by Adam Silvera
However long I live in this lifetime, this moment is something I’ll never forget.
Seventy-Six
Family
NESS
This is the safest I have felt in weeks.
Firefly’s embrace is everything and I want our lips and bodies to stay locked.
I’m not stressing over the Halo Knight, especially since I don’t know their business. I’m keeping my attention on Emil, who’s haunted me so much that I’ve woken up in his form and I wonder how that will change if I get to hold him when I finally get to fall asleep after this hellish night of being shot and hunted in the Bounds.
There’s shouting in the hallway and the first thing I hear is “Pru, just talk to me!”
Emil breaks our kiss. His tired hazel eyes widen. “Brighton and Prudencia are back,” he says, putting on his shirt.
His brother is always getting in the way of things.
I get dressed too and follow him out of the lab.
“Hey!” Emil calls.
Prudencia stops. “Great. Emil, take over. I just spent an hour in the car with your brother while he tried to justify murder.”
Probably best for Emil not to mention what he’s been up to.
“You make it sound so ugly,” Brighton says. “Stanton was beating the life out of Emil and tried to throw me over a balcony. It’s self-defense.”
“People don’t usually smile when ripping out hearts, Bright,” Emil says.
“I was happy that he was dead! That monster tortured me. I’m not throwing a party, but don’t expect me to grieve someone who tried assassinating me.”
I’m certainly not going to mourn Stanton either. He was an absolute terror and everyone should be able to sleep a little easier now that he’s dead. But I’m certainly not jumping into these family affairs.
“I’m just nervous,” Emil says. “Never in a million lifetimes would I kill someone.”
“Well, Keon and Bautista beg to disagree,” Brighton says, not caring when Emil tears up. “You might find yourself having to change your tune soon enough, because all those Bounds escapees are running loose, and we’re going to have to round them up. . . .” He points to me. “Especially with your father blaming everything on us.”
“He’s already given a statement?” I ask.
Brighton pulls out his phone, swiping away his many notifications to show me and Emil a news video.
There’s footage of the Bounds captured by a drone, and black smoke is pouring out of one of the four towers; they haven’t cited Emil as the source thankfully. The large yellow phoenix back on the island is now seen flying away with three silhouetted passengers as a storm follows them toward the city.
“Please tell me that’s Maribelle and Tala and not some convicts,” Emil says.
“Hopefully. Though I’m more concerned about the third person,” Prudencia says.
I flush in anger. “Don’t tell me Luna talked her way into survival.”
The video cuts to the Senator outside the manor. He’s still fooling the press with his fake black eye and cut lip. “Our country is under attack and neither our sitting president nor my opponent has condemned the actions of the Spell Walkers and the Halo Knights who broke into the New York City Bounds in the middle of the night. Let me be the first to say this terrorism won’t be allowed when the country is under my supervision.” He takes the most insincere pause. “I believe my son, Eduardo, coordinated these efforts in the event he was ever captured, and he succeeded in escaping along with many other dangerous criminals. Be wary of anyone speaking ill against me from this point forward—it may simply be Eduardo in disguise hoping to elect Congresswoman Sunstar into office so that those with power make totalitarians out of those without.”
I almost throw Brighton’s phone, but he snatches it out of my hand.
I try to take deep breaths. “This is what he wanted all along. Another crime to pin on those against him.” There’s no beating him. This fantasy to bind the Senator’s power so I can reboot my life won’t ever come true. If he’s still shifting around this country, then so am I. I can’t pursue any dreams, any relationships without fear of them being used against me. “Shit. Emil, there’s something else. He knows about your past lives. I was supposed to expose you, and when I broke script, that’s when I got shot. The Senator can make you public enemy number one by telling everyone you’re immortal.”
Emil looks frantic. “I’m not immortal! If I die, I’m dead.”
“That’s not how he’s going to spin that.”
“So everyone’s going to blame me for what Keon caused—I don’t have a single memory from that life! Now this is going to endanger so many phoenixes, and the Halo Knights can barely keep up with saving them now.”
Brighton shakes his head. “I say this with the greatest offense, Ness, but your dad is a dick.”
I ignore him, comforting his brother instead since he can’t be bothered.
“What’s to stop Iron from exposing Emil now?” Prudencia asks.
I shrug. “He might blackmail me into returning to him.”
“No!” Emil says, clutching my wrist.
Then that English accent comes from behind me: “It’s a worthy sacrifice,” Wyatt says.
“You trying to kill me off?” I ask.
“No, not at all. This has nothing to do with the obvious and only to do with the threat against phoenixkind that is preventable.”
Emil shakes his head. “I wouldn’t believe Iron if he claimed he’d keep that secret buried away.”
Brighton claps, bringing the attention back on himself. “The only way we can combat all these lies is with action. Those criminals breaking out of the Bounds is a miracle for us. We can put them all back in their place and prove we’re the real heroes.” He starts typing into his phone while walking away. “I’m going to see if there’s been any criminal activity yet.”
