Joan Undone

Chapter 10

My gaze moves between the red eyes of Mom, Dad, and Addie, and guilt floods my stomach.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, and their anger morphs into astonishment.

You'd think I never apologized to them before.

"Oh, baby," Addie says, gripping me tightly.

Leo creeps up to the table with a tea kettle and mugs in hand. He carefully pours each of us a steaming cup.

"I apologize as well, Mr. and Mrs. Fasces," Leo says gravely. "In the mayhem, we were selfish, thinking only of the next step and not of the loved ones who might worry."

"It's a relief that there's at least one adult keeping an eye on these kids," my dad says.

Any other time his words would annoy me, but not tonight. For the first time in years, I'm a little girl grateful to have the people who love me most nearby after the horror I witnessed tonight.

"I don't know what to do," I admit.

"You do. You followed your instincts tonight and saved lives," Leo says.

"She did?" Dad's eyes are wide.

Leo's eyes shoot to his face, and then my mother's. "Your daughter has been leading us all. She has a genius for strategy and knows how to bring people together to fight for a common cause. I've never known anyone like her. Tonight, she led a group of students to the police station to help survivors escape the carnage."

My cheeks grow hot at Leo's words, and my parents watch me with something like awe.

"I knew you were special, of course," Mom says. "But this..."

"I'm proud of you," Dad says.

The praise makes me squirm. "It's not all me. Everyone on this team is brilliant."

"You are the lynchpin," Leo insists.

"It's terrifying to think of what rests on my judgment if I make the wrong decision," I say.

"Can we help somehow?" Mom offers, her tone tentative.

Something in my heart goes soft and warm at her offer of help, so I tell her, Dad, and Addie about the decisions we're facing. They listen silently, and Mom and Dad look at me like they've never seen me before.

"So do I team up with Aft and opt for peaceful protest? Or do I accept that without Strand's resources it will be impossible to end Crew's threat?" I ask at the end of my explanation.

"I was not aware that Strand's help was a reality," Leo says sharply.

I nod. "I'm waiting for a gesture of good faith from Strand's Darwin, Lexi, before I make the partnership official."

Addie squeezes my hand. "Though it frightens me to see you allied with such a snake, right now, you need its poison."

Dad's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Wise words, Addie."

"She's brilliant, Dad. How can you not know that?"

Addie shoots me a look. "Now, now, Joan. Thank you, Mr. Fasces."

"I agree with Addie," Mom chimes in. "It frightens me to think of you going against these monsters without proper backup. Strand will have weapons, allies, information."

I'm more astonished by Mom's common sense than Dad was by Addie's wisdom, but I'm smart enough to keep my mouth shut. A pleasant warmth has replaced the cold fear that possessed me before.

My parents and Addie love me so much that they sought me out in the middle of the night, on streets filled with danger and few police to protect them from it. The reality of their presence is a flame against all the darkness I encountered tonight.