Page 231 of Shadowblood Souls
“We go back to the scene of our ‘crime,’” I murmur to Andreas, heading toward the car. “At least some of them will be searching for us around there.”
And this late at night, the windows on the city’s buildings are nearly all dark, the streets around us empty. It shouldn’t be difficult to spot a squad of supposed soldiers marching around on patrol.
I pop the locks on the doors with a tug of my talent and twist the ignition the same way. As Drey drops into the split leather of the passenger seat, the engine rumbles to life.
I have a general sense of where we are relative to the part of the city we fled through earlier—approximately southwest. Easing on the gas, I pull away from the curb.
In the first few minutes, nothing crosses our path except a mangy dog that trots faster at the sight of us. The digital clock on the dash says it’s three thirty in the morning.
“We won’t want to get too close in the car,” Andreas says. “It’ll draw attention when the streets are so quiet.”
“This is just to get us closer fast enough that it’s still dark.”
We lapse back into silence. Drey runs his fingers over the mottled armrest.
A flicker of an image passes through my mind: his hand sliding over Riva’s dress as they danced together.
My own hands tighten around the steering wheel. For a second, my anger flares hot enough to cut through the chill that’s keeping me focused.
But the only one who deserves that anger is me.
“I’m sorry,” I say abruptly.
Andreas’s head snaps around. “What?”
“You tried to tell me I was fucking up. More than once. And I didn’t listen to you. And then, with Riva—I purposefully made what you did sound so much worse…”
Acid gnaws at my stomach as if I’ve poisoned myself. The part I hate most is that I don’t even know how much I really believed I was defending my friends in that moment and howmuch it was jealousy I was tamping down so hard I couldn’t even recognize it.
Andreas says nothing for long enough to leave me queasy. Then he swipes his hand over his face.
“We all messed up. Weareall messed up. I know that I can’t even imagine how hard it’s been for you the past four years, without Griffin, believing she sold him and the rest of us out… And I know that I haven’t been able to do much to make it any easier.”
A splash of shame chases my guilt. “It wasn’t your job to makemylife easier. I never expected?—”
“Of course you didn’t. I’m just saying I’m not holding any grudges. Were there a few moments in there when I wanted to punch you in the face? Sure. But I don’t think that would have fixed things any faster.”
His tone has turned lightly wry. He watches me as if to evaluate my reaction.
I swallow thickly. “Maybe not, but I bet it’d have been awfully satisfying. If you get the urge again, feel free to actually punch me.”
I tried to match his tone, but Drey has spent enough time in other people’s heads that he can be almost as perceptive as my twin was. He must be able to tell I’m serious.
“You already beat yourself up plenty without me adding to it, Jake.”
I don’t know what to say to that. Then the beam of a flashlight flickers across the street several blocks in the distance, and my foot jams on the brake.
“We’d better stop here.”
It’s easier, focusing on the mission I intend to carry out. Sinking down into the welcome simmering of icy fury, letting the searing chill carry me out of the car and stealing down the street.
Andreas keeps pace. We dodge the pools of light beneath the sporadic streetlamps, sticking to the thickest of shadows.
From some club or bar in the area, energetic bass is still pounding, distant to our ears. A laugh spills out of a high hotel window that’s open to the night breeze. A single car putters by.
Otherwise the night is still and silent. I wouldn’t be surprised if the supposed soldiers managed to clear most of the locals out, if any had wanted to still be up.
After seeing what I did to those buildings, maybe it wouldn’t have been too hard.
