“Me too.”
Jared guided me toward a cluster of towering evergreens, and we ducked beneath them.
“How did you find me?”
“Elle helped us.”
“Elle?” I hadn’t spoken to my best friend since the day I called her weeks ago and told her about the Legion, and my role in it. That was before I released Andras and the prison fell, before my aunt had me shipped off to Winterhaven.
Jared wrapped his arms around me, tucking my head under his chin. “She tried to get your aunt to tell her where she sent you, but the only thing Elle could get out of her was that you were somewhere in Pennsylvania. Luckily, it was enough to get Lukas started. He hacked into the admissions records of every boarding school in the state until he found you.”
“There must be dozens.”
“Seventy-four. That’s why it took so long.” He sounded apologetic, as if this was somehow his fault instead of mine. “We started with the most logical schools, then Luke hit them alphabetically. None of us thought she’d send you to a place like this.”
“My aunt thinks I ran away.”
Jared took my hand. “Then let’s prove her right and get out of here.”
I stiffened. “I can’t leave.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be more careful this time.”
“I’m not afraid of getting caught.” I closed my eyes, dreading the next part. “I don’t belong with the four of you.”
The real members of the Legion.
“You belong with me. No matter what,” he said.
“I could’ve gotten you all killed. And who knows how many people Andras has hurt already. Dozens by my count.”
“It’s not your—”
“Then whose fault is it?” My voice rose. “Because someone let him out, and I was the only person in that cell.”
“You didn’t decide alone. All five of us were there, and we told you to put the Shift together.” Jared’s hand tightened around mine. “Come on. You’re not staying here.”
I wanted to leave with him more than anything, but the stakes were too high. What if I made another mistake and Jared or one of my friends paid the price?
A sick feeling settled in my stomach. “You guys have to find a way to stop Andras. If I screw up again, someone could get hurt.”
Or worse.
Jared let my hand slip from his. “There’s something I need to tell you, but I don’t know how.”
“You can tell me anything.”
Jared didn’t say a word for what felt like minutes. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded far away. “Your mother’s death was a mistake. It never should’ve happened.” He still couldn’t forgive himself for accidentally leading the demon to my mom and the other Legion members.
“It was an accident,” I said. “You have to let it go.”
“You don’t understand,” he said quietly. “You were right all along.”
He wasn’t making any sense. “About what?”
“Your mother was never a member of the Legion.”
4. DEMON SLAYER
The ground seemed to shift beneath my feet.
“You’re wrong.” I doubted the words, even as they left my lips. “A vengeance spirit killed my mom on the same night the other Legion members were murdered. And she died exactly the same way.”
“I wrote your mother’s name on the list with the other Legion members. That’s the only reason Andras hunted her down. It’s my fault.” Jared slammed his fist into the tree next to him. He punched it over and over, a hit for each word. “Everything. Is. My. God. Damned. Fault.”
I caught his arm. “You’re not making any sense. Where is this coming from?”
“We figured there had to be a reason why you didn’t get your mark after you destroyed Darien Shears’ spirit. Lukas started digging and realized I made a mistake. When I found your mom’s name and she fit the profile of the missing member, I stopped looking. But there was someone else. Lukas found a birth certificate.”
It felt like I was rubbing salt on my wrist and staring at my unmarked skin, all over again. I had doubted my mom’s involvement from the beginning. I still remembered the first time Lukas and Jared told me she was part of secret society—and that I was destined to take her place.
“At least we know why I didn’t get a mark.”
Because I don’t belong.
Even though I’d spent the last nineteen days repeating those words in my head, I wasn’t ready to say them out loud.
“Listen to me.” Jared grabbed my shoulders, looking down at me. “You didn’t get your mark because the fifth member is still alive. It’s someone else in your family.”
“But there’s no one—” The words slipped away from me, as the realization untangled itself in my mind. If my mom wasn’t a member of the Legion… that only left one possibility.
It can’t be him. Anyone but him.
My knees buckled. “She can’t be dead because of him.”
“Who?” Jared sounded confused.
“My dad. He left when I was young and we never heard from him again.” The words came flooding out, my thoughts struggling to catch up. “It killed my mom and broke her heart.”
And mine.
“Shh. Listen to me.” Jared cradled my face in his hands. “It’s not your father. My uncle said the missing member was a woman.”