Page 128 of Storm Caller

“Did she ever explicitly explain what she wants?” Ada asks. “Yes, she wants to find the cure, but to what end?”

I take a pause, my mouth opening and then closing.

“She never got to that part,” Rook says.

Ada dips her chin. “I want to believe General Sol came to you with good intentions. But until we can be sure, we must assume she is still working with The Shield. She benefits from New Manhattan’s current arrangement, and I’m not yet convinced she would welcome its fall.”

I nod. “Of course.”

It’s not like she’s contacted us in a long time anyway. It does feel like something else is going on.

Ada turns to Edward. “Do you think you could find this information again?”

Edward scrunches his forehead. “With the right equipment, maybe.”

“Would you be able to uncover . . . other things?” Henry asks.

Edward shrugs. “Probably. But I’d need time to put it all together.”

“I’m not sure how long we can keep you safe,” Ada says. “How much time would you need?”

“A few weeks at least,” he says. “But . . . I’m not worried about me. If I can help, I’m willing to take the risk.”

“Are you sure?” Henry asks, and after a slight pause, Edward nods.

“What about us?” I ask, gesturing to Rook. “What can we do?”

“You can return to Amery. Any changes to your normal routines could arouse suspicion,” Ada answers.

“But I want to do something,” I insist.

“You are and you will,” she says. “But for now, you must leave the Fog to the job we’ve been doing for years.”

Her tone is firm, and I want to argue, but she levels me with a look that suggests she has no intention of tolerating my objections.

A moment later, her expression softens. “We’re grateful for all the information you’ve brought to us,” she says. “And I understand that you want to help. There will be a job for you at some point. Please just allow us to take things slowly. Acting too quickly could risk everything we’ve been working for.”

My gaze shifts to Rook, and I know he wants to argue, too, but he defers to Ada and her authority.

“Poet,” Edward says. “There’s something you could do for me, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Sure,” I say. “What is it?”

“Can you please check on my mom?”

46

I waste no time heading to Fiama Society Tower A. Rook wanted to come upstairs with me, but I insisted that he stay behind. It’s not that I don’t want him along, but to everyone else, he’s still an outsider, and he only attracts attention.

I hate it. I hate that we can’t just be together without everyone’s judgment.

But we both understand that’s not the world we live in right now.

“I’ll wait for you nearby,” he says. “Just around the corner. If you need me, message me, and I’ll come immediately.”

“Okay,” I concede after we argue about it for several minutes. He’s worried about my safety. “I can live with that.”

He offers me a smile and lifts his hand to my face, brushing my cheek with his thumb. “How are you feeling?”