“Pardon me, but did Brighton rip out his own heart too?” Wyatt asks.
“You got to get him with the Starstifler fast,” I tell Emil.
“It’s done?” Wyatt asks.
Emil nods. “He doesn’t want to bind his powers until after Sunstar is elected and creates her Luminary Union.”
He’s fooling himself if he thinks Sunstar still has a chance at this election. If she’s even alive.
“Firefly, it took me years to really understand what a threat my father is. I’m going to need you to get there sooner with your brother.”
“But . . .”
“There’s no buts here—”
“He knows his brother,” Wyatt cuts in.
“Want to bet?” I ask.
“Just chill,” Emil tells us both. He turns to Prudencia. “What do you think?”
Prudencia’s arms are crossed as she tries to keep her head high after this long night. “I’m torn. The Stanton kill is scary, but Brighton has shown reason since having those powers. There were a lot of things we talked him out of doing.”
“Good point,” Emil says. “I’ll talk to him. Maybe bring in Ma too.”
There’s a flash of hope on his face, short-lived because even he knows deep down this intervention won’t work. But he’s going to keep lying to himself until his brother flat out shows what he’s capable of. Just because someone’s family doesn’t mean they won’t hurt you.
This is going to be a hard lesson that I already know all too well.
Seventy-Seven
Traitor
BRIGHTON
My popularity is at stake, and with that, my power.
I’ve lost over one hundred thousand followers since we broke into Iron’s house last night, and as more people are waking up to the news about the Bounds, I’m expecting a bigger drop. I’m being tagged in all these INFINITY TRAITOR memes from Brightsiders who think I’ve betrayed their trust and ruined the perception of gleamcrafters, as if there was all love before I hit the scene. I’m exhausted because unlike these keyboard warriors, I’ve been out in the world making a difference wh
ile they criticize every move I make. I almost snap at them, but that never goes well.
I have to earn back their support.
I’m in the library, really tempted to close my eyes for even ten minutes on this table but I’m sure I’ll wake up to even more people dragging the Infinity Kings and Spell Walkers and Halo Knights since nuance doesn’t seem to be taught anywhere. No one is ever going to make me feel guilty for breaking the law to rescue my kidnapped mother. End of story.
It would be comforting to know my supporters are backing me up, but I think they’re being drowned out right now. It may be time to figure out how to make them feel more involved beyond reposting. I should grow a support network that’s inclusive of everyone whether they have the gleam or not. We need people working cameras to protect our image and others fighting criminals to protect our streets. This movement can start off nationally, then go global.
United, my factions of Brightsiders—got to keep my personal branding—will re-create the world.
Emil knocks on the door. “Hey, Bright,” he says softly.
I’m on edge, anticipating a confrontation. “No reports of criminal activity so far. If you want me to clear out so you and Wyatt can bunk up some more let me know. Or are you and Ness a thing now?”
Emil’s gaze is like he’s trying to calculate this himself. “Not a thing,” he says, then looking around the library. “We’ll see.”
“All right, well, today we absolutely have to film Ma and Eva so they can tell their side of the story. Do you think Ness would do a video too?”
“You’d have to ask him,” Emil says.
“He’d be stupid not to. An interview with a thought-to-be-dead presidential candidate’s son who got powers and joined a gang is not one people will ignore.”
“You heard the senator; he’s already got everyone thinking Ness is a liar,” Emil says.
“Iron’s story is the only one out there right now. That will change once we speak up.”
“Look, I came to talk to you about something else.”
“I’m not going to keep repeating myself on killing Stanton, bro. He’s powerful and had to be stopped. It’s not like I ripped out defenseless Luna’s heart.” Though I guess I killed her in my own way when I stole the Reaper’s Blood. I hope Maribelle has thrown Luna off that phoenix by now. “There are bigger threats at hand.”
“I’m scared you’re going to become one, Bright. I’m begging you to really hear me on this. The Starstifler is ready and I think you should drink one.”
He’s never going to let this go. I’m finally showing everyone what a true hero looks like and they’re so used to the sanitized versions in our generation that it scares them. This is why nothing has changed. “You had no problems with my powers when we were using them to break out Ness, but now that you’ve got what you want I’m a threat? You can’t have it both ways. This city needs me now more than ever. If this is too much for you, drink your potion and go figure out if you’re trying to screw Wyatt or Ness or yourself. I have real work to do.”
Whenever I lash out at Emil like this he’s usually tearing up or storming away, but he’s just standing there frozen. It’s like this life has finally made him numb.
I get up and pocket my phone. I’m not hanging around here while he feels bad for himself.
“Brighton?”
Before I finish turning Emil punches me so hard in the jaw that I bang straight into a bookcase; he’s finally cracked. He pins me down. I try phasing out from under him, but I’m stuck because of his hold on me. He pulls out a small knife, one of the ones from the kitchen, and my brother slices my forearm. I shout as Emil yanks my bloody flesh.
