Hunted

Sophie Davis

Hunted

Sophie Davis

Published by Sophie Davis

Copyright © 2012 by Sophie Davis

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The Talented Saga

Talented (Talented Saga # 1)

Caged (Talented Saga # 2)

Hunted (Talented Saga # 3)

Captivated, A Talented Novella

Created (Talented Saga # 4)…Summer 2013

Nightmares Trilogy

Pawn (Nightmares Trilogy #1)

Sacrifice (Nightmares Trilogy #2)…Winter 2013

Blind Barriers Series

Blind Barriers (Volume #1)…Summer 2013

For my Grandma Nan and Grandpa Bob.

Chapter One

“Do you have to go, Talia?” Kenly Baker whined for the hundredth time since she found out about my new assignment. She batted her long lashes, jutting out her lower lip as if she were five instead of sixteen. I rolled my eyes at her failed attempt at manipulation. She’d clearly forgotten who she was dealing with. I, of course, was a master manipulator; her efforts didn’t hold a candle to my abilities.

“I have to, Kenly,” I soothed my protégé. “But like I’ve told you a million times, I’ll only be gone for three weeks. Donavon promised to oversee your training, and he has the practice schedule that I made. .You’ll be fine.”

“I know, I know, but it’s not the same. He’s not you,” the younger girl pouted.

“No, in many ways he’s better. He actually became a Hunter,” I reminded her - and myself - a little bitterly.

“That’s not what I meant,” she grumbled, refolding a dress shirt from the pile on my bed.

Guilt washed over me. As much as I wanted to get away from the School, I hated leaving Kenly. Over the past few weeks, she’d become more of a friend and less of a mentee. I knew she would never be the best friend and confidante that Penny had been, but Kenly put me at ease, and the calm that I felt while with her was a welcome respite. Training her soothed the hurt and confusion of Penny’s betrayal, and Kenly’s loyalty and dedication to the Agency helped renew my own.

“You’ll be fine,” I promised, liberating the shirt from her long fingers before she could make any more creases in the soft fabric. I held up a basic black cocktail dress and matching jacket. “What do you think about this?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Kinda boring,” she mused, barely sparing the frock a second glance as she made her way across my bedroom. Kenly rifled through the assortment of garment bags in my walk-in closet.

“How about this one?” She held up a long green silk dress with a cinched waist.

Pursing my lips, I shook my head and returned my attention to the stacks of black pants and white shirts covering my king-sized bed. Tears stung the backs of my eyes and I blinked furiously to hold them at bay. The dress she’d selected brought bittersweet memories back.

The first and only time I’d worn that dress was for Festivis two years ago. I was still a Hunter Pledge then, and Mac, the Director of Toxic, had given me and Penny permission to go into Washington, D.C. to celebrate. It had been an incredible day…but having spent it with Penny made the memory so conflicted. And it wasn’t just that one; every thought of Penny caused nauseating spasms to rip through my stomach, and ropes of anger, pain, and guilt to wrap around my lungs, making every breath that followed a chore. I’d thought that I knew her. I’d thought that she was my best friend. And until three weeks ago, she was. When I’d learned that Penny was the spy for the Coalition, the person responsible for my brush with death and subsequent health problems, I was livid. But when I confronted Penny, she’d pleaded with me to understand that Mac was not who I thought he was, and that the Agency couldn’t be trusted. I hadn’t known what to think then, and I still didn’t now.

I wanted to hate her for her deception. I wanted to be happy that she was getting what she deserved, wanted to feel pride that I’d been the one to uncover her treachery. Yet every time that I tried to summon any of those emotions, I found it impossible. When I thought about Penny and the price she’d paid, I mostly felt disgust – for her, for me, for the Agency.

“I just don’t understand why you’re taking all black,” Kenly commented, replacing the dress and drawing my attention back to her.

“I’m going on assignment, Kenly. I’ll be working the entire time. It’s not as if this is a vacation,” I answered absently.

“It’s not a funeral, either, Tal.”

She rolled her large brown eyes. Kenly knew about Penny - it seemed to be the only thing anyone talked about anymore - but like everyone associated with Toxic, she didn’t understand why I grieved for a traitor. Sometimes I didn’t either.

“Right, I guess you have a point,” I mumbled, gripping a shirt so tightly, the skin over my knuckles turned as white as the fabric. Kenly did have a point. Except, while it wasn’t a funeral I’d be attending, I was in mourning.

I glanced at the communicator sitting on my bedside table - 3:12 p.m. I hugged myself to still the tremors starting in my limbs. Penny had been dead for just over ten hours.

The memory of Penny pale and gaunt, in the courtroom on the day of her sentencing, haunted my dreams. I hated remembering her that way. When we’d first met, Penny was vivacious and carefree. I tried to concentrate on that version of my former best friend - so full of life. Thinking about the fun we’d had together, and how much she meant to me, I could almost block out the painful memories of the last time I saw her…almost.

“It’s okay to miss her,” Kenly said, startling me out of my reverie once again.

“Huh?”

“I can tell you’re hurting, Tal. It’s because of her, right?” Kenly rarely said Penny’s name, if she mentioned her at all.

I preferred it that way. I couldn’t stand the feelings that emanated from people when they thought about Penny. Some hated her. Some felt sorry for her. And worst of all, a lot felt sorry for me. I didn’t want anyone’s sympathy

“I don’t want to talk about her,” I replied, more harshly than I intended. I knew Kenly was only trying to help, but I could feel her pity, and it made irrational anger bubble up in my stomach. Kenly paled.

“Right. I’m sorry.”

She turned away to hide her hurt feelings. The overload of emotions that I was already experiencing left no room for shame at the way I’d spoken to her.

“You ready? Dad will be back soon,” a deep voice called from my sitting room.

I looked up from the open suitcase that I had yet to actually pack. Donavon McDonough’s blonde head peeked through the open doorway. His bright blue eyes darkened as he took in my black pants, black sweater, and even blacker mood. Sympathy slipped through his mental barriers, washing over me in a cool embrace. I couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Does it look like I’m ready?” I snapped, gesturing to the clothes strewn across my burgundy comforter.

“What can I do to help?” Donavon asked, lightening his tone.

I sighed. First Kenly, now Donavon. I needed to get it together, or I wasn’t going to have any friends left. They weren’t the source of my irritation. In actuality, I wasn’t at all sure who I was really mad at, but I had plenty of options: Penny for lying, Mac for taking pleasure in extinguishing the life of another human being, or myself for being too trusting and weak.

“Just promise me that you’ll make sure Kenly is ready for her Placement Exams,” I replied, glancing to where the younger girl stood in my closet, still studying my wardrobe.

“Don’t worry, Kenly, you can count on me,” he called, pitching his voice so she’d be sure to hear. “I’m not as good as Tal, but I’ll do my best.”

Kenly’s face flushed as she basked in his attention.

God, don’t let her get distracted, I prayed.

“Thanks, Donavon,” she mumbled, studying the plush carpeting beneath her feet, too shy to meet his eyes. Donavon had been helping me since I began coaching Kenly, but he still made her nervous.

“Kenly, I think my mom made lunch. Why don’t you go get started while I help Tal finish packing?” Donavon suggested.

Kenly nodded jerkily as she scurried from my bedroom.

“How ya doing?” Donavon asked once we were alone.

How was I doing? My best friend had just been executed, I wasn’t allowed to mourn her death openly, and I was so on edge that I rarely knew which way was up. I was doing just peachy. But I didn’t say any of that.

“I’ve been better,” I answered instead, finally starting to jam the piles of clothes from my bed into the empty suitcase.

“Maybe now you can start to put this behind you,” Donavon mentally sent. He made his way to my side. His hand hovered over my shoulder for a brief moment before falling to his side. Instead of touching me, he busied his hands placing several pairs of black pants into my bag.

“I hope so,” I sent back, refusing to meet his eyes. If I saw the concerned expression that he surely wore, the waterworks would be unavoidable. Since Penny’s sentencing, Donavon became a constant fixture in my life. He was one of the only people that saw me every day, and despite his valiant effort to keep his worried thoughts to himself, I knew my increasing instability vexed him.

“Maybe going with my father isn’t such a good idea,” he suggested, gently tucking loose curls behind my ear so that he could better read my expression.

After Penny’s sentencing, Mac asked me to accompany him to Washington, D.C. to help administer the annual Talent Aptitude Test. Every summer, all of the five-year-olds in the nation were summoned to one of five testing centers and tested to determine whether they possessed unique abilities. The children who tested positive were offered a spot at the McDonough School for the Talented, where they would learn to use their Talents for the greater good. The job wasn’t exciting or glamorous like my previous assignment with the Hunters, but it was something. The only other option I had was sitting in my bedroom waiting for Medical to find a cure to my condition. Until that happened, the Placement Committee considered me too much of a liability in the field to return to the Hunters.

“It’s for the best. I can’t stay here any longer. It reminds me too much of her,” I replied bitterly. “Besides, I don’t really have anywhere else to go. Medical still hasn’t cleared me and school is no longer in session, so I can’t even help with classes.”

“You could stay and finish helping Kenly get ready for her Placement Exams,” Donavon said. He no longer tried to reassure me that the doctors would find a cure for my seizures. Dr. Thistler had finally managed to get them under control – I was three weeks seizure-free – but until I was actually cured, I was stuck living in a state of perpetual limbo.

“I could......But honestly I think it’s better if I just get away from here for a while,” I sent back, zipping the larger of my two suitcases shut. Then I turned to my vanity and began packing my toiletries. “Besides, she has you.”

Donavon used to be a Hunter too. After he’d broken protocol by insisting on giving me a transfusion of his unfiltered blood, his father had him suspended from active duty and brought to the McDonough School. Like me, he’d been undercover, posing as an instructor at the school for the past couple of months, trying to flush out the traitor. Since we found the spy and Mac thought Donavon had learned his lesson, he was technically allowed to return to the Hunters. But he liked being an instructor and asked to stay at the school instead. I envied him the choice.

He made an unpleasant noise deep in his throat. “Spending time with Erik is more important than Kenly’s future?”

My nerves were already frayed, and Donavon’s hostility caused several to snap. Rounding to face him, I shot Donavon an icy glare. Granted, the best part of the assignment was that Erik had been selected, as well, but I didn’t like the accusatory tone in Donavon’s voice.

When I met his pained eyes, my anger dimmed slightly. Donavon had been my boyfriend for most of my adolescence until he cheated on me. At the time, I’d thought his betrayal was the worst pain that I’d ever experience, save the night I’d witnessed my parents’ murders. Then I felt the sharp bite of real treachery when I’d learned that Penny was a traitor.

Eventually, I forgave Donavon’s infidelity, but I was no longer in love with him. He took the rejection better than I could have hoped, but his voice dripped loathing whenever he spoke Erik’s name. While the dislike was genuine, he used it to mask his hurt feelings. Over the past couple of weeks, Donavon had tried to keep his biting comments to a minimum, but sometimes – like now – he let them slip.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Erik,” I answered honestly. “But you know that is not the only reason I’m going.” While I wanted to spare Donavon’s feelings, I also wasn’t going to hide my relationship from him.

The very thought of Erik made my heart lift and my pulse quicken. I pulled my gaze from Donavon before the grin could spread across my lips. We’d last seen each other three weeks before, and I missed him terribly. We talked every day and had seen each other once, but Mac wouldn’t authorize more than a weekend visit. He hadn’t wanted me leaving school grounds and said that Erik needed to focus on his duties since he would be leaving to help with the aptitude testing for several weeks. I couldn’t wait to see him. The hologram Erik had nothing on the real thing.

“Yeah, I know,” Donavon said aloud. Abruptly, he turned, shielded his hurt eyes, and walked over to grab the dresses that Kenly had selected for my trip. “I’ll get all your bags. Why don’t you go eat?” he continued, keeping his back to me.

“Donavon,” I began, my voice trailing off, not quite sure what to say. Thanking him for being there for me after everything with Penny seemed inadequate. Apologizing for choosing Erik would only open his newly healed wounds and, worse, it would be a lie.

“I know, Tal,” he said heavily, glancing over his shoulder. Shaggy blonde hair hung low on his forehead, nearly masking the conflicted expression in his slightly watery eyes. “I know.”

Chapter Two

“We will only be gone for three weeks, not three months, Natalia,” Mac said dryly as he walked into the kitchen. Donavon had piled my bags by the front door, and Mac wouldn’t have been able to miss them when he entered the house.

“Just want to be prepared for every occasion,” I answered as glibly as I could manage with a mouth full of turkey sandwich.

“Are you almost ready?” he asked, ignoring my snide tone.

“Soon as I’m done eating.” I swallowed the turkey, bread, mayo, and potato chips and offered him a weak smile.

Mac pursed his lips and furrowed his brow in disapproval. He opened his mouth to comment, but Gretchen interrupted him.

“Why don’t you eat something before you go?” she suggested, stretching to place a light kiss on her husband’s clean-shaven cheek.

“I ate on the plane,” Mac replied, giving her a quick peck in return. It was the most affection I’d ever seen the two express. Gretchen was more of the lovey-dovey type, but usually saved her fawning for me and Donavon. Mac, on the other hand, rarely displayed any level of emotion, towards anyone.

“I’ve packed your clothes. The suitcases are still in the bedroom,” Gretchen said, patting her perfectly styled blonde hair absently as she busied herself with cleaning the kitchen.

“I’ll get them, Dad,” Donavon offered quickly, scooting his chair back from the round table, the legs screeching against the tile floor as he moved.

“Thank you, son,” Mac replied. “Good to see you, Ms. Baker,” he added when he finally noticed Kenly quietly nibbling on her own sandwich.

“Hi, Director,” she managed to choke out. Since I first started training Kenly, she’d become a regular visitor to the McDonough’s house, but she never seemed at ease in Mac’s presence. Mac didn’t notice her awkwardness; he’d already turned his scrutinizing gaze back to me.

“Dr. Thistler sent your medication to the hangar already. She explained how to perform the injections, I assume?” Mac confirmed. I nodded.

Dr. Thistler, the Head of Medical Research for the Agency and my personal physician, was leading the charge to find a cure for my condition. Normally, she gave me my daily injections and drew my blood to test the levels of the chemical present. But she wasn’t going with us, so I had to learn to perform the unpleasant task myself. Being in charge of my own healthcare made me nervous, but Dr. Thistler assured me that as long as I remembered to administer the shot every day, I would be fine. I certainly hoped she was right.

“You’re all set, Dad,” Donavon said, returning to the kitchen and saving me from his father’s impending lecture.

“Thank you.” Mac smiled fondly at his only child. “Natalia, it’s time to go.”

I shoved the last bite of potato chip-laden sandwich in my mouth and stood. Kenly stood too and gave me an awkward hug. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back in time for your exams. You’re gonna do great. Just stick to the practice schedule I outlined,” I whispered, returning her embrace.

“Will you call me?” she sniffed, sounding choked up. Her display of emotion touched me in a way little had since Penny’s arrest.

“Of course,” I promised. “I have to make sure that you’re not slacking in my absence. If you don’t make the Hunters, it’ll be pretty embarrassing for me.” I winked when I pulled away to let her know I was kidding. Although in truth, a line of people waited for her to fail so that they could give me a big “I told you so.” Mac was at the head.

Kenly was a rare dual Talent, meaning that she had two distinct sets of abilities, Higher Reasoning and Telekinesis. It was extremely unusual for a dual Talent to be proficient in both areas and Kenly wasn’t an exception. Her Higher Reasoning abilities were well developed, but her Telekinesis was lacking. I’d been helping her strengthen it in the hope that she would make the Hunters. She’d drastically improved over our time together, but I wasn’t sure it would be enough. Many, Mac included, thought my efforts were a waste of time. Donavon’s willingness to take over Kenly’s training was more a testament to how much he cared about me than to his confidence in Kenly’s chances.

I turned to Gretchen and waited while she said a quiet goodbye to her husband. The only outward signs of affection between them were a quick hug and lingering fond look, but I knew better. Gretchen was a Mind Manipulator like me. I was positive that they were exchanging their goodbyes privately.

After she had finished with Mac, Gretchen turned and leaned down to wrap her thin arms around me. She was considerably taller than my five feet.

“Be careful, Natalia,” she sent.

“Careful? It’s just aptitude testing, Gretchen. It’s not as if it’s dangerous,” I replied, rolling my eyes into her shoulder.

“I know, dear, but I always worry about you.” She smiled as she pulled away. Gretchen gave me a long, searching look with eyes the same cornflower blue as her son’s. “Be sure to take your medication at the same time every day.”

