Infinity Son(61)

Iris holds the urn with a grip so tight I’m surprised she’s not crushing it. “We can’t risk losing the urn. We may not be able to stop Luna if she has the ghosts again.”

“She’ll definitely kill my brother if we don’t!”

“Luna will do far worse if she becomes indestructible.”

“We rescue innocents,” Atlas says. “This is what we do.”

Iris takes a deep breath and doesn’t look me in the eye. “The one for the many. I want to claw out my own heart for saying it, but the mission has always been to stop Luna and the Blood Casters. The mission my parents died for.”

“My parents died too!” Maribelle says.

“It’s not the same!” Iris shouts.

“Because your parents were leaders? Get over yourself. Seniority is the only reason you and your parents were ever trusted to lead. You must be living in some fantasy land where blood isn’t on your hands just because you’re not doing the killing, but wake up. Brighton was brave enough to take a shot that you never would in a million years, to do the very thing our parents fought for, and now he has to pay the ultimate price?”

“We all risk paying the ultimate price,” Iris says.

Maribelle shakes her head. “Unbelievable. You don’t deserve to lead this group. No one else agrees with her, right?”

Eva folds her hands on the table and stares at the ceiling. “I’m sorry, but I do. We’re already trying to protect a country of celestials, and if Luna can take command, she will go global and have us all killed for opposing her.”

Wesley stands by Eva and Iris. “I think Brighton is the man, and he’s done a world of good for us. But we almost died in the cemetery. This won’t be a fair trade. There’s too much to lose.”

“I would die to protect you,” Atlas says.

“Bro, you know what I’m saying,” Wesley says.

“No, I don’t. If you were captured by the Blood Casters, I would be out this door already. But if we’re too careful with our lives all of a sudden, then we should go out and live our truths while we still can, because everything we’ve set out to do will come to a full stop once Luna rises to power.”

“We have to make sure we’re around to fight,” Wesley says. “I have a family, man, and I owe it to them and everyone else to make sure Luna doesn’t become unstoppable.”

I can’t believe people are debating whether my brother’s life is worth saving.

“If you want me on your side, I have to have my brother,” I say. “This is how we started our alliance, and this is how we’ll end it. You’re really going to tell me to my face that you’ll let my brother die when he was risking his own neck to shine a light on your lives?”

Everyone is quiet.

“I’m getting Brighton back, even if that means showing up alone and without that urn. I’ll die fighting so he knows I didn’t abandon him when he needed me most. Good luck fighting your war without us.”

I storm out knowing damn well I won’t survive this alone. I didn’t grow up with powers, but I’ve been a brother for eighteen years.

No fire burns brighter than that.

It’s almost six when I call Kirk, and I’m relieved when he answers.

“Emil?”

“Hey, Kirk. I—”

“How are you doing? I’ve tried reaching you. I want to understand why you made the decision to become a specter and—”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch, but everything has taken a turn and only gotten worse and worse.”

“Is this about your brother? I saw the video.”

Of course he’s seen it. My life is some show for people to consume.

“Brighton’s in trouble, and I might not be able to save him. But the Blood Casters won’t win if you keep Gravesend far away from the museum. Cancel the gala, get her out of the country.”

I tell him everything I know about Luna’s plan to use Gravesend’s pure blood to make herself immortal.

“Immortal? Emil, that’s not possible.”

“I would’ve told you the same before I came back to life,” I say. He’s quiet. This is the first time I’ve trusted anyone outside Nova with the big secret. “In essence, at least. Turns out Keon could resurrect. He became Bautista, and . . .”

“Now there’s you.” Then Kirk is quiet. “Emil, this is astonishing news, truly. I would love to help you work through this, but in the meantime, we can’t cancel the gala. The museum needs this funding to keep its doors open. The Halo Knights will already be present to protect Gravesend, but I’ll alert them to the threat.”

“Luna is planning to create her potion at the height of the Crowned Dreamer. Delay the gala.”

“Gravesend will have hatched by then. The Halo Knights are capable, I promise you. I’d like to ask you more about this resurrection business—”

I hang up. Between the Spell Walkers turning their backs on me and Kirk not taking my warning seriously, I’ve lost the little hope I had that we might defeat Luna.

I go to Ness’s room. He’s lying on his air mattress and puts down the book he was reading. “Finally, firefly.”

I sit in the center of the room, relieved when he joins me. I tell him everything—Luna pulling off the ritual, me flying away with the urn, Brighton being taken hostage.