It takes Wilde some time to find his friends. What's left of his friends.
He wakes up and lies on the ground for several seconds, groggy and disoriented. Then he reads Brother's message three times, scribbling out a futile one of his own. He gets up and feels strange and disconnected from himself, wandering through the group of kids surrounding the Oak. Someone's screaming, everyone's murmuring and posturing and preparing. Quinn's list of names doesn't have Saira's on it. He murmurs some shield charms but isn't sure if they'll do anything.
He doesn't realize that he's wearing one of Ulysse's definitely-expensive-bespoke monogrammed sweaters until he's walking toward Casper, Iliya, Kenzie -- which is weird, because it's well-made and warm but definitely too small, and not well-matched to pajama pants and, for some reason, his hiking boots.
When Wilde finally gets to them, he sort of nods at everyone in greeting, like Yeah. I know. Then he stands in silence next to Iliya, looking faintly ill but increasingly annoyed.
Cubs Herding Cats
He wakes up and lies on the ground for several seconds, groggy and disoriented. Then he reads Brother's message three times, scribbling out a futile one of his own. He gets up and feels strange and disconnected from himself, wandering through the group of kids surrounding the Oak. Someone's screaming, everyone's murmuring and posturing and preparing. Quinn's list of names doesn't have Saira's on it. He murmurs some shield charms but isn't sure if they'll do anything.
He doesn't realize that he's wearing one of Ulysse's definitely-expensive-bespoke monogrammed sweaters until he's walking toward Casper, Iliya, Kenzie -- which is weird, because it's well-made and warm but definitely too small, and not well-matched to pajama pants and, for some reason, his hiking boots.
When Wilde finally gets to them, he sort of nods at everyone in greeting, like Yeah. I know. Then he stands in silence next to Iliya, looking faintly ill but increasingly annoyed.