A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark)

to shut us up.”
    “What are Rogues?” I asked.
    “Rogue angels,” Ardith said, then more slowly, “Rogues,” as if the secret to the word might be hidden somewhere in the word itself. “It’s just a legend.”
    I leaned forward on the moth-eaten couch. “What?” I asked. “Tell me.”
    “They’ve been telling this story to Rebel children to keep them in line for generations,” Asher said. “The Rogues are the children of Rebels and humans. They’re even more unpredictable than we are because they hold no allegiance. Not to the Rebellion—and definitely not to the Order.”
    “In the legends, they hold a grudge against the Rebellion,” said Ardith. “Rogues live on Earth, indistinguishable from humans. They know what they are, and they can recognize full angels—Rebels and Guardians. But they can’t distinguish other Rogues. And we can’t recognize them.” She shivered. “They lead a confused, lonely life. Often have trouble settling down and being happy. They used to tell us that the Rogues were constantly trying to find a way into the Rebellion camp—someplace they were never allowed. That they would come for us in the night, and kill little Rebel babies as revenge and out of jealousy. The poor, tortured Rogues. They had no true home.”
    “Earth wasn’t their home?” I offered.
    “But they never really belonged there,” Asher said. “When we got older, the legend was more that they were trying to start their own faction. One that adhered neither to the Rebellion’s ways nor to the Order’s. A new way of living.”
    “But those were just stories,” Ardith said, standing. “That never happened. If they were planning a new movement, as far we know, they never succeeded.” She walked toward the kitchen. “I’ll see what else we can eat,” she said.
    When she was gone, Asher put his arm around me, and I snuggled deeper into him. It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, I’d almost died. Sitting here around the fire, I could have forgotten that the Order was out to kill me. It was true that we didn’t have running water or heat or electricity, but I felt safe and happy here. And not just from the Order, either—from all of my troubles at home, too. I shrank under the weight of what I might face going back there.
    Everything I’d left behind was a mess. Cassie was unconscious in a hospital bed—or worse—because the Order was afraid I might tell her my secret. She and Dan had finally gotten together after a whole lifetime of friendship, and now he might be alone for good. Aunt Jo probably thought I’d run away or something. And Ian wasn’t exactly my biggest fan right now, not after I’d ditched him for two mysterious strangers—one of whom had tried to kill me.
    Did I want to go back there and face them? And then a more chilling thought occurred to me: Did my friends even want me? I hadn’t been there for them at all since my birthday, not really.
    “I missed you so much,” Asher whispered into my hair, stopping my thoughts. “You have no idea how much—how scared—”
    “I was, too,” I whispered, looking up at him. The fire reflected in his almost black eyes.
    “I thought I was going to lose you,” he said.
    I brought my hand up to his face and smoothed a stray hair. “But you didn’t,” I said. “I’m here. I’m yours.”
    He took my hand in his. “Can I . . . ask you something?” His voice shook slightly.
    “Of course,” I said. “Anything.”
    He paused and took a breath. “Join the Rebellion,” he said. His voice was barely a whisper. “We’ll fight the Order side by side. Whatever’s coming, we’ll face it together. We’ll be unstoppable. Fierce.”
    I sucked in my breath.
    “Will you do it?” he asked.
    I stared at him. He saved your life , I thought. You owe him everything. But even if I hadn’t owed him anything, how could I say no? I pictured us together, partners in all this chaos. No matter how much I loved my friends, there were secrets I couldn’t tell them, things that kept us apart. I’d tried to confide in Cassie, and it had only landed her in the hospital. I could never tell her the truth now—I couldn’t tell any of them. Not Cassie, or Dan, or Ian, and especially not Aunt Jo. The truth would only hurt them.
    The world pitched forward as I realized it.
    I’m alone.
    Asher squeezed my hand, a gentle reminder that I hadn’t answered the question.
    But I don’t have to be.
    He smiled at me hopefully.