The next morning, I woke up with a start to the sound of my brother snickering.
"Did you use protection?" Liam asked mockingly, taking pictures of me and Fade cuddling on the couch.
I snatched his phone away and deleted all the photos he took.
"Was that really necessary?" I asked dryly as I removed the twelfth picture.
He nodded, smiling without a trace of guilt as he took his phone back. "Blackmail material."
I gave him a sour glare. "You're ridiculous."
Fade—or Maria, technically, without her mask on—groaned quietly and sat up, then teleported to the kitchen, where Papa was making heaps of pancakes, fried eggs, and bacon.
Liam plopped down on the couch beside me, a more serious expression replacing his usual mischievous look.
"Do you trust her?" He asked quietly.
I didn't hesitate before responding, "Yes, I do."
He breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Does this mean you're breaking up with that wannabe bird bitch?"
I simply nodded. I felt a lot more comfortable with Maria than Jasmine, probably because Maria didn't go out of her way to yell and verbally abuse me.
"Good," Liam said. "I never liked Jasmine. You deserve better."
He headed into the kitchen without another word, brewing a mug of coffee.
With a soft sigh, I went to my bedroom to change into fresh clothes. After putting on a clean shirt, pants, and a gray Cramer Tech hoodie, I ate breakfast with my family and my not-quite-anymore-nemesis.
As we all sat down, Mama spoke to Maria with a kind smile on her face. "I'm glad you're here. You're welcome to stay for as long as you want."
Maria awkwardly smiled back and said, "Thank you, ma'am."
Mama shook her head, still smiling warmly. "You can call me Taki."
Papa laid breakfast on the table, speaking in his faded Jamaican accent. "Eat up, everyone. I made enough food to keep a small army fed."
Maria thanked my father for the meal and proceeded to scarf down her breakfast with a startling efficiency that rivaled my speedster brother's.
While Liam guzzled down coffee and my parents made conversation with Maria, I ate quietly and retreated into my own thoughts. I was still internally panicking over what to do regarding the Caiman.
What if I'm not strong enough? I thought while aggressively dicing up a pancake, staring down at the plate. What happens if I lose?
The death of my little brother and the conquest of my homeland.
I stabbed a piece of food with my fork.
So I can't afford to lose. Either I win, or I take Caiman down with me.
The sound of my Cramer Tech-issued smartwatch beeping shook me out of my headspace. I glanced towards my wrist, seeing a message from an unknown number.
Good morning, Jade Jaguar. If you want these two boys to survive, meet me at the warehouse district in ten minutes.
He'd attached a picture of Brian Marshall, the kid I'd saved from being mugged earlier, tied to a chair. Beside him was an older teen I assumed to be Brian's brother, also bound.
