The Ravaged World (Book 2 of the Exiles Series)

Thirteen: Magnus

I'm anxious for the expanse of time that passes after Max makes his promise, a promise so huge and seemingly impossible that if he succeeds, I don't know how I'll repay him for it. But I have to find out. It's three in the morning, nearing the beginning of the dog days of summer, when my telescreen suddenly starts to vibrate, skidding across the surface of my desk and plummeting to the floor.

My eyes snap open, and on my own my hands reach beneath my bed until they find a sleek metal object. But as soon as I find the tablet on the floor, I jump out of bed to reach it and tap on the screen, having missed the call.

"Lights." The lights in my bedroom snap on by themselves, much too bright and unnaturally sudden. I squint to read the tablet screen, and, naturally, at three a.m., I discover that the call I missed was Max.

I hear sudden footsteps in the hall, and a knock on my bedroom door. "Are you alright, sir?" It's one of the guards outside my door that stalk me 24/7.

Distracted by the call, I mutter back, "Yeah, just..." I have to think of something so they don't come in. "I just went to the bathroom, that's all. Fine." The footsteps retreat, apparently satisfied.

I'd like to call, but with the guards listening to everything I do I text him instead. Hey, you called me, what's up? I was asleep.

The response is almost immediate. What, do people sleep at three a.m. now? Crazy. I can practically see him smirking on the other end. But I know I need to make this quick, so I cut to the chase.

Look, I'd love to chat, seeing how apparently I'm always up at this time, but I know you called for a reason so what is it?

He replies: Fine, sorry. I have somewhere to be, too, so...I found that chick. And her sister, too. My correspondent said that Talia wouldn't join without her.

Of course. No way would Talia take a risk without her sister by her side. I'm happy to hear that Max found her, of course, but Talia's dependence has always been a quality I couldn't understand. After all, it's kind of what started our downfall on the island. Nicole somehow convinced her that I was a danger, and that my ideas were somehow too much for her to handle. I would've thought she'd realized that by now.

I reply: Wow. Tell your correspondent that I say thanks. And where the heck are you going this late at night? I'm not sure if I want to know the answer, though.

Erika's house, is his response.

Who's Erika? I thought you and Stacia were together.

Stacia who? You see, Magnus, unlike yourself I embrace change. You just fear it.

He's right, like always, and I want to feel angry but I know it's true. I feared the island. Once I got used to that, I feared coming back here. I feared and still fear becoming president. And I fear pursuing something deeper than friendship with Talia. Risk has never been my friend. Sometimes it acts like it is, but as soon as I take one and feel pretty good, it always comes back to nip me in the butt. And then I just start over, because my life seems to just be one perennial cycle.

I joined the rebellion, right? I wait a few minutes, but I don't get a response. I can't be that afraid of it if I took such a risk. Max doesn't respond, which leaves my head spinning, but not necessarily about his revelation. All I can register is Talia, and our fear of each other. I'm sure she knows that I'm involved in all this, but she had to take Nicole with her as backup. Because she is too afraid to step away from her strongest ally, because if something went wrong it is her that Talia would fall on.

I realize that I could see her in a matter of days, weeks, or even months. I probably will. But I don't know whether to feel happy or scared or both. I am currently in a very vulnerable place, and I hate the uneasy feeling that comes with that.