“When they tell tales of this in the future, he’ll be the only one they remember. The true hero,” Teddy said.
“Hero,” Blu repeated, and Wren butted their heads together.
“What message are we sending?” Wren asked. “We have to keep it short.”
He watched Teddy think before something in his eyes lit up. “Gemini. And the address.”
Wren frowned. “He’ll know what Gemini means?”
“It’s the special word Eerie and Saint have used since they were kids. It’s code for them. Only they know what it means, so Eerie will know it’s serious.”
“How do you know it then?”
“Only they know it with the exception of me,” he amended.
Wren shook his head, smiling a little.
“What?”
“You can get anyone to tell you anything, can’t you?”
Teddy flushed a bashful pink.
They relayed the message to Blu a few times, making sure he had it down before letting him fly away, a knot tied in the pit of Wren's stomach. Wren was worried about Blu’s secret being revealed to someone outside of the two of them, but times were desperate.
“We should look and see if there’s anywhere to hide or hole up, just in case Eerie doesn’t make it in time,” Teddy said, and Wren nodded.
Teddy bent down and together they got Saint hiked up on Teddy’s back. They began searching around before Wren stopped in his tracks.
The snake.
He looked over his shoulder at the machine, imposing and still drawing Wren’s magic to it, despite the distance.
Wren doubled back.
“Wren? What are you doing?” Teddy called, Saint still draped over his back like a backpack.
“There’s an animal in there. I’m not leaving them behind.”
“What if this is what he wants you to do? What if it’s another part of the trap?”
Wren gave a sad half smile. “Then he knows me well.”
“Wren—”
“I can’t, Teddy.” Wren stopped in front of the machine. He could feel it humming in his veins. “I came here to save all of them, and I failed. I have to save one if I can. Please.”
Teddy swallowed, hard. Wren could see his vulnerable neck bob with the motion as he came to terms with Wren’s choice. He set Saint gently against a wall before joining him and grabbing his hand.
“Then I’m going with you.”
Wren shook his head. “You need to get Saint out if this goes wrong.”
“I’m not leaving you to step inside that thing alone.”
“If one of us gets out, it has to be you, Teddy. Whatever Kellan’s obsessed with, it involves you, not me. All he wants is me out of the way. He always has. You can’t give him what he wants.”
“Just like you can’t leave that snake, I can’t leave you. It goes against every fiber of my being. You carry my heart and my soul, Little Bird. Without you I’m just a body, and what use is a body with no heart or soul?”
