People pour out of the house like ants, coughing and stumbling through the stench. I can hear Levi shouting something about finding whoever did this, but his voice is getting softer as people scatter in every direction.
That’s when I spot her.
Little Kane, still wearing that oversized jersey. She stumbles out the back door and immediately runs toward the tree line.
Without thinking, I take off after her.
“Jagger!” Riven yells. “Where are you going?”
But I’m already gone, leaving Knox and Riven to get the rest of the team out of here.
She’s fast, but she’s running blind through the smoke. I follow her into the woods, my heart pounding. She makes it about fifty yards before I catch her, appearing out of the trees in front of her just as she glances over her shoulder to see if anyone’s following. She slams into my chest at full speed and goes down hard, landing on her ass with a grunt.
“Fuck me in the ass with a pineapple,” she snaps, scrambling backward on her hands until her back hits a tree. “You scared the shit out of me!”
I keep the mask on, knowing the aqua glow and distorted voice will make this encounter even better. “Sorry about that,” I say, my voice coming out in that robotic tone. “Though you might want a safe word in case a pineapple is too spiky.”
Her eyes go wide as she stares up at me. “Who the hell are you?”
“Someone who isn’t afraid of pineapples during sex. And you are Leila Kane.”
“How do you know my name?” Her voice wavers between anger and curiosity.
“Everyone knows the Kanes,” I say, offering her my hand. “And I asked around.”
She stares for a long moment before finally accepting my help, though she immediately puts distance between us once she rises to her feet. “You asked about me?”
“Can you blame me? It’s not every day that I meet someone brave enough to wear enemy colors in hostile territory.”
Even in the dim light filtering through the trees, I can see her studying my mask, trying to figure out who’s behind it. “That was you back there, wasn’t it? The smoke and lights?”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because you’re clearly insane enough to crash a party simply to prove a point. And no sane person who knows I’m a Kane would chase me in the dark.”
The voice distorter turns my laugh into something that sounds vaguely demonic. “Guilty as charged. Though I have to say, your reaction time is impressive. Most people stood there coughing.”
“Most people don’t have brothers who have been pulling pranks on them their entire lives.” She crosses her arms, which only emphasizes how the jersey hangs on her frame. “What do you want?”
The way she asks while staring at a mask shows she’s got more backbone than most people.
“Honestly? I want to know why Levi Kane’s sister goes to Gravepoint.”
“Because I can make my own decisions.”
“Even when those decisions piss off your overprotective brothers?”
“Especially then.”
“Leila!”
“I should go,” she says, but doesn’t move.
“You should,” I agree.
She turns and starts back toward the house but pauses after a few steps. “Hey, glowstick guy?”
“Yeah?” I say as she turns around to face me.
