reunited.”
“What’s it like to be in your head?” I asked. “Is it rainbows and puppies, all the time?”
“Mm-hmm.” She grinned mischievously. “Labradoodles.”
“Well,” I said, “just because Aaron is back doesn’t mean he and Aunt Jo are, like, back together or anything. And it definitely doesn’t mean that all epic love is reunited.”
“No word from Asher, huh?”
My stomach suddenly lurched. It had been him at the fire, hadn’t it? It was possible I’d made it up, hallucinated him because I wanted so badly to see him again. But his silhouette was unmistakable against the dancing flames.
Had it been a message for me? A sign?
Or—a more troubling thought occurred to me—had he been involved in starting it? If he was fighting with the Rebellion—no. I put that thought out of my head as soon as it popped in.
“No word yet,” I said.
“Don’t worry, Skye,” she whispered, putting her arm around my neck and pulling me tightly to her. “You guys will find a way. I could never believe anything else.”
I wanted to believe it, too, that Asher and I would finda way to be together. But I’d been hurt and betrayed too many times to believe in love with much certainty. I couldn’t believe anything anymore—unless I had proof.
We rejoined the group in the living room. Cassie’s hair was woven into an elaborately braided masterpiece, and when she sat down on the floor, Earth, who seemed to have a hair fixation, begged her for something similar.
Cassie braided away, and I filled the group in on what was going on.
“You guys heard about the fire on Main Street last night?” I began. “It was an attack on Into the Woods.”
“The Order?” Ian asked sharply.
“No. It was the Rebellion, this time.” I took a deep breath. “This is going to be hard to hear, but I have to tell you, so that you stay safe. We think they’re trying to pick off my friends and family, to isolate me. Then they can take me away and use my powers to defeat the Order.”
“And what about the Order?” Ian asked. “What are they planning?”
I sighed nervously. “I don’t really know yet. But they’ll do anything to keep the Rebellion from taking me.”
Cassie looked equal parts terrified and enthralled. She loved drama, indiscriminately and in all forms.
“That means time is running out,” I continued. “Ian, wehave to find James, and soon. Can you talk to your mom, and try to find out where he might be?”
“Of course,” Ian said, his voice and expression deadly serious.
“Cassie, Dan, I’ll need you guys at school, every day. It’s important to keep up the appearance that everything is normal—that we don’t know what’s going on, and we don’t have a plan. I think the element of surprise will work well in our favor here. No one will expect that you two have a plan up your sleeves.”
“Hey . . .” Dan said.
“And Raven.” I turned to her. “You have to be at school, too. Just like today. Keep an eye on Ardith and Gideon. Make sure Cassie and Dan stay safe.”
She mock saluted.
“Great. Aunt Jo, Aaron. I need you guys to try to remember and dig up as much information as you can about James. And I need you working on your powers. Any Rogues you know of who you think we can easily get on our side, reach out to them. Tell them to come to River Springs. I think they’ll come if they know I’m at the helm. Explain that we’re starting a new faction, and they have a place in it.”
They nodded.
“The Rebellion broke away from the Order because theydidn’t share the same beliefs,” I said. “Well, now, we’re breaking away from them both for the same reasons. We,” I said, looking around at everyone in the room, “are officially the Uprising.”
11
I couldn’t sleep.
In the dark, too many questions swirled in my mind. What had Asher been doing outside of Into the Woods last night? Where was James—and would my visions lead me, as I hoped, to the shadowy fourth
“What’s it like to be in your head?” I asked. “Is it rainbows and puppies, all the time?”
“Mm-hmm.” She grinned mischievously. “Labradoodles.”
“Well,” I said, “just because Aaron is back doesn’t mean he and Aunt Jo are, like, back together or anything. And it definitely doesn’t mean that all epic love is reunited.”
“No word from Asher, huh?”
My stomach suddenly lurched. It had been him at the fire, hadn’t it? It was possible I’d made it up, hallucinated him because I wanted so badly to see him again. But his silhouette was unmistakable against the dancing flames.
Had it been a message for me? A sign?
Or—a more troubling thought occurred to me—had he been involved in starting it? If he was fighting with the Rebellion—no. I put that thought out of my head as soon as it popped in.
“No word yet,” I said.
“Don’t worry, Skye,” she whispered, putting her arm around my neck and pulling me tightly to her. “You guys will find a way. I could never believe anything else.”
I wanted to believe it, too, that Asher and I would finda way to be together. But I’d been hurt and betrayed too many times to believe in love with much certainty. I couldn’t believe anything anymore—unless I had proof.
We rejoined the group in the living room. Cassie’s hair was woven into an elaborately braided masterpiece, and when she sat down on the floor, Earth, who seemed to have a hair fixation, begged her for something similar.
Cassie braided away, and I filled the group in on what was going on.
“You guys heard about the fire on Main Street last night?” I began. “It was an attack on Into the Woods.”
“The Order?” Ian asked sharply.
“No. It was the Rebellion, this time.” I took a deep breath. “This is going to be hard to hear, but I have to tell you, so that you stay safe. We think they’re trying to pick off my friends and family, to isolate me. Then they can take me away and use my powers to defeat the Order.”
“And what about the Order?” Ian asked. “What are they planning?”
I sighed nervously. “I don’t really know yet. But they’ll do anything to keep the Rebellion from taking me.”
Cassie looked equal parts terrified and enthralled. She loved drama, indiscriminately and in all forms.
“That means time is running out,” I continued. “Ian, wehave to find James, and soon. Can you talk to your mom, and try to find out where he might be?”
“Of course,” Ian said, his voice and expression deadly serious.
“Cassie, Dan, I’ll need you guys at school, every day. It’s important to keep up the appearance that everything is normal—that we don’t know what’s going on, and we don’t have a plan. I think the element of surprise will work well in our favor here. No one will expect that you two have a plan up your sleeves.”
“Hey . . .” Dan said.
“And Raven.” I turned to her. “You have to be at school, too. Just like today. Keep an eye on Ardith and Gideon. Make sure Cassie and Dan stay safe.”
She mock saluted.
“Great. Aunt Jo, Aaron. I need you guys to try to remember and dig up as much information as you can about James. And I need you working on your powers. Any Rogues you know of who you think we can easily get on our side, reach out to them. Tell them to come to River Springs. I think they’ll come if they know I’m at the helm. Explain that we’re starting a new faction, and they have a place in it.”
They nodded.
“The Rebellion broke away from the Order because theydidn’t share the same beliefs,” I said. “Well, now, we’re breaking away from them both for the same reasons. We,” I said, looking around at everyone in the room, “are officially the Uprising.”
11
I couldn’t sleep.
In the dark, too many questions swirled in my mind. What had Asher been doing outside of Into the Woods last night? Where was James—and would my visions lead me, as I hoped, to the shadowy fourth
Similar Books
