Page 55 of The Mist of Stars

“I think you guys are kind of stupid to go back to the scene of a murder.” She fiddles with a pendant that’s dangling from achain around her neck. “I guess I understand why you’re doing it, but it still seems stupid.”

“She’s right,” I mutter, feeling guilty that all of this happened. I’m not even sure why I feel that way. It’s not like I asked for this to happen. Yet all of this is centered around me. “Maybe I should be the one to?—”

“No,” Alex cuts me off in a clipped tone. “We already talked about this. It’s too risky and dangerous.”

“He’s right,” Aislin says, reclining back.

Laylen slips his arm around the back of the seat. “I agree. You need to lie low for a while.”

I roll my tongue in my mouth, fighting back my frustration. It’s not like me to sit back and let other people handle my problems. When I wanted answers about my star dreams, I went to Henry. When I needed to become a better fighter, I asked Laylen for help. When I almost failed a history class, I spent the entire weekend reading the textbook cover to cover. I can handle my own problems.

Except, deep down, I’m aware that if I go to the academy, I’m risking death walkers showing up. So, it’s a lose-lose situation for me.

“We’re not ganging up on you,” Aislin says, as if reading my mind.

“I know that—I do—but it doesn’t mean I like having to sit back and let everyone else deal with this. I don’t want to be a special little deformed snowflake. I want to be part of the snowstorm, you know?”

Aislin pats my shoulder sympathetically. “You’re not deformed.”

“Thanks, I guess,” I mumble.

“No problem.” She flashes me a grin before scooting back again.

Alex and Laylen start chatting about their plan to return to the academy. I decide to send my parents another message in a group thread, but when I hitsend, it fails to deliver. So, I try them individually, my stomach churning with trepidation.

“Guys,” I interrupt their discussion. “I just tried to message my parents, and neither of the messages got delivered. I have signal, too.”

“Try calling them,” Alex suggests, downshifting as he steers the car around a sharp corner.

I dial my father’s number first, but the operator’s voice comes on to announce the phone has been disconnected. Same goes for my mother’s phone.

Tears flood my eyes, but I suck them back.

“Their lines have been disconnected,” I state hollowly.

I think I might be veering toward shock.

And it gets even worse when none of them offer an explanation. But what explanation could they give? At this point, it’s clear that something is terribly and disastrously wrong.

Alex and Aislin’sfamily has a lot of money, and so they end up paying for a suite that’s in a decent hotel. Alex pays in cash, and then we take the elevator to one of the upper floors. We’re uncharacteristically quiet during the ride and even when we enter the really nice suite, no one really says much. I do keep catching them sneaking me pity glances, and while they mean well, it’s making me feel worse because it’s increasing my anxiety.

And I don’t even have any of my belongings. Aislin did grab my backpack with my schoolbooks in it that I left in her car, but that’s all I have.

“We can go to the store in the morning and get some clothes,” Aislin says to no one in particular as she tosses her bags onto one of the two beds in this room. The suite has another room with two more beds, along with individual bathrooms in each, with a small kitchen, living room, and dining area separating the bedrooms. The living room has two sofas, a television, and windows that show a view of the towering buildings around us. Since it’s so late, all that can be seen are the buildings’ lights.

Alex yanks the curtains closed as I’m putting my bag onto the bed then strides around the room, looking in closets, cupboards, and in the bathroom.

“What’re you doing?” I ask him as I sit down on the foot of the bed.

“Making sure nothing is in here.” He kicks a closet door shut then glances up at the ivory trim that’s glittering with crystal chandelier light.

“You think something’s hiding in the light?” I question sarcastically.

His gaze lands on mine. “No … I’m just looking for hidden cameras.”

“Why would that even be a thing?” I ask. “No one knew we were coming here.”

“I know. And there’s probably nothing around. But with these time crossovers, we need to be careful.” He shoves up his shirt sleeves then props his foot onto the foot of the bed beside me. “You should get some rest while Laylen and I go to the academy.” He reties his shoelaces then lowers his foot to the floor. “Aislin will stay with you, and we’ll keep you updated on what we find. If anything goes wrong here, you guys need to run … Shit, we have to take the car, so I don’t know what to do.” He’s nervously rambling.