Apparently, my voice wasn’t as steady as I thought, because Ava blew a breath. “Why are you being so pessimistic? It’s a logical assumption.”
“Because like I said, it’s anassumption,” I said harshly.
“Then we’ll have to test that assumption out by going to the gate,” Kallie shot back, sounding a bit annoyed.
If only they knew why I was against this… but Maddie warned me not to tell Ava. How could I explain to Ava that I was the one prophesied to bring her down, the one who was fated to bring her a fate worse than death?
She couldn’t love me. Not after that.
“How do you suggest we do that?” I challenged. “Now you guyswantto escape?”
“No, because that’s impossible,” Ava stated bluntly. “But thereisa way we can test it without escaping.”
“How?” I asked skeptically.
“Our field trip into Shade Hills is in a couple of weeks, and we’re all getting good enough grades to go,” Ava reminded us. “We can sneak off and be back before they notice.”
“If we could sneak off, why not just escape?” I asked.
“Because we’ll have noxite bracelets on, ones that have trackers inside,” she reminded me. “They’re impossible to get off, and we’d never get off the island. They’d find us if we were gone too long. And no way in hell am I leaving Oberi behind. She’s not permitted on the trip. A few minutes is all I’m willing to risk.”
“So we create a distraction, visit the doorway to test the keys, and return before anyone knows we’re missing?” Marcus asked. “I like it. I’m in.”
“Me, too,” Kallie agreed. “Getting our keys close to that door might have some sort of magical reaction— something that could lead us to the other four keys.”
“Another assumption,” I growled. “You don’t know the other keys are here. Do you see any other demigods around?”
“Even if there aren’t other demigods, the keys are being called here,” Ava argued. “Theyhaveto be, or we wouldn’t have three keys already. That’s how magic works— in unnatural, mysterious ways that are too obvious to be coincidence. That means the other keys are already here, or they’ll be here soon. I don’t know why you’re so against this.”
“Because I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” I insisted.
“It’s a prophecy about the fate of the world, Charlie!” Ava cried. “People are going to die, and it’s our duty to save as many people as we can byfulfillingthe prophecy.”
Hell, how could I keep pretending I was willing to help her when it was the furthest thing from the truth? That damn prophecy was all she seemed to care about. She didn’t know what it truly meant.
I wished so badly that I could tell her, but I knew my pidge. It’d do nothing to stop her, and would only push her toward it further.
Kallie took Ava’s key from my hand. “So it’s settled. Charlie doesn’t have a key, so it doesn’t matter if he comes or not.”
I frowned. They were going to do this with or without me. I was going to have to get creative if I wanted to stop this.
“Fine. I’m in,” I said.
“I knew you would come!” Ava piped happily. If only she knew I wasn’t on her side— not the way she thought I was.
“Kallie, we should probably get going,” Marcus suggested. “We have that study session with Ivy and Opal.”
“Right,” she agreed. “We’ll catch you guys later.”
“Bye,” Ava and I said together.
Ava waited until Marcus and Kallie left before saying, “I’m sick of them acting like they’re not together. They’re supposedly mad at each other, and I still see them hanging out all the time.”
“Maybe they can’t help it,” I suggested. “Because they’re mates, I mean.”
“I guess that kind of bond would be hard to ignore…”
Ava trailed off. I sensed she was talking about us.
