The Girl Who Dared to Think by Bella Forrest (best novels of all time TXT) 📗

A stab of guilt seared through me as I entered the room, knowing that I had put that fear in her, and I resolved to do something about it—as soon as we were all out of here and safe. It didn’t matter that she had told me to go; she never could’ve imagined this. I dropped my bag on the floor and looked up, raking my hair out of my eyes.

Roark pushed past me, dropping the bags and moving over to grab a few notebooks on the table. I slid my bag off, turning to drop it into the pile that was collecting by the hall entrance, before turning toward Cali, intent on asking her where we were going.

A crimson-clad figure dropped from the hole in the ceiling the ladder ran through, and immediately slammed his baton into Roark’s back as he moved away from the ladder. Roark screamed as his body went ramrod stiff, the notebooks in his hands clattering to the floor. Devon held the baton there for a second, then two, not breaking the connection, and Tian began screaming, a high, shrill note that resonated in my ears.

I gaped, shock rippling through me. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he had found us so fast.

Devon continued to hold the baton to Roark’s chest, and I felt bile start to rise as I realized he was trying to kill the old man with the baton. I surged forward, my hand already snatching my own baton out of my belt, but Cali was there first, her arm sweeping up and hooking his arm, breaking the connection with Roark.

Roark toppled over, limp, but Cali ignored it as she slammed an open palm into Devon’s chest, shoving him back a few feet, and then caught him in the jaw with a spinning back kick. Devon rocked back, stunned, and Cali took the opportunity to grab Roark by the collar of his faded jacket, pulling him several feet away from Devon before dropping him, to meet Devon’s renewed attack.

Grey immediately raced up to grab Roark, hauling him back the rest of the way, while Tian cowered behind Maddox’s leg. Maddox stared, her eyes wide as she watched her mother and Devon spar, and the stare made me realize we were all just standing around like idiots, instead of making our escape.

“Is there another way out?” I hissed, grabbing Maddox’s sleeve and yanking her attention toward me. She met my gaze and then nodded, once. “Grab the gear closest and get to it,” I ordered. “Don’t wait for me or your mom—just go. Get everyone out of here.”

Grey looked up from Roark’s still form, his eyes wide and horrified. “He’s gone,” he whispered, and I looked down to see that the old man’s eyes were wide and... empty. His expression slack. I felt a wall of pain unexpectedly slam into me, and looked away.

“Get out of here,” I managed to grind out to the group of horrified people in front of me. “Mourn Roark later—but run for him now. Go!”

Eric grabbed Zoe, and they all flew apart at my command, snatching up bags—except Grey, who remained.

“You’re not hanging back alone,” he said, curling his hands into fists.

I shot a look at Cali, watching her block a blow and land a solid one to Devon’s chest. “Grey,” I breathed, “you need to lead them out—Maddox is worried about her mom, and so are Tian and Quess. They’re going to hesitate.”

“Eric can—” he began to protest, but I cut him off.

“They don’t even know Eric. Please, just do this.”

Grey’s face hardened, and for a second, I thought he was going to keep arguing, but then he nodded—once. “I’ll be back as soon as I get them out. Wait for me.”

With that he turned, and I was already spinning in time to see Devon land a blow with the baton to Cali’s chest. The woman fell to her knees, her limbs locking up as the electricity rocketed through her body.

He yanked the baton back suddenly, and ran a hand through his short hair, panting.

“Dammit, Cali,” he said after a moment, standing over the groaning woman. I looked around the room, and then began to creep toward the far side, trying to get behind Devon. “I should’ve known it was you.”

Cali groaned and coughed, sliding over onto her side, her body curled up in the fetal position. “Hello, Devon,” she wheezed. “Been a while.”

“Twenty years, Cali. It’s been twenty years since I came home and found you gone.”

My eyes widened and I froze, shocked.

Devon and Cali had shared a home? Did that mean... I looked over at Cali, and saw the fear on her face as she stared up at the man who must have been her husband. “You abandoned me,” he growled.

Cali gazed around the room, her eyes slightly unfocused. She locked eyes with me and then looked away, not drawing Devon’s attention to me. Her hand, however, lifted slightly—a flat palm, telling me to stop. I hesitated, uncertain whether it was an order I should really follow. I glanced back at the hallway and saw Grey stepping back in. I met his gaze, and watched as he moved into the kitchen, heading for a knife on a cutting board.

“You agreed to start killing people. You voted with Scipio for it. I wasn’t about to let that go.” I turned back to see Cali struggling to sit up more.

Devon was quiet for a long moment, his hand on his baton. “I can’t stop what’s about to happen, Cali. The Knights are less than a minute away.”

Grey moved onto the glass, his stance low. I moved a few steps deeper in, intending for us to flank Devon.

“Scipio is diseased, Devon, and you know it. You were part of it.”

“This dream of the outside world is a fantasy, and you know it.”

Cali laughed, a bitter sound, and shook her head. “At least I dream, Devon. And that is something that no