there, stunned. Then I said, âIs there anyone we can go to?â
He stared at me, then laughed. âYou guys really are spoiled rich kids, arenât you? When things go wrong, you donât have a clue how to save yourselves. Just run in circles looking for a grown-up to do it for you.â
âDoes it look like we canât save ourselves? Weâre free, arenât we? But our parents think weâre dead.â
âGood. Makes it easier to disappear. No one to come looking for you.â
âI donât want to disappear. I want my parents back.â
âWhy? They sold you out.â
âI donât believe that.â
âThen youâre not just a sheltered rich kid. Youâre a stupid one, too.â
Daniel cut in. âWe also need help because the Cabals have our friends.â
âThen wish them well and start making new ones. Theyâll be fine. The St. Clouds and Nasts will take care of them. Theyâre valuable future employees.â Ash eased back on the bench. âLook. I came for my sister. I know how you guys grew up and I figure sheâs not going to last ten minutes on the street. Iâm going to take her someplace safe. I didnât expectââhe waved at Daniel and Coreyââan entourage, but I suppose itâs a package deal.â
âIt is,â I said. âBut weâre not running and hiding. We canât.â
â Maya canât,â Daniel said. âThereâs a problem with skin-walkers after they start shifting.â
âWhat?â
âOne of the first subjects is the sister of the guy who gave me Cyril Mitchellâs number,â I said. âSheâs been shifting for a few years now and sheâs . . . brain damaged.â
âFrom the shifts?â
âMaybe brain damaged isnât the right term. Itâs like sheâs becoming more . . . animal. All she cares about is eating and sleeping and running around the woods. Now Iâm starting to shift, and . . .â
âYouâve noticed changes?â
âNo,â Daniel said. âBut itâs only been a week and Rafe told her it took awhile with Annie. If Maya starts reverting like that, we canât exactly take her to a hospital and ask them to fix it. We need help from the people who did this to us.â
âAnd how the hell are you going to get that? Ask nicely?â
Silence. This was the part we hadnât worked out. Hadnât dared discuss.
I spoke first. âIdeally, weâd find someone who worked for the projectâa scientist or a doctorâwho has either left the St. Clouds or is willing to work against them. Which sounds like Cyril Mitchell.â
âYeah, it does. Which means youâre shit outta luck. Iâm not even sure he could have helped. This is . . .â A look crossed Ashâs face. Something like fear. âBig.â
âItâs huge,â Daniel said. âAnd Iâm not letting it happen to Maya.â
âSo how are you going to stop it, benandanti? Put all their scientists in choke holds and use your power to persuade them to help?â
âIf I have to. The better option, though . . .â He took a deep breath. âIs a truce.â
âWhat?â Ash laughed and shook his head. âYou really donât know anything about Cabals, do you?â
âNo, but Iâm hoping youâll fill us in. I do believe, however, that under the right circumstances, a truce is possible. For that, though, we need our parentsânot because we want Mommy and Daddy to hold our hands, but because these people wonât take our demands seriously. Weâre just kids. We need to get to our parents and let them know whatâs happened. Yes, maybe some joined the project voluntarily, but they didnât sign up so their kids could be taken away. If they know the truth, they can use it.
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