Dark Stars (Dark Stars #3) - Danielle Rollins Page 0,2
Zora’s Jet Ski, a flicker of triumph moving through her as she wrapped her hands around Zora’s waist. “Do you know somewhere we can go? Where they won’t look for us?”
Zora, gruff, said, “I can think of a place.”
2
A building appeared in the distance, nestled between the taller skyscrapers. It looked like it was made entirely of mirrors, but thick vines crawled over the exterior, making it impossible to tell for sure. Water reflected in the outside walls, creating the illusion that the structure was moving.
Dorothy frowned as they drew closer. They were in Black Cirkus territory, only a few blocks from the hotel that served as the gang’s headquarters, and yet, she’d never been here before. She’d noticed the building before, obviously. It looked almost like a giant diamond, making it hard to miss, but she’d never paid it much attention. So many of the buildings downtown were flooded to the point of being unusable.
“What is this place?” she asked as Zora pulled the Jet Ski up to the dock wrapped around the building’s outer walls. The Jet Ski’s headlight glimmered off the glass, the brightness making Dorothy’s eyes water.
“Old library,” Zora said, cutting the engine.
“This was a library?” The libraries in Dorothy’s time had been dusty, brick structures. Nothing like this.
“Pretty, right?” Zora said, softening. “You should have seen it before the floods. It was my favorite place in the whole city.”
Dorothy fisted her hands, her palms suddenly clammy. Was that kindness she’d just heard? It felt like a foolish thing to hope for, and yet she stole a glance at Zora, blood pounding in her ears. Maybe it wasn’t too late.
But there was no kindness in Zora’s face. Her eyes were cold and narrowed, her lips thin.
Please don’t let it be too late, Dorothy thought.
They climbed off the Jet Ski and made their way inside. Mildewed books towered around the entrance, sending deeper shadows over the tile floor. There didn’t appear to be any lights, or, at least, not any working lights. The dark inside was deep and perfect, but Zora was able to pick her way through the surrounding clutter easily, as though she’d done it many times before.
Dorothy followed her into a wide, open space lit with a half-dozen flickering candles. Here, she saw that they weren’t alone. Chandra, a girl with dark skin, black hair, and thick glasses was playing a card game at a rickety table. Willis towered behind her, his skin and hair pale beneath black clothes. The bones in his face slanted at sharp angles, causing the skin to pull too tight over his cheeks and chin. Neither seemed to have noticed them come in.
Willis leaned over Chandra’s shoulder and touched one of her cards with the tip of his massive finger. He said, in a deep, velvety voice, “You missed the ace.”
“I didn’t miss the ace,” Chandra snapped, rolling her eyes. “I was just saving it.”
Willis frowned. “Saving it?”
“I like saving up a bunch of cards in a row and then, when I’m ready, I get to go bam bam bam and do them all at the same time.” She mimed flipping a bunch of cards onto the table. “It’s fun.”
“I didn’t realize solitaire could be quite so exciting,” Willis murmured, a smile curling his lips.
Dorothy felt an ache, watching them. She’d forgotten what it was like to be around these people, how comforting it could be, almost like having a family. Once, she’d thought that Willis and Chandra could become her friends.
But that was a long time ago. She hadn’t seen either of them in over a year and, since then, things had gotten . . .
Complicated.
Her smile flickered. If she’d made different choices, she might be sitting among them right now, playing cards and laughing. It was much too late for all that. The past year seemed to rise up between them, massive. She doubted either of them would consider her a friend anymore.
Still, she had to try. She took a step toward them, tentative. “Hell—”
She was interrupted by a click of metal, the feel of something small and cold pressing against the skin on her neck. She snapped her mouth shut, swallowing the rest of her greeting.
Zora was pointing that gun at her again.
Lovely.
Dorothy’s mangled greeting had drawn the attention of both Chandra and Willis. They’d looked up from their card game and were staring, but Dorothy couldn’t tell whether they were surprised or afraid. Perhaps a little of both.