The Dysasters (The Dysasters #1)(87)

She tried to convince herself that wasn’t too terrible. Mark had always been softhearted, the kindest of all of them. Luke was a jerk. They all knew it. Like his element, it took nothing for him to combust. Matthew was undependable. His moods blew from good to complete asshole as quickly as the wind changed.

But Mark had always been different. She’d grown up using him as a feelings gauge. When she wondered if she should be sad about something, she turned to Mark. If he was very upset, well, then it was time for her to get sad. Mark felt things too deeply, and she’d been quick to protect him, especially after Father had changed.

Only now it was Mark who was changing, and Eve found she couldn’t convince herself that wasn’t terrible.

Why can’t he understand that I’m doing all of this for us—so that we can be free? So what if that means eight teenagers are inconvenienced? The four of us have served our time. It’s someone else’s turn now.

Eve’s legs were jelly. The sucking sand was hell to jog through, but it fueled her anger at Bowen. That old bastard was exactly what Luke and Matthew had labeled him—a pain in the ass. Well, she was going to deal with him from now on. She’d lock the old troublemaker in his room, without that damned dog, and as soon as Tate and Foster showed up she’d let Matthew and Luke handle the cleanup. Leaving Bowen behind to tell stories to the police was a mistake she wasn’t going to make. Perhaps there should be a tragic accident that involved a candle and Bowen’s house going up in flames with the old man and dog inside.

Mark wouldn’t be able to handle that, so Mark simply wouldn’t know about it.

Suddenly, someone grabbed the back of Eve’s soggy shirt, causing her to almost fall back on her butt. She rounded on Luke, whose hot hand still had a hold of her.

“What the hell?” she snapped at him.

“Hey, open your ears! I told you to stop.” Luke pulled her behind a big clump of sand and grass. Matthew and Mark jogged up to them, breathing heavily and sending the two of them questioning frowns. Luke jerked his chin in the direction they’d been heading. “Am I the only one of us who is actually looking while we run?”

“We don’t have time for theatrics, Luke,” Eve said, jerking her shirt from his grasp.

“It’s Bowen. Just ahead. I don’t think he saw us. He’s talking to two kids. His stupid dog is there, too. Matthew, be sure you keep wind coming at our faces so that mutt doesn’t scent us.”

“Good eye, Luke,” Eve said while her brother preened under her praise. “You three stay out of sight. I’m smaller than any of you. I’m going to get closer and check out what’s going on.”

Eve slipped around the far side of the mound of sea grass and sand. Crouching, she sprinted for another, smaller concealing dune closer to the people on the beach. She waited, catching her breath, and then, on her hands and knees, Eve crawled until she had a clear view of the beach.

Eve almost had to cover her mouth to smother a shout of victory. Retracing her path, she rushed back to her brothers, smiling with relief and pleasure.

“It seems Mark did a good thing letting Bowen get away. He’s led us directly to Charlotte and Bastien.”

“What?” Mark gasped before peeking carefully around the dune.

Eve let him get an eyeful before she spoke. “Take a good look. Those two kids are your salvation from the Frill and from Father.”

Mark turned back to her, slumping against the sandy dune. “We’re going to ruin their lives.”



“No. We’re going to teach them about their powers and give them an opportunity to use them,” Eve corrected him. She reached out and took his hands, hating how cold they felt, wishing she could get through to him. “Mark, we’re not going to hurt them, but we have to do this. If we don’t it’ll be the end of us.”

“And we’re not ending because you’re soft,” Luke said.

“It’s three against one. You’re outvoted, bro,” Matthew said.

“Yeah, I get that. I’m part of this family and I’ll help you so that we survive, but unlike the three of you, I won’t like it, and I won’t hurt them—any of them.”

Eve read the hopelessness in Mark’s eyes, and for once it didn’t make her sad. It made her victorious. I’ll make it right with him later, after we’re back on the island, she told herself.

“Good. Okay, Bowen is going to be a problem, but remember we still need him to get to Tate and Foster,” Eve said.

“But we don’t need that damn dog,” Luke said.

“True,” Eve agreed. She caught Mark’s gaze. “Hurting a dog isn’t like hurting a person. Remember that, Mark.”

“That old man loves her like she’s a person,” Mark said.

“Not our problem,” Luke said.

“If we have to hurt a dog to show those kids and that old man that we mean business, then so be it,” Eve said. When Mark opened his mouth Eve said brusquely, “It’s the dog or Bowen. You choose.”

Mark closed his mouth and didn’t say anything.

Eve nodded. “So, use the dog. Matthew, be ready to get air involved. Mark, whatever Matthew does you should assume rain will be needed with him. This place looks deserted, but we can’t chance being seen, and we already know the old man is a pain in the ass. Even if the kids come willingly with us, we’re going to have to tie him up.” She gestured at the zip ties and rope her brothers were holding. “No one needs to witness that. Be ready to shield us from watchers. Okay, follow my lead. Oh, and Mark—tell that tropical storm it’s time to come to land.”