Infinity Reaper by Adam Silvera (new books to read .TXT) 📕

Tears are forming in Prudencia’s eyes. “Brighton, you don’t have to do that to yourself.”

“If it means saving Ma, I do.”

No one can contest that.

I prop my phone against the wall and ready the camera. I don’t repeat all of Tala’s breathing exercises, I trust I can get myself in the right headspace. I close my eyes, ignite my fire, and I paint the picture of my most traumatic day ever.

Dad and I were in the living room. There was standard city noise outside the window, nothing special. Dad was wearing the green bathrobe I got him as a welcome-home gift after some time spent in the hospital; his temperature frequently dictated whether it was on or off. He sat on the couch with his favorite book, The Last Great Earthling, telling me how, during his most recent reread in the hospital, he couldn’t stand the narrator, and how there was no chemistry between the couple. I’ve tried reading the book before, and I thought Dad was wrong on both counts, but it was fun watching him getting angry over a story he has cherished for so many years.

That’s when his death began.

The sickness turned on him so suddenly that he ripped the book’s cover, tearing the man standing on earth in half. I’m waiting for my heightened, nonsensical senses to take over, such as the glossy cover screaming in pain or feeling Dad’s lungs squeezing as if I was cutting off his air with my bare hands, but nothing comes. I’m fighting back all the tears and waiting for a nosebleed, but nothing. When the heat of my own fire becomes too much, I call it quits.

“Cut the camera.”

FortyPower Couple

BRIGHTON

“I have an idea.”

I’m getting some air in the courtyard with Prudencia. She’s been watching this family of white phoenixes for the past few minutes even though they’re just being birds. I don’t expect much from pigeons, but phoenixes should always be doing something cooler than trailing each other.

“Is this about retrocycling again?” she asks.

“Sort of. For whatever reason I can’t access that power, but if Ma is alive, then we need to figure that out sooner. Let’s drive back into the city so I can pick up something of hers from home. Then Wyatt can track her.”

“Good point. Let’s do it.”

“Thank the stars, I was nervous you’d find some reason to say no.”

“I was considering waiting to make the trip with Emil, but I know you would just hijack someone’s phoenix and go yourself.”

“You know me well.”

We return inside the castle, waking up Emil to tell him our plan. He’s so drained that I’m not sure he fully registers that we even spoke to him before he falls back to sleep. We leave the grounds, crossing the bridge back to the car. Prudencia is beautiful as she concentrates on the road and gets us out of the woods. On the road she blasts some music, tapping the wheel as she sings along. I pull out my phone to film her.

“Don’t post that anywhere!”

“Why not? You’ll get so many new followers.”

“That’s exactly why. I’m still trying to lie low.”

“But wouldn’t being the Infinity Queen to my Infinity King be fun?”

“I prefer being the Infinity Independent Woman.”

“That doesn’t have a ring to it.”

“You would say that, Infinity Boy.”

“I prefer Infinity Man.”

“You would say that too,” she says, smiling.

For how powerless I’ve been feeling, Prudencia has been lighting me up the entire drive back into the city. I’m sure she’s being extra flirty and fun to distract me from everything that’s been going wrong and I really appreciate it. Partners shouldn’t only be there to witness your troubles. They should also help you get your mind off of them. I’ve got to make sure I’m doing the same for her moving forward.

There’s something big that’s been on my mind since the Cloaked Phantom, when everything changed between us. But I can’t wait around for some special constellations to give me permission to be bold.

“Can I ask you something?”

“That’s always been such a strange question. Are people really answering no and carrying about their day?”

“So your answer is yes.”

“Correct.”

“Do you love me?”

Prudencia is quiet until we stop at a red traffic light. “Maybe I should’ve asked what your question was about before answering. I wasn’t prepared for that one.”

“Sorry. It occurred to me that I said it to you and then we had sex, but didn’t get to talk about any of that because of my powers.”

“Saved by the powers.”

“You don’t have to answer. Never mind.”

Prudencia keeps driving and we’re getting closer to home. “I obviously love you, Brighton, and I’m clearly attracted to you. But I need some time to figure out if I’m in love with you. I’m an eighteen-year-old orphan who’s been on the run with my best friends for weeks and my head has been a little foggy.”

“Do you regret coming into my room that night?”

“Not at all. Don’t make me regret it.”

That’s a great start and it won’t end after everything we’ve been through.

Pulling up around the corner of my block makes me feel like the Brighton who used to live here is some past life of mine. It’s easy to remember the Spell Walkers fighting Stanton on this street the day Emil got his powers, but those childhood memories of playing around with the neighborhood kids feel so distant. I always knew I was going to grow out of those friendships and do better things, but to me that meant moving to Los Angeles and starting film school. Not becoming a local hero who’s too busy to respond to DMs from friends I used to play tag with.

“I don’t have my key,” I say as we start going up the stairs of my building.

“I really try not to use my you-know-what for personal reasons, but I’ll let it slide today.”

“You should let it slide every day.”

“Before I had to use my you-know-what to stop Orton from torching you and Emil, I went