“I will,” I promised. “I’ve been feeling really good the past couple of weeks. You don’t need to worry.”

Gretchen hugged me again, then released me to follow her husband from the kitchen.

Donavon stood by the front door, waiting to help load the bags into the waiting car. I grabbed the lighter of my suitcases and trailed Mac and Donavon from the house. Once the luggage was inside, Donavon started driving across the compound towards the hover hangar.

I stared out the window, emotions swirling out of control with the passing scenery. The McDonough’s house, my house, held so many memories, both good and bad. It had been the first place I’d felt safe after my parents were killed, the place I met Donavon, and where I learned to use my Talents. It had also been my prison after my return from Nevada. I both loved and loathed, longer for and dreaded, the structure.

Donavon and his father made small talk as we wound through the sprawling grounds. The early summer flowers were in bloom, yellow and white dotting the otherwise green canvass. The lake shone smooth as glass, reflecting the bright orange of the late afternoon sun. But I couldn’t truly appreciate any of it. Everything I saw reminded me of her. The orange rays were reminiscent of Penny’s flame-colored hair. Even though the lake water was calm, nothing like the roaring waves of the ocean in the images that Penny showed me at her sentencing, it still triggered the now fading scenes.

When the guards escorted Penny from the courtroom, she opened her mind to me. She urged me to see memories of my parents, of me – her memories. At the time, I’d thought they were real and that she’d actually known my mom, my dad, and even me. Overwhelmed by the painful images, I broke down in the courtroom. As a result, Mac ordered me into therapy with the Agency’s Head of Psychoanalysis, the formidable Dr. Wythe.

After several weeks of intense psychobabble, I realized that what I saw in Penny’s head that day wasn’t her memories at all. They were fabrications she manifested to make me think that she’d known my family. Dr. Wythe explained that Penny was the enemy, and she was trying to turn me against the Agency by showing me visions, images of myself and my parents, in an attempt to confuse me. During the sessions, the images began to fade. At times, the scenes I recalled were fuzzy, like out of focus pictures. Other times, the memories were bathed in shadows and I couldn’t distinguish one silhouette from the next.

But in my dreams, the scenes were still crystal clear. It was there that I saw the man with deep blue eyes and a freckled face, the woman with curly chestnut hair, and the child with purple irises. When I woke, I tried to hold on to the dream, tried to recall every detail of the happy family. Like with all dreams, the longer that I was awake, the harder the images were to grasp. I felt as though I was looking through binoculars. At night, the memories were so close I was positive if I reached out I could touch them. But in the light of the day they were distant and blurry. I thought that my mind was playing tricks on me.

More than once, I tried to draw the dreams, but my artistic abilities left something to be desired – the people were little more than stick figures.

Mac had spent the morning at Tramblewood Correctional Facility witnessing Penny’s execution. I wanted to ask him about it. I had so many questions. Had she said anything before the guards led her to her death? Had she made a deathbed confession of sorts? Had she cried? Despite everything, the thought of Penny alone in her last minutes broke my heart. In the courtroom, she’d appeared thinner than the day of her arrest, but she had radiated strength and pride, and I hoped that three weeks in Tramblewood didn’t rob her of that. I’ve never been to the prison, but I had heard stories. It was rumored to be a horrible place, devoid of light and goodness. The stuff nightmares are made of. If Tramblewood came anywhere close to living up to its reputation, I could have at least taken solace in the fact Penny was in a better place now.

The hover hangar was alive with activity when we arrived. Operatives were busy loading luggage on to two Agency planes while flight crews readied the crafts for takeoff. The other instructors and administrators from the school that would be going with us to D.C. milled around.

Donavon helped load mine and Mac’s bags. I stood mutely off to one side. I watched while Donavon said a quick goodbye to his father. Mac held two fingers up in my direction, and I understood that I had two minutes to say my own goodbye.

“So ...” Donavon began, coming over to me, “I guess this is goodbye.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” I said awkwardly. After everything we’d been through in the past couple of weeks and our tumultuous history, goodbye seemed insufficient – lame even.

“I’ll see you soon.” His lips curved upward in a smile, but his eyes remained flat.

“Take care of Kenly. I’ll never forgive myself if she doesn’t get assigned to the Hunters,” I tried to joke.

“I’ll do my best,” he said, visibly straining to keep the emotion from his voice. “Don’t forget to take your medicines and make sure to get enough rest.”

I rolled my eyes. Another person lecturing me about taking my medications and paying attention to my health was the last thing I wanted. At least Donavon actually cared, unlike Drs. Thistler and Wythe, who both treated me like a test case.

“Natalia,” Mac called from the steps to the plane, “let’s go.” Apparently, my time was up.

“Bye,” I whispered, closing the small gap that separated us.

Donavon just stood there for a long moment, nervously chewing his lower lip and fighting the words on the tip of his tongue back. It had been like this a lot lately, him always seeming as though he wanted to tell me something but deciding against it at the last minute. Usually, I let him have his privacy. Not today, though, I opened my mind only to find his carefully guarded. I thought about knocking through his mental walls, but quickly dismissed the idea. Instead, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “I’ll miss you,” I mumbled into his ear.

“Me too,” he whispered back, pulling me closer to him. Donavon’s lips brushed a kiss on my cheek. Then he turned and strode purposely from the hangar. As I watched him go, an uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of my stomach and dread caused my next breath to hitch in my throat. Foreboding bathed me in a cold sweat and I wondered if I’d ever see my first love again. The notion was irrational. I would see him in three weeks. But logic didn’t help shake the feeling.

The cabin of the aircraft was spacious, with ten large recliner chairs spread throughout. Most of the seats were already taken since the others had boarded while I took the extra time to say goodbye to Donavon. Only two unoccupied chairs remained - one next to Mac and one next to a small girl with choppy black hair, beady black eyes, and scrunched features: Cadence Choi. To say that Cadence Choi was not my friend was akin to claiming that Grand Canyon was a hole, a vast understatement. She was an instructor at the McDonough School that I’d investigated as a potential Coalition Spy. At the time, Cadence had been unaware of my intentions, but she’d been hostile towards me anyway. She hated me for achieving the goal that she’d set for herself, being selected to Pledge the Hunters. The fact that I’d actually failed to become a Hunter gave her some satisfaction, but not enough to lessen her animosity.

Mac had failed to mention that Cadence would be among the test administrators. Her surprise presence did not thrill me, and the harsh glint in her beady black eyes when they settled on me indicated the feelings were mutual.

I went with the lesser of two evils and sank down next to Mac. He gave me a tight smile, then withdrew a portable computer from his briefcase and booted it up. I settled into the seat and closed my eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before we arrived in D.C.

My mind wouldn’t quiet, though. My overactive imagination conjured up horrible images of Penny’s last moments. The roar of the engines did nothing to drown out the made-up screams in my head.

“Mr. Simmons, Ms. Eisenhower, Mr. Trindel, and Ms. Howard were sentenced this morning,” Mac said quietly once we were in the air.

My throat constricted painfully and I searched the cabin for someone that could bring me a glass of water. No stewardess was in sight. “And?” I managed to say.

“Mr. Simmons and Ms. Eisenhower were each convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.”

“Conspiracy to commit murder,” I sputtered, shocked. “Isn’t that a little harsh?”

“No, Natalia, it’s not. Their actions, or rather lack thereof, resulted in your near death. I’d have thought that you of all people would think the punishment is just,” Mac replied. The disapproval at my reaction was evident in the steel gray of his eyes.

Penny’s execution had been front and center in my mind all day, and I had somehow managed to forget about the others who had been arrested in the wake of her discovery as a spy. None of the others had been charged with treason since there was no concrete evidence to link them to Penny, Crane, or the Coalition, but they had all lied about the intel that had sent me to Nevada. Their breach of protocol couldn’t go unpunished.

Cal Simmons and Jennifer Eisenhower were part of the team, along with Penny, that had intercepted the original intel regarding Crane’s trip to Las Vegas. Both realized the intel was encoded using low-level encryption, but failed to report it. The Judge presiding over their cases had wanted to reserve her final judgment until Toxic’s Psychic Interrogation Division sufficiently questioned Penny. And apparently, their punishments were handed down this morning after Penny’s execution.

Just the thought of Penny undergoing psychic interrogation made me shudder. I knew the repercussions of so wholly invading another’s mind firsthand. I had done just that to a boy named Ernest. Not only had I robbed him of his memories, I had taken his sense of self. Now Ernest was in a psychiatric ward at the School’s medical facility and could barely sit up on his own or feed himself. I wasn’t sure whether I hoped that had happened to Penny or not. Maybe the end would have been easier if she didn’t know what was happening to her.

“What’s their sentence?” I asked hesitantly, dreading his answer.

“Mr. Simmons will be serving ten years and Ms. Eisenhower eight. The Judge decided her motivations were less devious; therefore, her sentence should be lighter.” Mac shook his head, showing his disagreement.

Icy fingers closed around my heart. The sentences were much longer than I’d anticipated. Jennifer was a weak-willed, twig of a person. She would never last eight years in prison. And Cal, ambitious, determined Cal, would be forty-five when he was released. I loathed what they’d done, but I never imagined that it would lead to this. I figured that they’d be relegated to cleaning toilets or something as equally demeaning.

“What about Grace and Rider?” I asked quietly.

Rider Trindel and Grace Howard were the other two Operatives arrested for their involuntary involvement in Penny’s elaborate scheme to get me face-to-face with Ian Crane. I had intended on keeping their roles out of my official report. Unfortunately, Mac wasn’t stupid and put the pieces together on his own.

Their punishment for breach of protocol and cheating on placement exams was likely severe, but I hoped that their reason for doing so would gain them some leniency. While there deception nearly cost me my life, I hated the idea that they were in so much trouble on my account.

“Ms. Howard was sentenced to fifteen years for conspiracy to commit murder and having cheated on her placement exams.” Mac searched my face for my reaction. I kept my features neutral this time, even as guilt made my turkey sandwich go leaden in my stomach. “Mr. Trindel received life in prison for the same.”

“Life?!” I exclaimed loudly. “Are you serious?” Several heads swiveled in my direction, causing Mac to glare at me.

“Keep your voice down, Natalia. This isn’t public information,” he scolded. “But, yes, I am serious. His willingness to aid another Operative in lying and cheating speaks volumes on his character. And he is an Elite level Higher Reasoning talent; there is no telling what he is capable of devising. He cannot be trusted.” Mac gripped the armrests so hard that I thought his knuckle bones might pop right through the skin.

If I’d thought that Cal and Jennifer’s punishments were extreme, theirs were a drop in the bucket compared to Grace and Rider’s. Horrible couldn’t begin to describe how badly I felt. You have no idea what your Agency does to innocent people. The words Crane spoke in Nevada played like a record stuck on repeat. Sure, none of the Operatives were exactly innocent, but they didn’t deserve this. Hadn’t enough people been hurt already? Couldn’t Mac just have them dismissed from the Agency? Wouldn’t that ensure they never got the chance to harm another Operative? All of their lives were ruined, and Penny had lost hers. Suddenly my seizures didn’t seem that terrible.

“I’m tired. I think I’ll close my eyes again until we land,” I said, turning to look out the oval window on my right. The fluffy white clouds and bright sunshine seemed to mock me with their happy appearances. I closed my lids to block out their infuriating cheerfulness and turned my thoughts to my own personal sun: Erik. For the millionth time, I thought how he was the only bright spot in my life. My lips parted in a smile that I couldn’t have contained if I’d tried.

“Natalia, the Agency has rules and regulations in place for a reason. These Operatives breached protocol and now they have to pay the price.” Every time Mac said “protocol” I cringed as if it were a dirty word.

“Oh, right, protocol,” I scoffed. “If memory serves, your son breached protocol too, yet he wasn’t even hauled in front of the disciplinary board, let alone brought up on formal charges.” It was a low blow and I was glad Donavon wasn’t around to hear me throw his sacrifice in Mac’s face. Donavon knew the consequences when he gave me his blood and had done it anyway. I wasn’t even sure I properly thanked him for doing so. I didn’t know if I ever could. How do you repay someone for saving your life?

Mac paled and pursed his lips into a thin line. I held my breath, waiting for him to explode. I often wondered when Mac’s tolerance of my increasingly bad attitude would run out. The daggers shooting from his eyes pinned me to the seat, telling me the time had finally come. I couldn’t decide if I were embarrassed that so many others would hear the verbal tongue lashing, or relieved that there were witnesses so he would have to hold a little back.

“Donavon served several months in hell for his impulsive actions,” Mac said finally, his words measured, his composure now restored and his demeanor eerily calm. I was taken aback by his ability to turn emotion on and off like a light switch.

“What are you talking about?”

Mac offered me a coy smile, liked he’d just scored a pivotal point in a game I wasn’t aware we were playing. Suspicion and unease made me squirm in my seat.

“He had to endure your attitude and mind games for three months, Natalia. If that does not make him think twice before stepping out of line again, well, then, I do not know what will.” Satisfied, Mac faced forward, his smile widened.

I swallowed hard, appropriately cowed. Definitely should have sat next to Cadence, I thought. At least she would have ignored me.

Chapter Three

One short hour later, I thanked the bell hop as he wheeled the collection of luggage into my room on the fifth floor of the Hamilton Hotel. Before parting ways in the hotel lobby, Mac gave me an itinerary for the coming weeks. The first item on the schedule was a cocktail reception for all Operatives assigned to the D.C. testing site and several high ranking senators and congressmen. I hated these types of events. The schmoozing, handshaking, and forced small talk put my teeth on edge. Unfortunately, the reception was not optional, evidenced by the MANDATORY scrawled in all caps next to the event on my schedule. Thankfully, I still had two hours of Mac-free peace before the torture began.

The large bed pushed against one gold papered wall called my name. Leaving my unpacked suitcases by the door, I flopped down on the blue and gold down comforter, sinking in to the fluffy fabric. I sighed contently, relaxing for the first time since opening my eyes that morning.

Kenly had showed up at the McDonough’s house before sunrise on the pretense of a morning run. I knew she was actually there to distract me from Penny’s execution. Donavon most likely put her up to it. Between the two of them, I hadn’t had more than ten minutes to myself. It was sweet, but what I really wanted was time alone.

A sharp knock on the door echoed inside the hotel room. So much for peace and quiet, I thought with a groan, and imaged Mac, back to lecture me about my medications or worse, my attitude. “I know, make sure to take my injection before dinner,” I said, throwing the door open with my mind.

“Well, hello to you, too,” a voice that was most certainly not Mac’s replied.

I raised my head so fast that stars dotted my first glimpses of Erik Kelley. “Oh, my god, it’s you,” I cried, jumping from the mattress, practically throwing myself across the room and into his waiting arms. When I had talked to him the night before, he was unsure whether he would be arriving tonight or tomorrow morning.

Erik wrapped me in a warm embrace as my head smacked against his well-muscled chest. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered against my hair, running his hand over the tangled dark curls. He tightened his hold on me, crushing my body to his. I buried my face in his neck and let him half-carry, half-drag me from the doorway. Erik mimicked my telekinetic abilities to slam the door shut behind us. Slowly, he lowered me to my feet. I drew back from him and locked his turquoise eyes with my purple ones.

I had been waiting for this moment since watching him board the plane back to Elite Headquarters two weeks prior. Seeing Erik in person, holding him, feeling the hard planes of his body against mine, was so much better than talking to him on the communicator.

Standing on my tiptoes, I stretched to fix my lips against his. I gripped handfuls of his navy button-down, pulling him closer to me. The electricity I always felt when we touched crackled between us. He wound his fingers through the belt loops of my black dress pants, pulling my hips into his as he kissed me back.

My head spun and my heart thudded as I stumbled toward the huge bed that I’d just vacated. Erik lowered himself onto the mattress, perching on the edge. Sitting, while I stood, made his mouth level with mine. His fingers toyed with the edge of my sweater, then slid underneath the soft fabric; I wrapped my arms around his neck. He traced the scars that marred the flesh above the waist of my pants. My breath caught in my throat, but I refused to break the kiss even though the lack of oxygen was making me lightheaded.

Erik moved his hands up my back, sending tingles dancing along my skin. His touch was light, like feathers tickling my flesh. His heart thudded heavily in his chest, his pulse quickening when I broke away to kiss his neck. Erik moved his hands to cup the back of my neck and gently pushed me away just enough so that he could see my face. Our ragged breaths were in unison as he ran the pads of his fingers over my cheeks and then traced the contours of my mouth. I stared into turquoise eyes that sparkled in the early evening light streaming through the small window. The golden sunshine danced through his dark hair, threading dark brown highlights through the black.

