Not with Alex in my arms, not with her vulnerable. Joon always said we’d find a way to control it; I never realized that she was all I needed to make that happen. Would she be able to bring him back? Would he see the change in me?
Will I get to apologize?
“Not every decision is up to me,” she said. “I’m just following orders, Leo—the same as you did when you burned that building down.”
My teeth ground together as I seethed. “I thought you were turning empathetic on me. Guess not.”
“And that’s why I have this job,” her voice cut, before she softened. “Listen…I’m sorry. This is a pain I can’t understand. But Iamsorry. Let’s hope that Daydream can get us through this; at the very least, she’ll buy us time. I have every coder in my arsenal working on it. I promise you that.”
“You better,” I snarled. “Youwillfix him.”
“And mark my words, when I do, you’re going to burn Splinter to ashes.” Dahlia had never sounded so lethal.
THIRTY-ONE
ALEX
Nightmyre spreadout in front of us, twinkling with neon lights and street lamps.
Joon sat beside me on a rooftop, and his image kept flipping. Black hair, to white. Flawless skin, to scars. Dark eyes, to that hazy purple. It was hard to keep hold; he was slipping through my fingers. His eyes would turn purple, he’d break through my power, and I’d have to reel him back in again.
I was beyond my limit of frustration. Each time we were getting somewhere, he switched up on me, and we were back to square one. A mantra kept repeating in my head, keeping me calm, warning me to stay patient.
Joon was stubborn; Glitch is going to be worse. Don’t rush it. Don’t fuck it up.
He gave me a gentle smile,Joon’ssmile, just before it turned crazed. “If you let me go, I won’t kill you. I don’t like being trapped, y’know.”
“Imournedyou,” I spat, keeping my eyes on the horizon, my fingers digging into brick. “You have no idea what these past three years have been like. For me, or for Leo.”
He kicked his feet, and his mouth kept switching between a smile and a sad frown. “And you have no idea what I’ve been through, either. You keep looking at me like I’m a stranger, little dreamer. It hurts.”
“You are a stranger,” I admitted. “I don’t know who you are anymore. Sotellme. Talk to me, and I can help you.”
His hair went white as a grin spread across his scarred cheeks. “We’ll end the age of Heroes. Splinter is going to make it fair—they’re going to make usfree.” The image flashed, and his hair turned dark again. “Burning alive hurts like a bitch. I can’t stop thinking about it — the last thing I was able to smell. My hair burning, flesh being cooked—I can’t forgive that.”
The image made me want to vomit, but he kept going.
“They were nice to me, my new friends. Even bought the shampoo I wanted; that lilac one I like. They haven’t been able to repair my nose quite right yet, but they will. When they do, I’m gonna fucking bathe in that shampoo. Do you think that’ll make my skin dry?”
There was a lilt to his voice, as if he was battling between the insanity and things that Joon would actually say. His vanity hadn’t gone away, at least.
“They’re going to make everyone suffer,” I pleaded. “Just like you did. He didn’t know you were in there—he tried to go back for you.”
Joon cocked his head, and the white and black started to meld together. “But he didn’t. He left me, and Splinter were the ones to rescue me. They rehabilitated me.”
“They brainwashed you,” I spat.
“Tomato, potato,” he shrugged.
This wasn’t Joon anymore. I knew that, but I couldn’t help the way I stared at him, trying to find the missing pieces to put him back together again. I reached out, linking our arms together as I pulled him close.
“You still use that shampoo?” I asked.
He grinned. “Of course. It’s my favorite because you picked it.”
“You realize I’m a Hero, too, right? When Splinter comes—when they tear it all down, I’ll be one of the targets. It’s not just Leo, not just the VIA.”
Joon went rigid. “They won’t touch you. I’ll make them promise. You’re still third class, right? Imagine what Splinter could do for you, too. You’d be a real asset, Alex. They’ll put you on a pedestal, treat you like a damn queen because of what you can do.”
