Page 72 of Ghosts of the Dead

My fingers tighten around the hilt of my blade. I can’t afford to hesitate now. Summer might be on the other side of this.

I step closer, then pause two feet from the entrance when a low whine cuts through the silence. There’s a rustling behind me. I spin around with my knife raised.

Luna bounds into the clearing, her amber eyes reflectingthe moonlight as she races toward me. She skids to a halt at my feet, whining and pressing her front paws against my stomach. Her claws scratch my skin, but her tail thrashes with ferocity.

“Luna?” I lower my knife and run my free hand through her fur. “How did you?—”

A twig snaps in the darkness, and I spin around, keeping Luna behind me.

“She’s a better tracker than all of us combined,” a familiar voice says.

Mars steps into the moonlight, his unbuttoned flannel shirt revealing the bruises on his chest, and the abs of steel that almost distracts me from my mission. Almost.

“Would’ve said something sooner, but I figured you’d stab first and apologize later.” Mars grins at his joke, but we both know he’s probably not wrong.

Jace and Caspian emerge next. They don’t look surprised, but they sure look pissed and disappointed.

Perfect. This ought to be fun.

“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” Jace says. His dark eyes scan the surrounding area before settling back on me.

“You don’t get to push me away, then follow me like this,” I snap at him. “Don’t pretend this is about safety. It’s about you, it always is.”

Caspian says nothing, but his eyes never leave my knife. The gray fabric of his t-shirt almost glows against his pale skin in the moonlight. I sheath my blade, and he breathes a sigh of relief.

I take a step back to put space between us. Luna stays by my side, her body tense as she senses conflict. She looks up at the rotter on the scaffolding above and growls.

I lift my chin and address the guys. “I’m going to meet Lucy. She has answers I need.”

“You should have told us instead of sneaking off on your own,” Jace growls out.

“Would you have let me go?”

Silence.

That’s what I thought.

“I’m not waiting anymore. You don’t get to stop me from finding my sister.”

“That’s not what we’re doing.” Jace runs a hand down his face in frustration.

“We’re not trying to stop you,” Mars says. His voice is gentler now. “We’re trying to keep you alive. That’s been our main goal for this whole time.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I thought your main goal was to find my sister so you can bring me back to your compound.”

“You’re right, it was,” Mars says.

“Then what changed?”

Mars’s face falls and his shoulders slump with defeat. His black eyes are heavy and pleading. “You did, purple. You happened. You changed us. I don’t even care if you hate us for this, but you’re stuck with us now, and I’ll lock you in a cage and throw away the damn key if that’s the only way to keep you safe.”

“Or we could do something less drastic, like follow Lucy. You know, the only lead we currently have?” I point out.

“We tried to follow earlier, but she got away,” Caspian says in a quiet voice. “For all we know, she could be one of the people who took Summer. We’re not handing you over like a gift on a silver platter. If she was telling the truth about knowing Summer, then she’ll come back, and we’ll be more prepared. All we needed was some time.”

Jace sighs. “We can’t stop you. That much is clear. You’re the most stubborn and hard-headed person I’ve ever met, and that’s including me. If you’re going, then we’re going, too.”

I sigh in defeat. “Fine, but I’m still mad at you.”

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