Chapter 24

what Leon’s parents may have told you, but I don’t have time to socialize

right now.”

“You can’t take a few minutes for your parents?” Harold asked.

Kira held in a groan. “I need a few days to get my head in the right

place.”

“We didn’t mean to barge in on you,” her mother said.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

In recent years, it seemed like any of Kira’s conversations with her

parents quickly turned into a guilt trip or misunderstanding in one way or

another. They’d had hopes for her to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps

and become a Reader in their local community, but Kira’s military aspirations

had derailed their plans for her. Even after a number attempts to explain,

they’d never understood her desire to put her life at risk to help strangers—

their perspective was too focused on their small, peaceful world in a city

where hotel over-booking was the biggest concern.

Kira centered herself. “Look, you caught me by surprise. Let’s start