Archenemies (Renegades #2)(65)

Max laughed, but it lacked amusement. He pressed his back against the glass as Adrian took another step forward. “We know you’re not immune. So, come on, get out of here. This isn’t funny.”

“No, see this?” He lifted the charm. “It was in the artifacts warehouse. I think it might protect against powers like yours.”

Max gawked at him. “What?”

Adrian was a quarter of the way into the quarantine. He tried to recall at what point he had started feeling the effects of Max’s power when he’d rushed in to rescue Nova, but that night was a blur in his memory.

He kept walking. Slow, hesitant step after slow, hesitant step. He was barely breathing, waiting for the slightest warning sign that the pendant might be failing. He distinctly remembered the numbness that had entered his hands before. The way his body had felt like it was moving through molasses. The sensation of a plug being pulled up from his navel, and all his strength draining out through it.

How close had he been to Max when it started? Surely he was closer now, and yet he felt completely normal. Twitchy and nervous, but still normal.

He was more than halfway. He passed Merchant Tower. Strode the length of City Park.

Max’s eyes narrowed, fearful, but curious too. His focus was glued to Adrian’s feet, watching him pace through the city they’d built over the years.

Adrian reached the place where Nova had collapsed. The nearby block of buildings still bore signs of the fall, though the shards of broken glass had been removed.

The forgotten street sign dropped from Max’s hand, clattering to the floor.

“If you lose your powers because of this,” Max whispered, “I’m not taking any responsibility for it.”

“You shouldn’t take responsibility for it anyway,” said Adrian. He was constantly working to dispel Max’s beliefs that he had done anything wrong. It wasn’t his fault he was this way. It wasn’t any prodigy’s fault.

Three-quarters of the way into the quarantine, Adrian began to smile.

Still petrified, Max didn’t return it.

“I feel fine,” said Adrian, unable to keep some of the disbelief from his own tone.

He came to a stop three paces away from Max. Close enough that he could reach out and put his hands on his shoulders.

And so he did.

Max flinched, at first ducking from the touch, but then froze. His eyes went wide.

Starting to laugh, Adrian pulled Max into a hug, crushing him in one exuberant embrace before letting go. “I feel fine!” he said again, ruffling Max’s unruly hair. “Great, even. I can’t believe it worked!” His laugh got louder. “Except … I can believe it. Because of course it worked. I totally knew it would work. By the way, you need a haircut.”

“Draw something,” Max demanded, ignoring his glee. “Quick.”

Adrian took out his marker, still beaming. “Sure thing, Bandit. Any requests?”

Max shook his head, and Adrian stepped closer to the window and drew the first thing that came to mind—a Renegade pin, like the one he gave Nova at the trials.

When he pulled it fully formed from the glass, Max gave a little squeak of shock. “How?”

Adrian met his eye, and beneath the stunned disbelief, he could see the start of possibilities filtering into the kid’s mind.

For almost Max’s entire life, he had been kept separate from the ones who loved him, everyone but Hugh, anyway. And Hugh may have loved Max, but he was so busy, trying to squeeze his fatherly responsibilities in between Council meetings and public appearances and the occasional heroics. When was the last time Max had sat next to someone and played video games and ate snacks into the wee hours of the morning?

Never. That was when. He had never experienced anything like that before.

“I have the best idea,” said Adrian. “Tomorrow, I’m going to bring some chips and soda and a super-greasy pizza and I’m going to completely slaughter you in an all-night Crash Course III marathon. Unless you’d rather, I don’t know, learn to play backgammon or something, and then we’ll do that. Doesn’t matter. It’s up to you. You let me know.”

Max shook his head, bewildered. “Adrian, how?” he repeated, more forcefully this time. He grabbed the medallion and flipped it over, examining the back, which contained a mirror image of the protective hand. “What is this? How does it work?”

“I don’t know!” said Adrian, still beaming. “It protects from diseases and poisons and stuff, so I just thought—”

“I’m not poison! I’m not a disease!”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It shouldn’t work!” Max dropped the pendant. “It shouldn’t.”

“But it does. And next, I’m going to give myself a tattoo of this symbol,” said Adrian, pointing. “That will make me permanently immune, and then I can give this charm to anyone who wants to visit you. Can you imagine the look on Ruby’s face? And Oscar, and Danna? They’ll be so excited to come see you. And Simon, of course.” He gasped, leaning forward. “Dude. Simon. He’ll be … I don’t even know. I bet he’ll cry.”

“The Dread Warden crying?” said Max. “Let’s get it on film.” He said it jokingly, but Adrian could tell he was overwhelmed, and on the verge of tears himself. “Did you say tattoo?”