Author’s Note: Moira wanted her turn. The team’s getting more vocal. This could be a problem.
“We should talk.”
“Not now,” Moira said, trying to shut out Terra’s voice. She did not need the irritation or the distraction. She was not as good at listening to the wind as her brother was—she did not need Sherwin rubbing that in her face again. She held up a hand, trying to stall the other woman’s rant. She needed to hold onto this just a little longer.
“…Suspected in several other fires. It is unclear at this time whether or not the group is involved in any other crimes…”
“Moira, I need to—”
“I just lost the radio wave, Sherwin.”
He held up his hands. “Don’t knock me into the wall, please. I swear I didn’t realize you were doing that when I walked in. Terra was here, so I figured it wasn’t an issue. I’m sorry.”
Moira rolled her eyes. Sherwin was her baby brother, but that always left him a bit too indulged, too inconsiderate. He didn’t mean it. “Sure you are. What do you want?”
“Someone to back me up when I go to wake Cress.”
She looked at him, shaking her head. She was not about to do that. Cress was worn way too thin, and they needed him alive. They had to let him recover, and they’d only been here a few minutes. “We’re not rushing out of here. According to all the news reports, the fire at Enya’s place was committed by some bizarre pyromaniac cult as a part of one of our rituals. They haven’t connected it to us, and no one knows we’re here.”
“They pegged us as a cult again, and you think that’s a good thing?”
Sherwin ignored Terra’s outburst. “It’s not about that. I’m pretty sure Enya’s going to bolt, and he’s the only one who could talk her into staying. I tried, but it didn’t work. She’d rather head into the desert on her own than stay with us.”
“Good riddance.”
Moira heard a door slam, the windows shaking in the walls, threatening to take the whole room down on their heads. She reached over to touch her brother’s arm. “Stay calm. I don’t want to dig us out of a ruin again, and we can’t afford to lose this place. It’s a good place to hide.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve got an unpopular opinion, but I like Enya. I always have.”
“It’s not a question of liking her,” Moira said, glaring at Terra for a moment. “We need her right now, and she needs us. We need to keep her with us so that nothing like what happened at her apartment happens again.”
Terra shook her head, looking at the window. “Cress always told us it was better if she wasn’t with us, if she went with the normals and pretended to be one of them. She can’t control herself, and she’s not worth keeping around.”
“She’s more dangerous if the only way she has to protect herself is to let that fire out,” Sherwin said. “Come on, Moira. I know we don’t always agree, but if we want to get past Occie right now, I think that we need to go with the most united front possible. You and me, at least, agree on keeping Enya with us for now. If we could find a way to back them off of us, go back to dealing with the rogues instead of that damned agency, then maybe she can go back to faking normalcy and hiding what she is. Not now.”
Moira gave Terra a look. “Are you going to behave while we’re gone?”
“I’m not a child.”
“You’ve been acting like one. Grief will get you some leniency, but not much. None of us have been children for a long time, and while it’s no picnic, we have responsibilities. Remember that. Stone always did.” Moira started toward the door, knowing her brother was behind her.
“You know, sometimes I think that you were born attuned to the wrong element.”
She laughed. “What, I should have gotten stone?”
“Well, you’re not exactly light and breezy, now are you?”
Moira shrugged. “There is such a thing as gale force, after all. I leave it to you to be the airhead.”
They both have a way with words. I’m starting to like all of them but Terra. Even Cress.
Yeah, they do. More of their personalities are coming out, showing their more likable sides, for the most part. Terra was stubborn about it, refused to be likable. Cress… I’ve always liked him, but I’m biased.