“It was always important to Maddy,” I told Hank with quiet dignity. “She knew there was more to it. She said Aspen would never have taken her own life.”
Gina patted my hand twice, then drew her arm back.
“In all likelihood, it was Argaud who made the gun and, yes, he probably forced her to shoot herself. What I want to know is why?” Hank frowned. “My guess is she either outlived her usefulness or was breaking through his hold.”
“We could go to the Box and ask Reilly a few questions.” Gina looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“If the Council votes for a lockdown, we aren’t going anywhere,” he reminded her.
“If the Council votes for a lockdown, it might be a good idea not to be trapped here.” I drummed my fingertips on the table. “You two could do far more good out in the Real World than stuck here with us kiddies.”
Looking from Gina’s face to Hank’s, I narrowed my eyes.
“You’re planning that, anyway, aren’t you?”
“Well, we need to be going.” Hank stood and held his hand out to Gina.
“Lovely talking with you, Tara.” She took his hand and got up, too. “Why don’t you and John join us for dinner one evening? Travis, too. You have Hank’s phone number, right?”
“Yes.” I stood and walked with them to the door. “I’ll talk to John and get back to you. I doubt Travis will come, but I’ll ask him.”
“Yes, I’m worried about that boy.”
She wasn’t the only one. Travis sunk deeper into depression by the hour, and the residual enthrallment taint only made the situation worse. Most of the time, he snapped and snarled like an injured animal until even John’s patience wore thin.
Understandable, though. If it had been John who died instead of Maddy—
“Anyway,” Gina broke into my grim thoughts, “send Hank a text letting us know which day.”
“I will.”
Hank tucked her arm in his and led her down the sidewalk. Before they turned the corner, she looked back at me and winked.
They aredefinitelyplanning to skip out before a lockdown.
That made me feel a little better. I had no doubts that Kerry would find Gemma. Even if he had to raze Heaven or raise Hell, he’d get her back. With Gina and Hank’s help, it might happen even faster. So, while I wished John and I could help with that, I knew we had important work to do here.
And Travis needs us right now, whether he wants to admit it or not.
#
Travis
Kerry Harker was going to regret what he did.
We should have known better than to trust him. A cold-blooded killer and demon-tainted, he didn’t even understand mercy. I doubt he even grieved for Maddy, but her death would be avenged. I was going to make sure of it.
A quiet voice in my head reminded me it wasn’t Kerry’s fault. He’d asked us all to go and we’d each said yes. She could have declined. Any of us could have.
He protected her, remember?the voice whispered.When Argaud attacked her at the Halloween dance. He took a bullet for her. In fact, he took five of them.
I shook my head and swiped a hand through the air near my ear, as if I could swat those memories away.
“He was showing off for Gemma. That’s all. He didn’t care about Maddy. He cares about himself and Gemma and no one else.”
Gemma could be hurt. Your other friends, too. Any of them, evenallof them, could be killed.
That jab found its mark. Gemma had been kindness itself to me, overlooking or forgiving how I was part of Arguad’s plan to terrorize and enthrall her. As for the others, they’d never so much as mentioned my taint, even though I knew at least two of them could sense it. They’d been my friends since that day at the pool when Kerry had saved me, Gemma had healed me, and Maddy had—
