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I knew doodly-squat about mechanics or electricity, but Moll’s big piece of equipment at the river had grown. Even to my ignorant eyes, it looked more complete. Moll had chosen the construction site for my meeting with Bloom, and after discussing it with Erik, we could think of no reason to disagree. Sure, there were better places, somewhere more protected and secure from predators, but in the bright light of high noon, and with some of Dwivedi’s finest young men and women accompanying us, we decided taking chances with the undead seemed like the lesser of two evils. The greater evil was instigating a disagreement with Moll Grimes.
Erik insisted I chug down as much immunity serum as I could stomach, just in case. All the way to the meeting place, we argued about his tendency toward overprotection and mine toward impetuousness. We hadn’t stopped arguing by the time we arrived at the generator site and found Bloom, accompanied by Shep, waiting for us.
Bloom’s presence hit me like a shotgun slug. I didn’t think. I only reacted, running for her, tears already flooding my eyes.
“Bloom.” I launched myself at her.
She caught me and stumbled a few steps back. Saying nothing for a few heartbeats, she held me and snuffled in my ear. “Hello, darling,” she finally said into the top of my head, pressing her words into my hair. “I’ve missed you.
Pulling away, I slugged her shoulder. “Where the hell have you been? Do you know what I’ve been through? How could you leave me like that? I ought to—”
“Sera.” She gathered my hands between her own. “I know. I know what you’ve been through. Shep’s told me everything. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
I glanced at Shep, who had the decency to stare at his boots. “Everything?” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “But he couldn’t have told you about the...” I could barely say it. “The bite.” Turning my hands, I revealed the wound at the base of my thumb that had been stubborn to heal.
Bloom’s voice cracked as she peered at the evidence of what I’d been through. “Yes. He told me.”
“How’d he even know about it?”
“He’s been spending a lot of time at the college, I gather.”
I clicked my tongue and huffed. “Parvati.”
“Is that her name?” Bloom chuckled. “He won’t say much to anyone about her.”
I waved my hand, swiping away those incidental matters. “What happened to you, Bloom? Where have you been? Dwivedi’s going to help me get you out of Moll’s place. We have a plan with—”
“Sera.” She squeezed my hands, interrupting me again. “There are some things I need to tell you. Can you listen for a bit?” She leaned in and raised her eyebrows. “Listen with an open mind and try not to get mad?”
Cold foreboding drip-dripped down my spine. Stepping back, I pulled free from her and set my hands on my hips. “I don’t know. Depends on what you’re going to say.”
Bloom’s gaze shifted. Something behind me had caught her attention. “You’re Erik?” She stepped forward, offering her hand for a shake.
Erik hesitated but then clasped Bloom’s hand and returned a bold stare. “Erik LeRoux.”
Shep had probably told her all about Erik in advance. Bloom’s gaze briefly lingered on his scars before moving on. “You’re the one I have to thank for saving my sister.”
“I wish I wouldn’t have had to,” Erik said. “It never should’ve happened.”
Sera squinted at him, wondering if Erik’s statement was commentary on Bloom’s failings as an older sister.
“Well, I owe you. Big time,” Bloom said.
He shook his head. “I didn’t do it for you.”
Bloom snorted. “I heard it was like that. Wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself.” She turned to me, both eyebrows arched. “He’s the one, huh?”
“The one?” I asked.
“You love him?”
I rolled my eyes. “How’s that any of your business?”
“I don’t want to leave you alone, Sera.”
“You’re not leaving me. We’re going to get you out.”
“No.” Bloom put her hands on my shoulders and leaned down so we met eye to eye. “You’re not.”
“You don’t think I can? Because I’m not on my own. I’ve got Erik and Dwivedi’s college to help me.”
She gave me a crooked smile, half happy, half sad. “I’m so proud of how you’ve managed. I was worried for you, but I should’ve known better. You’re a survivor. I’m a survivor, too, Sera. I don’t need to be rescued.”
“And why not?” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She made a couple of false starts before Erik intervened. “She wants to stay with Moll,” he said.
Ludicrous. Ridiculous. Preposterous. I chuckled at the absurdity of Erik’s assumption. “No, she doesn’t.” Shaking my head, I frowned. “You don’t want to stay with Moll, do you, Bloom? She’ll own you. You know that.”
My sister raised a hand to my cheek, stilling me. “I don’t mind being owned. I’m full and safe, and I have a job doing something that matters. I don’t have to struggle anymore.”
“But—” I faltered, stung by her rebuff. “I’ve been struggling for you. Erik was bitten, and I almost died. For you. Everything I’ve done for over a month has been for you—to get you back.” Here comes those blasted tears again. A mixture of salt and anger and hurt.
Color drained from Bloom’s cheeks. She pulled me into her arms and let me pour my misery all over her nice white blouse. I heaved a breath, and it sounded horrible and broken. “You left me? How could you? You’re my sister.”
