Enemy Fire | J. Saltzman - Legacies [3]

F I V E

"Lizzie thinks that I should spend a little time with Mom. Just me and her." Josie hopes this works. It's a tough decision and a tough situation, but it may just be her saving grace. "Kind of like how she did when she was having a hard time." She can't quite read her father's face enough to know what he thinks of her decision. "She just thinks that I should be the focus for a change, but I don't want you to think that you can't help me because I know that all you've been doing lately has been trying to help me."

Alaric sighs and begins the longest minute of Josie's life. "I think it's a good idea. You know, I spend so much time trying to control things around here, that sometimes I'm the one who ends up creating the chaos, and I have to learn to let go a little."

Josie nods. Her plan is working. "I should get packing then."

Leaning back in his seat, Alaric says, "I think you should. Don't worry about us, just focus on you."

As Josie walks out of the room, she can't help the smile on her face. Of course, she really will go stay with her mother; she is, after all, struggling quite a bit. However, the one thing she did not disclose to her father was the plan to find Stella in the process.

Walking up to her room, she pauses by Aaron's. She frowns when she finds it empty.

Opening her own door, that frown disappears when she finds him speaking to Lizzie, both sitting by the fire. "Hey," she says, her eyes wide.

"Hey, Jo," Lizzie smiles. "Did Dad say ok?"

"Ok? Ok to what?" Aaron asks. "Actually, wait. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. That's what a good friend says, right?"

Josie just shakes her head. "I'm going to stay with my mom for a bit." She flops onto her bed with a smile, staring at the ceiling. "Which means I'm one step closer." Flipping on her stomach, she purses her lips. "So, your highness. King's blood?"

Aaron chuckles. "As I just explained to your sister, my mom was some descendent of a queen. I thought 'close enough,' you know?"

"And the sun?"

When he shrugs, Josie can see a hint of apprehension in his eyes. "Why not? As you'll soon realize, I like being dramatic."

Josie nods, the list of questions in her mind growing. "What about the tattoos?"

Aaron's smile falters as he looks down at his exposed arms. "It's a coven thing," he says. "Some spells are so important that we get them inked into our skin. Like stamina," he points to one on his forearm. "Or strength." He motions to his bicep. "Even invisibility. It's weird, but it's useful."

"It's awesome," Lizzie exclaims. "Dad won't let us get tattoos, but I have something special planned for my eighteenth birthday."

As Aaron begins to playfully question Lizzie, Josie watches with a small smile. Though she is incredibly suspicious of the boy after seeing his interaction with her father this morning and the strange way he lifted the sword, she can tell he has a good soul. She can only hope Lizzie doesn't break him completely, though maybe he's just the right person to push her if he isn't what Josie suspects—a spy.

Josie begins to pack while the three of them—mostly just Lizzie and Aaron—talk, the fire warm against her skin. It reminds her of the one girl truly missing from the school, how her touch never failed to make Josie's skin tingle or how her smile always made Josie's day. A week without her is too much.

She knows it might be the bond, but she also knows how she feels. Even without magic, Josie will find Stella. She knows the girl thinks she has to go through this alone and deal with those terrible gods alone, but Josie plans to prove her wrong.