Page 19 of Resolve
“I’m not a kid! I’m sixteen! And we are enemies!”
Fuck’s sake.
Kellan slaps his hand over her mouth. “You’re not doing yourself any favors. Settle down.”
Aiden returns from the kitchen with a set of metal cuffs on a chain—silverware handcuffs. Kell and I each hold her arms in place for him to click them on as she struggles and shouts some more. She tries to disappear, but I mute her gift the second she does. The girl looks around at us, confused when we all stay staring at her. “What’s going on?”
“I blocked your gift.”
“You don’t know who he is?” Raegan asks, and the girl’s expression darkens again.
“Of course, I know who he is. The guy Dad wants brought back to him.”
“Do you know why your dad wants him?” she presses.
“It’s not our business to know why,” the girl snaps.
Kellan sighs. “Alright. Have a seat.” We walk her to one of the chairs in the room and sit her in it.
“I’m not telling you anything. All of you can go to hell.”
“Let’s leave her here,” I suggest, crossing my arms over my chest. Maybe she’ll be more willing to talk after sitting in a timeout for a couple hours.
“She’s a threat to us alive,” Jackson says, and Raegan shakes her head.
“She’s not a threat. She’s just angry and confused.”
“Aren’t we all?” Kell drawls.
“We’re not killing or hurting her,” Raegan demands, her gaze catching each of ours in turn. “Not in his apartment where he died fighting for us, and not anywhere else. We promised him we would save his siblings.Mysiblings. It doesn’t matter how they feel about us. We’re keeping our promise.”
Her command strikes me in the chest, zinging through my veins like lightning and charging me with a fire to do anything she asks. I nod when she looks my way, as do the others when her eyes land on them.
She turns to face the girl.
“I don’t care what you say or do,” the girl grinds through her teeth. “You killed Harvey. I know he only would have betrayed Dad because of you. He always thought you werespecial.” Her voicechokes with emotion. “Because you got away. But you aren’t. You’re just like the rest of us. Just as broken and as afraid as we are! And you used him, pretending you could stand a chance against GE, and then got him killed for it! If you hadn’t been here, he would still be alive! I hate you! Ihate you!” She jerks forward and stops short when a metal band circles her chest and the back of the chair.
I clench my fists and snap at her, “He would have died weeks ago at your dear old dad’s hands if not for us!”
“You don’t know that!”
“We do, actually,” Aiden joins, his tone much calmer than ours. “That doesn’t excuse our failure or change anything when it comes to what happened here, but Charles no longer needed him after he’d infiltrated the Guild. He considered Harvey and the rest of you expendable. Even if there’s the slightest whiff of betrayal, he has you killed. Isn’t that what happened to your sister, Wyra?”
I don’t remember the name or mention from Harvey, but I’m not surprised Aiden does.
The girl’s eyes round as her hands cling together so tightly the chains begin to rattle. “He told you... why? Why would he share that...” She snaps her head up when Raegan crouches in front of her. I tense, ready to jump between them if the girl tries anything.
“What’s your name?” Rae asks, her voice soft. The girl’s lips whiten as they’re pressed together. Raegan smiles with more understanding than I could ever offer this girl who’s been nothing but a pain. “I’m sorry about your brother. I’m sorry we didn’t protect him enough. But you’re directing the blame at the wrong person. Charles killed Harvey. Charles is the one holding you hostage.”
“You’re wrong,” the girl croaks, her eyes swimming.
Raegan continues, “You were here, weren’t you? When ithappened.”
Tears spill over, but she doesn’t answer.
“He snuck in using your invisibility. He made you help him come after your brother.” Rae pauses. Waits. My chest grows tight as I realize what she’s saying. At what this girl must have witnessed. “I’ve been made to do a lot of horrible things with my gift. I’ve killed people—innocent people. People whose names I didn’t know. I thought that made me a villain and that their blood was on my hands. I still remember their faces to this day. Every. Single. One.”
She takes a deep breath. I want to pull her into my arms and hold her tight. Tell her that none of it was her fault. I want to kill Gordon with my own hands and make him beg her for his life. I knew she’d been through a lot... but this...
