“Love you, too.”
I end the conversation, part of me wondering if I should’ve told Gray to go on ahead and found a private spot to speak to Cross. But how would I ever explain that? Gray doesn’t know Cross is a Mod, and that’s not something I’m about to share.
The path grows narrow as the trail winds higher into the mountain, and my breath hitches when I notice the view beyond the ridge. The moon hangs perfectly between the two peaks, its pale, ethereal light spilling across the rugged terrain. It’s beautiful.
“Is that where the valley is?” I ask, trying to get a better look. I can’t make anything out in the darkness.
“No. The valley is east of here, bordered by mountains on three sides. You can’t see it until you’re right on top of it.”
“Sounds like a great location for a hidden camp.”
“It is.”
I suddenly register the sound of voices up ahead, drifting toward us from the end of the trail.
“We’re almost there,” he says, nodding forward.
I glimpse the lights flickering between the trees like fireflies, casting an orange glow over the dark forest. I hear music now, too, something electronic, and a wave of laughter floats toward us, along with the acrid smell of campfire.
While Gray relaxes as we near the clearing, I only grow more tense. His shoulders loosen. Mine tighten. A blast of heat from the bonfire hits me the moment we emerge from the trail. Someone is poking it with a long stick, and the flames rise higher, crackling and spitting and sending yellow-orange sparks upward toward the sky.
As if sensing my anxiety, Gray stops walking and fixes me with a firm look. “Stop cowering. You’re Wren Darlington. You don’t care what other people think about you.”
He’s right. I’m usually impervious to judgment and criticism. But…
I bite my lip. “What if I do care?”
He reaches for my hand, clasping it gently. “The only opinions that matter to you are the ones belonging to peopleyoucare about. Keen?”
A smile breaks free. I feel my nerves trickling away. “Keen.”
“Good. Now come on, let’s see what kind of party favors we’ve got tonight.”
The party favors, we soon discover, are grange and stims. I’m not a fan of either, especially stims. I don’t begrudge those who choose to use recreational drugs, but they’re just not for me. Instead, I accept the small brown bottle that Gray hands me and take a quick sip, grimacing at the flavor that’s somehow both sweet and bitter.
The clearing is full of people, some clustered together in groups, others dancing in the light of the fire. I spot Henley wrapped up witha brunette in a short dress, his hands taking a lot of liberties as they slide under the hem. The rest of Gray’s usual crew stands nearby laughing about something. We join the group, Gray tugging Karra toward him to plant a kiss on her lips. She flings her arms around his neck, fervently kissing him back.
I smile at the others, receiving answering smiles from Luisa and Mako. Saint nods, watching me over the rim of his grange bottle. Evlynne and Neema offer their usual glares, then continue the conversation as if I’m not there.
“My favorite part is Luisa’s response. ‘Oh hi,’ ” Evlynne says, mimicking a high-pitched voice while Luisa’s face flushes.
Gray breaks his lip-lock with Karra, chuckling in our direction. “Are we talking about Lu’s first solo flight?”
“Yep,” confirms a grinning Mako.
“It was an accident,” protests Luisa. “I wasn’t paying attention because I was too focused on my instruments. Gray scared me that morning about the airspeed gauge glitching out.”
Gray fills in the blanks for me. “She flew directly into Tierra Fe airspace without realizing it. Didn’t even know she was being tailed by two enemy fighter jets until they were talking to her over the radio.”
Mako howls with laughter. “You gotta hear that recording, Wrenny. I think it’s still saved in the comm library.”
“One of the Tierran pilots orders her to turn around or they’ll shoot her down,” Gray continues. “And she goes, ‘Oh hi. I didn’t see you there.’ ”
“Is this Lu’s Tierra Fe adventure?” Henley joins us then, holding hands with the girl he was dancing with. “Fuck, that was epic.”
“You guys trade with them, right?” I ask. “I remember Kallister saying something about that.”
“We have an agreement in place,” Gray explains. “Shipments come in every few months.”
