Chapter 37
Dev
The party was already going loudly near the lake when I led Seph outside. She had been quiet but was still smiling when I saw her.
“I take it the visit went well?” I inquired.
She just grinned at me. “It was good. Thank you Dev. I want you to know – I really appreciate what you did for me back there. With the guards and the… you know. You make things… better here.”
I shifted uncomfortably. I clenched my knife in my hand. “Ok, let’s not get soppy here, Seph. It was just some chocolate.”
She laughed and it was like hearing bells pealing. I liked the sound.
No I didn’t.
Jesus Christ what’s wrong with me?
“So what now? You got a spot picked out for me and K to throw down?” she said, looking around.
“Actually yeah.”
“Of course. Lead the way.” Seph said, gesturing wildly.
I peered at her.
She looked at me, flushing.
“What?”
“You’ve certainly come out of your shell this week.”
“Well, when you have people like you, Ash, Jess and even K around, it’s hard to hide. I feel like you all see me too closely sometimes.”
“Ah, someone’s been practising her feelings-circle responses.”
“Of course,” she hesitated, then added softly, “And I feel like… I like you, Dev.”
I tensed immediately. Every muscle locked up.
Why would she say that out loud?
I glanced around for an escape—any escape—and nearly sagged in relief when movement caught my eye.
“Speaking of Ash—did you see?” I blurted, pointing toward the lake.
There, in the middle of the icy water, Ash was swimming in deranged circles.
“What the heck is he doing?” Seph said, hands flying to her mouth. She ran to the shore. “He’ll freeze out there!”
“He does this all the time. That boy is unbreakable.”
Ash used his magic to lift himself up in the air then dropped like a cannonball, whooping loudly.
I reached out for her as she stepped towards him again, almost touching her but stopping myself. “Careful. If he sees you, he’ll probably thrown you in.”
“He wouldn’t,” she said, uncertainly.
Ash spotted her. “Seph! There you are!”
Seph stepped back. “Oh no.”
“Just lean into it. He’s yours now.” I said, amused.
“He’s not mine.”
“Tell him that.” I gestured.
Ash came bounding up like an excited puppy. He even shook the water off him in a big burst. “You’re here! That’s awesome!”
Flicks of water poured off him on to both of us. I wiped off a splash in disgust. “Jesus, Ash - this is silk for god sake!”
Ash just shrugged.
“Can I get you some food? Or a drink? Or do you want to come for a swim.”
He bounced on his heels next to her, his fingers constantly moving with him. Seph reached out with her gloved hands and touched his shoulders.
“It’s OK, Ash. I’m Ok,” she said, stepping closer to him.
“I missed you earlier,” Ash pouted.
“Sorry about that. I wanted to check on Jess.”
“Is she OK?”
“I don’t know. No, maybe. She’s had a rough time.” Seph said.
“We all have.” I said.
“I guess that’s true.”
“I heard there was another feral attack in Newton.” Ash said to me.
“Another one? How many hurt this time?” Seph asked.
“Maybe 6. News reports are still saying it’s not a virus but no one knows where these people are coming from.” Ash said.
“Really?” I asked. “Have you seen K yet?”
“Nope! But he’ll be around. He likes to brood.”
Seph glanced at me. “He’s not the only one.”
“Hey! I don’t brood!”
Both Ash and Seph burst out laughing.
“Ok. I didn’t come here to be abused. I’m going to go look for K. Don’t go far.”
“We won’t.” Ash gestured to the bonfire. “Come on.”
Seph followed him quickly. I took off looking for K.
I found him on the edge of the woods, sipping a beer.
“There you are. Come on. Time to talk to Seph.”
K was watching the med wing closely, ignoring me.
“K,” I tried again.
“Marr very rarely leaves that wing, haven’t you noticed?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So how does he do his groceries? Get his supplies? I have never seen a delivery truck there, have you?”
“Maybe he has great storage.”
“Dev.”
I sighed. “So what? You talking the tunnels?”
K reached into his pocket and pulled out a faded, brittle sheet of paper. “Look at this.”
“Is that—?”
“The original blueprints for Darkmoor. Look at the differences.”
I leaned in. A much larger building used to stand where the med wing sat now.
“This used to be another dwelling,” K said. “It burned down decades ago. Tragic, whatever. They rebuilt the med wing on top—but the old building went down several stories.”
“You’re thinking a special lab?”
“Or an access point.”
“So there might be another way through. We don’t have to go through the front.” I realised.
“Exactly. If we can figure out a way in, we can get what Elliot needs and maybe finally get what we need to take Marr down.”
“Okay, but that’s a big if, K. We don’t know anything about what goes on down there. We need way more intel before we do anything.”
“We can get it,” he said immediately. “I will get it.”
“K…”
“Dev, this is important. You know it is.”
I ran a hand through my hair, irritation and dread twisting together.
“Okay. But do we have to do this tonight?”
“What?”
“K, Seph is waiting for you. So you can talk to her.”
“She agreed?” His voice tightened like a wire being pulled too far.
“She did. So can we shelve this—for now—and go deal with your other problem?”
K straightened, smoothing his shirt instinctively. I almost laughed but held it in. Would’ve ruined the moment.
“Where is she?”
“With Ash by the fire.”
His gaze flicked back toward the med wing. Torn. Wary. Guilty.
“K.”
“I know, alright!” he snapped, but still didn’t move.
I groaned. “Okay, look. I’m getting sick of this.”
“Sick of what?” he demanded.
“You. And your emotional fucking constipation.” I didn’t lower my voice. Didn’t care.
“What the fuck, Dev?”
“There is a girl back there waiting for you to talk to her,” I shot back. “A girl you clearly care about. And all you can do is spiral like a goddamn tornado. We’re not achieving anything tonight. So I’m going back to the party. Come with me or don’t—I don’t care. I’m done with this, okay?”
I spun on my heel and stomped off, trying to shake off the feelings buzzing around me like gnats.
Behind me, K’s voice cracked open, small and rough.
“I don’t know how to talk to her.”
I stopped. Exhaled.
“I know that,” I said without turning. “But staying out here avoiding her doesn’t help anyone. Does it?”
I kept walking. Toward the fire. Toward noise and chaos and anything but this emotional shitstorm.
Quiet footsteps followed me.
I didn’t look back. I just rolled my eyes.
Fucking drama queens.