Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1)(117)

She met Diana’s gaze, almost afraid to speak. “Is it over?”

Diana took a shaky breath. “I think so,” she said tentatively, as if she couldn’t quite believe it. “We changed the future. We stopped a war.”

From the road, Alia heard the cry of sirens and saw the flashing lights of police cars and fire trucks approaching.

She and Diana made their way to the riverbank, and Nim seized Alia in a tight hug.

“I thought you were dead,” Alia said, the ache of tears pressing at her throat.

Nim’s laugh was part sob. “I kind of was.”

“Hey, so was I,” said Theo. “I did some really good dying.”

“He also put a wrecking ball through Jason’s firewall,” said Nim.

“Yeah,” Theo said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his ridiculous trousers. “I can’t guarantee that there won’t be some fallout at Keralis Labs, though.”

Alia winced. “I’m betting after all of this, the board isn’t going to want me or Jason anywhere near the company.”

Theo’s shoulders lifted. “Sorry?”

“I’m not,” Alia said. “I’ll be fine. I’ll build something of my own.”

Angry voices drifted down from the road, shouting in Greek.

“Should we go up there?” said Diana.

“No,” said Alia. “I don’t think we should. Let Jason explain why he has a heavily armed militia in the middle of a country road.”

“What’s going to happen to him?” said Nim.

They sat down beneath the drooping branches of a willow. In the dark, no one looking down from above would see them, though if anyone came investigating, they’d be easy enough to spot. But why would they? The battle had been waged on the road. There were no signs that it had spread to the river’s banks, that beneath the branches of a plane tree an age of bloodshed had been prevented.

“I don’t know,” said Alia. “I hope there’s some way to reach him, to help him. I still can’t quite believe that my brother did this.”

“And my best friend,” said Theo.

“No offense,” Nim said, “but that douchebag tried to kill me—I hope he rots.”

Theo nodded. “Fair point.”

Diana clutched Alia’s arm. “Alia, they’re agreeing.”

“Hey,” said Nim, “that’s true. And I haven’t wanted to stab you for a solid fifteen minutes, Theo.”

“How about now?” he asked.

“Nope.”

“How about now?”

“Theo—”

“How about now?”

Nim grimaced.

“Don’t worry,” said Alia. “Even I want to stab him.”

The shining scythe of the reaping moon hung low over the valley, visible once more, and they sat together, side by side, watching the stars appear and the lights of the city multiply in the distance. After a while, they heard more cars arrive, and then others depart.

“I guess someone is making decisions,” said Alia.

“How do you feel?” Diana asked.

“Tired,” Alia said. “Sad. Sore.”

“But do you feel different?”

“No,” she said cautiously. “I feel bruised all over and more than a little freaked out about what the hell I’m going to do with the brother you turned into a gibbering bowl of jelly, but I just feel like me.”

“Just you is pretty good,” said Theo, and Alia felt her cheeks go warm.

“Just me is pretty hungry,” she said lightly.

Nim flopped backward. “We don’t have any money.”

“We’ll live off the land!” said Theo.

Nim groaned. “Unless the land is made of pizza, you can forget it.”

Alia nudged Diana’s shoulder with her own. “I’m thinking we find a nicer place to stay than the Good Night, but I’m not totally sure how we’re going to pay for it.” When Diana didn’t say anything, she amended, “I promise we won’t steal. Or borrow.”

“It’s not that,” said Diana. She pulled her knees up to her chin. “I’m not sure I’m ready to go.”

“Seriously?” said Nim. “I’ve had about enough of southern Greece to last a lifetime.”

“No, I mean home. To Themyscira.”

Alia froze. “But…you don’t have to go, do you? Not right away.”

“I have to get back. I need to know if the island is okay, if my friend Maeve is all right. I…” She drew in a long breath as if fortifying herself. “I need to face my mom.”

“Is your mom anything like you?” asked Theo.

Diana grinned. “Tougher, faster, and really good at the lyre.”

But Alia didn’t want to joke, not now. She’d already lost too much tonight.

“Will you be able to come back?” she said.

“I don’t know. I may still face exile, punishment.”

“Then don’t go!” said Nim. “Stay with us. You can be my date to the Bennett prom. Alicia Allen will lose her damn mind.”

“Or you could be my bodyguard,” said Theo. “I’ve been told I’m not a very intimidating specimen.”