way through. Didn’t think about who I’d be leaving behind.
“And I probably wouldn’t have found you, if Tess … that one over there.” He points to a girl wearing a red bandana in her hair, sitting on a log. “Hadn’t told us about the conversation she overheard between Junie and Colton. That’s how we knew where to go. Your parents were adamant we track you down, and bring you home.”
“And you needed a hundred of your closest friends to do that?”
“No one wanted to stay there and honestly, I don’t care what you decide to do next. We just needed a mission, a purpose. You know how long we’ve all been waiting for action. We want to do something with our lives. We want to matter.”
Jax is filled with passion and I wish I could muster up some of my own. All I want to do is leave. All of this. The Light, the compound, the cowboys. I want what I’ve always wanted.
Freedom.
“I know where to take you,” I tell him.
“Where’s that?” Jax asks, tucking a dreadlock behind his ears, his brown eyes peaked with interest.
“A place where life purpose is verging on obsession. You’ll fit right in.” I fist-pump him, thankful my friend came looking for me.
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Smirking, I answer, “Yeah, I don’t think I’m the boss anymore.”
23.
Lukas
We hear them before we see them. The noise gets us up on our feet, racing toward the front door. We stand outside, lined up in a row, watching as they come.
There are a hundred or more, all riding onto the property, the dark looming above us as night over takes the setting sun.
“Charlie,” says Lucy before any of us can even tell who’s here. My heart drops. I’m thankful that it’s Charlie back, safe. But at the same time, I’m disappointed. It’s impossible to deny the relief in Lucy’s voice as she identifies him.
You let her go. I did, with words at least. But it’s still hard. My heart is full of her. She and I. And I don’t know how to separate the two. I don’t want to separate the two.
I want everything, and I know that sounds selfish, but it’s as though the moment I tapped into the truth that I truly am the prophet, my hunger intensified. I want everyone to know, to believe -- in me . I know how twisted that is, even as I think it, but I can’t help it.
The insane thing is I was always this important. The entire time Head Councilman Conviction had me chained to my chair, releasing my energy for The Light, it was me who should have been giving orders. I let the Council dictate my every move.
Not anymore. Now I’ll give the orders.
“Holy crap, it’s everyone from the Safe House!” Duke says, pointing to the dozens of people coming our way. They get off their horses and walk towards us, Charlie leading the way.
Once Charlie is close enough, Junie asks, “Did you find Perfection, is she okay?”
“I found her, all the way on the bridge. She had Humblemen with her. It was bad, guys. A blood bath. But none of our people got hurt. Perfection begged me to stay with her, she wanted to be in her home.”
“A blood bath?” Basil asks. I look over at her and see her shoulders tighten, and fear cross her face. This girl must have seen a lot of things I’ve been sheltered from.
“It was kill or be killed.”
“The Humblemen had guns?” I ask, horrified. The Light is supposed to be non-violent, and our sacred text says we will never wage war.
“No, but I knew what would happen if I didn’t shoot, they’d have followed me back. I wasn’t going to let that happen.” Charles stares me down, his jaw clenched, his eyes searing into mine.
He killed for me, to keep me safe. I don’t know how to thank him, and I clap my hand on his back, and pull him into an embrace. Grateful to have family on my side, even if it cost people their lives.
“You’re real?” The guy next to Charlie speaks up. “I’ve heard stories of you, of this boy who could light up the world. But … you’re no
“And I probably wouldn’t have found you, if Tess … that one over there.” He points to a girl wearing a red bandana in her hair, sitting on a log. “Hadn’t told us about the conversation she overheard between Junie and Colton. That’s how we knew where to go. Your parents were adamant we track you down, and bring you home.”
“And you needed a hundred of your closest friends to do that?”
“No one wanted to stay there and honestly, I don’t care what you decide to do next. We just needed a mission, a purpose. You know how long we’ve all been waiting for action. We want to do something with our lives. We want to matter.”
Jax is filled with passion and I wish I could muster up some of my own. All I want to do is leave. All of this. The Light, the compound, the cowboys. I want what I’ve always wanted.
Freedom.
“I know where to take you,” I tell him.
“Where’s that?” Jax asks, tucking a dreadlock behind his ears, his brown eyes peaked with interest.
“A place where life purpose is verging on obsession. You’ll fit right in.” I fist-pump him, thankful my friend came looking for me.
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Smirking, I answer, “Yeah, I don’t think I’m the boss anymore.”
23.
Lukas
We hear them before we see them. The noise gets us up on our feet, racing toward the front door. We stand outside, lined up in a row, watching as they come.
There are a hundred or more, all riding onto the property, the dark looming above us as night over takes the setting sun.
“Charlie,” says Lucy before any of us can even tell who’s here. My heart drops. I’m thankful that it’s Charlie back, safe. But at the same time, I’m disappointed. It’s impossible to deny the relief in Lucy’s voice as she identifies him.
You let her go. I did, with words at least. But it’s still hard. My heart is full of her. She and I. And I don’t know how to separate the two. I don’t want to separate the two.
I want everything, and I know that sounds selfish, but it’s as though the moment I tapped into the truth that I truly am the prophet, my hunger intensified. I want everyone to know, to believe -- in me . I know how twisted that is, even as I think it, but I can’t help it.
The insane thing is I was always this important. The entire time Head Councilman Conviction had me chained to my chair, releasing my energy for The Light, it was me who should have been giving orders. I let the Council dictate my every move.
Not anymore. Now I’ll give the orders.
“Holy crap, it’s everyone from the Safe House!” Duke says, pointing to the dozens of people coming our way. They get off their horses and walk towards us, Charlie leading the way.
Once Charlie is close enough, Junie asks, “Did you find Perfection, is she okay?”
“I found her, all the way on the bridge. She had Humblemen with her. It was bad, guys. A blood bath. But none of our people got hurt. Perfection begged me to stay with her, she wanted to be in her home.”
“A blood bath?” Basil asks. I look over at her and see her shoulders tighten, and fear cross her face. This girl must have seen a lot of things I’ve been sheltered from.
“It was kill or be killed.”
“The Humblemen had guns?” I ask, horrified. The Light is supposed to be non-violent, and our sacred text says we will never wage war.
“No, but I knew what would happen if I didn’t shoot, they’d have followed me back. I wasn’t going to let that happen.” Charles stares me down, his jaw clenched, his eyes searing into mine.
He killed for me, to keep me safe. I don’t know how to thank him, and I clap my hand on his back, and pull him into an embrace. Grateful to have family on my side, even if it cost people their lives.
“You’re real?” The guy next to Charlie speaks up. “I’ve heard stories of you, of this boy who could light up the world. But … you’re no
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