Chapter 41
Zayden
She’s finally asleep on my chest. And for a minute, I just watch her—no, memorize her.
The way her lips twitch like she’s having a dream.
Her lashes tremble; maybe she’s having a nightmare.
If I could step into her dream and slice whatever dragon she’s fighting, I would, because she kept her promise.
She came to me when she was hurting, and that alone wrecks me.
I rub lazy circles on her back until her breathing evens out. I brush a strand of her small braids from her cheek. She doesn’t stir. Just melts deeper into my chest like she belongs there.
I’ve never wanted to destroy something more than I do right now. This school, this system, this legacy that keeps breaking the people who don’t deserve to bleed for it.
Carefully, I try to ease her off me. She stirs and murmurs something against my skin.
Her arm tightens around my torso like she doesn’t want me to leave.
And part of me wants to stay, just crawl under the covers with her and pretend the world outside doesn’t exist. And still, I have to leave her.
Because someone out there thinks they can use her.
Someone thinks they can hurt her to get to me. And I can’t let that happen.
“I know, baby.” I press a soft kiss to the top of her head. “I need to take care of something, but I promise we can cuddle all you want when I get back.” I smile to myself, even though my chest aches.
I peel her arms from around me, making sure the blanket stays tucked up to her shoulders. Then I grab my hoodie from the back of the chair and put it on. I stop at my desk, grab a pen, and write her a note.
Hey, my little storm,
Thank you so much for keeping your promise and coming to me. I have to take care of something with Jasper, but I’ll be back soon. Promise.
Btw, you look cute when you’re sleeping!
Z.
I place the note on the pillow right next to her. One more look at her sweet face before I step out.
The second I do, it’s like the temperature drops ten degrees. Jasper’s leaning against the wall by the front door, arms crossed, his phone screen lighting up his face with that familiar frown.
“Is she okay?” he asks.
I nod. “Sleeping. For now.”
“You gonna tell her?” he says, straight to the point.
He found out earlier that Serene, Luna’s friend from psychology class, is the one who’s been sending the messages. She used a VPN, but she logged in from the student Wi-Fi, and Jasper was also able to trace it.
Serene’s also Ellias’s little sister. She changed her name a couple years ago and covered her tracks pretty well.
She probably already knows what happened to her brother, and the role my family played in it. She’s using Luna to get to me and expose the truth.
If she wanted the truth or revenge, she should’ve come for me directly, not her. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she’s going to wish she never pulled Luna into this.
“Not until I find out what she knows, or what her plan is.”
I grab my phone and send Sophie a quick text.
Zayden: Hey Soph, Luna is in my room. She’s sleeping now, but I have to leave. Can you come stay with her until I get back?
Sophie: Is she okay?
Zayden: Not really, she came to me crying.
Sophie: I’ll be there soon.
Zayden: Thanks. You still have a copy of our key card, right?
Sophie: Yeah.
I lock my screen and glance up at Jasper. “Let’s go.”
“What are you gonna say to her?” he asks as we head downstairs.
“No fucking idea, but she’s gonna regret dragging Luna into this.”
We don’t even bother knocking when we get to her door. She should be alone, since Cameron is keeping her roommate distracted, and Jasper uses one of his devices to override the lock.
The door clicks open, but it doesn’t seem like there’s anyone here.
“Where is she?” I ask, glancing around the room. The lights are off.
“She should be here. I checked her class schedule, and she had nothing scheduled for today.”
We step into her room. Her laptop is missing, and the desk chair is knocked sideways. A drawer is open halfway.
“Shit,” Jasper mutters.
I step farther into her room. “She left in a hurry.”
Jasper moves to the desk and starts rifling through drawers. “I’ll search. See if she left anything behind.”
“She’s not dumb,” I say. “She’s been planning this longer than we realized.
She got into the school, waited for any opportunity to get to me.
Then Luna showed like a fucking storm, and she saw what she does to me and she used that.
Got close to Luna, dragged her into this.
And now she’s running, because she knows we figured it out. ”
My hands clench into fists, and I feel like pushing through a wall.
I head for the door.
“Where are you going?” Jasper calls after me.
“To find Serene in whatever hole she’s hiding in. She lit the fire and woke up the ghosts. She doesn’t get to hide now.”