“You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome,” he whispered, his face so close that we breathed the same air. Heat rushed to my face, I had practically attacked him, after all. Erik chuckled. “Don’t be embarrassed. I like it when you’re the aggressor.” He arched his eyebrows suggestively, and I thought that I might spontaneously combust. Erik shifted to prop himself against the pillows by the headboard on the bed.

“Come here,” he whispered when I didn’t immediately follow.

Taking his outstretched hand, I climbed up next to him and rested my head on his shoulder and my palm against his still-thudding heart.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, worry dampening the desire that he’d felt moments before. His concern was real, but the way his thumbs caressed my stomach, dipping below the waistband of my pants, said he still had other activities on his mind.

“I don’t want to talk about my health,” I said coyly, cocking my head so that I could see his face.

A devilish grin spread across his lips and he bent his head until our lips met again. Twisting, I placed one knee on either side of his hips, straddling his waist. The boldness of my actions surprised us both. Erik tensed slightly. For a brief moment, I worried that I’d been too brazen. When I tried to pull back, Erik’s hands held me firmly in place. Slowly, he slid his palms up my sides, under my sweater, and my stomach muscles clenched painfully in anticipation when he reached the edge of my bra. Erik broke the kiss long enough to push my shirt up over my head.

I shivered even as my skin burned under his touch. Fumbling with the buttons on Erik’s shirt, I tried to remove the material that separated us. Nerves made my hands tremble and I couldn’t grip the small buttons. Erik gently pried my fingers loose, taking over the task of undressing himself.

I sat admiring the lean muscles of his bare chest and stomach. I ran my hands over the smooth skin. Erik leaned forward and ran his hands up and down my arms. I titled my head back and felt my curls tumble all the way to my waist. Erik’s mouth closed around the erratically-jumping pulse in my throat. I think I even moaned – it was hard to tell over the blood pounding in my ears – when he trailed kisses, soft as flower petals, across my collarbone.

“Natalia,” a voice called loudly from the other side of the door, dousing the euphoria of being so close to Erik while wearing so little clothes just as effectively as a bucket of ice water. The next sound from my lips was somewhere between a groan and a whimper.

My unwanted guest banged insistently.

“It’s the Director,” Erik mumbled against my ear, flicking the lobe back and forth with his tongue.

“I know,” I whispered.

“You should probably answer it,” Erik said, even as he kissed the hollow of my throat.

“I know,” I repeated, arching my neck farther to give him better access and hating Mac for his untimely interruption.

“Natalia, open the damn door,” Mac demanded.

Regretfully, I pulled away and climbed off Erik’s lap. “Coming, Mac,” I called impatiently. Spotting my sweater on the floor, I hastily grabbed the shirt and yanked it over my head. I threw the door forcefully open with my mind.

“Can I help you?” I barked with as much politeness as I muster.

“No need for the attitude, Natalia,” Mac replied lightly. He poked his head through the doorway. He eyes narrowed to slits when he took in the sight of Erik sitting shirtless on the hotel bed. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. Erik remained silent, but at least had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I just wanted to remind you to take your medication.”

“Thank you. I will,” I answered with a tight smile.

“I trust I will see both of you at the welcome reception.” Mac pitched his voice to make sure Erik didn’t miss the command. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Erik nod. “And Natalia?” Mac said, returning his attention to me.

“Yes?” I snapped, eager to get rid of the Director.

“Please wear a color other than black.” Mac’s eyes ran the length of my wrinkled mourning outfit, narrowing on the hem of my shirt.

I followed his gaze, blood rushing to my face when I realized what he was staring at. My sweater was inside out. Erik had obviously noticed, too. He snickered loudly to show his amusement. “Yes, sir,” I replied with a mock salute, trying to cover the awkward moment.

Mac gave one last disapproving glare in Erik’s direction before retreating. I rolled my eyes at his back. Mac was just looking out for me, I knew that, but the constant reminders to take my medication were as unwelcome as his interruption.

Walking over to my collection of unpacked bags, I rifled through the contents until I found the medical kit that Dr. Thistler had so thoughtfully included in my belongings. The syringes and vials of the good doctor’s equalizer were neatly packed in two metal cases with the Agency’s logo carved on the tops. I unsnapped the metal hooks fastening the first case. Twenty-five white plastic tubes with long, sharp needles gleamed back at me. I ran my fingers lightly over the case’s contents that were the bane of my existence.

“Why don’t I do it?” Erik said quietly, startling me out of my self-misery.

“No, I got it,” I whispered back.

My hands shook slightly when I unclasped the hooks of the other case. I withdrew one small glass container with a yellowish liquid and unscrewed the cap. I selected one of the syringes from the first case, inserted the tip end into the serum, and slowly pulled the plunger out of the tube. The plastic filled with the equalizer.

Heaving an enormous sigh, I rested the filled syringe on the bedside table. Then I climbed back up on to the mattress. Erik watched me from his perch among the fluffy pillows, eyes full of concern. His apprehensive expression made the situation that much worse.

Tearing my gaze away from Erik, I stared back at the bedside table. The needle sat, taunting me. I’d become accustomed to receiving the daily injections; they’d been part of my routine since I’d returned from my failed mission in Nevada. But until now, I hadn’t actually had to administer the shot myself; I didn’t realize how hard it would be. I loathed needles, and I’d always hated the sight of my own blood. Feeling it soak through my clothes, sticky and hot, made me hate it even more.

Erik’s warm hands slid under my shirt and over my ribs. I leaned my back against his chest gratefully. Straddling me from behind, he carefully worked my arm from the sleeve of my sweater and reached for the syringe. Erik tore open the alcohol swab, then rubbed the crook of my elbow with the damp square.

“Ready?” he mumbled into my ear.

I nodded, averting my gaze from the sight of the needle poised over the blue vein already bulging against my flesh. It was as if my blood were calling for the drug. Erik placed his chin on my shoulder and used his free hand to hold my arm steady. Every muscle in my body went rigid as the point pierced my skin. But the instant the chemicals hit my bloodstream, I sagged with relief. Calm spread through me, like the ocean after a storm. I hadn’t even realized how tense I was until just then.

Erik held me while I reveled in the aftermath of the injection, like a junkie. I hated how dependent I was on the drug.

“Better?” he asked after a couple of minutes.

“Better,” I agreed with a contented sigh, sleepy now that the medication was working its magic in my system. I lazily navigated my exposed arm back into the sweater.

Erik set the used needle on the table and wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled me farther back on the bed. Gratefully, I curled my body against his and basked in the feel of his bare skin against my cheek.

Mac’s interruption had broken the mood earlier. Now reality was preventing me from finishing what I started. While the injection put me at ease, the unfortunate truth was that I was sick, and with every passing day, I became more and more convinced that my condition was permanent.

My future within the Agency was uncertain. If I couldn’t return to the Hunters, what would I do? Would I even get another chance to kill Crane? Did I even want to? After everything with Penny, I didn’t know what to believe. And Crane was the only person left alive that could tell me for sure whether what she’d shown me in the court room was real.

“None of that matters right now, Tals. Just rest,” Erik sent, reading the concerns from my mind as quickly as I thought them.

My eyelids became heavy. The tumultuous swirling emotions finally quieted. Tension ebbed from my muscles, seeming to leak out of my pores. “Don’t let me sleep too long.” I slurred my words, letting Erik bear the burden of my problems.

“I won’t.”

The last thing I remembered was the brush of Erik’s lips across my forehead.

Chapter Four

While we waited for the hotel elevator to arrive, Erik and I held hands. The steel doors slid apart, revealing a mirrored interior car. I stepped on and stared at my reflection. Chestnut brown hair fell in large curls down the back of my black velvet jacket. Mac had practically ordered me to wear color, so I had selected a dark gray cocktail dress to go underneath my black coat. The hollows under my eyes were dark from too many sleepless nights to count. Dull, lifeless irises sat like two purple marbles sunken into a face I barely recognized. The jacket had been specially tailored to fit my small frame before I’d come back to the school, but now it hung loosely on my too-thin body.

Erik’s reflection, on the other hand, revealed beautiful turquoise eyes over high cheekbones and tanned skin. His almost black hair hung perfectly around his face and looked professionally styled even though he’d barely brushed it after his shower. The green dress shirt was tucked into the waistband of his khaki pants. His navy blazer was unbuttoned and the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, the Agency logo embroidered on the breast pocket.

The fine lines around the corners of his eyes and mouth were the only outward sign of his inner stress. He tried to keep his mental barricades up so the anxiety wouldn’t seep from his mind and amplify my own. I was touched by his concern, but hated that he thought me weak, felt sorry for me even. We weren’t equals in this relationship. He was a rock, all strength and power. I was fragile, spun glass, ready to break if someone looked at me the wrong way.

Apparently, there were also cracks in my mental armor, letting my thoughts leak out.

“You’re beautiful,” Erik insisted, planting a kiss on the top of my head.

I rolled my eyes. “And you’re a bad liar.”

“Actually, I happen to be an excellent liar.” I gave him a withering look in the mirrored wall. “Fine, you might be a little skinnier than I usually like my girlfriends, but I’m sure we can take care of that over the next three weeks.” Erik pinched my waist playfully.

I pushed him away, pretending his comment bothered me. It sort of did. Erik grabbed me from behind, spinning me to face him. He pushed me hard; the handrail collided with my lower back, sending a jolt of pain up my spine.

“You want to know the truth? You are one of the strongest people I have ever met. And you are definitely the most beautiful, Tal,” he murmured, leaning in so his lips moved against mine when he spoke. His kiss wasn’t gentle. If it were possible, I fell a little more in love with him in that moment.

The lobby of the Hamilton was lavishly decorated with blue and white wall hangings bearing the Agency logo and each Division’s emblem. The couches scattered throughout the foyer were upholstered in deep red fabrics with gold throw pillows. Tuxedo-clad waiters waded through the crowds of already gathered Operatives and Congressmen, passing out drinks and finger sandwiches.

Several people turned and stared in our direction when we stepped into the grand room. Their murmured conversations were like verbal assaults to my ears as they whispered to one another phrases like, “She was the girl’s friend”, “She caught that spy”, or “She had to relearn to walk.” Anxiety clouded my mind, and the urge to turn around and run and seek sanctuary in my room was almost too strong to ignore.

“They’re looking at me, not you. Don’t worry.” Erik smiled. I gave him another eye roll and tried to suppress the grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. I was so glad he was here.

“Natalia,” Mac called, coming over to greet me. “I have plenty of people that I’d like for you to meet.” Then Mac turned his attention to Erik, pointedly glaring at our intertwined fingers. “Mr. Kelley, I am sure you can find a way to entertain yourself while Natalia mingles.”

Erik nodded curtly to the Director and gave my hand a brief squeeze. “Call if you need me,” he sent and disappeared into the crowd.

For the next three hours, I trailed Mac as he mingled and schmoozed with the plethora of politicians that had assembled in the Nation’s capital to celebrate the start of aptitude testing. Many I’d met over the past eight years, some I hadn’t. All were eager to congratulate me on finding the traitor that had infiltrated our government. I kept a smile plastered on my face through the entire ordeal, never giving even the slightest indication that I was anything less than thrilled at the way things turned out.

When I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waitress, Mac deftly removed the drink from my hand.

“Not tonight, Natalia,” he mumbled under his breath.

Relegated to drinking nonalcoholic beverages, I consumed glass after glass of ice water. Thanks to Mac’s refusal to let me out of his sight for longer than a nanosecond, I had to use the bathroom so badly that I had to fight the urge to cross my legs like a child.

“I’ll escort you back to your room, Natalia,” Mac declared when the crowd started to thin.

“I need to make a stop first. No need to wait,” I replied, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

“Where do you need to stop?” he asked suspiciously.

I gave him a hard look before answering. “If you must know, I need to pee.”

“You’re an adult, Natalia. I would think that you could manage to make it to your room first,” he stated, visibly relaxing at my benign answer.

“I’ve had like eight glasses of water, Mac, I’m going to burst,” I whined.

“Fine, but please see to it that you find your way to your own room as soon as possible. I would prefer you get some rest before tomorrow morning,” he ordered, his grey eyes boring into me. His unspoken command was crystal clear: Don’t go to Erik’s room.

“Of course, Director.” I smiled sweetly.

“Breakfast tomorrow, then?” he asked as though it was a question, but I knew better. It was an order.

“I’ll see you at seven,” I responded, grateful for his dismissal. Mac nodded curtly before heading to the elevator bank alone.

In truth, I genuinely did have to use the bathroom so bad it hurt. But I wasn’t a child; I could have made the journey to my room without incident. However, I wanted to find Erik before heading upstairs.

I spotted him by the bar, sipping amber colored liquid from a large mug engraved with the Toxic logo. He was chatting easily with Cadence Choi. Unlike me, Cadence had chosen to don Agency issued black slacks and a fitted black jacket with the McDonough School’s emblem embroidered over her left breast. Her short black hair was styled neatly just above her shoulders. I’d noticed throughout the evening that I was one of the few Operatives that had forgone the uniform-like attire in favor of a more cocktail appropriate dress.

Having no desire to get close to Cadence and doubting that Erik would leave without finishing his beer, I found the lobby restrooms. When I was finished, I returned to find the two still engrossed in conversation. Irritated, I wound my way to the bar.

“Hey,” I said, placing my hand possessively on Erik’s arm. Even as I did it, I felt petty, but I didn’t like how chummy he was with Cadence.

“Hey to you, too,” he replied, a smile lighting up his entire face. The tension I’d felt building in my muscles all evening eased as I basked in the warmth of his affection. Erik slipped his free arm around my waist, kissing the top of my head softly.

“Hello, Cadence,” I said politely, acknowledging the slightly older girl. Her scrunched features hardened when she turned her attention away from Erik and fixed me in her beady black eyes.

“Talia, it’s so nice the Director let you accompany him. I’m sure you’ve just been itching to get off school grounds,” she replied, sneering.

“Oh, I’m not accompanying Mac,” I shot back, trying to keep the animosity in my voice to a minimum. “I’ve actually been assigned to help administer the aptitude tests.” Erik’s arm tightened around my waist when he felt my temper begin to flare.

“Really?” Cadence raised her pencil thin eyebrows skyward. “I wasn’t aware Medical had cleared you for active duty.”

“Medical hasn’t, but Mac thought my abilities would be extremely helpful for the testing.” I tried to keep my voice even as I spoke, but couldn’t quash the urge to rise to the challenge in hers.

Since our first encounter, Cadence had been hostile. Not that I was exactly Susie Sunshine, either. I hated the joy my failure elicited in her and used every opportunity to remind her that, no matter what had happened, I was still the Director of the Agency’s favorite, that he still treated me like a daughter, and that I had connections and status in our world that she would never be privy too.

Sure, I knew that it was childish, but the satisfaction it gave me, no matter how small, was worth it. And, honestly, the events of the past year had cooled my relationship with Mac significantly, but he and I were the only ones who knew that. Our private conversations were often strained and combative. Yet in public, I worked hard to maintain the status quo and never let on that we were constantly at odds or that I’d come to doubt that I knew him as well as I thought. While I was confident that Mac was aware my trust in him was fading, he never gave any outward indication, either in public or private.

“It was nice to see you again, Cadence,” Erik said, offering her a gleaming white smile and effectively putting an end to our less than friendly exchange.

“You, too, Erik.” She returned his smile easily. I was shocked that she could proffer positive emotions toward another human being, seeing as she was always so frigid to me. “Maybe I’ll take you up on the offer to help me train for my tryout next month.”

“What?!?!?” I demanded mentally, rounding on Erik. “She’s been granted another tryout for the Hunters? And you offered to help her train?”

“Definitely,” Erik agreed, rubbing my back to calm the anger growing heavy inside of me. “You know where to find me.” With that, Erik steered me away from Cadence Choi before I could say something aloud that I might regret later. He led me through the elaborately decorated foyer of the Hamilton Hotel, through the double glass doors that marked the entranceway, and out on to the deserted sidewalk that ran along Fourteenth Street.

Four armed Agency men dressed in black and gray fatigues stood alert in front of the hotel’s entrance. Each Operative carried a large black automatic weapon against his chest. Four sets of dark, intense eyes snapped in our direction.

“Erik, what’s up?” The shortest of the four guards called, his large coffee colored face breaking into a huge grin.

