Archenemies (Renegades #2)

by Marissa Meyer

Here she was, dwelling on an almost-kiss, and Adrian wanted to talk about the time she’d killed someone.

Honey giggled and tapped Nova on the knee. It was a sweet chirp of a laugh that sent a tingle of pride through Nova’s chest, until she realized that Honey wasn’t laughing because she was amused, but was only trying to demonstrate what she was talking about. Nova flushed. It was uncanny, the way Honey could pull someone into her orbit. Make them feel so important, so witty, so worthy, all with a few well-timed laughs and the faintest of touches.

“There are so many things to marvel at. How could anyone want to hurt it? How can people wake up every morning and not think—look, the sun is still there! And I’m still here! This is incredible!” He laughed and turned to Nova again. “If I could just make everyone see … I mean, for more than just a minute, then … I don’t know. I can’t help but think that then we could all start working to create things. Together, for once.”

Hundreds of thousands of people, going about their lives. Day after day. Year after year. Generation after generation. Somehow, humanity had managed to build all of this. Despite everything that had tried to get in its way. Somehow, they prevailed. They continued on. It was incredible. How had she never considered it before? Maybe because she’d never had a chance to see it like this. She had spent so much of her life underground. Squirreled away in the dark, lifeless tunnels. She had never paid much thought to exactly how much that secrecy was costing her and the Anarchists. The lives they could never live.

“I know that some prodigies become Renegades because they like the idea of having power,” Callum continued, fixing his gaze on her. “And some want the prestige and the fame. But a lot of us are here because we want to make a difference. We want to change things for the better.” He paused, his gaze slipping to the horizon. “I don’t know what your story is, but I think you want to change things for the better, too. I thought that maybe seeing this would be a good reminder of what we’re all doing here. What it is we’re fighting for.”

Sometimes, things did have to be destroyed before something better could be built.

This was what dreams were like, right? Ridiculous and absurd and utterly implausible?

and convert it into the new pantry, but somehow it always gets filled back up with superhero stuff.”

Nova watched them for a minute, unable to fully align this simple domestic chore with the superheroes who had defeated Ace Anarchy.

This time, her own calculating thoughts were louder than his heartbeat. The ticking clock in her mind was faster than her pulse.

Or maybe that’s all confidence ever was. An act.

And though he knew, logically, that there wasn’t a person on this planet who needed his protection less than Nova McLain did, he couldn’t help the overwhelming desire to protect her anyway. To keep her from ever having to suffer like that again.