When Lightning Burns [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11: New Compound

           

"I've found one." Luke said the day after she got back to New York. Weirdly, Rory stood behind him at the open door to her apartment, arms crossed.

Were they hanging out now?

Julie stared at Luke. "What?"

"A compound. That's what I was working on while you were gone." He smiled proudly as if he had handed her a diamond bracelet.

"Really?" She would take this over jewelry any day. Luke had figured that out.

She let Luke push past her to come into the apartment so they weren't all standing in the hall. As she followed him in, Rory muttered something she couldn't quite hear. She shut the door, and he leaned against the wall with his arms still crossed. If Rory was already mad, this was going to be an interesting evening.

Julie blinked as Smidge appeared next to Luke on the couch. They didn't need doors. "Oh, well, we found one. Smidge and Pudge helped."

Smidge smiled proudly, though she looked all limp and tired. "After you ordered us to follow those men, Pudge used his tracking ability to find them. It took two days of no sleep or rest, barely taking time to eat, but we found them."

"Smidge! That's not what I meant. You need to eat and sleep. I—"

Smidge's eyes erupted with big, green tears.

"Oh, for the love of—" Julie went over to Smidge. "Thank you, Smidge. All I meant is that I want you to take care of yourself too, okay?"

Smidge nodded, sniffling. Julie looked up, catching Rory's eye. He raised an eyebrow as if to say he'd told her so. She glared at him and then sat on the small couch.

"Are you sure about this?" Luke glanced at Rory, who was frowning. "If you start this, you'll be on their radar."

Julie laughed. "I already am."

Luke nodded at Rory. "He isn't." He turned to him. "You don't have to go."

"Where she goes, I go," Rory said with a grim smile.

Julie looked down and gulped. She shouldn't feel guilty about Rory's feelings, but she did. She didn't choose this connection with him or with Luke. It was easier on them—they didn't have to choose.

"So when do you want to go?"

Luke looked down now. "Well, here's the thing. We need to go now. I know of a few families being held there, but they're in transition. They may move them soon, and then it will be too late."

Julie gasped, thinking of the families at the other compound. She couldn't let these people stay there either. It was wrong. "How do you know?"

"I've seen it before. We waited too long, and then they shut it down and moved somewhere else." Luke looked around her apartment as if nervous. "Usually when we share what we are about to do with the council."

Rory looked up sharply. "The Fey council?"

"Yeah. We have their permission, but in the past when we shared details, it seemed that A.R.S.E. would mysteriously change tactics." Julie stared at Luke. She wasn't used to seeing him nervous. "So we stopped sharing all the time. They don't seem to mind, but—"

"Yeah." Rory ran a hand through his hair. "It means that someone on the council or closely connected to it doesn't like what you are doing and is involved in A.R.S.E."

"But why?" Julie gasped out. "It's their families too. Aren't they all, I mean we, all related?"

"Yes." Luke paused. "But some people believe that duds and wizards are not meant to be, that they are anomalies. They may be helping or encouraging this."