Page 15 (1/2)

Chris points to ot a real eye for it"

I rabs everyone’s attention I cringe, sinking lower in ht?" I say to Chris

"Okay, I admit it’s not the best I’ve ever seen"

I inspect his painting It’s not bad; it actually looks a little like Day

"So," Chris says, running a hand along his chiseled jaw, "I ondering, if you’re not doing anything after the ?"

"Ero to the Armistice Day celebrations on Saturday?" Chris adds

Ash continues to paint, seehtly like he’s listening in

"I’ve got a boyfriend" The lie falls out of"Sebastian, the Head Tracker? He’s really protective of me" All of which is true, apart from the boyfriend bit

Ash turns to faceacross his face

"Too bad," Chris says

I turn back to ets up and strides over to Ash, who quickly covers his painting, looking like he’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar What’s he hiding? Surely his painting can’t be worse than mine Chris doesn’t seem to notice as they talk quietly, their faces serious Ash nods and passes so card! I think back to the two of hearts playing card in ive thehtly; I don’t like being reminded that Ash is a dealer I’d much prefer to think of him as the boy in the ory chucks a piece of scrunched-up paper at et my attention

"What?" I say irritably

"I’ session with the squad on Thursday, aren’t you? It’s just a shame we have to share our lesson with that nipper," he says, looking at Ash

Anger boils up in me at the use of the word nipper Weird I’ve not had an issue with people saying it before My friends in Centru hiive up onit’s a lost cause, and spend the rest ofback at thelook between s, and everyone packs up Ash scrunches his painting into a ball and tosses it into the bin He pauses by e way it does whenever he’s close by

"How’s Martha doing?" he asks

"Fine It’s aood as new"

He shrugs "Darklings heal fast It’s one of our skills"

What other skills does he have? Heat rises upelse, then sees shut behind hi everyone’s pictures of her

"I look hideous in all of thely?"

"No, don’t be silly We’re just really bad painters," I reply

She finds Ash’s balled-up painting in the bin and curiously opens it Her mouth drops open in surprise

"Is it really awful?" I say

She shakes her head and ushersI expect to see a portrait of Day, but that’s not who he’s painted at all What’s really there takesis alive, the vibrant colors constantly changing as they swirl into each other, so it looks like the portrait is ifted artists, able to capture the pure essence of their e the contours of the portrait’s face, not recognizing the girl staring back at htest blue, and her hair’s like spun gold, tuirl is

It’s me!

Down the center of ht it to be Sohty warrior I sit down, unable to take it all in Is this how Ash really sees me?

I stare at the portrait, dumbfounded And I swear, theseems to throb like the beat of an untamed heart

14

ASH

THE MOON IS HIGH above the city as I lie on the roof of Beetle’s barge, arms behind my head The boat rocks as he cliarette He passes it to ive ood as the heart beating inside ?" he asks

I shutup inside ht now

"I wish she’d go back to the Legion," I say eventually, opening my eyes

"You don’t mean that, bro"

"It was selfish of her to come home All it’s done is upset Dad What really sucks is she only returned because her boyfriend kicked her out when she got sick"

"You don’t know that," he replies

"Why else would she have co about us; otherwise, she wouldn’t have left in the first place" I hand the cigarette to Beetle "Let’s talk about so of having a sood Who are you inviting?"

"Well, you"

"That’s not a gathering That’s a date"

Beetle chuckles "You wish Maybe I’ll invite Day as well"

"I thought you tere over"