Chapter 8 Completely Devastating #2
Then I stomped toward the station entrance, my cheeks flaming along with my lungs and the mitochondria in every cell of my body.
It sounded like Soren said something along the lines of, “I’ll see you soon,” but I didn’t turn around.
I marched toward the entrance—my exit.
The Mods didn’t steal even the slightest of glances at me as I hovered my wrist over the sensor, and I ignored Adriel’s little wave and grin from the booth.
Of course, those two would be friends. Assholes, the both of them.
The train back to Ground Floor Central Station provided a nearly-empty reprieve for me to try and not fall apart in. I slumped into a seat and let my head drop back against the window.
So many questions.
My internal organs moved at dizzying speeds.
My brain dug through every word I’d heard or seen that day.
My heart was trying to guzzle down my blood volume, as if that would help the comprehension process by circulating oxygen to my brain faster.
The problem was that the oxygen was only a shallow, diluted mixture of carbon dioxide that my failing lungs couldn’t fully expel.
I hadn’t had any questions before that stupid note.
Now, I was drowning in them.
Weren’t they supposed to give me answers instead of more questions?
I spent the ride back trying to organize it all.
Chronologically. By priority. By emotional impact.
My eyes flew open.
Shitballs. I forgot to ask about Grandma Lenore. The writer of the note said they were a friend.
“Now arriving at Ground Floor Central Station,” the automated voice announced.
About a million other questions I’d forgotten to ask followed me off the train.
How would I find the Anointed?
What is so bad about the Dark One?
Why me?
What does all this have to do with the Administration?
“Eliana Glory Kai Xin Chapman-Chen!”
Zade, red and fuming, marched across the parking lot toward me.
At least he finally got to finish my name, considering I’d raced off too early to hear the tail-end of it when he’d attempted it before.
“Where have you been? Do you know how much parking costs here? Did you even think about how worried I’d be? Why do you only think about yourself all the time?”
I walked right past him toward the MotoHov.
It’s not that I didn’t feel a little bit bad or that I didn’t think he at least deserved an apology for the parking fee.
There were just too many things that mattered more than that right now.
For example, I was supposed to decide whether I wanted to save the world or not.
I also had to figure out how to stop thinking about the way Soren’s voice made my chest rattle.
Oh, and let’s not forget that I still had to kill the President.
The hum of the bike and the whipping of the wind filled the silence on the ride back to Babel.
Heat radiated off Zade’s solid body as I wrapped my arms around his middle and lay my head against his back. I was safe again.
Sorry, Zade.
“I’ll pay you back,” I muttered as I slipped off the HovMo’s leather seat. I held out the safety band, but he only stared at it before looking up at me.
“Belles, I don’t want to fight right now, but you have no idea how worried I was. They’re dangerous people. I know you don’t like for me to pry, but—”
“Then don’t,” I cut him off, sharp and heavy. Then, I softened, “There was nothing there—just a prank. The inn is just an inn. I’m guessing Astrid’s bored and wanted to mess with me.”
Zade finally took the safety band and gave me a soft smile.
That dumbass believes me.
“You don’t need to pay me back,” he said in that quiet, thick tone. “Just don’t go joining a cult or something stupid like that.”
I laughed a little, nodded, then dragged myself up the path, away from him, and inside.
Dusk had fallen, and all the lights were off. Darkness filled the halls.
I felt my way towards my room, dropped my bag, and collapsed onto the bed.
I replayed every single word I could remember reading and hearing and even saying that day, ignoring the itch of my skin asking for a shower.
Eventually, I did what everyone in The Tower did.
I opened Pulse on my Visex in search of a distraction.
43 Missed Messages
27 Missed Calls
At least half the messages and calls were from Astrid and went something along the lines of:
How dare you miss our shopping day?! You are the worst friend ever! I hate you.
I replied:
So sorry. I’ll make it up to you. Promise. You can pick my graduation outfit.
Most of the other messages and calls were from Zade and something like:
Where are you?
Are you okay?
I have patrol duty, but if you’re not back by the time I’m done, I’m going to that Hearth Haven Inn. And if I find you there, I’m dragging your ass back here and reporting you myself.
I’d never report you. But I’m worried. Please just respond.
Shit. Habersham’s on my ass again. I’m serious about going there after though. Just let me know you’re safe.
You’re the worst friend.
On my way. So, if you’re not there, then tell me. Otherwise, I’m about to walk up into a den of psychos for no reason.
He was right. I was the worst friend. So bad I couldn’t even apologize for making him worry. I closed his text thread and looked at what else was filling up in my inbox.
There was one more message that caught my eye.
Rui Xi Chen:
URGENT! TROUBLE! The Tower is almost finished. It must fall. Do not allow The Snake to take his final seat in the Heavens.
Seemed like dear ol’ Dad finally lost his mind. Or maybe he was just at the bottom of another bottle.
Delete.
Block sender.
I fell asleep re-reading Zade’s messages that ranged between absolute panic and complete furor.
Dude was more emotional than me—and that’s saying something.
His crashing out was a good way to keep my mind off all the crap of the day, though.
I would rather fall asleep to an image of his angry face than the cold, hard one that kept lurking around every skipped heartbeat with his shadowy eyes.
The dark ceiling of my bedroom soon disappeared, and I wasn’t lying on my bed anymore but walking down a stone hallway.
There were no doors, just a long corridor with solid walls and no ceiling.
I walked forever until my feet hurt and bled before the pitch black ahead of me softened to a warm gray. Then light began to bloom out of nowhere. I stopped as the ball of white light not only expanded but also accelerated toward me.
I turned to run, but the faster I moved, the quicker the orb chased me.
Then my entire body was enveloped in a soft warmth, and I was no longer running but floating. The same light that had been in the orb radiated from my skin.
That’s when I realized it was a dream because I was watching myself suspended in midair.
Then I wasn’t watching anymore.
I was me.
And a billion images slammed through my head at once. Too fast for me to grasp a single one.