I just needed to hit something and I wanted to hit him anyway. Then Reichert came down on us. Mom would be so fucking ashamed of me."
"And again, you're calling her . . . why?"
"Because she should hear about it from me. So she can just go ahead and tell me what a fuck-up I am."
At that, Ed rolled his eyes.
“Horseshit. Heda, Mom thinks that the sun shines out of your ass. It's been a pain for the rest of us to compete with that. She's been expecting you to follow in her footsteps as a warrior for the avian shifters. I can't complain. I mean, it's not like she didn't love the rest of us to, but you're her baby girl."
“I'm just so bad at this whole . . . diplomacy . . . thing."
“And she was too, once upon a time. You've just never practiced because it isn't your thing. But I have it on good authority that you're faster, stronger, and a better fighter than Mom when she was your age."
"What authority?"
"Her."
That stopped Heda for a minute.
"She said that?"
"Yes she did. And Dad figures that since you're just as pig-headed and headstrong as she is that you'll probably wind up either starting or finishing a war at some point."
Her mouth quirked at that.
"He would say that, wouldn't he?"
"Yeah. Now, you going to tell me why your girl is crying her eyes out?"
“Crap," Heda said.
"I. . . a lot has happened in the last couple of days, and she just wound up in the wrong place at the wrong time."
“Well, there might not be another place or time for the two of you if you don't explain whatever is going on to her."
Heda looked at her phone, then back at the gym. She put the phone back in her pocket and then ran back inside, but Madison and Peter were both gone.
"Fuck!" She headed towards Madison's dorm, noticing that her brother was following along patiently.
"You know that whole part about never going out alone at dark? That means you too."
"I am such a basket case," she replied.
"I mean, how is Madison supposed to know what is going on in my head if I can't even get it sorted out?"
Ed smiled.
"You really dig her don't you?"