Asher.
I slammed my hands against the window, but the sirens wailed and the crowd swallowed him, and we drove away before I could call his name.
The headlights cut a swath through the dark night of our driveway. The house was still and silent when we entered. It was only this morning when I’d been here last, but it felt like I was returning from an epic journey. I’d learned things about my past that changed the way I thought about myself and my life. I saw things differently now.
“I’ll make us some tea,” Aunt Jo said, padding off to the kitchen.
“Shouldn’t I?” I called after her.
“You saved my life,” she called back. “It’s the least I can do.”
Raven and I were alone in the living room, curled up on the couch. Moonlight spilled through the plate glass windows, and the jagged outline of the mountains cast shadows on the floor.
“How am I going to tell her what we saw?” I wondered aloud, half to myself. “How am I supposed to tell her that Aaron’s still in danger? That he was married? Oh my god—that he has a daughter?”
“You’ll find a way,” Raven said. She reached out to place a hand on my back, and patted it awkwardly. “You always do. That’s what you do best. Make the people around you feel better.” She paused, and took her hand away. “Did that help? I’ve never understood why people pat each other’s backs. It seems so unnatural to me. Just unnecessary physical contact.”
I laughed.
“What? What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” I paused. “Did you notice anything weird about those police officers? Almost like they were—” And then, in a flash, I realized why they seemed so familiar. “Raven, they were—”
“Girls?” Aunt Jo called from the kitchen. “I think I hear the door. Will you go see who it is?”
Raven raised her eyebrows at me. I got up and crept warily to the front door. Who could it be so late on a weeknight? And on the night of the fire, of all nights. I braced myself.
“Your house is so big!” Earth was staring up at me with round eyes. “We got in the car as soon as you left.” She brushed past me into the house. “Can I sleep in your room?”
“I— What?” I looked back at the doorstep. Aaron hesitated, a duffel bag in his hands.
“The thing is,” he said, “I thought about it, and I guess we’re safer here with you than out there in Rocky Pines all alone, so . . .” He looked cautiously behind me. “Is she . . . ?”
“Come in.” I smiled. My entire body flooded with relief. I knew he would come. I knew it. Maybe Cassie was infecting me with her love of happy endings. I made a mental note to tell her.
“Hey, hon? Who is it?” Aunt Jo came into the hallway, wiping her hands on her jeans. When she and Aaron saw each other, they stopped short. “Oh,” she said faintly, one hand moving to rest on her heart.
Aaron let the duffel bag fall to the floor with a soft thud. “Josephine,” he whispered.
“I found him,” I said, looking back and forth between the two Rogues. They stood there, motionless.
“I see,” Aunt Jo said quietly. She looked down suddenly, as if remembering there were other people in the room. Earth was standing by her feet, squinting up at her with her little hands on her hips.
“Boy was he nervous to see you,” she said.
“Earth!” Aaron said, turning purple with embarrassment.
“What? She doesn’t look so scary in person.”
“Watch it.” Aaron looked like he wanted to crawl into his duffel bag. He smoothed his dark waves back and looked at Aunt Jo sheepishly.
“Oops,” said Earth. “Did I eat my shoe?”
“Well, hello to you too.” Aunt Jo laughed, a little dazed. “I’m Josephine.”
“I’m Earth,” Earth said. Aunt Jo looked up at Aaron in wonder.
“And I take it you met Skye.”
“Oh, yeah,” she said. “We’re sharing a room.” She waved a hand in my direction. “Don’t worry, we’re cool.”
Aaron laughed uncomfortably. “I guess we have a lot to catch up on.”
That seemed to snap Aunt Jo back to reality.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, come in. Can I get you anything to drink? I just brewed some tea.” She put her hands on her knees and crouched to Earth’s level. “And I could whip up some hot chocolate, easy peasy.”
Earth looked apologetic. “I already brushed my teeth,” she said with a shrug.
“Good kid,” Aunt Jo said, patting her on the head.
Earth giggled. “I’m not a dog. Oh, but—Milo is in the car. Can he come in?”
“Milo?” Aunt Jo asked skeptically.
“Our attack dog.”
Half an hour later we were all sitting in the living room, mugs of tea (and one hot chocolate) clasped in our hands, Milo snoozing on the rug.
“I was closing up at the store, and all of a sudden I smelled smoke. When I walked out of the office, the whole front of the store was up in flames.” She stared out the window and shook her head. “All of it. Gone. My whole life’s work.”
“It wasn’t a cigarette or something, left in the trash?” Aaron looked concerned. He was sitting next to Aunt Jo—a good foot between them—and seemed unsure of what to do with his limbs: his arm was draped along the back of the couch, then it was in his lap; his legs were crossed and then they weren’t. Raven seemed oblivious, but Earth caught my eye and rolled hers, like, parents, what are ya gonna do with them? She was pretty astute for a seven-year-old.
“No,” Aunt Jo said, shooting a sideways glance in my direction. “I gave up smoking years ago. It’s bad for you, Skye, don’t do it.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “No arguments here. So you think it was an attack?”
I was met with an uncomfortable silence.
“Well, I’ll say it. I thought the same thing.” Raven flung her glossy hair over her shoulder. “That was no accident. Skye and I were off trying to convince a powerful Rogue—who himself, I might add, is watched every day by Guardians—to come back with us? The Order must have taken that opportunity to pounce. It’s definitely a warning.”
“I think you’re right, Raven,” Aunt Jo said, leaning forward. “It’s starting. The Order has made their position perfectly clear. They’re on the offensive.”
“I thought we’d be safe here,” Aaron muttered.
“Safer than in Rocky Pines!” Aunt Jo countered.
“Wait,” I cut in. Something didn’t sit right with me. The vision, the fire, the strange police officers . . . and Asher, watching me as we drove off. My heart sank. “It wasn’t the Order,” I said. Everyone looked up at me. I knew what I was about to say would change everything. “Those police officers looked familiar for a reason—they were Rebels. It was the Rebellion.”
“Are you sure, Skye?” Aunt Jo asked, the worry crease returning.
“Definitely. Fire? That’s a signature Rebel power—the Order can’t do that. And I was able to protect us both against it with my own powers of the dark. It wasn’t the Order this time. It was the Rebellion, for sure.”
Aaron seemed bewildered. “Even back in the day—” He glanced at Aunt Jo. “It was mostly the Guardians who were after us.”
“This is so much bigger than what we were doing then,” Aunt Jo said. Her voice was suddenly so small. “Skye is grown now. She has come so fully into her powers. With her at the helm, we really do stand a chance.”
“That’s what we thought last time, too,” said Aaron. His hand moved automatically from his lap to Aunt Jo’s knee. Without thinking, she placed her own hand on top of his. Earth and I shared another look, but this time neither of us smiled. “I’m here,” he said. “Earth and I are going to help you, however we can.”