EMIL
Senator Iron has been shot on live TV.
I’m horrified while standing beside my mother, and her hand squeezes mine. No matter how much we don’t mess with this guy, especially after everything he put Ma through, this isn’t how justice is supposed to go down. Brighton and Prudencia are staring at the screen in shock as pandemonium erupts outside Iron’s front gate—the one we escaped through hours ago. Even bloodthirsty Maribelle looks away.
“Not good,” Wesley says as Ruth steps away from the video streaming on his phone.
The cameraperson still has eyes on Iron on the ground as others run away. First I think someone is flashing a light on him, but I know that gray glow. My eyes immediately water. I might throw up.
“NESS!”
The real Iron hobbles past the gate, and he has a black eye. Did Ness fight back? Iron is breaking down in tears as he calls for help and presses down on Ness’s wound.
“HE’S A LIAR!”
The news teams are hovering all over them as if it’s more important to cover this groundbreaking story of Ness being alive all along and impersonating his father instead of getting him medical attention. Someone tried to kill him and these vultures can’t even give him some damn dignity.
This was probably Iron’s doing. He’s punishing Ness for helping me.
Punished.
I step back, and Prudencia stops me from accidentally knocking over the cauldron with the Starstifler.
I’m blazing hot thinking about how much Ness deserved a better father, someone who loves him so much that he couldn’t possibly be a suspect in his attack. Gold and gray flames burst around me as if I can protect Ness. I might burn down the Sanctuary’s lab. Everyone’s telling me to breathe, but I can’t control myself.
Brighton braves my fire and wraps his arms around me, shouting as he drags me toward the wall with swift-speed. Before we collide, we phase right through, out into the courtyard.
“Go for it!” Brighton yells as he crouches in pain.
It takes me a sec to figure out what he’s telling me to do.
I give in to my fury and shout at the night sky, hurling fire-orb after fire-orb toward the stars until it looks like a gold and gray meteor storm shooting over the river. I’ve disturbed some sleeping phoenixes, even scared some into flight. I exhaust myself and collapse to my knees, and Brighton wraps his arms around me and tells me to breathe over and over long enough that I finally listen t
o him. I cry against my brother’s chest, hating this life that forces me to grieve Ness again.
Sixty
Unmasked
NESS
First there’s darkness, then the smell of salt water, then extraordinary pain.
For a beat, I wonder if someone has stolen an organ before remembering what happened outside the manor. I’ve been hit by a lot of spells during my time as a Blood Caster. Most have blasted me across the room, or at worst, stunned me. This one tore through me. I thought I was going to bleed out.
I try touching my wound, but my arms are bound.
I open my eyes, and the light hurts even though it’s not that bright. I’m strapped into a stretcher. Someone is taking me to Gleam Care. I turn my neck to find the Senator watching me. He has a black eye and a cut lip. There are life jackets above his head. I’m not on my way to receive medical attention. I’m back on the same boat where we first reunited.
The destination is obvious.
“You tried to make a fool out of me,” the Senator says. “Thankfully Jax has impeccable aim.”
“He didn’t kill me,” I say, my throat raw.
“You weren’t useful to me dead. This time. The country already saw me grieve you. What they needed this time was to watch me condemn you—my son who came back from the dead. It’s a sign of my strength and commitment to protecting everyone from celestials and specters. I’ve been playing the long game thanks to my friend here. . . .” The Senator spins my stretcher and Luna is handcuffed in the corner with her eyes closed. “Then of course I beat her before she could try and cheat me out of my victory.”
“You talk too much,” Luna says with a bored sigh.