nothing. Next to me, Tyton forces out a scoff. “I beg your pardon?” I sputter.
She merely brushes her braid over one shoulder, gesturing for us to walk on.
“I’m so good at saving your life, I might as well get paid for it.”
Three hours later, the sun begins its early descent in the mountains, fading fast over the western range. The sweat cools on my skin, sending a shiver over me as I towel off, walking back down toward the premier’s palace. Evangeline casts annoyed looks over her shoulder, willing me to hurry up. She didn’t care for the electricon sparring session. She knows what it’s like to fight one of us—seeing the combined might of four was probably a shock for her. Rafe and Tyton follow me at a slower pace, talking to each other. Their voices echo down the mountainside, away from the electricon sparring ground upslope. Ella keeps close to my side, a towel over her shoulder and a grin on her lips. Overhead, an electric storm turns and whirls, weakening with every passing second. Soon it will be just a whisper, a shadow against the pale pink sky.
“When do you move out of the estate?” Ella asks, her blue hair vibrant against the sunlight. Her dye is fresh. Mine, not so much. The purple ends of my hair have gone dull, with bits of gray fading through.
“After the gala,” I reply. The excitement in my voice is real. “It’ll be good to finally get our own space.” After nearly a year of barracks and borrowed rooms, I know my family is eager to have a home once more.
Ella smiles kindly. “You living lakeside or slopeside?”
I curl a piece of hair around my finger, enjoying the feeling of soreness after good workout. My muscles ache and my blood sings. “Slope. The lake town house they offered was beautiful, but I like being up high.”
Where I can see, where no one can sneak up on me.
She nods, thoughtful. “How is the family adjusting?”
“Better than expected. They like it here. And what’s the alternative?” The Stilts? I almost laugh. None of us would return to that trash heap, not for anything short of Shade’s return. The odd thought sobers me, and any delight from the training session fades away.
Ella notes my sudden change in mood. Her excitable air fades with my happiness, and we both lapse into easy silence.
In spite of the memories always threatening to surface, I like being here too. With my family, with newbloods like me. With people who believe the world can change, because they’ve done it already. It makes the future look less daunting.
At the rear gates to the palace, the other electricons break off. Rafe waves first, his brown skin taking on a golden edge in the sunshine. “Same time tomorrow?”
“If our schedule allows,” Tyton mutters.
Ella elbows him in the ribs, trying to draw a smile from the taciturn man. “Of course, Ty, how could we forget? You with your important meetings all week, whispering and dealing—”
“Wining and dining!” Rafe crows, blowing Tyton a kiss. Like Ella’s, his green hair is freshly dyed. “Tomorrow, loves!”
“Tomorrow,” I echo, watching them go. I swear I’ll make time tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll keep sane otherwise.
Evangeline taps her foot loudly, impatient as ever. She inspects her nails, for once free of metal claws. “You Reds are always so sentimental.”
“You should try it.” I roll my eyes, pushing past her and into the still-lush grounds of the palace. Carmadon hasn’t neglected an inch of his husband’s government home. Guards nod at us as we go, looking impressive in their dark green coats and polished boots. Evangeline even nods back to a few, both Red and Silver. I wonder if she’s starting to make friends in her new home—if she’s even capable of making friends.
“Well, do you feel better, at least?” she asks, her breath fogging in the crisp air. Leaves crunch beneath our feet.
“Are you my bodyguard or my mother?” I grumble, meeting only her twisted smirk. “Yes, I feel better.”
“Good. It’s easier to protect people with a clear head.” She taps her hands together, her rings clinging together like bells. “So it’s been a while.”
“Two months,” I echo, not knowing what else to say.
“You certainly seemed like you needed the time away.”
Her eyes rove over me, as if she can see through my clothes all the way to my bones. Evangeline remembers what I looked like before, the last time I saw her. She had been in