“But I haven’t seen her in forever.”
“Now, Trevor.”
“Okay,” he whined in a defeated voice and shuffled off. He stopped and turned, his expression suddenly bright. “Katy, will you be my friend?”
“We’re already friends, buddy.”
“Yes!” He punched the air and raced back over, slipping his hand in mine as he looked up at his mom. “I found my friend.”
This kid melted my heart. He was still a bit nutty in the head, but man, was he a character. I squeezed his hand before taking mine back. “I think she means she wants to talk to me without you here.”
“But…” He bounced a wide gaze between us and reached for my hand again.
Bryan stepped in. “Hey, Trevor. Remember me?”
“Hi, Bryan!”
“How about we take a walk? I can show you some cool tricks to do with your element.”
“My earth doesn’t answer my calls.”
“Then we’ll practice.”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Okay. Bye, Katy. Bye, Mom.” He waved as Bryan dragged him off.
“He’s a good kid,” I commented once they were out of earshot.
“He’s a great kid,” she corrected as her chilly demeaner seemed to cool even more. How did a kid as happy as Trevor come from a woman so prickly?
I didn’t disagree. “What did you want talk to me about?”
“I wanted to know if this is another one of your stunts to get my son sent to prison.”
“Whoa.” That escalated quickly. I brought up my hands. “I didn’t send those magically enhanced to Carcerem. I was the one who got them out.”
“Did you or did you not convince him it was a school for people like him?”
“They would have taken him regardless what I said. I told him that to make it easier on him.” And I still felt guilty about lying to him. He was quick to forgive. Clearly, his mom wasn’t.
“He was tortured because of you.”
“Whoa again. I did not torture him. Alec tortured him.”
“Because of you,” she repeated in a fierce hiss. “My son can’t sleep without a nightlight now. He wakes up screaming, begging you to save him from the ‘bad.’ How, Katy Reed? How can you possibly save him or anyone else from the bad by taking up arms against the Council? They’re the only thing holding this world together.”
Great. Someone’s been drinking the Council Kool-Aid. I wasn’t about to get into this with a complete stranger. War was ugly. It sucked balls. I got it. Everyone who’d joined Sentry got it. We were fighting for our right to live freely. That wouldn’t come easily or without a price. “Why are you really here, Margo? You didn’t come to accuse me of things neither of us can change now, and clearly, you don’t support what we’re trying to do. So why did you really come?”
Her eyes welled with tears. “I can’t lose my son. As much as I don’t agree with what you’re doing, I’m willing to stay, to fight, to protect him.”
“And what the Council is doing, forcing those elementals magically enhanced to serve pures and incarcerating those who refuse, that’s not reason to fight? Joining forces with the dark elementals? Banning witchcraft? Alchemy? Not allowing my name to be spoken in public? None of that bothers you?”
“None of that affects me,” she countered.
Un-fucking-believable. Did she really just say that? “You know what? If you truly believe that, then you’re part of the problem. I’m sorry, Margo. Trevor can stay, but you aren’t welcome here.”
“I risked everything to come here. You can’t send me away without my son.”
“Why don’t we ask Trevor what he wants?” I texted Bryan’s burner. In less than a minute, he and Trevor crested one of the rolling hills and approached. Trevor didn’t slow, practically sprinting to join us.
“Hi, Katy!”
“Hey, buddy.” I tousled his hair. “Your mom has something to ask you.”
Margo thinned her lips and thrust out her pointy chin. She definitely didn’t like being called out. Join the club. “Trevor, sweetheart, are you sure you want to stay here and fight? This is going to be very dangerous. The Council protects us. Who will keep us safe if they fall?”
“Katy,” he said matter-of-factly, as if the answer was so obvious everyone should already know.
“She’s done a pretty lousy job keeping you safe.”
“Hey!” Bitch.
“Hey!” Bryan said at the same time. I placed my hand on his arm to stop him from charging. Hell, I was close to setting her hair on fire, but I refrained. I deserved a goddamn gold star.
Trevor touched his mom’s face. “I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. I was scared when Alec and Spencer had me in that warehouse, but Katy came and saved me. I was scared on the field, but Katy came and made me feel better. I was scared at Carcerem, but Katy rescued me. She rescued all of us. Katy is light. Every time she goes up against the dark, she wins. The Council is dark. She’ll win.”
I wished I had this kid’s confidence. I recalled something Cressida had said to me long ago. Seeing is believing, and believing is seeing. I had to believe we were going to win, believe in the very depths of my being, just as I truly believed I was the prophecy destined to save our world.
“That’s right, buddy. We’ll win because we’re the good guys.”
“And good guys always win.” He grinned wide and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Margo pushed up her glasses at the same time. “Looks like we’re staying.”
I distinctly recalled telling her to leave. I couldn’t risk someone not supportive of the cause giving up our position. “Uh, Margo?”
“I won’t question you again.”
Wow. Okay. Blind loyalty was cool and all, but that wasn’t how I wanted to lead our members. “How about the next time you have a question, you just ask?”
“Deal.” She even smiled for the first time as she took Trevor’s hand. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s go see how we can help. I think I saw some alchemy stations.”
“Alchemy? Cool!”
