Heirs of War by Mara Valderran

text message on his phone. “Shit. Don’t move. Either of you.”
    “Man! ” Kyle threw his hands up in the air and paced away from Zelene.
    She was still watching him contemplatively. Why would he go after Nora? It made no sense. Then again, nothing about Kyle made sense lately. “Why don’t you just leave? What do you care what Varrick thinks?”
    Kyle’s eyes looked like they might pop out of his head. “What do I care what Varrick thinks? Are you kidding me? You know better than anyone that he was pretty much the only father figure I had growing up.”
    “No, he was the only father figure I had. And he still is. So back off.”
    “What? You get custody of him in the breakup and fail to tell me?”
    Zelene took a step closer. “Thanks to you turning into such a jerk, he’s the only person I have left.”
    “That’s my fault?”
    “Yes, it’s your fault,” she shouted. “You made everyone think I was a slut, Kyle. The girls in this school either hate me or want to help me find Jesus, and the guys are just out to get an easy lay. Which, according to you, I am.”
    “Oh, please. You didn’t have any friends before all that happened. You keep everyone at an arm’s distance, Zee. You always have.”
    His words cut her, and she could feel the angry tears forming. No one could make her cry like Kyle Logan. “No, before all this happened, I thought I had one friend.”
    “Yeah, and even with me you had walls. Maybe it’s time you stop and think about what that says about you.” He groaned and ran his hands over his face. “Look, can we not do this?”
    Before she could answer, Varrick walked back over to them, a grim look on his face behind the sunglasses he always wore. Her mind ran over the possible reasons for his demeanor, but she couldn’t think of any. Varrick never mentioned family, and she had none left to speak of.
    Varrick didn’t address her at all. He turned straight to Kyle, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I trust you, so I know you’ll do what I say without question. Right?”
    Kyle nodded. “Anything you need, man. What’s going on?”
    Varrick turned to Zelene and said the words she already knew were coming. “Something’s come up. Something very important.”
    “No camping this weekend. Got it. What happened? Did someone die?” The way he winced at her question only furthered her concern. “Anyone I know?”
    “No one’s dead.”
    She wasn’t convinced. And she was pretty sure he mumbled the word ‘yet’, which was definitely not reassuring in the slightest. “Then what’s up? Why the long face?”
    He didn’t answer her question as he turned back to Kyle. “I need you to take her some place safe. There’s a duffle bag hidden in the back of her closet with all the supplies you’ll need.”
    “There’s what in my closet? Varrick, what’s going on?” She didn’t like the idea that he had felt the need to pack her an emergency escape kit and tuck it away in her closet. Her eyes widened as she realized what must be going on. “Did you kill Nora? Oh, Varrick…”
    “No, I didn’t kill Nora,” he said with some impatience, and a hint of longing. “Both of you stop asking so many damned questions and just go get in the car. Kyle, you get her bag, and then you take her far away from here.”
    “What? To where?” Kyle stepped closer. “Look, man, you know I want to help you, but am I really the best choice here?”
    Varrick shifted so his back was turned to Zelene, and lowered his sunglasses. “Yes, because you know I’ll kill you if anything happens to her.”
    Zelene stifled a laugh as Kyle looked so scared she thought he might pee himself. Whatever he had seen in Varrick ’s eyes had convinced him. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in his throat and he turned his pale face to Zelene.
    “Right, let’s go.”
    “Like hell,” she muttered. “I can take care of myself, Varrick. If we’re skipping town, just tell me where to meet you.”
    “Out of