Infinity Reaper (Infinity Cycle #2) - Adam Silvera Page 0,61

enthusiasm clearly isn’t shared by anyone else in the room.

It’s almost as if everyone would rather see me dead than alive with power.

Twenty-Four

Infinity Savior

BRIGHTON

It wasn’t a dream.

I sit up in bed and the thin white scar above my bicep proves every nightmarish thing I went through in the middle of the night to get my powers. I don’t know what was the final push to access them—the Cloaked Phantom? Near death? Sex with someone I wanted to live for? Time?—but I’m not questioning this victory. I take a selfie on my phone to document this historic morning. I don’t upload it yet. Timing is really important when it comes to social media, and my mind is already spinning with possibilities on the Brighton of New York feature that will show the world my humble beginnings on my journey to becoming the strongest specter ever.

Prudencia must’ve woken up already, so I get dressed to find her.

The glorious smell of breakfast doesn’t make me nauseous today, and Wesley is in the kitchen spreading peanut butter and jelly on some bagels beside a steaming plate of hash browns, a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice, and bowls of sliced cantaloupe and kiwis.

“Morning, Super Specter,” Wesley says before turning his attention to the empty baby bottle that’s boiling in the pot. “Good sleep?”

“Does it count as sleep if I passed out because my body overheated from phoenix fire?”

“Whatever it was, you did more of it than the rest of us,” Wesley says. “Esther wouldn’t stop crying. I had to take her for a run.”

“Perfect segue. Judging by Dione’s powers I know swift-speed works differently for specters and celestials, but you mind giving me some pointers later? I need to get all my abilities in shape.”

Wesley finishes making a plate of food and grabs one of the sterilized bottles. “I’m only saying yes so you can take Esther on a nighttime run the next time you wake her up. Emil’s down at the beach if you want to bring him some breakfast. You should definitely eat everything you can. You’ll need the energy for all the running around.”

He goes back toward his room and someone shifts on the couch. Prudencia is asleep in her Every Body Is Super shirt with her hair hanging off the cushion. Why didn’t she stay in bed with me? Did she stay up talking about me with Emil? I won’t bother her now, but it’s one of many questions I got to ask her. She never explained what brought her to my room last night. I thought we might talk about it after having sex, but she put some clothes back on, wrapped my arm around her, and went to sleep.

I prepare breakfast plates and carry them down to the beach on a tray. Any other day I would’ve complained about how hot the sun is but this is nothing compared to being encased in phoenix fire hours ago. Emil is standing in the water, the waves crashing against his already-tight jeans, which are going to be impossible to take off when drenched. I call his name three times before he finally hears me over the wind.

He’s dripping as he walks over. “How are you feeling?”

I set down the tray and hand him his plate with the bagel and extra fruit.

“I feel ready to put this new lease on life to good use. The sooner I can figure out these powers, the sooner we can make a move against the Blood Casters.” I believe in the stars now more than ever and I pray to every last one that Ma hasn’t been killed because of me. Especially not after how horrible I was to her on our last phone call. “Maybe we can save our mother.”

Emil stops reaching for his breakfast as if he’s lost his appetite thinking about Ma’s fate. Not having an answer is unsettling, and I keep assuming the worst but I can’t operate that way until we know for sure. I’m not giving in to the grief because it’ll make me weak and powerless like when Dad died. Not when I stand to be stronger and more powerful than ever—than anyone.

“I want to save her too, but we can’t rush into this. My powers aren’t working and you’re new to yours. If something has happened to Ma, then—”

“Then we make sure they don’t get away with it,” I interrupt.

Emil lets out a deep sigh. “By locking them up in the Bounds, right? You need my help