Legacy to Zero

23: Ignoring Everything for a While Doesn't Always Work

Lars

Disappointment sank through me. I guess I don't have to bring it up.

I didn't want to lie. But it was probably not the best idea to shout, Harlow is innocent! As much as I wanted to.

Gently, I drew my hands around my middle. Reid strolled next to me, thumbs looping over the waistband of his sweatpants and following the path the wind funnelled us into. An almost ashy taste met my tongue. Probably just my nerves, setting into a dryness that I needed to swallow.

"Until we find proof, I don't know if we should pretend she's not innocent," I said, low. I didn't need to argue with him again, and I also wasn't going to. He was the squadron's leader. Really though, Haryun made its own rules, but they shouldn't have been accusing her so brazenly. "Whoever—whoever killed Astra might still be out there."

Still had trouble saying it. Whispering it like maybe it didn't have to be true. Like maybe he didn't have to face it.

His jaw set into a line. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he held it in. Either because there were sorcerers parked outside the polytechnic and along the path back to HQ, or because we'd come to some kind of silent standoff.

"Later," he said.

Could be worse. It's not a total rejection.

As soon as we got to HQ, we took the port to the floor where the team had its first meeting. Reid checked his watch, and I adjusted mine in the guise of checking the time.

North was at the end of the table with his feet kicked up. In his hands was a water bottle—light blue like the colour of his visor. Patch had bought the same style for the four of us, but hadn't given Reid his matching white one on the account that she was still mad. Ice clinked from inside.

My head tilted. "How long have you been back?"

"A while."

"I thought..." Wasn't he off to do more seeking?

Reid's expression darkened. His eyebrows lowered to mirror my confusion. "I thought I was clear. Once you were done, you should have reported to me."

I couldn't help but agree with him. Didn't mean I wasn't still thinking about the argument. It was like he was permanently at a distance, permanently Vale while he was around the squadron. It's certainly not the same person who spoke to Sage before.

"Finished early," North said. "And she wasn't at her aunt's house or the store she owns. The trail stopped there, but her aunt was pretty adamant sorcerers from the Rift would never be allowed to stay with her. It's some kind of rule."

"But you checked before leaving?"

"Didn't have to. I trust her."

That didn't sound like North. Reid approached, lowered to his knees. His gaze met mine.

"You what?" I said.

North smiled. Swung his legs onto the ground and reached to pat Reid's shoulder in the way he'd done to me a few times. I'd just never seen him do that to Reid, especially not when I was sure he was still on Patch's side.