Redtail Rise This Time, Baby, I’ll Be Bulletproof

While Riley sometimes struggled to see the big picture behind it all, he had a knack for seeing things up close for what they were. He didn’t like speaking poorly of her family - it filled him with a unique species of guilt - but sometimes, a little sunlight was needed to expose the dark cracks in the foundations.

Masque didn’t want to be Wealda. Riley surmised a lot of what she said was true about Redd too. Truthfully, Redd arriving as the agent of control had always perplexed Riley. It bucked what he felt were established hierarchy norms. And everyone had accepted it, falling into line behind her.

But sometimes, being in the eye of the storm was the cloudiest vantage, and standing on the outside looking in lent a clarity impossible to achieve within the cyclone.

So change it. It’s not too late. He pressed his shoulder to Masque’s silverstorm pelt. I’m with you.