Page 20 of Burdened Bonds
Winnie grimaces. “Back at the academy.”
Azlan thinks for precisely one second. “Let’s go!”
“We’re going all the way back to the academy for a car?” I say. “Doesn’t your uncle own about twenty cars?”
“This car’s special.” Winnie grins. “It’s been modified. It’ll get us there in half the time. Maybe quicker with a bit of help.”
I stare at Winnie Wence. Until she ended up roommates with Rhi, she’d hardly said boo to a goose. Now I’m discovering she has an illegal car that she’s been housing on school grounds.
“Let’s go then,” Azlan grunts. We all nod our heads stepping towards him. All except Tristan. He stays exactly where he is.
“I need to …” He glances towards the dining room. “I need to wait for my father. I need to tell him …” He trails off.
“About your mom?” Ellie asks, and he nods.
“So you’re not coming?” Azlan spits.
“I will come. I’ll catch up with you. I’ll find you.”
Azlan snorts. “Sure you will.”
“I want to find her just as badly as you do.” Tristan scowls at his older cousin. “I want her safe. But … but …” His eyes flick to the dining room a second time. “I owe it to my mom to break the news to my dad.”
Azlan gives his younger cousin a hard stare. “Your dad is–”
“I know what my dad is, Azlan. I’m not doing it for him. I’m doing it for her. I can’t just leave her body,” he swallows, “I need to know he’ll take care of things. Of her. That he’ll give her a proper burial.”
Ellie rests a hand on his arm.
“Fine,” Azlan huffs. “You can keep an eye on Ellie.”
“What?” Ellie says, outraged. “I’m coming with you.”
“You’re not. You’re staying here. This house is probably the safest place in the republic right now.”
“That’s what they said about the academy,” Trent mutters.
“You don’t know his uncle,” I mutter.
“I’m not staying here. I’m coming with you,” Ellie insists, striding towards the door. Her brother intercepts her, landing his heavy grip on both her shoulders.
“You’re not. You’re staying here with Tristan where it’s safe.” Ellie goes to argue again, but then Azlan leans in to whisper in her ear and her steely disposition melts into something softer, her eyes darting to their cousin. She nods.
“How will we keep in contact?” she asks.
We all look at each other. I guess we’ve relied on mobile phones for too long. All of us struggling to come up with an alternative method of communication now the towers are down.
“I have some old walkie talkies back in my room,” Trent finally offers.
Tristan peers up from his thoughts. “I think I may have an old one from back when I was a kid.”
“Go find it,” I instruct him.
“And use the fifth frequency,” Trent adds.
Then Azlan’s already through the door, not hanging about for any more discussion. The rest of us hurry after him. As we step outside, I realize there are still no sounds of battle booming across the sky, no more magic exploding overhead. Does that mean it really is all over?
“What the fuck is happening out there?” Spencer says, staring out towards the burning buildings of the capital. “Is it over? Did we win or did we lose?”