“Desmond? How are you?” Erik called back, surprised.

“Doing well, man. Got pulled off guard duty at Tramblewood to come down here. The city’s been crazy since they caught that chick spy,” Desmond responded, shaking his head.

I stiffened at his reference to Penny, promptly forgetting all about Cadence.

“Yeah, I bet,” Erik said neutrally, pulling me closer to his side. “What’s the deal with the curfew?” The normally lively city streets were empty, devoid of the usual teenagers and twenty-somethings that frequented the downtown bars.

In the wake of Penny’s sentencing, riots broke out all over the nation. Many citizens had even protested her execution. The discord people felt towards the government, and the Agency in particular, reached an all-time high. Apparently, traitor or not, the majority of the population had reservations about executing a teenage girl. I knew that Mac feared there would be trouble during the aptitude testing.

Mac hadn’t explained the state of the nation to me prior to our departure from school. In the weeks since Penny’s sentencing, he’d become visibly more stressed. He began taking daily work trips into Washington and other key cities throughout the country. When he returned at night, he looked every one of his fifty years. Since Mac was less than forthcoming, I probed Donavon for details. He had been the one to tell me about the riots and extended curfews.

For as long as I could remember, I’d respected Mac and understood that his position came with some hard decision making. However, learning of his intention to keep the mandatory curfews in effect until further notice made me question his judgment. Imposing such restrictions on people’s freedom was extreme. The regulations wouldn’t alleviate the dissonance. They would only make it worse.

“The Director wants to maintain the curfew in all testing cities for the duration of the exams,” Desmond was telling Erik. “People have been losing faith in the Agency ever since they learned we let a spy infiltrate our organization. And then there are the conservatives that think the Mandatory Testing Act should be abolished. They protest every year anyway.”

“Bummer. We were hoping to get a drink before bed,” Erik answered shaking his head regretfully. Were we? I’d figured that Erik had led me outside because it was the fastest way to get me away from Cadence.

“Well, the Director wasn’t really clear, but I don’t think the curfew applies to Toxic Operatives, although all the bars are closed already.”

Desmond shrugged his massive shoulders as if to say “sorry.”

“Eh, no big deal. But it would still be cool if we took a walk, right? Get a little fresh air. Talia and I were hoping for some alone time.” Erik pitched his voice lower, making it more suggestive as though he was sharing a secret only for Desmond’s ears. The compulsion behind his words was clear to me, yet I doubted that Desmond or the others noticed.

I wanted to roll my eyes. As desperate as I was for alone time with Erik, I doubted that he was manipulating the guards just so we could have a midnight tryst. But I followed his lead anyway, cuddling closer to his side. I glanced up at Erik with pure adoration. When our eyes met, he had to contain a snicker and I guessed that my attempt to sell the story wasn’t going as well as I thought.

Desmond turned his full attention to me as if noticing my presence for the first time since our arrival on the sidewalk. His caramel eyes lit up with recognition. “Natalia Lyons,” he muttered, extending a mammoth-sized hand to me. Hesitantly, I returned the gesture, losing my small palm in his embrace. “You’re something of a legend out at Tramblewood.” He shook my hand vigorously, causing my entire body to vibrate. “Everyone’s so impressed with the way you caught that traitor. They say you were able to infiltrate her mind, which is crazy because the best psychic interrogators worked on her right up until they plunged that needle in her arm and none of them could get through.”

My head began to spin and hot tears burned the backs of my eyes at his graphic description of Penny’s execution. I hastily pulled my hand free from his grip, stumbling slightly as my legs became weak. Erik kept a firm hold on my waist, urging me to stand upright. Once again, I leaned heavily into him for support, but this time I wasn’t pretending. The thought of Penny dying made me nauseous and this man’s jubilant attitude only made the sickness that much worse.

Desmond gave Erik a knowing smile, the equivalent of a mental high five. I could feel Erik’s muscles go taut and I knew that friend or not, Desmond was treading on thin ice. Erik might have started the joke by insinuating we were sneaking off to get naked, but he didn’t like the way Desmond was leering at me or how upset his words made me. Erik’s overprotective nature both thrilled and irritated me. I could stand up for myself. I struggled against Erik’s grip, straightening my spine and steeling my nerves against any further assaults. They didn’t come. Desmond returned his full attention to Erik.

“Go ahead, man. I’m sure no one will care. Just don’t be gone too long and be sure to identify yourselves if you encounter any guards. They’ve been given clearance to shoot first and ask questions later, if you know what I mean.” Desmond gave us a pointed look.

“Thanks, Des. I really appreciate it. And no worries. If we see any guards, I’ll be sure to let them know who she is.” Erik inclined his head in my direction. “Being the Director’s pseudo daughter has a lot of clout.” His tone was jovial, but there was an underlying note of hostility. He seemed to be reminding Desmond and the other guards of my place in our world. My irritation deepened, but I stayed silent.

“Have fun, guys,” Desmond said, casting a conspiratorial look at his fellow Operatives.

“Thanks,” I muttered, keeping my eyes downcast to prevent him from seeing the pain and anger I was trying to hide.

Erik released my waist and grabbed my hand, practically dragging me away from the guards. We crossed the deserted city street in silence. An eerie calm blanketed the capitol city. There wasn’t even a single homeless person begging for money in sight. The tall glass buildings that littered downtown Washington, D.C. were dark and bereft of life. Even the apartment buildings were quiet. No vehicles flew down the ordinarily clogged streets. No hover cars whizzed overhead.

Walking down Fourteenth, we passed the Grass is Always Greener, a bar we’d been to on a night out when I was still a Pledge. There was no line of drunken city kids clamoring to get inside its doors. No loud music filtered through the non-soundproof walls to fill the night. Sadness washed over me. The city had been so much fun when we’d been there for Festivis the previous month, and now it was reduced to this. I hoped that after the aptitude testing was over, the city would return to its former glory.

Erik led me further down Fourteenth towards I Street. He picked up the pace slightly as we made a right onto I. I had so many questions for him that I didn’t know where to begin. So I started with the most obvious.

“Where are we going?” I wanted to know.

“You’ll see,” he sent back, glancing down at me with a broad smile. Knowing Erik, wherever we were going wasn’t likely somewhere we were allowed. Maybe he was taking me to some romantic location for quality alone time.

We continued down I Street for another couple of blocks, passing more darkened store fronts, empty bars, and deserted nightclubs. My short legs had to work hard to keep pace. As we approached the intersection of I and Fifteenth, I felt the dull hum of a human mind. Alarmed, I stopped in my tracks and squeezed Erik’s hand tightly. Fear made my heart thud painfully in my against my ribs as I recalled Desmond’s words, “They’ve been given clearance to shoot first and ask questions later.”

“It’s okay, Tals,” Erik said calmly. “I know the guards on duty tonight.” He smiled at me reassuringly.

“Do you know everyone?”

“I’m just a friendly guy. What can I say?”

My anxiety increased the closer we got to the source of the mental activity. I had all my energy focused on my mental talents, so I was surprised that I recognized the guard when we were still fairly far away. Normally, I was only able to expand my sense of sight when I consciously concentrated my energy.

The guard’s dark hair was just visible underneath the black helmet that he wore. His hazel eyes darted nervously from side-to-side, surveying his surroundings. His jaw was set in a hard line and irritation radiated off of his being.

The guard’s own senses were superior to any normal human’s, even to my own. He was a Morph, an Elite Level Morph no less. And at the same time that I’d recognized him, he’d recognized us and he didn’t appear pleased at our presence.

“Hey, Arden,” Erik called when we were still several feet away. Arden Greis, one of Donavon’s former Hunter teammates.

“Erik. I figured you’d changed your mind,” Arden responded uneasily. “Hey, Talia,” he added, offering me a small smile.

“Hi, Arden,” I said, now even more curious about what we were doing.

“That damned reception the Director made us go to ran longer than I expected,” Erik apologized.

“You won’t have much time down there,” Arden replied, his eyes shifting from me to the padlocked gate behind him. “There’s a train scheduled to come through in an hour, and it’s not just cargo. Not sure what’s on it, but we were told to be extra vigilant tonight.”

“An hour is plenty,” Erik answered, not phased in the least by Arden’s barely civil tone.

“Alright, just be sure to watch the time. This is a mighty big favor, and you know I can get in a lot of trouble for this.” Arden’s mind projected his reservations loud and clear.

“Let’s just go back,” I sent Erik.

“He’s just being dramatic, Tals. I promise we won’t get caught.”

“I don’t want him to get in trouble,” I urged, shifting my gaze to Arden, who was glancing suspiciously between me and Erik, aware that our mental conversation involved him.

“He owes me.”

Curiosity formed the question of what exactly had Arden indebted himself to Erik for in my mind before I decided that I’d probably rather not know.

“No worries, man. You know Talia and I can talk our way out of any situation.” He winked at Arden, but the older boy wasn’t mollified by Erik’s assurances. Although, admittedly, Erik did have a point. In the event we were caught sneaking around wherever it was that gate lead to, I could make sure whoever caught us didn’t recall the encounter long enough to make a report.

Reluctantly, Arden reached for the set of silver keys attached to his belt. He noiselessly turned the key in the large padlock and held the gate open, allowing Erik and I to pass through. Grabbing a flashlight strapped to his thigh, he handed it to Erik. “It’s really dark down there and since neither of you is a Morph, you’ll probably need this,” he said.

“Thanks,” Erik replied, taking the heavy metal object in his free hand.

“One hour, Kelley,” Arden hissed behind us. Erik waved dismissively.

Immediately inside of the metal gate was a metal staircase with two rubber handrails. An old-fashioned escalator, I realized. The stairway was so steep that it vanished halfway down.

“Erik, where do these stairs lead?” I demanded, trepidation making my voice high-pitched and frantic.

“To my favorite place in the city, Tals.”

Chapter Five

“These stairs lead to the metro, don’t they?” I demanded, tugging Erik’s hand with enough force to halt his steps temporarily.

“Sure do,” he sent back. Erik’s amused expression was barely visible in the darkened space.

The metro used to be the primary mass transportation system in D.C. But as hover technology became more prevalent, the ridership declined. After a cave-in at one of the stations killed several dozen people, the system shut down for good. The government decided the money needed to repair the damage to the metro would be better spent on expanding the more desirable Skyway. The deserted tunnels began to attract drug dealers, prostitutes, and others seeking a place to conduct illegal business. As a result, the government padlocked all of the entrances. Rumor had it that Toxic now used the metro cars and remaining tunnels to transport cargo to and from the city.

“What about the security cameras?” I asked. Surely the Agency monitored the stations.

“There aren’t any.”

“What?!? Really? Are you sure?”

“Positive. A couple of my friends from school are metro guards. City kids pay top dollar for the guards to look the other way while they throw parties down here. I’ve even been to a couple.”

“Why would anyone want to go to a party down here?” I practically felt Erik roll his eyes as if the answer should have been obvious. Maybe to him it was, but I failed to see the appeal.

“Because the metro is mysterious. Forbidden. Some even say it’s haunted. Teenagers love anything illegal. I know I do,” Erik replied.

That was certainly true. Erik found any excuse to break the rules. I bet he thought sneaking around down here was a game.

“What about the train conductors?” I asked.

“There aren’t any. Trains are automatic.”

My eyes adjusted the farther we descended, the platform at the end of the escalator coming into view. A dank musty smell grew stronger with every step.

“If this is such a hot party spot, why haven’t you taken me down here before?” I asked suspiciously, trying to cover my growing unease. The place was already creeping me out, and we hadn’t even made it into the actual station yet.

“Not exactly the kind of place you take a girl you’re trying to impress. Besides, Henri would’ve killed me if I’d suggested it,” he sent back. Erik’s flashlight lit up a hole where the last step of the escalator was missing. He jumped the void and held out his hand to help me over.

The floor tiles were cracked or missing all together in several places. My dress flats slid across the damp surface as Erik led me past a row of ancient machines with yellowed lettering and splintered display screens.

“Henri has been down here?” I asked skeptically. Henri had been my team leader during my pledge period with the Hunters. He was way too straight-laced to go gallivanting around restricted areas.

“Once or twice,” Erik replied evasively.

I narrowed my gaze, glaring at Erik’s back. There was something he wasn’t telling me. “Once or twice?” I mimicked back.

Erik didn’t take the bait, so I let it drop.

“Come on. We don’t have much time,” he said, tugging my hand and urging me to move faster.

We rounded the corner at the end of the row of dilapidated machines. The room exploded into a cavernous expanse. The ceiling was close to fifty feet above us and rounded. Another set of escalators stretched twenty feet down on to a lower platform. Two sets of metal rails extended the length of each wall, disappearing into pitch black tunnels at the far end of the room. The sheer size of the station overwhelmed me. I’d never seen anything quite like it.

The rank odor of decay and disuse became stronger. Cold, damp air engulfed me like a wet blanket, making it hard to breathe normally. I shivered in my thin cocktail dress and lightweight jacket. Erik released my hand and worked his arms out of his own coat, wrapping it around my trembling shoulders. I smiled, grateful for the extra layer of protection against the cold and grime of the metro station.

Erik led the way down the remaining escalator steps and out on to the lower platform. Several stone slabs that served as benches for long forgotten waiting passengers lined the space between the two tracks. I followed Erik, watching with undisguised skepticism as he sat on the edge of the closest bench.

The beam from Erik’s flashlight emphasized large fissures in the stone, making me doubt the structural integrity of the bench. It looked as though it would give way at any moment. Erik beckoned me over, his amused expression seeming out of place in such a desolate station. Deciding that if the bench held him, it would hold me too, I gingerly sat down.

The stone was cold against the backs of my thighs and the thin dress provided little protection. I pulled Erik’s jacket tighter around my body. His eyes were on me, his mind reading my thoughts as I surveyed the surroundings. I tried to imagine kids my age drinking and laughing, playing music, dancing even. Try as I might, my imagination wasn’t that good. Everywhere I looked, I saw abandonment.

“So, are you going to tell me why you brought me down here tonight?” I asked, returning my focus to Erik.

“Privacy. This is the only place I know of without cameras or listening devices or people watching our every move. I feel safe here. Like I can be me.” Erik sounded wistful and a little sad.

I stared at him, questioning his sanity. The metro station felt the opposite of safe. Shadows lurked around every corner. The unmistakable squeak of rodents echoed off the cavernous walls. Water trickled somewhere in the distance, the steady drip grating my nerves. I scooted closer to Erik.

“I can’t even begin to understand how hard the last couple of weeks have been,” Erik began, speaking aloud for the first time.

“I’m okay,” I mumbled quickly, turning away from his imploring gaze. I was so used to people asking me how I was doing or assuming they knew how I felt, the response was automatic.

“It’s just us down here, Tal. You don’t need to pretend you’re fine,” Erik replied, gently. “Want to tell me what happened in the courtroom?”

In the days that followed the scene in the courtroom, I lived in a state of shock. If nothing else, the counseling sessions with Dr. Wythe helped bring me back to the present when all I wanted was to sit in my room and lose myself in the memories of my parents. I hated that the psychotherapist was the only person I was allowed to talk to about Penny and what she showed me. When Mac finally allowed Erik to come visit me, he made sure we were never alone. Either Mac or Gretchen hovered within earshot at all times. I was so paranoid that I didn’t even trust that our mental communications were private. Fear that Gretchen might be listening in or that my out of control emotions would affect my ability to project my thoughts only to Erik kept me from sharing with the only person I actually wanted to confide in.

But now sitting in that filthy, decrepit subway station with Erik, I couldn’t find the words. So much had happened, I didn’t even know where to begin. Panic constricted my lungs, making my breaths come out in ragged gasps. My stomach felt as though it was on the spin cycle.

“Look at me, Tal.” Erik’s words were barely a whisper, but they sounded like shouts breaking through the silence. I turned to face him. Calm poured over me the instant I met his eyes.

Instead of telling Erik what had happened, I decided to show him; I grabbed both his hands firmly in mine. The physical contact wasn’t necessary, but the feel of his skin on mine gave me strength.

“Open your mind,” I whispered hoarsely. He complied without hesitation. I closed my eyes and allowed all of the memories I’d spent the last few weeks suppressing to surface.

Starting from the very first encounter I’d had with Penny in the Hunters’ Village, I showed him how she’d used my own powers of Mind Manipulation against me. I recounted the times I was sure she persuaded me into telling her things I hadn’t originally wanted to, and the times she cajoled me into decisions I wouldn’t have otherwise made. I recalled the times that, in hindsight, I knew she’d accidentally mimicked other Talents. Like the time she used Ursula Bane’s telekinesis to catch a glass in mid-air. And the time she was helping me train Kenly for her placement exams and mimicked Kenly’s abilities to keep me from breaking my ankle.

