Page 21 of Ashes

Everyone here has risked their life more than once, Nico…

Ragnor’s voice rings in my ears.

He would want me to do it. He would be proud that I took the initiative to suggest it; not only will I be securing a vital piece of information about Nova, I’ll be buying her trust—and a ticket to follow her wherever her guys take her next.

“I’m ready.” I slip the entry card into my pocket. “Just need some sneakers.”

Tanner jerks his head toward the door. I follow him. Mack, Nova, and Kole stay put in the ballroom and head for the window so they can watch me scale the wall.

From the hall closet, Tanner takes a pair of white sneakers. They look too big, but I slip them on. Next, he gives me an old cellphone.

“Mack’s number is programmed in,” he says.

I shake his hand. He grips my fingers tightly, then stands and watches me leave.

Outside, the distant click and hum of the news cameras has died down. Their scent still lingers in the air, but it’s thinning now. Which means the SDB agent must have kept his word and begun clearing them out.

At the river, I put the entry card and the cellphone between my teeth, and shift in one fluid motion. The water is ice-cold but slow-moving, so I cross the river quickly, careful to keep my head up and out of the water.

On the other side, I shake droplets of moisture from my fur, take a running jump, and scramble over the wall. The drop on the other side is more difficult to judge. I fall awkwardly and yelp as my leg twists beneath me.

I shift back, muscles twitching because I’m forcing it to happen more quickly than normal. My clothes are wet. I put the card in my pocket then text Mack:Ready.

The invisible barrier in front of me starts to shimmer. A tear appears, undulating at the edges as if it’s made of water. I hold my breath, half expecting to be sliced in two when I step through it. But it works; I’m free.

I look back at the house, towering above the wall. I could run. Right now, I could run. Not just from Nova and The Hollow, and the lies I’m weaving, but from my father too. I could leave all this behind me. Start fresh somewhere new.

But what would I do? What use am I if I’m not serving the League?

I draw my shoulders back and clench my jaw.

Without the League, I am nothing. Without the League, I would be nothing. I am the League.

I have no choice.

10

NOVA

Watching Nico shift, I turn to Mack and put my hands on my hips. “How come your clothes are shredded to pieces when you shift, and Nico’s sort ofmeltinto his skin?”

A smile curves his mouth. “I have no idea.”

“Aren’t you supposed to know this stuff, professor?” I ask, wagging my finger at him.

“Probably.” He’s standing beside me and allows his fingers to brush mine.

On my other side, Kole checks the time. “I’d estimate at least two hours until he returns. Maybe three.”

“That long?” I ask, looking at the sky; it’s only five hours til sunset, which doesn’t feel like a lot of time to spare.

Kole takes out his phone and shows me a map. “It’s a forty-five-minute walk from here to the hospital. Could be quicker if he stole some mode of transport, but that wouldn’t be a good look. He can skirt around town, but if he’s seen and has to stop—”

“That’ll add time,” I say, biting my lower lip. “So, we just sit and wait?”

Kole looks at Mack, who says, “He promised to email the results to me, so we’ll know when he’s succeeded. Then he’ll text when he’s on the way back.” He puts his hands in his pockets and inhales deeply. “But, yes, until then we wait.”

As Mack speaks, Kole watches the door. Tanner hasn’t returned yet. “Maybe he’s packing a bag,” I offer. “I’ll go check—”

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