“What are you doing?!”
“This is for everyone’s own good!”
Emil runs for the door.
Everyone’s own good? What the hell does that—
No. I won’t let him.
I bite my tongue through the pain and dash toward Emil, grabbing him before he can even leave the library. He elbows my stomach and squeezes my new wound. It stings so much. I dash backward, dragging him with me, and I swing him on top of the table. I blast it in half with a fire-bolt and Emil caves in between the cracks.
“You’re not taking this from me!”
I hit him with a flurry of punches, so betrayed by my brother. This is different than every other fight we’ve ever been in. He has no business trying to force this change on me.
I’m suddenly thrown off of Emil and straight into the wall, banging into an art print of some green phoenix. I look up from the floor and Prudencia and Wyatt are both shocked to see me laying into Emil like that, but not as much as I am to see Emil also standing beside them, holding on to the arm of our horrified mother.
The Emil who’s sitting up glows gray. That bastard Ness was posing as my brother.
The real Emil stares like he doesn’t know me.
Seventy-Eight
Overpower
EMIL
Our brotherhood isn’t enough to stop him.
By the look on Brighton’s face, he didn’t know the person he was beating up wasn’t me. All of those punches were intended for me. I keep trying to ask Ness and Brighton what went down, but I piece it together when I see my brother’s bleeding arm and Ness holding on to some flesh.
“Did you plan this?!” Brighton shouts.
“Emil had no idea,” Ness says as he limps toward me. “I’m sorry, firefly, but I had to show you the truth.”
I would’ve happily died never knowing this truth.
Brighton’s eyes burn and fire snakes around his wrists. He hurls a fire-bolt while Ness’s back is turned and Prudencia telekinetically sweeps it out through the balcony. I hurl a fire-orb at him so fast, but it phases through him. He stares at me, maybe even a little more surprised than I was to find him punching my face in.
“Go get a potion,” I say to anyone, and Wyatt runs off.
“I’m not drinking it,” Brighton says.
“Please, Bright.”
“These powers are mine—I almost died for them!”
“You almost died because of them!”
“I’m not Dad; I’m a survivor!”
There’s complete silence in the room except for Ma gasping. Phoenixes are screeching outside but somehow my beating heart feels louder. I can’t even fight back the tears, thinking about how grateful I am that Dad isn’t around to see Brighton being so absolutely horrible.
“Don’t insult your father’s memory like this!” Ma shouts. “If he were around, he would tell you that you’re not supposed to be playing judge, jury, and executioner with these unnatural powers.”
Brighton is red in the face. “None of you appreciate how extraordinary I am! The Spell Walkers treated Emil like he’s some chosen one, when I’m the one who has defied death to become the most powerful gleamcrafter in the entire world. I will make the most change and protect everyone from anyone using their powers to terrorize. Overpowering the enemy is how wars are won, and that will sometimes mean deciding if someone lives or dies.”
I remember my nightmare of Brighton terrorizing everyone with all his reaper powers. I tried to shake that off as nothing but a dream, but maybe that was my subconscious trying to brace me for this dark reality.
“Am I your enemy?” I ask.
“If you’re not with me, you’re against me.”
“Then overpower me.”
Brighton and I stare each other down, and in an instant, we draw fire.
My gold and gray fire-orbs blast apart his silver-and-sapphire fire-bolts, driving straight into my brother’s chest.
This is not a fight I want to have, but it’s one I got to win.
Seventy-Nine
Shining Brighter
BRIGHTON
I should’ve known it would come to this.
My chest burns from the fire-orbs, but I won’t be the only one in pain. I throw fire-bolt after fire-bolt as I rise and they all explode in the air as Emil keeps countering
with his own attacks. It takes so much agonizing soul-searching for Emil to justify fighting actual enemies, but now that it’s me he has no problem being so aggressive. He can’t dominate me like this, not with his one set of powers. I dash in a zigzag, dodging his fire-orbs, and I’m so close that I’m about to uppercut him with a flaming fist when Prudencia telekinetically shoves me back across the library.
“Stay out of this!” I shout.
“No! I’ve been with you both since the start and I’m seeing this through to the end,” Prudencia says.
“You’re supposed to be on my side.”
She shakes her head. “You’re supposed to convince me that your side is worth taking. I’ve never worried about Emil abusing his powers, but I can’t say the same for you.”
“So what, you preferred me when I was powerless?”
“You’re the same person, Brighton. The powers only shone a light on how much of a dangerous egomaniac you are.”
Something inside me is cracking, and instead of giving in to the heartache, I retaliate: “You don’t deserve to be with someone great like me. Go run back to your pathetic ex.”
Prudencia grins like I’ve told some joke. “You really think I’m so weak to be heartbroken by that. Your pride is wounded and always gets in your way of admitting when you’re wrong. Get yourself under control now so you don’t have to live a lonely life.”
“I have millions of people who love me—”