Erik knew about my interrogations of the four other Cryptos, but not wanting to leave out any detail, I replayed each in my head so that Erik could see and feel what I’d experienced first-hand. I reminded him of Penny’s intake evaluation that was seared into my brain, the final clue that had cinched Penny’s guilt for me: the indication that she was a Light Manipulator, which contradicted what I thought I knew to be true: She was a Higher Reasoning Talent.

I jumped to the confrontation with Penny in the Crypto Bank. I heard Penny’s words in my head as she urged me to believe that Mac wasn’t who I thought he was; that Donavon wasn’t the only person lying to me; that I knew what she was saying was true; and that I just needed to look inside myself for the answers, whatever that meant. Erik was there when she was actually arrested, so he probably knew better than I did what actually transpired. I’d been too distraught to process most of it.

Finally, I relived Penny’s sentencing day. I was too caught up in the memory to bypass the reading of the evidence I’d provided for the formal record. Erik gently rubbed his thumbs across my palms. His touch was a salve to the reopened wounds of Penny’s betrayal.

My parent’s faces swam through my mind, swirling into undefined shapes. I wanted to hold on to the memory, remember the way they appeared in the vision, but I couldn’t. A tear leaked from the corner of one closed eye and trailed down my cheek. Why couldn’t I bring up the exact vision? Why couldn’t I remember the way my parent’s looked? What had my parents been doing with Crane? Where had we been?

The harder I concentrated, the fuzzier the images became. It was like there were mental blocks in my brain, keeping me from the memories. The pain reached a tipping point, my heart ripped in two, and suddenly I didn’t want to remember anymore. I tore my hands from Erik’s grasp, covered my face with sweaty palms, and sobbed.

Erik drew me closer, wrapping his arms protectively around my body, a shield against the torment and confusion of the outside world. He held me so tightly that air had trouble reaching my lungs. I’d been waiting three long, agonizing weeks for this moment. The moment when Erik would hold me and tell me that everything was okay. The moment that I could stop pretending I was happy that the girl I once called my best friend was going to die. The moment when I could tell someone I trusted that I believed Crane knew my parents, just like Penny said. Just like Crane said.

Dr. Wythe and Mac had tried to convince me that everything Penny told and showed me was a lie; that she’d fabricated the memories; that none of it had actually happened. They said she was one of the few people who knew how precarious my mental state was since Nevada, and she concocted the images of my family to unhinge me further. Dr. Wythe told me that she was a sociopath and took pleasure in watching me unravel. Mac argued that Penny was trying to lure me back to Crane by dangling the temptation of his alleged friendship with my parents like a carrot.

In the beginning, I actually bought into their convoluted theories. I was so mad and hurt by her lies that I was vulnerable to the suggestions. During my therapy sessions with Dr. Wythe I even agreed she was a monster. But deep down a part of me always knew she was telling the truth. In my heart, I knew the images were real and not just because I desperately wanted to find some connection to my parents as Donavon had suggested the one time I brought it up to him. I couldn’t explain how I knew they were real; I just did. They had to be. The pain of loss I felt each time the memories faded further from my mind was too powerful.

“Tal, Penny lied about so much. How do you know she didn’t lie about knowing your family, too?” Erik murmured softly, his mouth right next to my ear.

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “I just feel it.”

“Have you ever had somebody show you fake memories before?” he asked tentatively. He was working hard not to sound argumentative. He was afraid that I might explode if he openly disagreed with me.

“Not that I know of,” I admitted reluctantly.

“So how can you be sure hers aren’t?” Erik asked gently. I was about to protest, but Erik hurried on before I could open my mouth. “She was obviously unusually adept at using her Mimicry. She clearly mastered your manipulation, as well as several other Talents.”

“You don’t believe me,” I accused him, pulling back from his embrace, hurt that he wasn’t reassuring me that I wasn’t nuts. Erik was the only person I truly trusted and if he didn’t have faith in me, well, that I couldn’t handle.

“No,” he said firmly. “It’s not that I don’t believe you. I am just not sure you’re being objective. You loved her, she was your friend, and you want to believe she knew you and your family, but that doesn’t necessarily make it true.” He smoothed my wild curls away from my face and locked his eyes with mine.

“The memories just feel so real,” I said weakly, my resolve weakening under the loving gaze.

“I know, Tals. I can feel they do, too. But you can implant false memories in other people’s minds and make them believe anything you want. If she had been mimicking you, then she could have done that, too.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “But, Erik, she didn’t implant false memories. She could have, and I would have believed them unquestioningly because I would have thought they were my own. But she didn’t. She showed me her memories. Penny knew my parents. Crane knew my parents.”

Erik’s eyes softened, a flood of mixed emotions swirled like a tidal pool in his confused head. He was on the fence, unsure of what to make of my insistence.

“Tal, if what Penny showed you really happened, why don’t you have any memory of it? You said you were young, but not a baby. Don’t you think you would remember if you’d met Ian Crane?” Erik asked skeptically.

I swallowed hard. I’d been wondering the same thing. I remembered most of my childhood, or at least I thought I did. If my parents had met with Crane and I was there, I should have my own memory of the encounter. But I didn’t.

“No......Yes......I don’t know, Erik. I was really young. How far back can you really remember?” I shot back, becoming defensive. The rational part of me knew Erik was trying to remain impartial, be the voice of reason. But the part of me that needed validation that I wasn’t crazy for believing Penny felt as though he was attacking me, purposely poking holes in my logic.

Erik held up his hands in surrender, although he didn’t seem all that surprised by my reaction. “Okay, let’s say for arguments sake that Penny’s memories are real. What does that actually prove? At one time, maybe Crane was friends with your family.” Erik shrugged as if to say, “so what?” “It doesn’t change the fact he killed your parents.”

“For me, it does,” I said quietly. “I need to know why. If they were friends, then why did Crane order the hit?” I boldly met Erik’s gaze, daring him to come up with some answer. I could feel several formulating in his mind, but he pushed them aside and shook his head. “Crane had me strapped to a bed, Erik. He could have killed me, but he didn’t.”

Erik inhaled deeply. “No, I guess not,” he said, giving a short snort of laughter. “He gave you seizures instead. Let his men shoot you. Neither of those is much better.”

“Crane tried to keep his men from shooting at me,” I replied absently.

I didn’t know why I felt the need to defend Crane. Everything Erik said was true. There were even days, particularly when the seizures first started and I was still recovering from the bullet’s damage that I thought I would have been better off dead. Now only in moments of extreme weakness did I revisit those feelings.

“And what if it weren’t the injections that made me sick?” I continued.

“The blood transfusion?” Erik guessed.

I nodded. Something about the blood transfusion I’d received didn’t sit right with me. Donavon insisted there was nothing wrong with him; that Mac didn’t want me to know Donavon had given me his blood because it was against protocol. But I knew there was more to it than that. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any clue as to what in Donavon’s blood could be making me sick. He wasn’t sick, he didn’t have seizures.

“It’s possible,” Erik conceded. Pain drew heavy lines on his beautiful face as he absorbed the fear and confusion that I’d been living with for the past year. He leaned in close, pressing his forehead to mine. “I promise you we will figure all of this out. Okay?”

My lips found his. “Okay,” I murmured against his mouth. The night had been so exhausting, I couldn’t think straight anymore. All I wanted was to forget about everything except Erik, to lose myself in him.

The cold, odorous underground station vanished. Thoughts of Penny and Crane and even my parents disappeared. I wrapped my arms around Erik’s neck, pulling all my hundred pounds into his lap as I kissed him deeper. Erik’s hands slid between my jacket and dress, gently kneading the tension knots in my lower back. When we finally drew apart, we were both short of breath. I pulled one of his hands from my waist, placing it over my heart. He ran his fingers lightly over the material of my jacket, the warmth of his touch penetrating through the fabric and making my skin tingle.

He leaned towards me again, resting his chin just above my collarbone. His breath tickled my neck and every tiny hair on my body stood on end as he whispered, “I love you,” into my ear.

“I love you, too,” I croaked hoarsely, so overcome by emotion that I was surprised the words were audible.

Erik held me in his lap for a couple more long minutes before I remembered Arden’s warning. The next train was due to come through very shortly and conductor or not, I didn’t want to be in the station when it did.

Chapter Six

The vibrations in the stagnant air gave me a split second warning before a horn drowned out the sound of our footsteps. Lights I hadn’t noticed earlier came to life along one side of the platform’s edge. Fear made my hand go clammy in Erik’s. We were so going to get caught.

I found Erik’s eyes. The train’s headlight illuminated the alarm he was trying hard not to show. Uncertainty turned his thoughts anxious. Before I knew it, he was dragging me across the slippery tiles towards the tracks that weren’t illuminated by the headlight of the approaching train. Without hesitation, he leapt on to the tracks, pulling me over the platform’s edge after him. Erik hugged the inner wall, careful not to touch the rails themselves. I struggled to keep pace in my slippery ballet flats, not bothering to be quiet as I followed him into the darkened tunnel.

Metal screeched against metal as the train pulled up against the platform we’d just vacated. Curiosity mingled with the growing fear in my stomach as we crouched in the blackened space. Erik tried to exude calm, pretending that he was in control of the situation. It wasn’t working. I could feel his anxiety, and it heightened my own. Despite the cold, he started to sweat. My sense of smell seemed enhanced and the faint odor of his deodorant mixed with his sweat filled my nostrils. I tried in vain to dull my olfactory senses and breathed only through my mouth.

The train doors emitted a mechanical whine when they slid apart. Heavy footsteps echoed through the stale air. Beads of cold sweat weaved their way down my back, plastering my dress to my skin. All the surety that I’d had when we told Arden not to worry about us getting caught was gone. I no longer felt confident in my ability to talk our way out of trouble.

“I thought you said the subways were automatic? That they weren’t manned by conductors?” I sent, my growing unease making my mental voice sound strained.

“They usually aren’t. The train usually just passes through the station,” Erik’s mental voice sounded as stressed as I felt.

“Why did they stop?” I demanded, even though I knew that Erik was no more clued in to the situation than I was.

“I don’t know, Tals, but I’m sure they’ll be gone soon,” he promised. His hand was cold and clammy when he squeezed mine in an attempt to calm my nerves.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten, inhaling deeply. Relax, Talia. Worst case scenario, they find us. We weren’t doing anything wrong really. Sure, we weren’t exactly supposed to be down here, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’d been caught someplace I shouldn’t be. And it certainly wasn’t the first time that Erik had been caught in a prohibited location. Fine. We were going to be fine. I hated having to give myself the mental pep talk.

Several more sets of footsteps clamored down the metal stairs of the escalators as they descended to the platform. I gripped Erik’s hand tighter and he hugged me tight against his side.

“Warden Arnouse,” a deep voice boomed, the words reverberating through the tunnel. My breath caught in my throat and my body went rigid. I recognized that voice: Mac. Erik recognized Mac’s voice instantly, as well. His entire body tensed, and he swore under his breath.

“Director, how are you?” the man I assumed was Warden Arnouse called back.

“Doing well,” Mac answered.

The thought of Mac, impeccably dressed in his perfectly tailored navy suit and crisp white dress shirt, standing amid the filth and squalor of the metro station was almost comical. A bubble of hysterical laughter managed to escape my mouth before I could prevent it.

“Talia!” Erik admonished me.

“Sorry. I couldn’t help it,” I replied, burying my face against his chest to stifle any further outbursts. Luckily, my voice hadn’t traveled beyond the depths of our tunnel and neither man heard me.

“How was the ride from Tramblewood? Has the prisoner spoken?” Mac asked back on the platform.

“Tramblewood!” I exclaimed. “What’s going on?” My heart thudded loudly in my chest, and blood roared in my ears.

Erik didn’t answer. I hadn’t actually expected him to.

“No, sir. Been nearly comatose the entire way,” the Warden said.

“Excellent. Irene is anticipating your arrival at Rittenhouse within the hour. She has guards standing by as an added precaution, but I do not really expect any trouble,” Mac replied.

“Neither do I, sir. The drugs should keep TI-912 sedated until Dr. Thistler has taken custody.”

Dr. Thistler? What did she have to do with anything? Dr. Thistler was my doctor. Well, technically she was Head of Medical Research for Toxic, but she’d been assigned to handle my medical treatment since she was supposed to be the best. And Rittenhouse was one of Toxic’s smaller medical research facilities located in Bethesda, Maryland. That much I knew.

“Would you like to see TI-912?” the Warden asked Mac.

“Yes!” Mac sounded giddy now. Uneasiness crawled over my skin like a spider. I didn’t like his tone or the excitement radiating from his thoughts.

I heard Mac and the Warden board the train. Muffled words followed by uneasy laughter filled the station. What was so funny? Nothing about this situation seemed funny. Maybe if I weren’t pressed against a filthy, damp wall, hiding with the rats, I would have gotten the joke. I concentrated on my auditory senses, straining to hear the low conversation taking place above.

“Information is not the only way you are useful to us,” Mac was saying.

I assumed he was talking to the prisoner. He got no response.

“What do you have planned for our guest?” the Warden asked.

“Research. I think this just might be the breakthrough we need.” Mac’s glee was palpable; the raw desire dripping from his words tasted sour and sickened my stomach.

This wasn’t the Mac I knew, not even the one who lied and kept secrets from me. This Mac radiated a feverish, almost manic desire for......something. Desire to understand what was going on and revulsion over Mac’s intensity warred in my mind. Curiosity won out. I plunged into his head. Maybe it was my lack of familiarity with his brain patterns – it had been years since I invaded his thoughts – or his constant vigilance, or even my instructions on blocking mental intrusions, but I couldn’t penetrate his barriers. His thoughts were impossible for me to read, but his feelings were so strong, they sucked me in. Triumph. Determination. Vindication. Relief. I nearly gagged.

“I will let you be on your way,” Mac told the Warden. “Inform me once you have made the delivery.”

“Yes, Director.”

One set of footsteps exited on to the platform. The train doors slid shut with a soft whoosh. I remained glued to the dirty tunnel wall, vaguely aware that Erik’s coat was likely covered in grime. I felt the ridiculous urge to apologize for ruining it.

The sound of the train coming to life squashed any further thoughts of ruined clothing. I felt rather than heard Mac’s retreat from the platform.

Neither Erik nor I moved, even once the only sound in the station was deafening silence. I tracked Mac using my mind, finally exhaling when I no longer felt his presence.

“He’s gone,” I sent Erik.

“You sure?”

“Positive. I can’t feel him anymore.”

Tentatively, Erik crept forward. He held up a hand to signal that I should wait when I tried to follow. He walked on his toes, making virtually no noise. The station seemed darker than it had before the train came. My eyes adjusted quickly, though, and I could make out Erik’s form as he jumped, grabbed the platform edge, and pulled himself up in one swift motion. Even though I was confident that Mac was gone, I still held my breath when Erik vanished from sight.

Just when I had convinced myself something had happened to him, Erik called to me. “All clear.”

I blew out a long exhale. Close one. Anyone else I could have handled. Mac was a different story entirely. And lately he hadn’t been in an exceptionally forgiving mood.

I jogged to where Erik leaned over the platform, arms extended to help me up. His fingers were slick and I worried he wouldn’t be able to get a firm grip. He hauled me easily over the edge, though.

“That was close,” Erik sent.

“Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

As we retraced our steps to the surface, my mind wandered to the conversation between Mac and Warden Arnouse. It didn’t make any sense. Admittedly, I didn’t know all that much about the Agency’s prisons or what type of research took place at Rittenhouse. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t actually know much about the Agency I worked for in general. I thought being a part of the McDonough family made me privy to the inner workings of Toxic and agency politics. Apparently, I was wrong. None of our dinner table conversations had centered on prisoners or using them for human guinea pigs. The thought made me shudder. What sort of research was the Agency conducting that they needed human test subjects?

“When Mac said they were going to use the prisoner for research, what did he mean?” I asked Erik.

“You probably don’t want to know,” Erik sent back, his grip on my hand tightening.

That was what I was afraid of. But I did want to know. I hated how ignorant I was. For years, I had thought Toxic did great things for the Talented. Protected our rights. Gave us jobs. And even more importantly, they protected the entire country from threats. But at what cost?

“Does the Agency use human test subjects a lot?” I asked as we started up the first escalator.

