Dorothy Must Die Novella #7 by Danielle Paige Page B

She took a deep breath and chose other words.
    â€œStay alive,” she whispered into her ear. “Please. For me.”
    Melindra hugged her back fiercely. “You too,” she said quietly. “For all of us.”
    â€œMombi and Gert are working on a spell to get you across the Deadly Desert,” Nox said. Reluctantly, Lanadel let Melindra go. She didn’t—couldn’t—say what she wanted to. That the Order wasn’t worth dying for. That Nox wasn’t worth dying for. But she knew exactly how it felt to be willing to die because you had nothing left to live for. And she knew there was nothing she could say to Melindra that would make her change her mind.
    â€œAnyway, the risk of death is worth it if it means I get away from Holly and Larkin for a while,” Melindra said. Her voice was light, but her eyes were distant. There was a cloud of sadness around her so thick Lanadel could almost touch it. “I’m going to check in on Annabel,” she added. Lanadel nodded. Nox watched her go, his expression unfathomable, and then continued as if they hadn’t been interrupted. “They’re figuring out another spell to get you back once you’ve gathered information. Mombi will have more instructions for you once the spell’s complete. Your mission may be dangerous,” he added unnecessarily.
    â€œI knew what I signed up for when I got here,” she said. In just a few short months, the Order had transformed her into a fighter. But she owed them nothing. They’d never had anyintention of helping her avenge her family. They just wanted another pawn—like Nox himself, even though he couldn’t see it. And she wasn’t going to help them anymore. Not unless they really had a way to stop Dorothy. Not unless they were really going to fight—and not just train all day in their mountain hideaway like children playing at being an army. Without Melindra, there was nothing to keep her here. And she wasn’t going to die for an Order that was willing to sacrifice someone like Melindra just because Nox didn’t want her around.
    â€œIt’s not what you’re thinking,” Nox said, looking at her. “Lanadel, I swear. She’s better than I am,” he said quietly, his eyes not leaving her face. “I’m doing what I can. You have to believe me. What you saw last night—it’s not everything.”
    She ignored him. “When do I leave?” she asked coldly.
    â€œAs soon as the spell is complete.” He kept trying to catch her eye, but she refused to look at him. He could say whatever he wanted, but she knew the truth. Nox didn’t care about Melindra. At least not enough. He certainly didn’t care about Lanadel. The only things he cared about were himself and the Order. And they were one and the same. She turned to go.
    â€œLanadel,” Nox said. His voice was pleading. But she refused to look at him.
    â€œI’ll go find Mombi and Gert,” she said.
    She turned away from Nox and walked back into the caverns. Nox might have a plan for her, but that didn’t mean she had to follow it. She was on her own now. Forget the Order; she was going to find a way to avenge her family herself. On her own terms. They’d given her the skills she needed, and now she didn’t need them anymore. It didn’t matter. Gert and Mombi were giving her a ticket out of the mountain. Away from the Order. Let them think they were ordering her around. Let them send her away. She didn’t care anymore what the Order did. She could play their game even better than they could. She could be a dozen different people if that was what they wanted. A dozen fake selves, so that no one would ever guess which one was the real her.
    The Order could send her to Ev. But no matter what happened, no matter what they wanted from her, she was never coming back. This time, she was really, truly alone. And she was going to