The Fandom(73)

He laughs. ‘Ah, so the Gem lookalike won in the end. I thought she might.’

I weave through the desks and stride up to him, pushing myself on to my tiptoes so I can meet the glare of that single, lavender eye. ‘Do you remember your conversation with Baba?’ I whisper so the others can’t hear. ‘This is bigger than just getting those Gem secrets. It had to be me that Willow fell for. You sabotaged me.’

Thorn places two heavy hands on my shoulders, forcing me to take a step away. ‘I see your stay in the manor has made you bold.’

I catch myself. He’s a brutal psycho after all. ‘Sorry . . . I – I just thought Baba explained it all.’

‘She spoke in riddles. She always does.’

‘But she knows things—’

‘I am the rebel leader, not Baba, and when a Gem lookalike fell into my lap, I chose to cover my bases. You failed this mission, not me, and certainly not Alice.’

It sometimes amazes me how quickly I can feel weak again – all the strength draining from my body, my arms dangling by my side, my eyes itching with tears. I look at my boots and clutch my head, trying to think of what to say next. I need to see Baba. I swallow hard and open my mouth, but the sound of the door bursting open silences me.

A group of rebels haul someone into the building, muffling his shouts and steadying his blows. That soft flicker of hope returns ten, twenty, thirty times stronger, beating its wings like it’s going to burst from my chest. I look at Nate and can’t help but smile. In spite of Alice, in spite of everything, I did it. Willow chose me. The canon is back on track.

Thorn looks at me and begins to laugh. ‘I take it back, Violet. You aren’t empty-handed at all.’

The tussle ends and the rebels part. But it isn’t Willow bowed on his knees, a ribbon of blood streaming from his mouth. It’s Ash.





‘Ash, Ash.’ I hear my voice shout his name. I lurch towards him, but Thorn pulls me back.

Ash looks up, his eyes vivid blue, staring from the pink of his beaten face. I gasp at the sight of his blood, and my hand touches my own cheek as though I can somehow feel his wounds.

‘Do you know this Imp?’ Thorn’s breath catches against my ear.

I nod. ‘He’s a friend.’

‘And why is your friend sneaking around my church?’

Ash raises his voice. ‘Violet? What is this?’ He looks at me and then at the rebels. He wears the exact same look Willow wore in canon – hurt, betrayed.

A rebel whacks him in the temple with the butt of a gun. He splays on the floor.

‘Stop it! Please!’ I shout. I can’t believe I dragged him into this mess.

Saskia steps forward. ‘He’s just a kid from the Harper estate who’s sweet on Violet, that’s why he’s here.’

Thorn walks towards Ash with slow, purposeful steps, accentuating the rhythm of his speech. ‘And now he’s just a kid who knows where Rebel Headquarters is, and what we all look like.’

Ash manages to scrape himself off the floor, rocking back into a kneeling position. ‘Who am I going to tell?’

‘Some Gems work for the Imps,’ Thorn says, ‘and some Imps work for the Gems. Not everyone is true to their own.’

I follow Thorn, nausea rising in my stomach. ‘Please, Thorn. He’s no threat to you.’

‘His nickname’s Squirrel, for God’s sake,’ Nate says.

Thorn squats down before Ash and seems to study his face for a moment. ‘Lesson number one, boy – never think with your dick.’

Ash smiles his lopsided smile. ‘I was thinking with my heart.’

‘Lock him in a cell,’ Thorn says.

The exact same line Thorn said in canon. It’s like the story wants to unfold – Baba was right.

I watch as the rebels pull Ash to his feet, stomach acid burning the lining of my throat. He glances over his shoulder at me – his long eyelashes shielding his expression – and a cocktail of guilt and longing swirls in my stomach.

‘I’m sorry,’ I mouth at him.

But they cart him away before he can respond.

The church suddenly feels very cold. I squeeze my arms around my body, wishing I could disappear into myself, sucked into a vacuum of my own guilt. If it weren’t for me, Ash would be stirring Ma’s pot, or sitting on an Imp-bus, or lying on a bunk, or climbing a tree. I should never have deviated from the script and taken all those risks. My lips tingle as I recall last night’s kiss, and his words loop in my head. I was thinking with my heart.

Matthew breaks the silence. ‘Honestly, Thorn. He’s a good lad.’

Thorn ignores him and steers me away from the others to the front of the church. I hear Nate mutter something about being left out again, followed by a sharp smack, probably Saskia clipping him around the ear. But it all seems a little unreal. My knees feel like they won’t bend any more, and my steps become jerky and small. Thorn leads me to the pulpit and gestures for me to sit beside him on the stone lip. The chill of the stone pushes through my overalls.

He sits beside me and stares at the ceiling. ‘Before you ask if you can see him, the answer’s no.’

‘I was going to ask if I can see Baba.’

‘Why?’

I lean forward, letting my hair form a screen so he can’t see my tears. ‘Because I don’t know what to do.’