“I just thought…we should be completely open with each other. That is, if we’re serious about seeing each other.”

I let out a deep breath that I realize I’ve been holding in my chest. I’m relieved. It really sounds like it was nothing, and she’s just trying to be honest with me. “Thank you. I…I’m sorry if I overreacted. I’ve just had a lot of anger in me lately. Because of my father.”

She smiles. “It’s okay, sorry about how poorly I handled telling you. So we’re okay?”

“Most definitely. Now if we could just bring peace to the Tri-Realms, perhaps we could go on a proper date.”

“Oh, is that all we have to do,” she jokes.

“Yep, that’s it.”

The door opens and Ben says, “Sorry, we’re out of time.”

“Adele, I have to go, but I’ll see you soon, right?”

Her jaw is as firm as truth. “You can count on it.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Adele

My heart is beating with all the strength of a miner’s sledge. Talking with Tristan was incredible and reminded me all over again why I almost kissed him back in the Moon Realm.

Tawni and my mom are waiting outside of the conference room, chatting like best friends. My mom’s telling stories of me as a kid and Tawni’s laughing. “There were mashed beans all over the ceiling,” my mom says, her words mixing with her laughter.

Tawni shrieks with laughter. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” she chuckles.

“Ha ha. I can hear you, ya know.”

“Oh, hi, honey,” Mom says, pretending she just noticed me. “How’d everything go with…Tristan?” She raises her eyebrows twice.

“Fine,” I grumble, wishing I’d never opened up to her about my feelings for him. For some reason I thought now that she’s a general she’d be cooler about boys. But no, she’s still just acting like a mom.

“Well, you two are very cute together.”

“Mom! You haven’t even seen us together.”

“Call it Mom-dar. There are some things that a mom just knows.”

“She’s right, you know,” Tawni says, not helping things.

“Whatever,” I say, trying to brush them off the subject. “When do we leave?”

“Anxious to go see Tristan?” Tawni says, refusing to let it go. But this time I’ve got the perfect comeback.

“How did I miss the sparks flying between you and Roc?”

The crimson on Tawni’s face is worth every word. “What? There’s nothing…we’re just friends.” Her voice is about as believable as a politician’s.

My mom’s tone is back to business. “We’ll leave immediately. There’s no point in trying again with the generals—they just won’t budge. Go get your things and don’t tell anyone where you’re going.”

“What about Trevor?” I say, not trying to hide my sarcasm.

“He already knows and will be coming with us. He’ll help you get ready and escort you to meet me.”

My face feels like it’s about to explode. How can she trust that creep? I’ll be shocked if all the generals and half the army aren’t waiting to arrest us. “Let’s go, Tawni,” I say coldly.

I grab her hand and leave my mom without saying bye. I’m just too angry.

We pass a few soldiers in the hallways but they don’t speak to us, barely look at us. We’re just a couple of random girls. We make it back to the bunkrooms, which are empty, with all the female soldiers off doing whatever it is that they do all day. Training, I guess.

For us, packing is like a thirty-second process. Tuck everything into our small packs, fill our brand new army-provided canteens, splash a little water on our faces, and we’re ready to go. As we head for the door, I realize I’m missing one important thing: the gun. The gun my mom gave me, the gun I hope I never have to use. I’d rather just leave it hidden under my pillow, forget it ever existed, that my mom ever thought it wise to give it to me. But I can’t. It’s got her name on it. My name.

“One sec,” I say.

I throw the pillow back and reach for the gun, but—

—it’s not there.

I pull back, alarm crossing my face. “What’s the matter?” Tawni asks.

“My gun—it’s missing.”

Tawni’s brow furrows in that way that could only look cute on her. “Maybe you already chucked it in the bag and just forgot.”

I know I didn’t, but I check anyway. It’s not there. Or in Tawni’s pack. Someone took it. No, not someone…

“Trevor!” I exclaim. “He must’ve stolen it when he realized I was on to him. We’ve got to tell my mom right away!”

Squinting, Tawni says, “Hold on a minute. We don’t have any evidence. I know he’s been acting strangely, but it’s quite a leap to say he’s stealing weapons now.”

She’s the voice of reason, as usual, but I won’t be deterred—not this time. “I know it’s him, and I’m not going to sit by while he screws up everything for us.”

I whirl around and storm toward the door, not caring if Tawni follows.

I gasp and my eyes widen when I see him standing before me, gun leveled at my head.

I freeze, my heart thudding in my chest.

Time seems to stop for a moment and I wonder if it will be my last.

“Adele, you shouldn’t just jump to—” Tawni starts to say and then stops, letting out a tiny squeal.

“Hello, ladies,” Brody says, standing in front of the open door. I didn’t even hear it open when he came in.

“You?” I breathe. I’m in shock. Why is Brody of all people pointing a gun—no, not a gun, my gun, I realize—at my head?

He laughs, deep and not at all friendly. Not at all like the kind laugh I’d heard from him over the last two days. “For being the daughter of such a smart woman you’re pretty dense,” he says, sneering.

“I don’t understand,” I say.

“How could you?” Brody says. “I’ve had you wrapped around my little finger from the moment I laid eyes on you. I tend to have that effect on women.”

The arrogance on his face is chilling. Even when faced with rejection, he thinks I was into him. “You’re the spy,” I say, as I finally realize what’s happening.

“Obviously. You’ve been thinking Trevor the whole time, right? You really should have trusted your mother’s judgment more. But alas, hindsight is twenty-twenty.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I’m not a complex person, Adele. The sun dwellers just pay more, that’s all. They buy weapons, food, clothing, all of it.”

“You work for the sun dwellers? But why would they want to fund a rebellion?” My mind churns through the facts, trying to fit them all together.

“A rebellion? Ha! Hardly. The only thing that’s happened so far is the Star Realm fighting with the Moon Realm. A perfect opportunity for the Sun Realm to come in and reestablish peace, stabilize the Tri-Realms, play the heroes. And at the end of it all, the Sun Realm is stronger than ever and the others…well, they’re more pliable than ever.”

My mind is racing. All along I thought we at least had a chance if we could just agree on a common enemy. The sun dwellers. The President. But now I find out the entire thing has been orchestrated by the Sun Realm? I’m in complete shock—and angry at myself for not putting two and two together; I knew something wasn’t right about how well-supplied the star dwellers were, if I only had more time I could have figured it out…

But I don’t—and I didn’t.

My feet are frozen to the ground. They may never move again. And even if they could, what could I do against Brody and my gun? If I tried anything he’d just shoot me between the eyes. Suddenly it all makes sense why he offered to train me to shoot. I thought he was being nice, trying to help me; but no, he just wanted to show me that he doesn’t miss his target, so that when the time came for this confrontation, I’d be afraid, frozen, exactly like I am now. How could I be so stupid? So trusting?

Brody laughs again. “I see those cute little wheels spinning, Adele. Have I blown your mind? I had no choice. You were going to ruin everything with your rogue trip to meet with the Moon Realm leaders, so I thought I’d just stop by and share some information. You know, like any good friend would. And guess what? There’s more, and this bit is for Tawni too.”