Bring Her Home

by R.N. Barbosa

Rowan let out a loud, “I’m too pretty to die

Kaiden’s hands slid up the slope of her shoulders to her neck. She cupped the sides of her face, thumbs and forefingers bracketing the hard angles of her mandibles. “The way I see it, you have two options.” She searched her anxious gaze for an ember of hope she could breathe into a full flame. “Susana’s either alive, and you’ll burn the entire continental northwest to the ground to bring her home. Or she’s dead, and you’ll burn the entire continental northwest to the ground to bring her justice. Don’t give up on her, Cass. Not until she’s in your arms, one way or the other.”

Rowan broke the tension with the drawled observation, “So your boyfriend’s kind of hot.” A laugh bubbled out of her. “Kind of?” she returned disapprovingly. “Did something happen to your eyes?” “Well, I own a mirror, so I know how high the bar is.”