“Mei,” Ronit says carefully. “You look different.”
“I have clothes now,” I say lightly.
“That’s not clothes. That’s a scrap of material,” Reed snarls. “I’m going to kill everyone who looks at you.”
The idea that he could be jealous had not even occurred to me, but it hits me hard now. Am I theirs?
And strangely, it makes me so pleased.
“Don’t smile at me like that, Mei. It’s not funny.”
I let out a laugh that causes another, even more violent stillness in the group.
“You look incredible, Mei, ignore him,” Brio says, and I feel his fingers ghost down my back.
They are gathered around me, but this feels weird, like we’re in danger. Like we’re on display.
“What’s going on? What’s this?” I murmur.
There’s a heavy silence.
“Please help us escape,” Lirin whispers.
Disappointment steals the shine out of the world. I find myself wishing that I could go back to my hole in the ground in Nightmare.
The girls are coming closer. I pop my hip and tap my index finger against my lip.
“Who are you?” one dares to ask.
I snarl and let it thunder out of me. There are a few cries, people panicking, but not enough, not yet. I sketch a rune and sparks fill the air. I can feel them hitting my skin. They draw back with gasps.
“Piss off,” I hiss at them, I turn away from them all and grab Ronit’s arm and drag him with me.
“Come now.”
He follows silently, though I can feel his annoyance.
“You are not in charge, Mei,” he says when he drags us to a stop.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were asking me to protect you from a pack of humans. My bad, I misunderstood.”
He growls, but I growl back louder.
“Enough! We are drawing attention to ourselves, and we need to get a few more things and get out of here. I hate it,” Lirin says urgently.
“What do we need?” I ask, irritated and disappointed that they have all but forgotten me.
“Just some things,” Canto murmurs.
I stomp along beside Leaf, letting him guide me, but remaining completely silent, refusing to answer any of the comments or questions thrown my way. Did I want them to fall into a heap, declaring their undying love? Okay, yes, a little bit. Am I hurt that they didn’t? Yes. I just want to go back to the cave now. I’m tired of this day.
“Do you want to go play?” Leaf whispers in my ear.
What?
“Close enough.”
Leaf opens a portal, and we fall through. Before I can even gasp, we’re landing on concrete.
