In The Afterlight

“Why did you let Liam go out?” I demanded. “He wasn’t even armed.”

He threw his hands up into the air. “They’re freaking Blues! Oh my God, Ruby, you have to—look, never mind, it’s not—”

“I have to what?”

Chubs gave me a narrow look, one I turned right back on him.

“Okay, look,” he said, beginning with a deep breath. “However you want to define what’s between you and Lee, that’s none of my business. And, honestly, it’s stressful trying to keep up with the circles you run around each other. It becomes my business when one of my best friends starts treating the other the way you’ve been treating him lately.”

“What do you mean?”

“Holding him at arm’s length. You’re just...here, but not here, you know?” he said. “Even when you’re with us, you’re not even really present. You zone out, you dodge topics, you hold back. And every once in a while you’ll just...disappear. Is there something else you’re not telling us?”

“You’ve been so busy picking apart everything I do, but you don’t seem to have any idea what that is. I’m disappearing?” I said. “Try training, to make sure I don’t make an ass out of myself getting these kids in shape. Try planning, to make sure no one gets hurt or killed. Try dealing with Clancy, because no one else can.”

My voice had dropped to a furious whisper and the force of it had clearly stunned him. He reached out, taking my shoulder, his expression going soft as mine went hard. I hated the way he was studying me.

“I just want you to talk to us,” he said. “I know it can’t be like before, but I miss it. I miss...” Chubs shook his head. “I didn’t mean to jump down your throat.”

“Well, you did,” I said with a sigh.

“Because you needed to hear it from someone,” Chubs said. “From my perspective, you’ve thrown your hat in with the Asshole Brother—which, fine. But don’t forget who’s been pushing for these camp hits to happen basically from the second we arrived at East River. Don’t you remember? Liam thought he had it all figured out and was all Lee-like because he was working and making a difference and seeing some kind of result in the kids around him. You have to let him do something, Ruby. What I want to know is, are you upset that Liam went out without getting your permission?”

I shook my head in disbelief, thoughts as tangled as my feelings. “Because it’s dangerous! Because he could be captured or killed! And I can’t—” The words choked off and I was surprised by the rush of emotion that slammed into me. Frustration, anger, and, above all, fear. “I can’t lose another person....”

Chubs let out a long breath and tucked me into his arms, giving me his usual awkward-but-caring pats. I pressed my hands against his back, holding him tighter, remembering the rush of elation I’d felt when I’d seen him for the first time in months and finally known that he’d survived. The texture of the memory had changed, becoming like a fading sunbeam. He wasn’t saying any of this to be accusatory or cruel; he just wanted us to be safe and together, but he wasn’t thinking that far into the future. Chubs’s whole focus was on our little circle, but mine couldn’t be, not anymore. I had fight against that instinct and consider everyone.

“He’s just one person, I know, but he’s our person,” he said, like he’d read my thoughts. “And, the truth is, I think we need to be focused on Zu. We have to try to get the full story out of her about what happened to that guy she was traveling with. I don’t think it’s going to be as simple as waiting until she’s ready to talk about it.”

I nodded, leaning back against the wall, watching her as she sat between Hina and Lucy. Her eyes were focused on the floor, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her legs tucked under her.

“It wasn’t a mistake to bring them here, was it?” I asked. “The young ones? I won’t let them fight, but I can’t shake the feeling that this is going to hurt them in ways I can’t see yet.”

“We can’t protect them from this, not if we’re determined to give them a choice. That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? Giving them and the next wave of kids a shot at a better life than what we had. To come out of hiding.”

Yes—that was it exactly. The freedom that came hand-in-hand with being able to make choices about our lives once our abilities were gone. The freedom to live where we wanted to, with whomever we wanted to, and to not be scared of every passing shadow. For kids not to grow up with the fear that one day they might not wake from their sleep, or that they’d blink out like a light bulb in the middle of an otherwise normal day.

I knew, just as Cole did, that the only way we were going to come out of the other side of this successfully was through force. A real fight. But the cost...I looked around again, taking in the sight of their animated faces, and tried to absorb their faint chatter and laughter to ease the grip of fear around my ribs. I couldn’t have both, could I? I couldn’t get my battle without acknowledging that there was a damn decent chance that not all of these kids would live to benefit from winning.

“I want it so bad, Ruby. I want to go home, see my parents, and walk around my neighborhood in broad daylight. I want to go to school, so even if they hold my abilities over me, they can’t deny me things because I’m not educated. That’s enough for me. I know it’s not going to be easy, and I know I’m going to be lucky to make it through alive, but it’s worth it, if I can just have that.” Chubs was quiet for a moment before saying, quietly, “Everything will be worth it, and we’re going to be around to see it.”