‘Argghhh,’ Luna groans rolling her eyes. ‘You are all being fucking ridiculous. We’re bored shitless in here, and anyone who says differently is a liar. All you’ve done is bicker since we got here!’
Unsure of the right thing to say I look between them all but they don’t meet my gaze.
‘Please, just try it. Bring as many weapons as you want. You don’t even have to stay long, just please give it a go. Then I’ll never ask again, and I’ll make sure Elsa doesn’t either.’
I'm well aware I sound like I’m begging, and I don’t care at this point. They need to at least try this, or else they are going to die in this room, never having even tried to live.
‘You need to embrace your fear,’ Luna storms to where Liz and I are at the door. ‘If you don’t hone it and use it to empower you. It will continue to consume you, just like it is right now.’
Luna doesn’t allow them to rebut as she leads us out the door, slamming it behind her.
‘Who knew you were a motivational speaker,’ Liz jokes as we head back down the way we came.
Luna huffs, ‘someone needed to give them a kick up their ass.’
I just hope that whatever all that was, was enough to do just that. For their sakes if not anything else. Each of them deserves a chance at happiness, whatever weird way that would look for them. It’s no secret the world is different now, but that doesn’t mean we can't make the most of what it is now.
Chapter thirty-one
Liam
‘You'd better know what you’re doing.’ Ru, my future brother-in-law, scolds as I slip on my knuckle dusters.
Yeah, yeah, he’s been giving me this lecture for the past week now. I know what I’m bloody doing. I always do.
‘Of course I do, I’m not a fucking idiot.’
‘That’s debatable.’
Ruaridh is all agitated because he’s worried I’m going to get in trouble and then he’ll get his ass kicked by his sister — and then his girlfriend.
‘Nothing to worry about, mate.’ I chap him on the shoulder, ‘I’ll be in and out in no time. Isla won't even notice I’m gone.’
Ruaridh looks up to the heavens, muttering under his breath. He’s started doing that more lately and quite frankly, it freaks me out a little. But then again, Fauna does it too, so maybe it's one of those cute little hobbies they do together? Like, instead of painting they talk to the clouds or some shit.
Anyway, I — the saner one out of us all — have a job to do. Get the last thing on my girls list.
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but over these past two months I have managed to discreetly locate every last one of the items on Isla’s list that she ever so conveniently left out for me to find. Not to take anything away from how incredible Isla is. The woman's a machine. She’s been training early every morning with Elizabeth — watching her do said training has become my new favourite thing to do. Something about watching how strong and independent she can be is next-level hot.
Who knew watching Isla grow our baby would unlock something inside of me. A primal sort of protectiveness alongside complete admiration for the incredible woman she is. Isla is not only carrying my child but every second of every day she is proving how unbelievably badass she is.
Finally stopping his conversation with the sky, Ru decides to continue our discussion — the one with a real person and all that.
‘If they don’t agree to this…’
‘They will.’
‘You don’t know that,’ he sighs.
‘Mate, you were the one to suggest it.’ I point out because well… he was.
‘No I fucking wasn’t. You came up with this stupid plan all on your own.’
‘You said the only people in the city to hold medical equipment—’
He cuts me off. ‘That didn’t mean, Liam, go skipping into our rivals' territory and go get it.’
‘Well, that’s all I heard.’ Picking up my backpack I head for the doorway, brushing off his mother hennery. ‘If you hadn’t pissed their leader off so much then you would be able to come with me.’
