Page 79 of Scarlet Wars
I nodded. “I traveled by foot as much as I could. But the people of a village near the national border recognized me. Apparently, after I left Boston, my picture got spread around. I ran. They came after me, shot at me. I got away but barely. When I emerged from the forest, I thought I wasn’t going to make it.”
My gaze found Caden’s. His whiskey-colored eyes had turned black with rage.
The words were barely a whisper. “And there you were. Waiting for me.”
Caden’s jaw clenched, his expression unreadable. Then, after a long moment, he muttered, “You looked like the fucking lovechild of that girl from The Ring and Carrie at the prom.”
I snorted. Trust Caden to lighten the mood at a time like this.
My focus darted back to Rachel. “My light was out as soon as I saw Caden. As far as I understand it, he and James brought me here, Hillary healed me back to…well, me. And I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to process it all.”
Suddenly realizing what this all meant, I jumped to my feet, pulse hammering. “I am so very grateful to you all for taking me in when I posed such a clear risk to you all. However, I will not be the reason this Collective goes to war. Tonight, I’ll gather my things and portal out, and I’ll take my problems with me. You will be safe. And all of this will go away.”
I had barely turned to leave when Rachel cut in.
“Not so fast.”
Her command held the kind of authority that demanded attention. I stopped mid-step as she rose to her feet, looking at her own Offensives before settling back on me.
“Emma Thompson is one of our own,” she declared. “She was trained by James Walker and by Caden Colt, Leader and First Offensive of friendly Collectives.”
Her head tilted slightly, assessing me like I was a puzzle she’d already solved. “You were unjustly treated, and I will not stand for anyone being threatened in my Collective.”
She kept her voice low but firm. “Yes, you could run. But wherever you go, this will haunt you. As far as I understand it, you are one of the most powerful magi in the world. Stay here. Stand with us. Help us lift the bubble off the US and save our people. While obeying my orders, obviously.” She allowed herself a brief smile before her expression hardened again. “In return, I will grant you a safe home and protection.”
Damn. This woman was kind of awesome.
“You can’t leave, Emma,” James added, his tone softer than I expected. “You’re needed here, and running away would only displace the issue, not solve it.”
“He’s right,” Sean agreed with a nod. “We can fight from wherever you want, but the humans and Collabs haven’t only raised their arms against you. They raised them against all of us the moment they implemented the bubble. Gods only know how many more children are at risk of dying through uncontrolled translation every single day.”
My eyes darted to Caden, who simply shrugged. “I don’t really care what you do, but you sure as hell aren’t doing it alone.”
Finally, I looked back at Rachel, my throat tight with emotion. “Thank you. That’s one hell of a generous offer, and I’d like to take you up on it. And since these people are responsible for my parents’ death, I wouldn’t exactly mind them joining their fate."
She nodded once. “Then it’s settled. Kanata C Offensives will stand with you.”
As if on cue, Rachel’s team started throwing out strategies and defense plans, their voices overlapping in a harsh blur of sound.
Through the noise, Rachel’s gaze stayed locked on mine.
“I don’t know how you survived the bubble,” she said quietly. “But we need to figure it out. Fast. It might be the only lead we’ll ever have to find its creator.”
My chest tightened.
Because the question wasn’thowI survived.
It waswhy.
TWENTY
EMMA
My life had taken a nosedive into the absurd.
First, someone bubbled in the US.Rude.
Then someone tried to have me arrested for terrorism.Ruder.
