Page 11 of Truthfinder’s Promise

The longest any of the groups had held out before accepting Siren’s offer was thirteen days.

They were almost to the front doors when a strong, clear voice called, “Wait!” A black-haired girl emerged on another side of the mezzanine. She was maybe sixteen, her skin a deep copper. “I want to go with you.”

“Ruin.” Rath’s voice was a tumultuous mixture of censure, hurt, and shock.

Rath and Ruin, Meredith thought. Oh, the kids had definitely named themselves. And when Rath got the same look on his face he’d had earlier, one now mirrored on Ruin’s, Meredith was willing to bet money that telepathy was now a thing.

Watching people argue silently was…interesting. Ruin’s face became smoother and more unreadable while Rath’s expression became something more befitting his name.

Ruin ended the argument by speaking aloud. “I’m going. And Aerith and the others are coming with me.” She didn’t beg him to come too. At least, not aloud. But it was written all over her face.

Meredith was afraid she was going to have to watch teen heartbreak play out right in front of her. Then Rath’s shoulders sagged, and he looked at Siren with the kind of mutinous glare only teenagers could manage. “You’d better not be lying.”

Veritas looked affronted. Meredith was affronted on her behalf. Truthfinders really didn’t get enough appreciation.

It took a mere half an hour for thirteen kids to load up all of their possessions, probably because not a single kid had more than two bags worth of stuff. They were heading for the doors when a boy who couldn’t have been more than five said, “What about Monster?”

“Monster?” Meredith asked.

“The monster in the basement. We can’t leave him.”

“It’s probably dead by now,” Rath told the kid.

“No, he’s not. I’ve been feeding him.”

Rath cursed. “You’ve been stealing the food?”

“It’s not stealing,” the kid defended. “He’s one of us. I wasn’t going to let him starve. And I won’t leave him.”

“No one’s leaving anyone,” Meredith decided. “Show me to the basement.”