Supernova (Renegades, #3)

by Marissa Meyer

Nova squeezed Adrian’s forearm, though she didn’t realize she’d done it until he took her hand, lacing their fingers together.

The part of herself that still sometimes dreamed of living a life without vengeance. A life where she and Adrian had a future. Maybe, even, a life of peace.

Sweet, compassionate Adrian Everhart. Sketch. A Renegade and, truly now, her enemy.

Nova swallowed. “It was real, ” she whispered. “I hope you know that.”

It all fits together.” Nova gaped at him, feeling mildly insulted. They thought Narcissa Cronin was Nightmare? She’d seen the girl fight, and it wasn’t exactly impressive.

“It was always real for me, too, ” he finally said, his voice barely a whisper. “I hope you know that.”

This was real. In spite of everything, her feelings for Adrian Everhart were real, and she was going to keep this moment pinned inside her heart for the rest of her life. No matter what the future held, she would cherish this kiss, and his words, forever.

She caught his eyes in the rearview mirror, the skin around them mottled and scarred, the eyebrows long ago burned away. Her heart leaped. “Leroy!” He beamed at her. “Welcome back, little Nightmare.”

It was okay to be afraid sometimes, for only then could you choose to be brave.

“If his heartbroken tears fall on my chicken pesto deluxe, I’m blaming you! I don’t like salty pizza!”

you have to be quick once you’re in.” Narcissa appeared thoroughly unimpressed. “And here I was hoping to get some quality reading time while I was there.”

she leaped for the woman, who bared her teeth and lifted her hands to meet Nova’s attack. Her bare hands. Big mistake.

“Nova! NO!” She spun in time to see Winston Pratt throwing himself at her. Nova reeled back, bracing herself for a fight. But Winston didn’t attack her. Instead, he gasped and stumbled to one knee, gaping up at her in shock. It took Nova too long to understand what was happening. It took her too long to notice the stain of red spreading across the front of his shirt. It took her too long to see the clear glass shard jutting from his chest, slicked with blood.

The helmet left his grip, hovering in the air for a moment, before settling onto Ace Anarchy’s shoulders. Ace Anarchy lifted his head. The shackles on his wrists sprang loudly apart and fell to the dirt. “Master of Anarchy, ” Phobia rasped. “Rise again, and let us watch them fall.”

“Everyone has a nightmare, ” she said. “I guess I’m yours.” That was the last he remembered before darkness claimed him.

She’d thought she could do it. She’d thought—for Ace. For the Anarchists. For her family. For this world. She could do it, if that’s what it took for Ace’s vision to come true. For the Renegades to be destroyed once and for all. For all prodigies to have freedom from tyranny. For the balance of power to tip back toward actual balance. But she’d been wrong. She couldn’t kill him. She couldn’t do it. And she couldn’t stand there and watch him be killed, either. Not this boy, who had given her a quiet, dreamless sleep. Who had given her a star. Who had given her hope. Not him. Not Adrian.

When the last rope fell away, Nova dropped the knife and collapsed with a groan. Adrian turned and swept her into his arms. She couldn’t return the embrace beyond burying her head into the space between his throat and his chest. She was crying again.

he shifted her body so she could stay cradled against him

She melted against him. A kiss full of far more words than they had the time to say.

Everyone has a nightmare.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “Maybe I want you to be mine.”

“Yeah, I know. Your family is kind of scary.” Adrian gawked at her. “My family?”

Please oh please let her not be doing something reckless right now,

“Just remember. If Nightmare gets killed out there today, I will find you, and I will douse your extremities in an acid that will eat away at your flesh until all that’s left is those fine pearly teeth of yours.” Adrian pressed his lips together, not so much from fear, but rather to keep from smiling. Funny how a threat could suddenly make him like a guy. “Duly noted.”

“Captain?” said Nova. He paused. “What would you think if . . . if a villain happened to fall in love with your son?” He stared at her, a twitch at the corner of his mouth, though he fought to remain serious. “To be honest, I’m not sure there are such things as villains anymore.” He shrugged. “Maybe there never really were.” He walked away, returning to his family. Adrian was watching them, an arm around Max, a question in his eye. Nova smiled, hoping that Hugh was right. Maybe there were no villains. But watching Adrian and Max, she knew there were heroes. She was beginning to wonder if she might be one of them.