“Go! Go! Go!” Nathan yells, and I step on the gas.
I shoot under the bridge, past the high school. There’s nothing much back here, but there’s a longer way home we can take. I speed there now, careening around a corner too fast. Everyone screams as we skid, but I correct it and we’re already sailing past the gym.
“I don’t think they’re coming after us,” Nathan says, looking out the back window.
“And how do you know that, Nathan?” I say.
He looks at me, confused. “What?”
“Why did you drag us all out to the bridge tonight? Were you going to feed us to them? Is that what happened to the indie kids?”
“Mike–” Henna says.
“Who are you?” I shout into the rear-view mirror, going way too fast down a darkened road.
“Where the hell did you come from?”
“I told you,” Nathan said, still looking confused. “Tulsa and Portland and–”
I slam on the brakes, making everybody scream again. “Get the hell out of my car!”
“Mike!” Henna says, more strongly.
“WHAT?” I roar at her.
“It was my idea,” she says.
The car is quiet. The motor vibrating. That’s the only sound.
“What?” I say again.
“The bridge was my idea,” she says. “Nathan was feeling down and I told him about the tradition and that we should see if anyone wanted to do it.”
“She said you’d probably say no,” Nathan says, looking wounded. “So I offered to ask, because it’d be less embarrassing if you turned me down.”
“That’s what happened, Mikey,” Henna says. “Nathan didn’t lead us there. I even suggested we do it tonight, remember?” She hardens a little. “And you don’t believe I would have led us there, do you?”
No. No, I don’t. “Why didn’t you just say? I would have done anything for you.” I’m so mad I’m on the verge of tears. “Anything.”
“That’s exactly the reason. I wanted it to be a friends thing. Before we all go our separate ways. I didn’t want it to be a favour to me because my arm is broken or because of the car crash or because you’d ‘do anything’. It’s hard enough to be normal this month, isn’t it? For anything to just be easy?”
I look at her. I look back at Nathan, who’s smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Mel and Jared aren’t saying a word either.
I remember what Jared said about me at his house. In this moment, he’s never been more right.
I’m the one here who’s least wanted.
Without another word, I put the car in gear and drive off down the road.
A few miles later, Nathan breaks the silence. “Don’t I deserve an apology?”
I give him the finger and drive.
CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH, in which the Prince is tricked into turning Satchel and second indie kid Finn over to the Empress of the Immortals; he tries to save them, but is forced to sacrifice Finn to do so; Satchel refuses to accept this and, through only her own cunning and bravery, thwarts the Empress; she saves Finn and as they flee, she steals a glimpse at the Immortal Crux, the source of the Immortals’ power, through the Gateway; it is full of charms and jewels, with an empty space in exactly the shape of her amulet.
“So what were they, do you think?” Mel asks me, as she brushes our grandma’s hair.