Page 110 of Choosing Jenny
“Without a doubt,” Surge said, nodding solemnly. “I mean, he looks like an older version of you, so I was suspicious at first but with the story about his tailless son, the timing, the ages…I wanted to know for sure, and the blood doesn’t lie.”
Buster frowned at Surge. “What do you mean?”
“I’m a magician,” Surge said simply. “Blood tells us everything.”
Discord swore beneath her breath, her expression furious. “It would be just like Justice to make you execute your own father. Sadistic fucker.”
Buster didn’t look for any more confirmation. He stepped forward and pulled Mal into his arms like he’d waited a lifetime to do so. Mal went stiff at first, stunned, but then his arms cameup slowly, clinging just as hard. His breath hitched, then broke entirely, and I watched Malice Ripper sob quietly in his father’s arms.
Jenny and I were swept up into the moment, as well, and our own tears fell, but we didn’t have the luxury of a long and lengthy reunion.
When Mal and Buster separated, I cleared my throat. “We have to get Buster out of here without anyone knowing we were the ones to do it.”
Panic flashed across Jenny’s face. “We can’t,” she said abruptly. “Justice has my sister!”
“We cannot aid in his escape,” Longshot concurred, his expression grim. “Justice will retaliate and hurt Elizabeth. Worse, he’ll make Malice do it.”
“I won’t,” Mal said through clenched teeth, his eyes on Jenny. “I will die before I ever hurt her.”
Discord huffed out a breath. “This just got a hell of a lot more complicated.”
Surge stepped forward, calm and collected. “None of you can be involved in Buster’s escape, butIcan.”
Mal didn’t look convinced. “How do you mean?”
“The witness list,” Surge explained. “You said it was four, right? Tiger, Jenny, Longshot and Discord? ThatIwasn’t listed?”
“Well, no,” Mal admitted, looking confused. “Justice refuses to acknowledge half-sizes, but he’s an asshole. You shouldn’t feel bad—”
“I don’t bad,” Surge said with a laugh. “I feel useful. With my abilities, I can get Buster out of the prison. The only problem is, I don’t have a ship.”
“TakeCheesecake,” Jenny offered.
But he shook his head. “She’s too high-profile and she’s registered to you. It would be too obvious. Anyone have an unregistered ship I can take?”
The solution hit me fast, and made me laugh. “My friend Treg just finished building a ship, and he would never register his with the proper authorities, not in a thousand years. He’s here on Orhon getting parts for Jac, and he’s been dying to take his ship to Enelorrk. I bet he’d be happy to take a refugee and a magician there, and say, wasn’t the girl you like recently relocated there?”
Surge’s eyes lit up. “Make the call.”
I sent a message to Treg, hoping for a yes.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Buster said, interrupting our plans. “I won’t have you risking yourselves like that. I can’t leave. I must be executed today, or Justice will come for all of you.”
He looked at Mal again, an agonized light in his eyes. “I just got my son back. I refuse to let him die to save me.”
Mal gently grabbed Buster’s shoulders, looking into his eyes. “Father, I’m not going to die to save you, though I would be honored to do so. My friends are smarter than that. When Orhon is at peace, I have so many stories to tell you…”
Buster exhaled, eyes shining with a wealth of emotion. “I should have known my son would have brilliant friends. I am sorry I doubted you.”
Mal turned back to Surge, his expression direct and serious. “Surge, you know this means you can never return to Orhon, or Halla, until Justice is ousted, right?”
Surge flashed his usual bright, optimistic smile. “I was due for a vacation anyway. Besides, no classed Ladrian comes to Enelorrk. It’s the perfect place to blend in and lay low until it is safe to return.”
Mal pulled him in for a quick hug. “I’ll miss you, brother.”
“Same here.”
My driver pinged with a reply from Treg.Be there in ten.
