Infinite Risk Read Online Free Page A

you say? I don’t remember that scene.”
    Crap. I always get the books mixed up. Has the last one been published yet?
    I hurried to distract him. “Never mind. My point is, it’s totally cool for girls to be heroes. See you at lunch,” I called as he went toward his first class.
    By third period, everyone was calling me Nine. Which was weird, but I figured it was because of my hand, until I heard some guy say, “She’s totally a nine, all good except for that missing finger. How do you think—”
    His friend covered the dude’s mouth when he realized I could hear. I raised my brow. “The answer is, obviously, that I crammed it up somebody’s ass so far that it broke off. Probably because he was objectifying me, but I forget.”
    â€œBitch,” he mumbled from behind his buddy’s palm.
    As I walked off, the friend proved himself to be an ass too by whispering, “Dipshit, you can’t say that in front of girls.”
    God, I hate high school.
    Only Kian could make me stay here. The classes were no challenge, compared to Blackbriar’s curriculum, though, so I coasted to lunch. My pulse ticked like a clock, reminding me that I had a deadline. If I didn’t improve Kian’s life and his state of mind by his fifteenth birthday, everything would happen all over again. The prospect of getting stuck in a loop as awful as this chilled my blood.
    Not happening, not again.
    After I went through the line, I skirted the room, but before I could reach Kian, Devon stood up at a table near the window. He gave me a tentative smile; his friends looked nice, a mix of smart, friendly people, and if things were different, it would be cool to get to know him. So I was already braced to shut him down.
    â€œWant to sit with us?”
    Six pairs of eyes in a variety of hues met mine. Four of six offered smiles that said they were totally okay with making room. So I waved as I said, “Thanks for the invite, but my friend is expecting me.”
    â€œWhere?” Devon scanned the room, seeming surprised that I’d gotten a better offer.
    Nosy much?
    But there was no point in hiding it because I intended to make it super obvious that I thought Kian Riley was fantastic. Beaming, I raised my hand. “Over there.”
    Kian reluctantly waved back, then ducked his head, clearly hating the attention. Style-wise, he looked worse than the day before. I started toward him, but Devon grabbed my arm.
    â€œOkay, fair warning. That kid is so freaking weird; he never talks to anyone. I’m not kidding.” He invited the table to weigh in with a speaking look. “Nobody’s ever heard him say a word, right?”
    â€œHe’s a future school shooter,” another guy agreed.
    My heart twisted. If they knew him, they’d never say that. Deep down, he wanted to be a hero, so he’d never hurt people, even if they made him feel like a worthless shit. No, given time, Kian would implode, taking all that pain and turning it on himself. I swallowed hard, fighting sudden tears. God, I wanted instant intimacy so he’d share those feelings with me instead, but we had to build a relationship first, and these jackoffs were standing in my way .
    â€œMaybe you should get to know him.” With a pointed stare, I added, “Funny how people who worry about being judged can do it to someone else.”
    This time I won’t fail; this time I’ll save the boy I love.

 
    MANIC PIXIE NIGHTMARE
    At 3 a.m., I woke to find the Harbinger perched at the foot of my bed, head cocked in apparent fascination. At first, I thought I was dreaming, but when he leaned forward, I scrambled back, nearly knocking over the lamp on the bedside table in my hurry to turn it on. But he didn’t vanish with the feeble glimmer of light. So close and unexpected, his aura scraped across my nerves like unchained lightning, so I couldn’t get my breath.
    Terror, dread, and awe