The Darkest Legacy (Darkest Min - Alexandra Bracken Page 0,167

right.”

“Of course,” I began. But the words were drowned out by the crunch of wheels on dirt and loose rocks.

“That can’t be Vida—it’s too soon,” Liam said, struggling to push himself up. I helped steady him, letting him use my shoulder as a crutch. Before either of us could make it to the door, Roman was already at the window again, nudging the curtain back.

Liam glanced down at me, mouthing, Where did you find this kid?

I bristled. We were lucky one of us was at least trying to stay on guard. I was not going to entertain mocking Roman for being ready to do the necessary thing—the thing that inwardly ate away at him.

Liam looked between us, and my face warmed under his close scrutiny.

“Don’t,” I warned, just as he raised a brow and said, “Reaaally?”

For a second, under all the strain and scruff, Liam actually looked like his old self.

“It’s safe,” Roman said, stepping back and holding the curtain aside for us to see for ourselves.

I only needed one look at the dark figure that stepped out of the car and cast an anxious look up at the front of the house. I slipped out from under Liam’s arm and ran for the door, throwing it open hard enough to startle Chubs.

“Good God!” he said, clutching at his chest as I flew toward him. “As if I haven’t spent the last few days in enough terror for you, you’re the one who almost does me in—”

I all but tackled him. “Are you okay? Where have you been?”

“Where have I been?” he said, hugging me so hard that he lifted me off my feet.

“They said you disappeared on the news—I thought they took you in for questioning, or you were being punished because of me—”

“It didn’t even come to that,” he promised, finally setting me back down. His hands landed on my shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. I reached up to straighten the glasses I’d knocked askew on his nose. “Cate smuggled me out of the city in her trunk before they announced the dissolution of the Psi Council. A good thing, too. After what happened last night, they would have put all of us in a hole and left us there.”

Horror flooded through me. “You mean what happened at Moore’s facility?”

“His facility—?” Chubs shook his head. “I hadn’t even heard about that. No, someone tried to blow up Joseph Moore’s motorcade through Chicago, and then someone else succeeded in killing a UN envoy that was headed there to investigate.”

I released a heavy breath, closing my eyes. “Let me take a wild guess about who they pinned it on….”

He gripped my hand.

“Someone at the FBI falsely leaked to the independent media that it was the Psion Ring,” he said. “The other Council members are trying to regroup with a few former Children’s League members to try to come up with a plan, but when I finally got a hold of Lucas, he said to just come straight here. Now I see why.”

My heart gave an anxious thump as the front door creaked open.

“Well, I don’t think I was the only reason,” I said, stepping to the side.

Liam limped forward to the edge of the porch, gripping the railing. He struggled to guard his expression, even as his jaw worked back and forth. Chubs straightened, smoothing his hands down his neat sweater and slacks.

I took another step back, worried that I might have to knock both of their heads together.

But then Chubs turned his palms up at his sides and lifted his arms out in front of him.

“Come on,” he said softly, “don’t fight the twirl.”

A small smile worked its way over Liam’s lips. “Only if you promise not to drop me this time.”

“Only if you promise we can stop talking in stupid euphemisms,” Chubs said, “and you let me look at whatever horrific injury you managed to give yourself.”

“All right, all right,” Liam said. “Come on in. I’ll let you fuss over me for a few minutes.”

Chubs made his way up the porch steps, walking toward Liam’s outstretched arm and slinging it over his shoulder under the guise of supporting him. “Honestly, if you’d just be a little more careful…”

“And,” I whispered, trailing behind them, “they’re back.”

VIDA ROLLED UP TO THE house a half hour later. She blew in with the force of a gale, beating the actual thunderstorm that was flirting with the horizon. A piece of bread fell out of Max’s mouth when she announced herself by