Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2)(83)

Brendan scowls, turning over and over on a patch of moss. “Everything is wet! We’re going to wake up soaked!”

“Let’s just deal with it, Bren-Bren,” Jess says, yawning. “Bells says we’re halfway there, and on the way back we can hack the lift to bring us back to Aerial City.”

“But how can I sleep with no pillow?” Brendan whines.

Jess sighs and pulls her little brother close. “Here, use my shoulder.”

Emma is already trying to find the bright side. “It’s like a sleepover, but more… exciting!” she says.

“Sure it is,” Bells says. The moss is indeed quite wet.

“Here, there’s more room on my coat,” Emma offers. “We can use it as a pillow.”

“Goodnight, goodnight,” Abby says, closing her eyes. She’s curled up on the other side of Jess.

Emma yawns and leans back, and Bells very carefully lies down as well and listens to the sounds of his friends slowly drifting off to sleep.

Emma is still asleep when Bells wakes up. Her snores are a soft, rhythmic rumble, a comforting sound Bells has known since middle school. She turns over, a soft smile on her face, at peace in her dreams, whatever they may be. Bells admires the curve of her nose, the way her hair has leaves in it, the ease with which she’s able to relax.

It wouldn’t be new for him to reach over and throw an arm around her, pull her close and keep her safe. Awake, Emma is a constant strength. Years of volleyball and track and field have made her compact and determined—a force to be reckoned with. Asleep, though, she splays like a starfish, with arms and legs akimbo, completely relaxed.

A lock of hair drops in front of her nose, and her breath makes it shiver. Bells tucks the curl behind her ear.

The touch stirs Emma, and she murmurs, “Bells, where are you?”

“Here, I’m here,” Bells says softly. He’s not sure if she’s dreaming.

Emma throws an arm out, finds Bells’ waist, and drags him closer.

Bells lets her sleepily maneuver him into spooning and watches as she tucks her head into his neck and shoulder. She snuggles closer: a warm, solid weight, and absolutely beautiful.

The sun is rising, although it’s hard to tell. Pinpricks of light appear through the treetops. Pine needles scratch his arms and legs, and the ground is damp with dew.

He can taste the tang of salt, and the forest seems like another world, still waking up. Already birds chitter away and leaves rustle as animals move about. It might be alarming, well, it was last night, when Bells was trying to fall asleep, but, in the light of day, Bells finds it pleasant to think about all of the creatures getting ready for their day.

Jess and Abby are curled up together, and Jess is snoring loudly. Bells meets Abby’s eyes, and they share a smile. Abby shrugs, and Bells mouths, “It can get louder.”

Jess lets out a particularly loud snort, which sends Abby and Bells into giggles.

“No, not the penguins,” Emma mutters, which sends Abby into fits of laughter.

The movement startles Jess, who sits up suddenly. “Wh—what?”

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Abby says, kissing her quickly on the lips.

“Ew, have some morning right back at you.” Jess makes a face, but kisses her again, and they look into each other’s eyes as if infinite conversations are taking place.

Bells looks away. They’re lost in their own little world, and he’s happy for them. He tries to forget about the situation they’re in and the crick in his neck and focuses on the warmth of Emma tucked under his shoulder.

Breakfast is dry protein bars, and Abby makes a face when she hands them out. They talk about the day’s plan as they start the last bit of the hike. It sounds simple enough. Hike to the training center, where one of the lifts goes down to the outdoor arena. Brendan says he should be able to hack it to take them up. Then, as Barry, he’ll access the entrance doors, they’ll go in, and Jess will lead them to the Registry documents.

The way to the training center is eerie. Surrounding them are remnants of pre-Collective buildings that have long been abandoned; the forest grows around them. Rusted metal coils around ancient redwoods that continue to soar skyward. The spires shift and groan, making creaking noises in the wind, and he marvels at the audacity of building in the forest canopy.

They pass more than a dozen broken pieces: steel cables and rigging and other unidentifiable debris that fell to the ground.

“There!” Brendan says, racing ahead to a wide tree with metal tracks leading up to an inoperative lift waiting high above them. Walkways and the shadowy buildings of the training center rustle in the misty shroud of the forest canopy.

Bells shivers. They’re here.

Brendan pulls a set of diagrams and a screwdriver from his backpack, unscrews a panel, and peers inside. “All right, this will take me a minute,” he says.

Jess points at one of the buildings.

“Yeah. Archives,” Bells says. “Never been in there, although I walked past it a lot. Only one walkway goes by it. I used it a lot, even though it took longer, because it was one of the ways to go from my dorm to the classrooms without going on the uncovered walkways.”

“I can’t quite reach one of the controls,” Brendan says, frowning. He’s rewired a lot of stuff, and Abby looks over his shoulder.

“Here, you forgot to bypass this, and I think we should—ugh, I know there should be another panel but it’s usually on the inside…” Abby frowns, resting her hand on the control box. “If only I could…”