Laney sat on a fading leather sofa. The apartment was much smaller than Cadence's. It was in the building where those who were coming only to Transform and train would stay before they went back out into the world in a few months. Therefore, it was more like a studio apartment, and Cadence stopped short of entering the living room space, lingering behind the counter in the tiny kitchen near the door instead, Aaron beside her, with Meagan and Shane sitting next to Laney across the enclosed area on the couch. It took Laney a moment to answer. Finally, she wiped away a tear and said, "I'm not going to lie. That was brutal."
Cadence pressed her lips together tightly and chose her words carefully. "It had to be done," she insisted.
"I guess so," Laney shrugged, whipping her long blond hair be
