a pause as he gazes out at the ocean. “My participation in their devilish cult was fully against my will.”
“Because of what happened,” I supply, my heart squeezing a little when he tucks his chin into his chest in confirmation.
“I saw the memory in the woods...” I admit. The confession feels like a weight being lifted from my chest. I realize that we haven’t talked about this yet. Not without throwing around accusations or excuses. I’ve been making a conscious effort to heal from it, but that day was pivotal for us. It should be spoken about.
“I know.”
Puffing out my cheeks, I blink at him. “You were so young and scared. And Divina...What was she thinking?”
“She was young and scared, too,” he dismisses, stiffly shaking his head. I frown, my eyes roaming over his features to figure out why he’s making excuses for her when it’s abundantly clear that he hates her, too.
She’s the sole reason he joined the Midnight Syndicate to begin with.
