Starlight (Book 1)

26: It's Time to Start Breaking the Rules

I rushed forward to the window, practically throwing it open.

On the other side was Mirage Spirit, looking exasperated. Her hands were glued to the edge of the windowpane, and she smiled a sort of semi-terrified, please-save-me smile.

"How did you—" I started, a thousand questions rattling through my head at once. How did she climb up nine flights? How did she know where I was? How did she know who I was?

"We don't have time to talk," Mirage reminded me, holding my gaze. "You have your suit, right?"

Her question hit me like a freight train. I hadn't even thought to bring the suit with me. It was still at home in my closet. For a second, I berated myself for being so careless, but that suit was the reason I was here with Grace in the first place.

"No, but—"

"Seriously?" Mirage shouted, and I panicked, trying to get her to be quiet. "You have got to be kidding. Please tell me this is a cruel joke."

"It's not," I said, causing Mirage to groan. From the kitchen, I heard a rattle. I whirled around, knocking my shin against the radiator, and came face-to-face with Grace.

She titled her head at me. "Doing okay?"

I nodded, crossing my fingers that she couldn't see Mirage. "I was just opening the window to let some air in."

"Oh, is it too warm in here? You should have told me that! I'll go turn the heat off."

When I turned back around, I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked down to see Mirage hanging from the window, her head flush against the bricks.

"That was a close one."

"Tell me about it. Just put on a baggy sweater or something," she said, sounding exasperated. "Echo is already there, so she can just use her power to hide your face, but we need to get to her without being seen."

"You're doing a great job of that," I muttered in response, grabbing my backpack from its spot by the doorway. I tugged a piece of paper free and quickly scribbled a note to Grace, letting her know that I had disappeared to save a friend, and that I would be back as soon as I could.

After a few seconds of searching around, I found a hair tie to pull my hair back with, and zipped my hoodie all the way to the neck. "Good enough?"

"It'll have to do," she replied, waving her hand. A huge wave frothed up the side of the building, splashing a puddle through my window. Mirage stepped onto the crest of the wave, mockingly bowing to me.

"Hop on."

I nervously eyed her for a moment before putting my hand on the windowsill and lifting my leg to crawl forward. Mirage grabbed onto my wrist, tugging me through. She hugged my body close, and I felt my chest drop.

"Still haven't figured out the landing," she admitted. As Mirage set me down, my feet skimmed the wave below, dampening my shoes. Still keeping upright with one hand, she used the other to conduct the water, shooting us forward.

The world zoomed past, and I ignored the seeping cold filling my socks for now, and instead tried to determine where we were. Holding on to Mirage for dear life, I watched my surroundings roll away until we were overtaking the cars on the highway.

I avoided looking directly at the passengers, hoping that nobody would recognize me. That was the last thing I needed. As abruptly as the trajectory began, Mirage brought the tide to a stop at a side-street I knew to lead to Nia's office.

"Took you long enough," grunted Echo's voice from somewhere in the distance—I assumed she was using her power, since I couldn't see her. "Diamond is holding Phantom off for now. I'm directly ahead of you."