My fingers curled, forming a fist, but Bloom caught it before I could throw it. She’d taught me how to fight. She knew me too well. I kicked and spat and clawed, but she only held me and let me do my worst. “You just disappeared. No note, no warning.” Tears streamed down my face and dripped from my chin as I railed against her. “I didn’t know if you were dead or alive.”
My bout with the Dead Disease had robbed me of my stamina, so I gave out quickly. I slumped against Bloom, and she rubbed my back while the last of my emotions drained away.
“I don’t have the words,” she said, “to explain my regret for what you’ve been through, but you have to believe I didn’t want to leave you.”
“But you did.” I shoved her away. Suddenly, her touch was unbearable. I needed to stand on my own.
“Moll blackmailed me. She said she would take you, or worse, if I didn’t come to her. I did it to protect you.”
“You could’ve explained that to me. You didn’t have to leave me like that, with no word.”
“Would you have let me go?” Her gaze hardened. “If I’d left a note, would you have believed my words? Would you have just let me walk into Mini City without starting a fight, with me or with Moll?”
I shoved her hard, not wanting to hear what she was saying. Because what she was saying was too much. Too cruel. Too selfish.
“I could’ve tried telling you. But you wouldn’t have wanted to hear it. Leaving was the only way I could convince you of my intentions and keep you safe from Moll at the same time.”
“Keep me safe? Safe? What was safe about leaving me with no word? You had to know I’d come looking for you. That I would take every risk to find you. Safe would have been us leaving the city together instead.” I stamped my foot and gestured vaguely to some place beyond the city. “You didn’t have to make me let you go. Not like this.”
“But you don’t want to leave, Sera. And I didn’t want to run from Moll and spend all our time looking over our shoulders. This was the best thing for both of us.”
I didn’t want to believe her, but I had always taken her word for granted. “You want to stay with Moll? You want to be with her more than me?”
Bloom’s brow creased, her eyes shining with her own tears. “You’re my sister. Nothing’s going to change that. But the world still turns; people grow up, move on. The Dead Disease didn’t stop time. I hoped you would find someone. Someone besides me. And now you have. I was never supposed to be your whole life or you mine.”
I started to protest, but Bloom put her hand over my mouth and continued. “Moll might be a little overbearing, but she has plans to bring this city back to life, and I’m going to be a huge part of that. I’ve been designing infrastructure and foundations for a newer, modern world with things like electricity and engines for transportation. We’re going to revolutionize this place.”
“You’re wrong.” The truth of Bloom’s confession was settling over me, and it brought me no peace. “You didn’t leave for my sake. You left for your own selfish reasons, and I understand that, actually, but don’t make this about me.” My face crumpled into a snarl. “Own up to it at least. If you stay with Moll, you’ll never see me. You’re okay with that?”
Bloom’s blue eyes smiled sadly into mine. Fine little crinkles filled in around the corners, reminding me so much of our father. “I’ll see you. Maybe not as much as we’d like, but we’ll work it out. Moll isn’t sure of my loyalties yet, but when she trusts me, she’ll give me more freedom to come and go as I please.”
“How do you know? I didn’t think you could trust her.”
“I can’t, but all that matters is she trusts me.”
“I miss you, Bloom.” My feelings of anger and betrayal didn’t change that fact. “I’ll always miss you.”
She jutted her chin toward Erik. “You won’t have a lot of time to miss me if you’re keeping him company.”
I glanced at Erik. He gave Bloom a stern look, eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“If it’s love...” She nodded toward Erik. “And, darling, it’s written all over his face, then he’s going to make sure the only thing you’re thinking of is him.”
Petulant, I folded my arms over my chest and arched an eyebrow. “How would you know?”
“Count yourself lucky to find that kind of thing in these times. It was rare before. Now it’s even more so.” Bloom took a deep breath and exhaled. “I had a girl when I was at university.”
“You did?” My brows shot to my hairline. “You never said.”
“Hurt too much to talk about her.”
“What happened to her?”
I could have guessed Bloom’s answer. “Same thing that happened to everyone, eventually.”
“What was her name?”
“Natalie Anne. She was beautiful, and I wanted to be with her forever. I probably would have, but she disappeared like everyone else.”
“Did you see her turn?”
“No. But I didn’t have to. It’s a pretty safe assumption.” She nodded at Erik. “Take care of my sister, huh?”
Erik snorted. “Better than you would.”
Bloom flinched.
“So... what now?” I asked, arms still folded across my chest, steam still leaking from my ears.
The generator construction site wasn’t particularly picturesque, but we could’ve found a place close to the river to sit and talk a while longer, though I didn’t really see the point. Bloom didn’t need me. And maybe I didn’t need her anymore, either. Maybe it was time to move on, let her go.
Before Bloom could reply, we were interrupted by the tromp of boots, the clank of armor, and a shout of “Oy! Bliters!”
My heart sank as, together, Bloom and I grimaced and said, “John Brown.”