ONE
“Addie? Addie, wake up. Addie—”
I roll over with a groan and stretch, rubbing both eyes with the heel of my hand. It’s too early for this shit.
“Addie—”
Still half asleep, I grab James by the collar and yank him down, shoving his head under the blanket. He shouts and I laugh, wrapping him up in the sheets until he can’t get out.
“Stooooop iiiiiiit,” he whines, little fists pounding against the sheets. “Addie, let me out—”
“Hey—how many times have I told you to stop calling me that?”
James tries to punch me through the blanket. I pick him up and flip him over in my arms and he screams, his legs kicking wildly.
“You’re so mean,” he cries, wriggling around in my grip. “If Kenji were here, he would never let y—”
At that, I freeze, and James can feel it. He goes quiet in my arms, and I let him go. He untangles himself from my sheets, and we stare at each other.
James blinks. His bottom lip trembles and he bites down on it. “Do you know if he’s okay?”
I shake my head.
Kenji is still in the medical wing. No one knows for sure what happened yet, but people have been talking. Whispering.
I look toward the wall. James is still speaking, but I’m too distracted to pay attention.
It’s hard for me to believe Juliette could hurt anyone like that.
“Everyone says he’s gone,” James is saying now.
This, I catch.
“What?” I turn back, alarmed. “How?”
James shrugs. “I don’t know. They said he broke out of his room.”
“What are you talking about? How could he break out of his room—?”
James shrugs again. “I don’t think he wanted to be here anymore.”
“But—what?” I screw up my face, confused. “Does that mean he’s feeling better? Did someone tell you he was feeling better?”
James frowns. “Did you want him to feel better? I thought you didn’t like him.”
I sigh. Run a hand through the back of my hair. “Of course I like him. I know we don’t always get along, but it’s really close quarters in here, and he’s always got so many damn opinions—”
James shoots me a strange look. “So . . . you don’t want to kill him? You’re always saying you want to kill him.”
“I’m not serious when I say stuff like that.” I try not to roll my eyes. “He and I have been friends for a long time. I’m actually worried about him.”
“Okay,” James says carefully. “You’re weird, Addie.”
I can’t help but laugh a little. “Why am I weird? And hey, stop calling me Addie—you know how much I hate that—”
“Yeah, and I still don’t know why.” He cuts me off. “Mom always used to call you Addie—”
“Well Mom’s dead, isn’t she?” My voice has gone hard. My hands are clenched. And when I see the look on James’s face, I’m instantly sorry for being so harsh. I release my fists. Take a deep breath.
James swallows hard. “Sorry,” he says quietly.
I nod, look away. “Yeah. Me too.” I pull a shirt on over my head. “So Kenji’s gone then, huh? I can’t believe he’d just leave like that.”
“Why would Kenji be gone?” James asks. “I thought you said you didn’t even know if he w—”
“But I thought you said—”
We stop. Stare at each other.
James is the first to speak. “I said Warner is gone. Everyone is saying he escaped last night.”
Just the sound of his name and I’m already pissed off. “Stay here,” I say, pointing at James and grabbing my boots.
“But—”
“Don’t move until I get back!” I shout before bolting out the door.
That bastard. I can’t believe this.
I’m pounding on Castle’s door when Ian spots me on his way down the hall.
“He’s not in there,” Ian says, still walking.
I catch his arm. “Is it true? Did Warner really get out?”
Ian sighs. Shoves his hands into his pockets. Finally, he nods.
I want to put my fist through the wall.
“I gotta go suit up,” Ian says, breaking away. “And you should, too. We’re heading out after breakfast.”
“Are you serious?” I say. “We’re still heading out to fight—even with all this shit going on?”
“Of course we are,” Ian snaps at me. “You know we can’t wait any longer. The supreme isn’t going to reschedule his plans to launch an attack on the civilians. It’s too late to back out now.”
“But what about Warner?” I demand. “We’re not going to try and find him?”
“Maybe.” Ian shrugs. “See if you can find him on the battlefield.”
“Jesus.” I’m so filled with rage I can hardly see straight. “I could kill Castle for letting this happen—for being so goddamn soft with him—”
“Rein it in, man.” Ian cuts me off. “We’ve got other problems. And hey”—he grabs my shoulder, looks me in the eye—“you’re not the only one who’s pissed at Castle. But now’s not the time.”
I shake him off, shoot him a dark look, and charge back down the hall.
James has all sorts of questions when I get back, but I’m still so angry I’m not ready to deal with him. It doesn’t seem to matter; James is stubborn as hell. I’m strapping on holsters and locking my weapons into place and he won’t back down.
“But then what did he say?” James is asking. “After you said we should find Warner?”
I adjust my pants, tighten the laces on my boots.
James taps my arm. “Adam.” He taps my arm again. “Did he know where Castle was?” Another tap. “Did he say what time you guys had to leave today?” More tapping. “Adam when are y—”
I pick him up and he squeaks; I place him in a far corner of the room.
“Addie—”
I throw a blanket over his head.
James shouts and struggles with the blanket until he manages to pull it off and throw it down. He’s red in the face and his fists are clenched and he’s finally mad.