“I shouldn’t have left Springville,” I spat, the words bitter and rough in my mouth. “I shouldn’t have left my parents. At least there, I knew what my life was. At least there, I wasn’t caught up in someone else’s stupid war.”
Why did my mom trust these people with me?
A cold wave of realization washed over me, drowning me further in my frustration. I collided against a huge wall of guilt. What had I been doing? My parents. I hadn’t thought about them—really thought about them—since the night I left Springville.
What had happened to them? Were they safe? Did they even know where I was? I froze, my anger unraveling as the image of their faces rose unbidden in my mind.
My hands trembled, the itching sensation growing stronger. I turned away from Ethan, my vision blurring. For the first time since I’d arrived here, I realized I had no idea if the people I loved most were even alive.
“My parents,” I muttered under my breath. For a moment, everything else faded away, replaced by a single d