Erik seemed conflicted, like he wasn’t sure how much he should say.

“Does the Agency use human test subjects?” I repeated, growing angry at the thought that maybe I was the only one that didn’t know the dirty little secret.

“I don’t know for sure, Tals. Some people think that they do. Some people think that the School and Toxic are just one big experiment. Let’s just say that it doesn’t surprise me that they are sending a prisoner to a research facility.”

I didn’t like his answer. I wanted Erik to be as appalled as I was. The fact that he wasn’t sent Crane’s words flying through my mind. You have no idea what your Agency does to innocent people.

“Conditions at the prisons, particularly Tramblewood, are not good. I’ve heard that some inmates go crazy after years without sunlight and proper nutrition. The Agency may be conducting a study on the long term effects of incarceration.”

“Maybe,” I replied, noncommittally. I knew Erik meant to comfort me by suggesting a benign alternative to the nightmarish alternatives parading through my thoughts, and I might have bought it if I hadn’t been absorbing Mac’s feelings. Whatever research Mac had planned for TI-912 was serious, vital to the Agency even.

By the time we made it back to the gate, the adrenaline rush that came with our near miss was gone, replaced by confusion and frustration. I would find out what Mac was up to. I just had to wait until his guard was down. Then I could infiltrate his thoughts. In theory, it should be easy. In practice, I doubted it would be.

Chapter Seven

“Damn it, Kelley. I thought for sure you’d been caught,” Arden said by way of greeting the moment we stepped through the gate.

“You underestimate me.” Erik’s tone was light, jovial even. His mental vibrations told a different story, a dark and disturbed one. Mac’s appearance in the metro had obviously unnerved him, whether he was willing to admit it or not.

“Just get back to the hotel before you get me in trouble.” Arden made it sound like an order. He gestured in the direction of the Hamilton with his startlingly large gun.

“You got it. Thanks again,” Erik replied giving the older boy a mock salute. Arden didn’t look amused in the least. I honestly couldn’t blame him. If we had been caught, Arden probably would have been in just as much trouble as us.

“Thanks, Arden,” I muttered when I passed him. He managed a small, strained smile in response.

Erik and I walked back in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Desmond and the other guards nodded to us when we entered the hotel. Erik pushed past without stopping to talk, dragging me behind him before I could thank them again for letting us out.

At the door to my room, Erik kissed me softly on the cheek, running his hand absently through my curls.

“Don’t you want to come in?” I asked, surprised when he turned to leave.

“I can’t,” he said, shaking his head regretfully.

“Why? I haven’t seen you in weeks,” I demanded. I blanched at the harshness in my voice. Softening my tone, I added, “Besides, I really need you right now.” I knew that I was being unfair. I wasn’t the only one showing the telltale signs of stress and exhaustion. Erik’s tired eyes stared down at me as he contemplated his next words carefully. Then embarrassment clouded his thoughts, and he averted his gaze.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I kind of promised the Director I wouldn’t spend the night with you,” Erik mumbled, actually reddening slightly.

“What?!? Why?” I couldn’t believe Mac had actually sought Erik out and made him promise not to sleep in my room. If I weren’t so angry, I would have been mortified.

“The Director really didn’t want me here in the first place. Between the situation with my family and this,” Erik gestured from me to him, “he doesn’t think that I am an ideal choice for testing. Fortunately, Mimics are so rare that the Testmaster needed all the ones he could get. Even so, I practically had to beg the Director to give me the assignment. After a lot of groveling on my part, he agreed, obviously. But he made me promise that I would limit the amount of time we spent together outside of the actual testing. He was real specific about nighttime visits being strictly forbidden.” Erik cringed slightly, probably recalling the uncomfortable conversation he’d had with Mac.

My agitation lessened slightly. I could tell how much it wounded Erik’s pride to beg Mac. And I was willing to bet that Mac enjoyed watching Erik cowed. Erik was proud to a fault and so confident, it verged on cocky. Mac didn’t value those traits. And Erik’s past would always be a black mark in Mac’s book.

“And you agreed.” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement on my part. Obviously, he’d agreed; he was here, after all. I felt a rush of warmth for Erik and a flush of anger for Mac. Dominance and control, that about summed up the Director.

“Of course, I did,” replied Erik, looking both hurt and irritated. “I wanted to see you, spend time with you. I would have agreed to just about anything to spend a couple of hours with you, let alone the next three weeks. Besides, the Director said you haven’t been sleeping well, that you’re still having nightmares.”

I shrugged. Truth be told, the nightmares were frequent, waking me several times on bad nights. When they first started, I’d confided in Dr. Wythe. That lapse in judgment was what had led to Dr. Thistler increasing the dosage of my medication. The nightmares stopped as a result, but the drugs made me listless, barely functional, a member of the walking dead. When Mac and Dr. Thistler finally agreed that my zombie-like existence couldn’t go on any longer, they reduced the levels and the nightmares returned. I swore up and down that I was fine and I thought Mac believed me. It surprised me to learn that he knew I was lying the entire time. Even more than that, I couldn’t believe he hadn’t confronted me.

“I would sleep much better if you stayed with me.” I regretted the words the moment I said them. Not that they weren’t true; they were. But making Erik feel guilty wasn’t fair and I knew that. The guilt trip was made worse by the fact that, without meaning to, I had put a little extra emphasis on my words, unconsciously forcing my will on Erik – manipulating him. What was wrong with me?

Indecision flickered in Erik’s eyes. Normally, he had a high tolerance to my Talent. Not tonight. I felt sick to my stomach. Here I was, looking down on Mac for forcing Erik to beg in order to spend time with me and I was using my manipulation to get him to defy Mac’s orders.

“I haven’t been sleeping well,” I finally said. “Mac’s right. I do need rest or else I will never get better.” My smile felt thin and forced. The disappointment coursing through Erik nearly broke my heart. Erik genuinely believed it was his own idea to come sleep with me. My desire had become his, making my subsequent refusal to let him stay sting that much worse. I could count the times I’d been more disgusted with myself on one hand.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” I promised Erik, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him goodnight. Erik waited while I unlocked the door and entered my room. I felt his presence while I changed for bed. It wasn’t until I had the covers pulled snugly around my shoulders that only emptiness remained in the hallway.

Nightmares didn’t keep me awake well into the night; guilt did.

Mac knocked on my door while I was still brushing my teeth the following morning. His patience must’ve been thin because he didn’t do me the decency of waiting until I answered the door. Apparently, he had his own key. His cold, appraising eyes darted around the confines of the small space as though he were looking for something askew. Then I realized that it wasn’t something; it was someone – Erik.

“He’s not here,” was what I wanted to say. But starting a fight with Mac before breakfast didn’t hold any appeal.

“Good morning, Mac,” I called instead, my speech garbled by a mouth full of spearmint toothpaste.

“You’re almost ready. Good,” Mac commented, smoothing the nonexistent wrinkles in his navy blazer. The only difference between the one he wore today and the one he wore every other day was the Toxic logo embroidered over the left side. Every Operative working with the Aptitude Council to administer the exams – Mac included – was required to wear Agency-issued clothing with the emblem of their home Division. Since I didn’t technically have a home Division anymore, my jackets also bore the Toxic seal, just like Mac’s.

“I am,” I agreed, ducking back into the bathroom and spitting the foamy green liquid into the black porcelain sink.

The sound of Mac tapping the toe of his expensive brown loafers against the plush carpeting set my teeth on edge.

“I can meet you down there if I’m taking too long,” I offered, hoping he would accept. I wasn’t keen on being in such cramped quarters with the Director after witnessing his clandestine meeting the night before. The chasm that had developed between us made the room impossible to navigate.

The urge to ask Mac about the prisoner on the train and the “research” he wanted to conduct was like a physical itch. I formulated a thousand questions in my mind, knowing full well I would never ask any of them. Admitting I was down in the tunnels was not something I was prepared to do. I’d find out the truth another way.

“I am not in a hurry, Natalia. We have plenty of time before the first appointments,” Mac replied, glancing in the direction of the time, prominently displayed on the screen of my communicator.

I nodded at my reflection in the mirror over the bathroom sink. As per usual, my curls were unruly, hanging in tight coils down to the middle of my back. I’d applied a liberal amount of cream to hide the red blotches that dotted my cheeks. Purple crescents no longer marred the skin beneath my eyes; concealed beneath copious amounts of flesh toned makeup. I’d even gone one step further and brushed a light coating of bronze eye shadow across my lids and liberal amounts of black mascara to thicken the appearances of my lashes.

When I exited the bathroom and donned my own black Agency-issued jacket over my black dress shirt and black dress pants, Mac nodded approvingly. “You look rested this morning,” he said with as kind a smile as I’d ever seen cross Mac’s hard features.

“I slept well,” I lied easily. In fact, I hadn’t slept well at all, hence the need for the extreme beauty regimen. But I knew if my sleeping habits didn’t improve soon, Mac’s moratorium on Erik’s late night visits would be the least of my troubles.

Reluctantly, Mac had agreed to let me stop seeing Dr. Wythe once I’d agreed that Penny’s images were false. Yet he wouldn’t hesitate to restart the sessions if he thought I was still dwelling on what happened with Penny in the courtroom.

“Are you going to wear a color besides black the entire time we are here? If you are not careful, Natalia, people will begin to think you are in mourning,” he replied, sending his blonde eyebrows skyward and challenging me to contradict him.

“I’m wearing color. See?” I pointed to the emerald green scarf threaded through the belt loops of my dress pants. I’d added the accessory for exactly this purpose. I knew Mac was going to comment on my colorless ensemble and so decided that preemptive measures were necessary.

I held his gaze and let the snappy retort to his mourning comment die on my lips. Another surefire way to land back on Dr. Wythe’s leather chaise was admitting that I was grieving the death of a traitor. I had to be careful, though. If I appeared too agreeable, Mac would know something was off. My ornery attitude had become a staple of my personality since returning from Nevada and Mac expected a certain amount of antagonism from me. I couldn’t disappoint him. Every day, the tight rope I walked became harder to navigate and it was only a matter of time before I fell.

“So I see.” Mac nodded. A ghost of his earlier smile was still on his lips and he shook his head as though chastising himself for not anticipating my actions. It had been like this for weeks - the unspoken challenges, the nonverbal baiting, and the silent battle of wills.

At one time, I wouldn’t have dared cross the powerful Director Danbury McDonough, but now I found myself purposely pushing him further and further towards his breaking point. I wanted him to lose his temper, show emotion. I wanted an excuse to yell and demand answers to questions only he could give. Part of me was still scared, but just not of Mac. I was scared that once the questions were out of my mouth, I couldn’t take them back. Even worse, I wouldn’t be able to forget the answers.

“I’m ready,” I declared, sliding my feet into black flats.

The tension between us ebbed slightly as we made our way from my room to the breakfast buffet in the hotel’s dining hall. Our conversation turned to the procedures for the administration somewhere between the syrup-infused sausage patties and coconut-mango pancakes.

“Ordinarily, I prefer a trained test administrator lead the sessions and ask the questions, but in your case, I think it will be more beneficial if you take the lead,” Mac explained, selecting a half a grapefruit and sprinkling white sugar crystals across the nearly neon pink flesh.

“So, I just ask the kids a bunch of standard questions off a piece of paper and read their responses out of their heads?” I clarified, wanting to make sure that it was actually that simple. We had been over this all before. Testing procedures were safe, a neutral topic that didn’t lead to an argument, so I was more than happy to let Mac repeat the instructions as often as he liked.

“Yes and no. You will ask the questions and gauge their responses. Mr. Kelley will attempt to get a handle on their actual Talents and determine a very general ranking. The actual test administrator will monitor the outputs from the electrodes hooked to the subject and take a blood sample to test for a Talent Signature,” Mac answered, leading me away from the buffet line now that both our plates were overflowing with food.

“Talent signature?” I asked, sliding into a seat at the two-person table he’d selected in the corner of the formal dining room. I unfolded the crisp, white napkin and spread it across my lap. The tablecloth was the same bright white as the napkin. A small glass vase sat on the edge of the table next to the wall. The solitary rose’s petals were a red so deep that the flower appeared to have been soaked in blood.

An image of a bloody hand clutching ragged pages of a letter as the thick, sticky liquid seeped on to fallen leaves momentarily clouded my vision. I shook my head to clear the unpleasant memory. My hands shook slightly as I wiped sweat on the napkin in my lap. When I smoothed the fabric over my pants once again, I almost expected it to be red instead of white. But it wasn’t. Relax, Talia. I left out a shaky sigh and met Mac’s eyes across the table.

Mac gave me a hard, appraising look before clearing his throat loudly and answering my question.

“Yes, Talent Signatures. Every person with abilities like you and I have has a unique marker in his or her genetic makeup. The marker is as specific to the individual as a fingerprint or retinal scan. The marker, or Talent Signature, identifies the individual’s gifts even if they are extremely low level and otherwise undetectable.” Mac shoveled a large spoonful of cottage cheese into his mouth.

“Well, if we can just do that, then why do you go through all the trouble of hooking these kids up to machines and having people ask them a bunch of questions?” I asked, savoring the sweetness of the syrup as I happily chewed on a piece of sausage.

“Once they are at school, we’d still need to perform an evaluation to see if they are aware of their powers and to what extent they have been able to use them thus far. The Talent Signature gives no indication of how strong the child’s abilities are, or will become. Plus, the process for extracting the Signature is extremely expensive and complex and not a hundred percent accurate. Our medical research team is still perfecting the procedure. This is the first year we will be implementing it. In light of recent events, I thought it best to use both the blood test and the panel determination to reduce the risk of future misdiagnosis.”

Everyone at Toxic had thought Penny was a Higher Reasoning Talent when, in fact, she’d been a Mimic. She used her Talents to replicate my own and keep me from ever reading her mind. If her blood had been analyzed for a Talent Signature when she was first brought to school, then the Agency would have realized what she was capable of. Although, unless there was a blood test that identified devious traitors, I doubted knowing she was a Mimic would have helped us.

“Besides, some children don’t outwardly manifest Talents until they are older. We have been running in to the problem more and more frequently where a panel gives a child a negative determination, yet several years later we learn some boy is turning invisible and sneaking into the girls’ locker rooms or morphing into another child to annoy his parents and teachers. Testing for a Talent Signature will allow us to identify those children now and bring them to school. That way, when their abilities finally emerge, they will be in an environment that can help them adapt to the change,” Mac continued.

I found the whole production oddly fascinating. Since I wasn’t born in the United States, I’d never been tested myself. As both a student at school and a pledge with the Hunters, I’d been ineligible to participate with the administration of the tests. Up until this year, I’d had no desire to, either. I abhorred the idea of forcing parents to submit their children for testing. While I firmly believed in providing children with gifts like mine a place to learn how to use them and giving them a career and lifestyle that might otherwise be impossible because of normal people’s perception of the Talented, I didn’t understand why there wasn’t a choice. I never voiced my opinions. Mac didn’t want to hear them and some even considered my point-of-view traitorous. I knew others in the Agency agreed with me, but they never spoke about it aloud.

I knew the point of Mac telling me about the children who go unclassified was meant to demonstrate the kinds of trouble they can cause and strengthen his argument in favor of blood testing. Instead, it made me long for a childhood, a carelessness, and a life I never had.

At the McDonough School, the unauthorized use of Talent comes with a stiff penalty. In classes, we learn to use our powers to fight our enemies, protect the country, and serve the greater good. No one played pranks on the teachers or caused mischief. We all understood our purpose and we all took it seriously. I didn’t allow myself to dwell too long on a life that would never be. Wishing I’d been born talentless was as ridiculous and pointless as wishing I’d been born with straight hair.

After breakfast, I trailed Mac to a waiting armored car. The exterior of the vehicle was so shiny that I could see nearly every detail of my reflection on its black surface. Two small flags sat on either side of the windshield, flapping lazily in the light breeze. Both were black with Toxic’s crest embroidered in silver.

A suit clad guard opened the back door as we approached. The sleeves of his black Toxic-issue jacket strained against his biceps when he moved. The space between his chin and his shoulders was nonexistent and sweat stained the too small collar of his white shirt. A bulging blue vein pulsed rapidly in the meaty flesh where a neck should have been. An assault rifle hung across his expansive chest, sending a shiver down my spine. The dark sunglasses covering his eyes hid what lied beneath, but I didn’t physically need to see them to know they were expressionless, unfeeling. His body radiated cold indifference. Despite the mugginess of the summer day, I pulled my jacket tighter over my chest as I climbed past him into the car.

