Part 9 (1/2)

I have no house or staff, except bodyguards. I set the club on fire. And I just released an accused Sensitive while publically declaring the State made a mistake.

Oh. And I'm out without permission.

I'm in so much trouble.

10.

”That was so stupid, Lark. Completely stupid! Are you trying to get us all in trouble?” Kyra's curls bounce has she spits out her words.

”Should I have left her in the cage, Kyra?” I quicken my pace to keep up with her. Since we have Miss Tully with us, we can't transport, and are instead making the mile walk back to Mother's home. ”Miss Tully helped me when I needed her. I had to do something.”

”No you didn't. She's a Sensitive. She's not worth your time.”

”She's done nothing wrong.”

Maz wedges himself between the two of us and holds up his hands. ”Stop it. Arguing isn't going to make this better. We need to figure out what we're going to do.”

Kyra's fist strikes Maz's chest, but I know she wishes it were me she was. .h.i.tting. ”Malin is going to kill me, Maz. Me. What part of that don't you get?”

Maz gives me a pleading look and I soften my stance. When Kyra is like this, it's best to not feed her anger, it only makes things worse. ”I can talk to her. Explain it was all my idea and you only came to keep me safe.”

”I didn't alert the rest of your guard, and I let you out of my sight.” Tears run down my best friend's face. ”I not only helped you sneak out, but I put you danger. Malin won't forgive that.”

We've stopped in the middle of a deserted street not far from the nightclub. Ryker stands off to the side with Miss Tully. His back is to us, keeping lookout. Something about his silence bothers me.

”Do you have anything to add, Ryker?” I call out.

He pivots around and shakes his head before turning his back on us again. So far, he hasn't said a word about the situation. But he did give Miss Tully his dinner jacket. So there's that. Still, I'm getting a strange feeling from him. First, he told me Beck was alive and well. Next, he encouraged Kyra to go against her better judgment and allow me out after dark. And finally, when Kyra, Maz, and I found him lurking along the perimeter of the sentencing crowd, his mouth dropped open like he was shocked to see me.

And he hasn't spoken since then. He's just marched ahead with Miss Tully.

Whatever warming spell Kyra did on me earlier has worn off and I s.h.i.+ver against the frigid September air.

”We need to go home.” Even though it's the last place I want to be. The fact that guards haven't immediately swooped down on us, gives me hope Mother hasn't heard about what I've done. But it's only a matter of time.

”We can't go home. Not with her!” Kyra's juts her thumb in the direction of Miss Tully before stomping off towards Mother's house, leaving the boys and me behind. ”Just set her free or something.”

”Kyra,” I shout. ”Come back. Please. I need your help.”

She pauses and her shoulders heave. I have a strong suspicion she wouldn't have actually left me. Not when she's already afraid of getting in trouble for letting me out of her sight.

”What are you going to do with her?” she asks, walking back. ”Even if Malin hasn't heard about your,” she waves her hands in front her torso, ”crazy behavior, you can't march someone like her into Malin's home.”

Kyra's right. Every person working for Mother is a witch. Miss Tully can't be exposed to that. ”Can you take her?” I say. ”Maybe she can work in yours and Maz's house or something? Then Mother won't have to know.”

”You think Malin's not going to hear about this?” Kyra gives a half-laugh and scrunches up her forehead. ”You accused the State of making a mistake, Lark. In front of cameras! It's already all over my gossip feeds. She's going to boil both of us alive.”

I've never seen Kyra so scared. She stares at the bright red wristlet that encircles Miss Tully's wrist and cries, ”I can't have a Sensitive working for me!”

”We'll take the wristlet off. Maybe we can get Oliver to show us how.”

Kyra stares at me in disbelief. ”Why would he do that? That woman is an enemy of the State. You may be Lark Greene, founder's descendant, but you don't make the rules.”

”You're right. She can't come home with me. There's too much magic there.” I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to figure a way out of this mess. ”Please, Kyra. Have Maz take her. Just for tonight while we work this out.”

Maz stares first at me, then at Kyra as if deciding which of us is the more dangerous to upset. ”I can do that.”

Kyra crosses her arms. ”Fine. But I swear to G.o.d, Lark, if I lose my placement because of this, I will never speak to you again.”

It's an empty threat and we both know it, but I nod in agreement. ”I won't let you lose your job. I swear.” I peck my friend on the cheek. ”Thank you, Kyra. You're fabo.”

Kyra clicks her tongue at me and glares at Miss Tully. ”What can you do?” Kyra calls out across the short distance separating us from Ryker and the old woman.

Miss Tully lifts her head slowly, like she's just now listening to the conversation. ”I'm a farmer.”

”Fantastic,” Kyra says sarcastically. ”She can shovel snow or something for you, Maz.”

As we walk, Kyra's anger recedes like low tide-still there but much less noticeable. Maybe it helps that Maz has his arm around her waist, hugging her tightly.

”You okay?” Ryker asks. He and I stay to the rear, following Miss Tully. ”You look terrified.”

”You're talking to me now?”

”Don't be like this.” He lays his hand on my arm and I flinch. Ryker doesn't touch me and yet tonight, his hands have been on me numerous times. I narrow my eyes and curl my arm closer to my body, away from him. Perhaps, like Kyra, he has the power of persuasion. That would explain why I felt compelled to do all the stupid things I did tonight.

”How should I act?” I snap.

”I thought my news would make you happy.”

Ryker is a Dark witch. I'm not even sure what career he's been a.s.signed. And somehow, I'm to believe he's privy to information about Beck when Mother claims to be clueless. I blame my complete inebriation on not realizing all this earlier.

Either he knows nothing, or Mother is using him to bait me.

But that doesn't explain why he seemed surprised to see me with Kyra and Maz after I set Miss Tully free.

I choose my next words carefully. ”Is that what you wish? To make me happy? Because it takes more than a few whispered words to excite me.”

He leans into me, so that only I can hear him. ”Was Beck there? In the crowd?”

”What?” I stop walking and stare at him in disbelief. Unease builds inside me. Why would he ask that? Unless this is another of Mother's tests. I grind my teeth. ”No. I didn't see Beck. Do you think I would fail to report it if I did?”

He studies me. ”I don't know. Would you?”

Before I respond, Kyra races back toward us. Her hand darts out and latches on to me. ”Maz is taking your pet to his house and we're going to transport to the alley near Malin's.”

”Can't we go straight to my bedroom and pretend we've been there all night?” I ask hopefully.