Nothing Less than Extraordinary

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Striking up a conversation with Zaine about the future seemed to be like the hardest task for me to wrap my head around. I had walked with Wib down to the den where he would be staying with Zaine, but found Zaine to be talking outside with Cheshire and the twins. Cariba and Warren watched from the window, but when Wib and I arrived, Warren had gone outside as well.

"What's going on?" my brother asked Cariba who was still intently observing the boys outside.

"They're trying to convince Cheshire not to run," she simply responded without emotion before looking back and seeing me. Her blue orbs softened. "You alright?"

"Yeah," I sighed and then Wib retired to sit on the smaller could that was made up as his bed for the night. I looked back through the glass and saw Cheshire shaking his head, adamant about his decision, while Andres had put a hand on his shoulder and Warren had clearly gone out there to straighten out Cheshire's plans of being a fugitive.

"Cheshire's one of the cleverest people I know, but he's about to throw his life away if he leaves before his trial," Cariba told me and I agreed. We all assumed he would be excused from the whole Jase thing, but running only made him seem guilty. My focus shifted from him to her as soon as she said that.

"Speaking of leaving..." I began, causing her to look back over at me after her glance through the glass. She looked as strong as ever, but I could still see the sadness behind her eyes. "What's the plan for you and Warren?"

"I talked to my parents," she revealed. "They forgive me and are willing to host me and Warren until we can get back on our feet."

Cariba had told me once before that she hadn't talked to her parents since she left for the Academy. She hid her powers, discovered the Academy, and just left. While most of the Academy students had been banished or urged to Maxwell's care, Cariba had seeked it out to develop and control her abilities. She felt awful about leaving her family, but did so for their safety. Even though I was bummed she was being deported, I was glad she'd have her family back. And apparently Warren as well.

"'We'," I repeated and focused on the Warren side of things because I knew Cariba wouldn't want to be pitied about her family. "So you and Warren—"

"I hate it," she groaned and then took a seat on the longer couch that Zaine would be sleeping on. I laughed and plopped down next to her. "He's so...fit and supportive and sure of himself and us and—"

"You don't hate it." The look she gave me was that I was right, but she'd never admit it out loud. She didn't need to because everyone already knew. She was smitten with the boy and it caused her to sigh.

"He's coming with me and that's it," she settled. It seemed simple enough, but I knew the commitment from Warren meant the world to her. I just wondered if she knew about him and Emma because I had an idea that he was so committed to being with her because he had lost the last person he was with and didn't exactly want it to happen again. "You're certainly welcome to visit whenever you want."

"A new country...nice open waters...you..." I listed the details of seeing the future New Zealand. She was my best friend here other than Cheshire. Even if she was holed up in the lamest place on the planet I would visit her. "I may take you up on that offer."

"Can you imagine: running on the beach care free, only having to worry about preventing skin cancer or what bikini to wear or who's checking out our men," she laughed.

"To be fair, only one of us would have to worry about skin cancer and probably that same only one of us will be worrying about our men at this point," I tried to respond with a pathetic laugh. She frowned.