The moment the guard slammed the car door shut, I was plunged into eerie silence. I felt cutoff, isolated from the outside world. No noise from the busy streets penetrated the thick, bulletproof glass and armored side paneling of the vehicle. I shouldn’t have been surprised that the car was a fortress on wheels. The one I rode in to Penny’s sentencing had been similarly outfitted. It just hadn’t occurred to me there would be a need for the added security today.

Not for the first time since arriving in Washington, I wondered just how ruinous the public perception of Toxic was. During Penny’s sentencing, there had been a real concern that Coalition forces would stage a rescue and Toxic had felt that our lives were at risk. But the added security now seemed excessive. Understandably, people were upset about Penny’s execution – I was upset over Penny’s execution – but I didn’t think they would take out their frustrations on Agency Operatives. After all, investigating the leak in our organization was part of my job. I uncovered a potential threat to our society and effectively disposed of it. And as much as I hated to admit it, the Judge’s decision to hand down the death penalty wasn’t unwarranted. Traitors, spies for the Coalition, knew the risks when they infiltrated Toxic. Just as I’d known the risks when I’d wormed my way into Crane’s compound in Nevada.

These sentiments were the same ones that I repeated to myself every time I thought about Penny alone in a jail cell. I’d never actually been to Tramblewood, so I had no idea what her accommodations were like. But when I closed my eyes, I pictured a windowless concrete alcove with a stained mattress atop rusted springs and a tiny sink with a constantly dripping faucet that only put forth cold water. I could even smell the rancid odor of unwashed bodies and human waste. I imagined Penny, alone, curled into a ball on her uncomfortable bed; her fear increasing with each passing moment as her certain death loomed closer.

I took solace in the fact that the last time I actually saw Penny she was stronger and more defiant than ever. She exuded determination and poise even as the prison guards nearly dragged her from the courtroom. Dr. Wythe and Mac may have been able to make me doubt the authenticity of the “memories” Penny had conveyed, but they couldn’t take away the pride that I still felt when I recalled Penny’s composure that day. Often, I hoped that were the situation reversed, I would have been as stoic.

The car door opposite mine opened and a wave of hot air rushed in, followed by Mac. Car horns blared and bits of random conversations drifted through the opening. Once Mac was seated, a guard eased his door shut, tapped the hood twice, and we were off.

Our chauffeur deftly maneuvered the oversized vehicle through the crowded D.C. streets. In sharp contrast to the previous night’s emptiness, the sidewalks were now teeming with people in mundane business suits on their way to work, parents ushering their children on to large city buses or into bright yellow cabs that would take them to the testing facility. The skies were oddly devoid of any commuter traffic. I considered asking Mac about my observation, but realized I already knew the answer. Yes, vehicles were clogging the roadways, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that all the cars, buses, and taxis bore the Toxic logo. Apparently, all road and skyways were restricted to authorized personnel only during the three week administration of the aptitude exam.

A coldness, similar to the one I’d felt when I’d encountered the bodyguard earlier, enveloped me. The discord among the citizens must be greater than I first imagined if Toxic was going to such extreme measures. It saddened me that the Organization that had not only taken me in when I had nowhere else to go, but also countless other kids who were labeled outcasts because of their unique abilities, was now being condemned. While I was beginning to doubt my sunshine view of Toxic and its upper echelon, I stood firm in my belief that the McDonough School offered Talented children a place to feel normal, a place to be themselves. And Toxic had a crucial role in our society; defeating the Coalition and reuniting the Country was imperative. I hated how twisted society’s view of the Agency was becoming.

I stared out the deeply tinted window at the anxious faces of the pedestrians as we turned left on K Street en route to the testing center. Children gawked openly at the parade of cars bearing the Agency’s seal. Parents scolded their offspring for their boldness while sneaking sidelong glances at our caravan themselves. The cities day-to-day residents walked with their heads bent, eyes intent on the gray cement beneath their feet, seemingly afraid of provoking any number of the armed Operatives stationed conspicuously on every corner.

When we finally turned left off K Street and on to Seventh, I caught my first glimpse of the protesters. Armed guards lining the sidewalks clad in full riot gear held back men and women carrying signs proclaiming “Stop the testing”, “Our children aren’t animals”, and “Freedom of choice.” While I couldn’t hear them chanting, I could see their mouths moving and felt their angry energy. The scene made my large breakfast swim uncomfortably in my stomach and my heart pound painfully against my ribcage.

My hands felt clammy, so I wiped them across the dark fabric of my pants to get rid of the moisture. I wondered if this were normal. Did rioters show up in such force every year? Or was this new?

“Damn idiots,” Mac muttered beside me, snapping me out of my reverie. He adjusted the cuffs of his dress shirt and shook his head.

“Is it like this every year?” I asked, eyes glued to the window.

“To some degree. More this year than previous ones.”

“Why don’t you arrest them?” The angry energy from the protesters was getting to me and my words had more bite than I intended. Mac’s stunned expression made me instantly regret asking. “I mean, it is illegal to speak out against the testing laws, right?” I tried to backpedal.

“No, Natalia, it is not illegal to protest. As long as the demonstration is peaceful, they are allowed to march and chant all they like. Besides, arresting them is what they want. It makes them look like innocent citizens and us look like villains. The last thing Toxic needs is more bad PR.” Mac stared disdainfully out the window, nothing but contempt for the protesters on his face.

I gazed at the crowd, too. Part of me wished I could join them. The more of their signs I read, the more I agreed with their stance. Why wasn’t there a choice? Why was testing mandatory? Blood testing was an invasion of privacy. I turned to Mac, ready to do battle. His expression stopped me cold. Mac gave a slight shake of his head, like he had read my thoughts and knew what I was about to say. I pursed my lips and stared straight ahead into the driver’s headrest.

Two blocks, and what felt like one hundred years later, the testing center finally came into view on our left. The driver turned and drove up to the entranceway, parking in an area designated for “authorized personnel only.” I assumed Mac, and me by extension, must qualify as authorized personnel since none of the weapon toting men patrolling the entrance tried to shoot us.

When the same frigid guard held open the door for me, I made myself as small as possible when I climbed past. I didn’t want to risk touching him, like his lack of personality was contagious.

“Thanks,” I muttered. The guard didn’t acknowledge my gratitude and instead stared off into the distance.

Mac joined me and together we walked up the front steps of the testing facility.

Operatives dressed in Agency-issued clothing mingled in the atrium. Several turned, quieting their conversations when we entered, but in general, we went unnoticed. I searched the crowd for Erik. When I finally pinpointed his location, I was none too pleased to discover that he was huddled in the far corner of the huge room talking to Cadence Choi. Letting out a grunt of displeasure, I muttered good-bye to Mac and made my way to the duo.

“I will see you this evening,” Mac called after me. I gave a dismissive wave over my shoulder in reply.

Before I could make my way through the throng of Talents congregated in the center of the room, Erik sensed me. His head swiveled and his eyes darted around the room, searching. I tried to mask my irritation at having found him fraternizing with Cadence for the second time in two days. It wasn’t that I was jealous so much as I just disliked Cadence and knew the feeling was mutual. I fought hard to keep my features neutral. It was a losing battle.

“Hi,” I said when I finally reached their corner. My voice was clipped, leaving no doubt that I was in a foul mood.

“Morning, Tals,” Erik replied, his mouth widening into a huge grin. He wrapped his arm around my waist, hugging me to him. Instead of letting my body melt against his the way I normally did, I remained rigid. Sensing just how irate I actually was, Erik released me quickly, but kept the long fingers of one hand resting lightly on my shoulder.

“Cadence is going to be the other administrator working with us,” Erik explained anxiously. He undoubtedly thought I was overreacting to the situation, but he also didn’t want to upset me further.

“How nice,” I managed to squeak out through clenched teeth.

“I am the team leader. My job is to monitor the subjects’ vitals and brain patterns while you question them,” Cadence said in a tone that made it obvious she was no more thrilled with this arrangement than I was.

“Great,” I practically hissed at her.

Erik’s grip on my shoulder tightened, and I turned to glare at him. His eyes were wide with concern, making me instantly regret my combative attitude. I didn’t like Cadence, but the unbridled anger I felt towards her was extreme, even for me. I took several deep, calming breaths and closed my eyes, hoping the darkness behind my eyelids would help me regroup.

“I think I need some air before we start,” I said tightly. The urge to flee suddenly overcame me. I needed to get away from them, both of them. “I’ll see you guys up there.” I didn’t wait for a response; I fled to a seemingly empty corridor.

“Talia, wait!” Erik called after me.

I didn’t turn around. I needed to get my emotions under control before I faced him again. He was the only friend I had, the only person I trusted; the last thing I needed was for him to realize just how unstable I actually was. Fear at having Erik see me like this propelled me faster.

I jogged the length of the dimly lit hallway, not stopping until I reached a neon exit sign over a heavily padlocked door. I pounded the door in frustration. When my physical display of emotion did nothing but make my hand hurt, I slumped against the cold cinder block wall and slid to the ground, defeated. I put my head between my knees and practiced breathing evenly.

Footsteps echoed in the narrow space. For the first time I could remember, I wished that I was a Light Manipulator. Right then, I would’ve given anything to turn invisible.

“Tal?” Erik said, tentatively touching the dark curls spilling over my shoulders and covering the sides of my face.

“Please go away,” I whispered. My voice came out muffled as I spoke into the fabric of my pants. I couldn’t look at him. If I did, I might burst into tears or start screaming – neither alternative sounded appealing.

“Tal, tell me what’s wrong,” Erik insisted. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“I just need a couple of minutes. I’ll be fine,” I tried to assure him.

“You aren’t fine. You were ready to rip Cadence’s head off back there and I don’t really understand why. I don’t like her like that, at all......I don’t even think she’s cute,” Erik pressed. His tone was surprisingly gentle despite the fact that I could feel his exasperation.

“It’s not that. I’m not jealous,” I declared emphatically. I wasn’t jealous, or at least that’s what I kept telling myself.

“Okay......Then what is it?” Erik asked slowly, not quite believing me.

I hesitated. Why was I so upset? Why couldn’t I control myself? Okay, so maybe I was a little jealous of Cadence, but I knew that Erik was mine. He loved me. He wanted to be with me. And I knew Cadence’s only interest in Erik was the help he could offer her in training for her Hunters’ tryout.

“Whatever it is, Tal, we’ll fix it. I’ll fix it,” Erik promised. He gently placed his hands on the sides of my head, forcing me to meet his gaze. The love and concern on his face made me want to cry. He pressed his forehead to mine and I closed my eyes to better concentrate on the strength of his feelings, letting them envelope me.

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” I began. “I think it’s just everything that has happened…the stuff with Penny…your letter…last night down in that train station. And then today, did you see all the security? Is it really necessary? I’m so confused and......I don’t know what is going on or what to believe and then, to top it off, I can’t seem to control myself. My mood swings have been out of control, and I know sometimes I’m overacting, but I can’t stop myself.” As I rambled, Erik wrapped his arms around me and stroked my back. Now that I’d started talking, I couldn’t seem to stop. Fears and emotions were tumbling out of me faster than water from a gushing hose. The release of so much bottled up feelings felt good, great even.

“You’ve been through a lot lately, Tal. And I’m sure what you saw on your way here this morning was disturbing. Hell, it bothered me. I’ve never been through testing either. This is the first time I’ve experienced the protests. Cadence said this year is particularly bad. We’re gonna get through this. You just need to trust me. Don’t shut me out, okay?”

“Okay,” I whispered against his cheek. I felt my anger fading away, leaving embarrassment in its place. “I’m so sorry, Erik.”

Erik gently kissed my forehead, his lips lingering for several long seconds. My tension eased and the rage quieted completely.

“Let’s go before Cadence sends a search party.” Erik stood and extended his hand to me. I gratefully allowed him to pull me to my feet.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated.

“Me, too, Tal. Me, too.”

I didn’t know what Erik was apologizing for. I didn’t care. I just wanted to get the day over with. Tomorrow would be better, I told myself. It couldn’t be any worse, right?

Chapter Eight

A woman in her forties stood outside a windowless door bearing a printed sign that read, “Exam Room Twelve.” She wore an over starched white lab coat and large glasses that kept slipping down her pointy noise. Warm brown eyes shone with relief when she glanced up from her clipboard and caught sight of me and Erik.

“Natalia Lyons and Erikson Kelley?” she asked, double checking her clipboard to make sure she had our names right.

“Yes,” we replied in unison.

“Alexia Cruise.” She pointed to the nametag fastened over her left breast. “I am the medical assigned to your panel. Ms. Choi is already set up inside, so we’ll begin as soon as you two are situated. We will have a short lunch break at noon,” she continued.

“Sounds good,” Erik said. He reached around the older woman and grasped the doorknob.

“I will get the first subject.” With that, Alexia Cruise turned and left. I followed Erik through the door to the examination room.

Several machines with brightly lit monitors occupied one wall. A large one-way glass partition separated the main area from a smaller interior space. The smaller room contained a plastic table and three plastic chairs. My body shuddered involuntarily. The room reminded me, uncomfortably, of the interrogation rooms the Agency used to question suspects.

Cadence stood with her back to us, typing furiously on a keypad. “Are you guys ready now?” she asked, continuing to type with a speed that rivaled any Crypto I’d ever observed. Her tone was pure irritation and, ordinarily, I would have made a snappy quip in response. Not today, though. Not after the charged morning I’d had.

“Yes,” I answered softly.

“Where do you want us?” Erik asked.

Cadence turned and pointed to the interior room. “Take this, Talia.” She handed me a small electronic tablet. “All of the subjects’ files are loaded on there. There is also a list of questions for you to ask each one. I have the same files and will record their answers from out here, so you don’t need to worry about that.” Then she turned and spoke to Erik. “You understand your job?”

“Determine whether the kid has a Talent and mimic it.” Erik sounded like a bored student quoting lines from a textbook.

“Exactly. See if you can get a feel for how strong each subject’s abilities are. A ranking of strong or weak is sufficient. If you can’t, though, don’t worry. The most important thing is that we accurately identify all the subjects with Talents.”

“You got it.” Erik gave her a thumbs-up.

Cadenced turned her attention back to me.

“I know what I’m supposed to do,” I snapped. I just wanted to get this over with. My patience was short and my temper quick.

“I’ll let Ms. Cruise know were ready, then,” Cadence said stiffly.

Erik rested his palm on the small of my back and steered me through the door adjoining the two rooms. We took our seats on the side of the table closest the mirror. My hands shook slightly as I used the arrows on the touchscreen tablet to scroll through the children’s files. There were ten in all. I tapped on the first file folder labeled, “Bartholomew Barnes.” A gap-toothed boy smiled up at me from the screen.

“He’s so young,” I muttered.

Erik didn’t say anything. He just reached for my hand and squeezed.

A sickening feeling slithered down the length of my spine as I looked around the cold impersonal room. The sterile walls and too bright neon bulbs made my skin crawl. If I was this uncomfortable, I couldn’t imagine what it was like for a five-year old.

“Ready?” Erik asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” I mumbled.

Erik squeezed my hand once more. His anxiety matched my own and I wondered if it were a reaction to my trepidation or if the entire situation actually unnerved him. This was as foreign to him as it was to me.

Several long moments later, Cadence, Alexia Cruise, and the same boy whose picture I’d just been staring at entered the room. Ms. Cruise set two bottles of water on the table while Cadence guided the small, sandy-haired child to the empty chair. The boy’s eyes were as large as the plates we’d eaten our breakfast on as he glanced between me and Erik. He wore a button-down blue shirt and neatly pressed khaki pants. The brown leather shoes encasing his small feet were shiny and new, as though this was the first time he’d had cause to wear them.

Once the child was seated, Ms. Cruise rolled up the sleeve of his pale blue shirt and withdrew a vial of his blood. Next, she injected a syringe full of clear liquid into the crook of his elbow. As soon as the entire contents had dispensed into his body, Ms. Cruise quickly placed a small, white square of gauze over the injection site. My fingers flew to the inside of my own arm, recalling the feel of the needle piercing my own skin when I received my medication. Respect for the boy’s bravery filled my heart. Finally, Alexia Cruise attached three wireless electrodes to the child - one over his temple, one over his heart, and one on the inside of his wrist.

When she finished, Ms. Cruise gave me and Erik a nearly imperceptible nod before retreating to the other side of the glass. Cadence followed without comment. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Erik and he gave me an encouraging smile.

