Her.
The sound of a cell phone vibrating from the nightstand beside me cuts right through my thoughts. Tipping my head to the side, my eyes widen in surprise when I see the message flashing on the screen.
Ocean: Found it.
12
ELODIE
The late evening air whips around us as we head toward The Vale, fluttering my purple locks around my face. I wish I had pulled it into a ponytail so it didn’t keep getting on my nerves, but it’s too late now. It doesn’t help that neither of my hands are free. Carrying the bag Ocean asked me to bring takes up one, while the other is laced with Rion’s.
The heat from his palm against mine is grounding, and I don’t dare let go.
Not after that.
Whatever it was.
I’ve never felt so intimate and raw all at once, and now I’m struggling to pull away from him, even ifit’s just for a second so I can think, or brush my loose curls off my face.
He’s quiet, as am I, and I’m more than happy to bask in the silence that threads between us, almost like it’s tightening our bond. Which sounds ridiculous because silence usually means there’s a threat coming, but here, in this moment, I’ve never felt safer.
His fingers clench around mine, as if he can sense my thoughts, and I match the action, silently conveying that I’m here too.
Making it to the edge of The Vale, we head to the left, the gleaming grounds of Institute One shimmering in the distance. Every step I take becomes heavier, weighing me down with impending doom as we slow to a stop.
The sky is mottled with the whispers of dusk, orange, pinks, and reds coloring the sky as The Vale slowly begins to settle, but there are enough people about for me to question my decisions.
“Maybe it’s too early,” I murmur, peering up at Rion, who shakes his head in response.
“Petal, there’s never going to be a right time. We may as well make the most of the adrenaline coursing through our veins and get on with it. At least this way, if we’re wrong, we can get straightback to the drawing board for the right answer.” He runs his thumb across my cheek, and I lean into the touch, taking a deep breath before I slowly exhale.
He’s right.
Looking down at myself, I’m reminded I’m not in my glaringly obvious Institute Thirteen uniform, but my purple hair is still a dead giveaway. No matter how much I try to blend in with my normal clothes, these damn locks are undeniable.
“What’s the best way to get to the basement?” I ask, and he squeezes my hand, infusing me with strength I didn’t know I needed.
It flusters me at the same time as it comforts my soul. I’ve never been dependent on others, and I don’t understand why it’s taking hold of me now.
Another sharp inhale, and I feel my resolution course through me. Instead of letting my mind wonder over things that don’t matter right now, I focus on the goal at hand.
Getting to the basement of Institute One.
I lift my foot, ready to storm down the open pathway to my target destination, when my cell phone vibrates in my pocket. Rion’s must go off too because as I pull my device out, he does the same, revealing a text message from Thorne.
Thorne: Take the rear. Stick to the tree line. There are too many bodies up front, but it’s quiet around the back.
Slipping my cell phone back away, I cast my gaze across the grounds of Institute One, looking for the shadow fae in question, but if he can see us, we definitely can’t see him.
“Come on, Petal. I know the way,” Rion murmurs, tugging me against his side as he draws me back toward Thirteen. He must sense my confusion when we backtrack down the familiar path that leads us to our rooms, but he doesn’t acknowledge it until we’re around the rear of the building and breaching the tree line. “If we go deep enough, it will bring us out along the back of them,” he explains, and I frown.
“So there’s no barrier separating the two buildings back here?” I clarify, and he nods. “Wait, does that apply to all of the institutes?” I add, and he hums in agreement, leaving me to gape at him in disbelief. “Are you telling me that every time I tried to run, using Institute Twelve as my getaway, I could have done this instead of climbing the awful wrought-iron gate?”
He grins with amusement. “Pretty much.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” I snap back, gaping in disbelief, and he gives me a pointed look.
“Do you really want to have this conversation right now? I’m more than happy to answer. Unless it’s going to piss you off, in which case we’ll save it for another time.”
