Ablaze »»DARKEST MINDS««

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
BRUISED
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"Who's coming here tonight?!"

"Shh," I hiss, jumping forward and clamping my hand over his mouth. "I'm not supposed to know about it. Just tell me who Clancy Gray is." I drop my hands down to rest on my hips as I wait for his response. His face reflects anger as he turns away from me and starts to pace. For a moment I think he's going to punch the wall.

"Why the hell would Clancy be coming here? Star promised she wouldn't—"

"What? She promised she wouldn't what?"

Dane sighs. The anger drains from his features, leaving behind exhaustion and worry. "She promised she wouldn't turn you in to that little bastard. He collects Reds and trains them to be his brainwashed super soldiers." He stops pacing and stands in front of me, his figure rigid and serious. "If Clancy's coming here tonight, or even if he's sending people to come here for him, we gotta get out of here now."

He didn't have to tell me twice.

"Where's Marcy and Bo?" I follow him out of the Journey's.

"They should be in the cafeteria for lunch," Dane replies. He tilts his head to look at me, and in his face I can see everything he was feeling but wasn't saying out loud—fear, worry, unease. I know because I was feeling it, too. I didn't have to read his mind. The world we are living in is so broken and so messed up. I reach down and interlace my fingers with his, gulping as his thumb runs over the rough, scarred skin on the back of my hand. He squeezes my hand and I squeeze his back. Appreciation for him in this moment soars in my chest, making me feel stronger. I set my shoulders back and put on a brave face.

"Let's go."

We venture through the mall toward the cafeteria, where most of the Xi Blues are gathered at this time. It's just past noon, which means we only have a few hours to escape before disaster strikes.

"Do you know what time tonight he'll be here?"

"No. I should've listened to more." That extra bit of information could be the thing that ruins everything for us. Maybe I could latch onto someone's mind in the cafeteria, just in case they know something . . .

Dane waves it off and continues to stalk towards the others. "It's fine, we'll just leave as soon as we get the others. Falcon should be with Bo, right?"

I nod. "He doesn't leave his side."

"Great."

The rest of our trek to the cafeteria is silent. When we finally make it, I stop dead in my tracks at the entrance. The place is filled to the brim with people, and all the buzzing thoughts circling in the room prick at my brain like little pins. A steady, high-pitched ringing starts in my ears as I follow behind Dane towards the other side of the cafeteria, where I spot Marcy, Bo, and Falcon. Bo is perched in Marcy's lap and is teasing Falcon with a piece of ham while Marcy speaks avidly to the girl sitting beside her.

As we make it halfway across the cafeteria the pain in my brain suddenly intensifies. I gasp and clutch onto the side of a table, my eyes watering. I glance up and watch through hazy eyesight as Dane continues towards the others. Pull yourself together, now is not the time.