from the other side of a cluster of trees.
My blood ran cold. Had she reneged already? “Er, James—” “Oh, right.” James patted Cupcake’s furry neck and focused on Lux. “Speaking of broken jaws, in exchange for letting you go, Ella wanted you and Casey to look after Cupcake while hers heals.”
Lux swore. “Why us?”
“You are the one who punched her, aren’t you?” James shrugged. “I’d do it if I were you, man. You know what Ella’s like when she’s pissed off.”
Lux grumbled something unintelligible and stepped forward. “I swear, if you try to take a bite out of me again, next time I’ll aim for your neck.”
Cupcake whimpered, and I frowned. “Hey—play nice.”
James handed Lux a burlap sack stuffed to the brim with what looked like beef jerky. “Cupcake’s things. Ella said she’ll pick her up when she has the time.”
“Yeah, in another blood century,” muttered Lux, and Ja Cd Lp when shmes shrugged.
“Not much I can do about it. Kate, I’ll see you in a few. Take care of yourself, Lux.”
But Lux didn’t seem to be listening. He was already a good ten paces in front of me, and I gave James an apologetic look. “Lux, wait!”
I raced to catch up with him, and he slowed down, but only barely. “Bloody dog. We’ll never get rid of the damn thing now,” said Lux, moving through the woods without making a sound. “At least James isn’t all bad. No idea why he treats us so well.”
“Maybe because that’s the kind of person he is.” I crashed across the forest floor, having to run to keep up with his long strides. If Walter wanted to track us down, I was making it embarrassingly easy. Not that Cupcake’s loud footsteps were helping much either.
Lux scoffed. “They like to pretend they’re good people every now and then. Lets them keep their high opinions of themselves. But you’d do well to remember that the council does nothing unless they can reap the benefits.”
In the face of everything I’d witnessed that night and day, his bitterness was rubbing off on me, but I’d seen a much different picture of the gods during my time in Eden. They may not have done anything without having a reason, but they didn’t always need a direct reward. “They’re not as bad as you think they are.”
“And they’re not as good as you think they are either.” He slowed down enough to peer at me out of the corner of his eye, and I flushed underneath his gaze. “I like you, Kate Winters. You’re better than them, and you’ve got the guts to stand up to them, too. It’s been a long time since the council’s been infused with new blood, and if you stick to your guns, you might have a prayer of making them see past their own pointy little noses.”
“I’m not interested in changing them.” But as I said it, my insides twisted uncomfortably. If this was what my future held—facing the ghosts of the council’s decisions and seeing the lives their choices had destroyed, all for the sake of rules and pride—I wasn’t so sure I could do it.
“We’ll see about that.” Lux was silent for a long moment. “You’re not one of them. You don’t match, and because of that, one of two things is going to happen. You’re either going to let them taint you, or you’re going to fight like hell and get shat on until you don’t think you can take it anymore. But you can,” he added. “For all of us who have suffered because of them, just remember that you can.”
I grew quiet. This was my family he was talking about—the same people who had granted me more time with my mother, who had shown me kindness throughout the past six months, and who had allowed me to squeak by in my tests even though I’d nearly failed several times. Despite the myths I’d learned, it had never occurred to me that they were anything but benevolent. They were gods, after all. What did they have to lose by being kind?
But in the four days since I’d left, I’d seen enough to know that Lux
My blood ran cold. Had she reneged already? “Er, James—” “Oh, right.” James patted Cupcake’s furry neck and focused on Lux. “Speaking of broken jaws, in exchange for letting you go, Ella wanted you and Casey to look after Cupcake while hers heals.”
Lux swore. “Why us?”
“You are the one who punched her, aren’t you?” James shrugged. “I’d do it if I were you, man. You know what Ella’s like when she’s pissed off.”
Lux grumbled something unintelligible and stepped forward. “I swear, if you try to take a bite out of me again, next time I’ll aim for your neck.”
Cupcake whimpered, and I frowned. “Hey—play nice.”
James handed Lux a burlap sack stuffed to the brim with what looked like beef jerky. “Cupcake’s things. Ella said she’ll pick her up when she has the time.”
“Yeah, in another blood century,” muttered Lux, and Ja Cd Lp when shmes shrugged.
“Not much I can do about it. Kate, I’ll see you in a few. Take care of yourself, Lux.”
But Lux didn’t seem to be listening. He was already a good ten paces in front of me, and I gave James an apologetic look. “Lux, wait!”
I raced to catch up with him, and he slowed down, but only barely. “Bloody dog. We’ll never get rid of the damn thing now,” said Lux, moving through the woods without making a sound. “At least James isn’t all bad. No idea why he treats us so well.”
“Maybe because that’s the kind of person he is.” I crashed across the forest floor, having to run to keep up with his long strides. If Walter wanted to track us down, I was making it embarrassingly easy. Not that Cupcake’s loud footsteps were helping much either.
Lux scoffed. “They like to pretend they’re good people every now and then. Lets them keep their high opinions of themselves. But you’d do well to remember that the council does nothing unless they can reap the benefits.”
In the face of everything I’d witnessed that night and day, his bitterness was rubbing off on me, but I’d seen a much different picture of the gods during my time in Eden. They may not have done anything without having a reason, but they didn’t always need a direct reward. “They’re not as bad as you think they are.”
“And they’re not as good as you think they are either.” He slowed down enough to peer at me out of the corner of his eye, and I flushed underneath his gaze. “I like you, Kate Winters. You’re better than them, and you’ve got the guts to stand up to them, too. It’s been a long time since the council’s been infused with new blood, and if you stick to your guns, you might have a prayer of making them see past their own pointy little noses.”
“I’m not interested in changing them.” But as I said it, my insides twisted uncomfortably. If this was what my future held—facing the ghosts of the council’s decisions and seeing the lives their choices had destroyed, all for the sake of rules and pride—I wasn’t so sure I could do it.
“We’ll see about that.” Lux was silent for a long moment. “You’re not one of them. You don’t match, and because of that, one of two things is going to happen. You’re either going to let them taint you, or you’re going to fight like hell and get shat on until you don’t think you can take it anymore. But you can,” he added. “For all of us who have suffered because of them, just remember that you can.”
I grew quiet. This was my family he was talking about—the same people who had granted me more time with my mother, who had shown me kindness throughout the past six months, and who had allowed me to squeak by in my tests even though I’d nearly failed several times. Despite the myths I’d learned, it had never occurred to me that they were anything but benevolent. They were gods, after all. What did they have to lose by being kind?
But in the four days since I’d left, I’d seen enough to know that Lux
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