I scrolled through Bartholomew’s file until I found the questions that I was supposed to ask. The first five were marked “Control.” Each question was one that we already knew the answer to and only asked to establish a baseline for the child’s heart rate and brain waves. The next set of questions was marked “Talents” and was actually a list of known Talents and signs to look for that would indicate the child possessed said Talent.

Easy, I told myself. You can do this.

“Hi,” I began, offering the boy a tentative smile in the hope of putting him at ease. “My name is Talia and this is Erik.” I inclined my head in Erik’s direction and he waved at Bartholomew Barnes. “We’re going to ask you a couple questions if it’s okay?”

The small boy nodded, the tension in his small shoulders relaxing slightly.

“Good,” I continued. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Bartholomew Barnes,” he answered in a clear voice. “But my parents call me Bart.”

“Do you want me to call you Bart?” I asked.

“If you want.” He shrugged and looked down to where his hands were clasped in his lap.

“Okay, Bart. How old are you?” I asked.

“Five and one month,” he said proudly, raising his head to meet my eyes. “My birthday was on May fifth.”

“Happy belated birthday.” I smiled. The little boy rewarded me with a beaming, gap-toothed grin. “Did you get anything good for your birthday?” The question was certainly not on my list and I practically felt Cadence staring daggers through the glass partition. I didn’t care, though. The child was becoming more relaxed by the second and I saw no reason to not at least try to make the testing as painless as possible.

“My mommy and daddy gave me a puppy. His name is Rover,” Bart told me.

“Rover is a good name,” I replied, getting a little choked up for some reason. I never had a pet. My parents traveled so much on account of my father’s job that it would have been impossible. I didn’t know why the thought just occurred to me or why it made me so sad, but it did. Quickly, I glanced back down at the list of questions.

I cleared my throat. “Where do you live, Bart?” I asked.

“Richmond, Virginia,” Bart replied.

“Do you know why you’re here?”

“Yup, to see if I’m special.” He was so matter-of-fact, as though saying, “Water is wet.” I had to suppress a giggle.

“Yes, to see if you’re special,” I confirmed. “Have you ever done anything out of the ordinary? Like change into an animal? Or hear somebody’s thoughts without them speaking aloud? Turned invisible?”

“Nope.” Bart shook his head sadly.

I’d established enough of a connection to know that he was telling the truth. I held his gaze and locked on his mind. Talents normally exhibit brain patterns unique to their individual gifts. I found no trace of such in Bartholomew Barnes. This wasn’t a definitive determination that he didn’t possess a special ability; some low-level Talents were hard for me to get a read on.

“Bart, can you try and make the lights go out for me?”

Bart’s face contorted in concentration as he gave it his best effort. The neon bulbs overhead didn’t so much as flicker.

“It’s okay. Let’s try another one, okay?” I waited for him to nod before continuing. “Can you turn into an animal?”

Bart slowly pushed his chair back, the metal legs screeching loudly as they scraped against the linoleum floor. He dropped to all fours and began barking in a decent imitation of a dog, but his physical appearance remained human. Erik snorted loudly next to me and had to cover his mouth to stifle any additional laughter. I elbowed him in the ribs even as I bit my own lip to keep from giggling.

“Bart,” I said loudly over the boy’s continued barking, “that was great. You can sit back in your seat now.”

Bart stood and took his seat. When he looked at me across the table, his eyes were unfocused and his facial muscles had gone slack. I glanced at Erik, alarmed.

“What’s wrong with him?” I sent Erik.

“The injection the doctor gave him had a mixture of an amplification drug and something to help the child relax. It must be kicking in,” Erik replied, sounding disgusted.

“Amplification drug?” This was the first time I’d heard anything about an amplification drug.

“If the child has weak or dormant abilities, the drug will help draw them out,” Erik explained.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. From a purely logical standpoint, it made sense, I guessed. But something about injecting children with any drugs didn’t sit well with me.

“Bart, I’m thinking of a number. Can you tell me what it is?” I asked, anxious to get the session over with.

“Four......No, six......No, one hundred and three,” the boy blurted out.

None was correct. I continued working my way through the list of Talents. After nearly an hour, I turned to Erik and shook my head. He nodded his agreement and turned to face the mirror. He shook his head. Two heartbeats later, Cadence opened the adjoining door and walked in.

“You’re done, Bartholomew,” she said brusquely. She motioned for him to follow her from the room. The small boy rose and silently complied.

I sighed once he was gone, equal parts relief that we were one down and dread that we still had nine to go. A throbbing started behind my eyes and I rubbed my temples with my thumbs. Weariness settled over me. I’d always disagreed with the mandatory testing on principle, but seeing it in practice was worse than I’d imagined. The whole affair felt wrong and intrusive.

“Why don’t I do the next one?” Erik asked gently, massaging the back of my skull.

“I can do it,” I replied. “This is why I’m here, after all.” I leaned over and rested my forehead on the table while Erik continued rubbing his thumb up and down the nape of my neck. Even in the cramped interrogation room, with Cadence watching through the glass, I couldn’t help the thrill I experienced when he touched me. I imagined his lips on mine, his hands running up and down my sides, the way his muscles moved when I placed my hands over his chest.

“Your emotions aren’t the only thing out of control today,” Erik said, laughing quietly.

My cheeks grew hot and I started sweating under my jacket. What was wrong with me? We were in the least romantic place I could imagine, yet the moment Erik touched me, my hormones went nuts. One minute I was contemplating the injustices in the world and the next I was visualizing my boyfriend naked. There was something seriously wrong with me.

“I’m not complaining. We could sneak off to the bathroom,” he joked.

I sat up and lightly punched him in the shoulder. “You sure know how to make a girl feel special,” I replied dryly.

“Okay, fine. I saw some couches in the lobby that looked comfy.” Erik caught my fist before I could hit him again.

Cadence cleared her throat from the doorway. “If you two are done playing grab ass, we really need to keep going. Talia,” Cadence pointed a stubby finger at me, “stick to the script.”

“I’m sorry,” I said sheepishly. “He just seemed so scared. And I need to establish a connection before I can read someone’s mind.” I didn’t know why I felt the need to explain myself to Cadence.

“Fine, but we have to get through ten subjects today. We won’t if you waste time putting them at ease,” she snapped.

My temper flared. I don’t know if it was the fact that she continually referred to the children as “subjects” or that she thought it was a waste of time to make them comfortable, but I suddenly had an insatiable urge to attack her. I started to rise from my chair. Erik’s hand clamped down painfully on my shoulder, forcing me back down.

“We’ll move faster with the others,” he promised her. “She’s just doing her job,” he reminded me silently. Erik sent calming vibes in my direction and I gratefully absorbed them. Usually, Erik’s efforts were more effective, but his inability to mask his own rage at her callous attitude did little to improve my mood.

The rest of the day passed in a haze. Child after child sat in the chair across from me. I asked each the control questions and then walked them through the tests for each Talent. I never got used to the vacant expressions or the sluggish movements that accompanied the drug cocktail. Out of the ten children we interviewed, three exhibited Talents.

By the end of the sessions, I felt more like I’d spent the day sparring with Erik than sitting in a chair. My head ached and my stomach was twisted in painful knots. The thought of three more weeks of testing was daunting. I wondered if maybe I’d been rash in accepting the assignment; ignorance truly was bliss. But then again, as I’d been learning lately, I’d been ignorant too long.

When we finally wrapped up for the day, Erik convinced me to wait while Cadence finished entering all the data and shut down the computers. Despite wanting nothing more than to go back to my hotel room and put the day’s events far from my mind, I agreed. If I were going to spend three more weeks with Cadence Choi, I needed to learn to be civil. Fast.

The three of us wound our way through the maze of hallways back to the main atrium. Cadence kept Erik engaged in a steady stream of conversation as we joined the line of Operatives waiting for rides back to the Hamilton. I remained silent, lost in my own thoughts. In theory, I understood using the amplification and calming drugs. And maybe to someone that couldn’t read minds, the calming drugs appeared as just that, but there was more to them. After they’d taken effect, the children weren’t just relaxed; they were like zombies. The chemicals made the children dull and listless, almost like they were hypnotized or under strong compulsion. If Toxic could justify the use of such drugs on children, what was to stop them from using them on everyone else? Where were they going to draw the line?

You have no idea what your Agency does to innocent people. The words Crane had spoken to me ran through my head, as they so often did when I had doubts about Toxic’s actions.

When our turn finally came, I crammed into a large SUV with Cadence, Erik, and two other Operatives I didn’t know. Our short ride back to the hotel did nothing to put me at ease. Families huddled together on the sidewalks outside the testing center, waiting for the city buses to carry them away. Mothers wept openly, clinging to their small, well-dressed children. These mothers knew their time with their kids was now limited. In three weeks, their “special” offspring would be ferried to the McDonough School to start their new lives.

I wanted to reassure them that their children would have a more complete life, a more normal existence now that they were to be surrounded by peers with similar abilities. But the more I saw, the more I learned, I wasn’t so sure I believed that.

Other families laughed and joked, secure in the knowledge that they would be returning to their homes with their non-talented kids. I hated the fact that for some of them, their happiness would be short-lived. Once the blood results came back, at least a handful of previously non-talented children would be reclassified and teams of Operatives would be dispensed to retrieve them. I’d never been more ashamed to be a Toxic Operative.

Chapter Nine

At the hotel, Erik and I finally parted ways with Cadence. I hadn’t been paying much attention to their conversation, but whatever the content, she was in a much friendlier mood than she had been earlier. She even went as far as to ask if we wanted to join her for dinner. Thankfully, Erik declined, so I didn’t have to.

“You okay?” Erik asked once we were alone in my room.

“Yeah, it’s just been a long day,” I replied with a tired smile. “How about we order room service for dinner?” The thought of socializing with the other Operatives made we want to gouge my eyes out.

“Actually, I sort of have dinner plans already,” Erik sent. He pulled out a chair from the small table in the corner and sat. He wouldn’t meet my gaze. I pushed on his mind, but didn’t get more than nervous tension in response.

“Plans?” I said, trying to not sound accusatory.

“Yeah.” Erik paused, finding the skin over his knuckles incredibly engaging all of a sudden.

I sat on the edge of the bed and waited, patience waning with each passing second.

“So, you remember how we got your medical records when we had that brain go into the database?” He finally asked.

I nodded even though he still wasn’t looking at me. How could I forget? The file had been enormous and confusing, filled with ridiculously long medical terms with too many vowels. At the time, I’d thought the records would tell me whether there was more to the seizures than Mac and Dr. Thistler were telling me. Unfortunately, all the technical jargon looked like gibberish to my untrained eyes.

“Well, I have a friend stationed at the medical research facility in Bethesda,” Erik continued, now picking at a spot on the back of his hand.

I’d never seen him so uncomfortable. Erik never beat around the bush. Everything he did, he did with purpose. He never showed vulnerability or weakness. The way he kept fidgeting with his hands and shifting in the chair made me dread where this conversation was headed.

“I asked her to take a look at your files and let me know if she finds anything unusual,” Erik was saying.

The words sank in. I jumped off the bed and crossed the room to where Erik sat, simultaneously hoping his friend had found something and praying she hadn’t. “And?”

“She found some irregularities. She wanted to talk about it in person.”

Irregularities? So, there was something more to my condition. It felt like an ice cube was melting in the pit of my stomach, spreading cold dread to every direction. Erik reached for my hands and drew me to him. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up. This might be nothing,” he warned.

Erik took hold of my waist and guided me on to his lap. Absently, I rested my head against his shoulder and weighed his words. Would I be discouraged if this proved to be a dead end? Likely. Okay, definitely. But he said she found some irregularities. That wasn’t nothing.

“I want to come,” I told Erik decisively. This was my health we were talking about, after all. Good or bad, I wanted to know.

“I sort of figured you would.” What he didn’t say, but came through loud and clear was, “I don’t want you to.”

I sat up straight. What wasn’t he telling me? I could feel that he was hiding something, and I knew if I tried, I could dig it out of the corner of his mind he’d pushed it into. But I had enough truth-seeking missions on my to-do list. I wanted him to tell me himself.

“Why don’t you want me to go with you? Why are you just now bringing this up?” I demanded, shifting on his lap so I could gauge his reaction.

Erik reached up and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. I softened slightly at his touch, but my guard was still up. Then a frantic thought occurred to me.

“Oh, my god. You know what’s wrong with me, don’t you? Am I dying?”

Erik cupped my face with both his hands. “It’s nothing like that. Anya didn’t want to talk it over the communicator. She just asked me to meet her tonight.”

“Then why don’t you want me to come?” I asked again, suspicion mounting.

Erik’s hands dropped to his sides as he closed his eyes and sighed resignedly. “Because Anya wasn’t always just a friend,” he began.

At first, I didn’t really process his words. I was too focused on the fact that there was something irregular in my medical file. Although, irregular was sort of relative since there was nothing regular about me to begin with.

“She was a year ahead of me in school,” Erik was saying. “And we sort of hooked up on and off for a couple of years.”

Wait, what? Hooked up? For a couple of years? He wasn’t serious, was he? I shot up and stared down at Erik, not sure what to say. I was too stunned to be mad. I didn’t kid myself that he was a virgin or anything. I wasn’t that naïve. Thinking about Erik’s past just upset me, so I usually tried not to. It was easier that way. No point in torturing myself when I couldn’t rewrite Erik’s story.

“Did you sleep with her?” I found myself asking. Out of all the questions on my mind, that was the one I chose to ask? I needed my head examined.

“Tal,” Erik began.

“Did you sleep with her?” I repeated, crossing my arms over my chest. Why I kept pushing an issue I already knew the answer to was beyond me.

“Yes, I did.”

Even though I expected him to say yes, it still felt as though he’d punched me in the stomach. Knowing Erik had been with some nameless girl before me was one thing, but this girl had a name - Anya. And Erik still talked to her. They were still friends.

“You are still friends with Donavon,” Erik pointed out, getting defensive.

“That’s different. We didn’t sleep together,” I shot back. It was different in my mind. Erik and Anya had shared something that Erik and I hadn’t. She knew him in a way I didn’t. Donavon had never even seen me entirely naked, let alone touched me.

“You’re right. It is different. I never loved Anya. She was never my girlfriend.” Erik was on his feet now, too, and ready for battle.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? Am I supposed to be relieved that you routinely have sex with people you’re not even dating?” The backs of my eyes prickled and I willed myself not to cry.

Erik’s whole body stiffened. For a brief moment, I worried that I’d gone too far. Said too much. Been too honest. Then Erik placed his hands on my shoulders. “Tal, you knew when we started dating I’d been with other people. Anya isn’t the only girl I’ve slept with. I haven’t been in love with any of the girls I’ve been with. I liked Anya. I cared about her. She understood that our relationship was casual. I never led her to believe any different.”

“Is our relationship casual, too?” I demanded, trying to turn away so he wouldn’t see how upset I was.

“Look at me,” Erik ordered in a low voice that was neither gentle nor reassuring. I glanced up and saw the hurt and betrayal clouding his eyes. “How could you ask that? I love you. I would do anything for you. I thought you knew that.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Erik was right. I did know that he loved me. Not just because he said the words, either. I saw it every time he looked at me, felt it every time he kissed me. “I do. Thinking about you with another girl just makes it hard for me to think straight,” I admitted. “You’re right. I did know that you’d been with other girls, but that doesn’t mean I like it. Everything we do means something to me. It’s special for me because I haven’t done these things with anyone else. It kills me that it isn’t the same for you.”

Erik let me ramble, get out every insecurity I had in our relationship. It felt good to tell him the truth. I normally told him everything, even the mundane like what I ate for breakfast. But I’d never admitted how much I worried that what happened between us wasn’t as important to him as it was to me. I barely admitted it to myself.

“It’s special to me, too, Tal. I’ve never felt this way before. Being with you is a new experience for me. And when we have sex, it will mean just as much to me as it does to you. I’m sorry you won’t be my first, but I hope you’ll be my last. I hate that McDonough was the first person you told you loved and your first kiss and your first a lot of things. Every time I see him, I want to break his hands because I know he touched you with them.”

Erik’s hands slid down my arms and around my waist. He pulled me against his chest and rested his chin on top of my head. We stayed like that for several minutes. Erik rubbed my back while I sniffled into his shirt. “You do trust me, don’t you?” He sounded sad, like he’d just learned some truth he wished he hadn’t.

“Of course I trust you,” I told him and I meant it, too. The last twenty-four hours with Cadence aside, I’d never doubted that Erik was faithful. And it wasn’t even like I genuinely believed that he was sneaking around with Cadence behind my back or anything. I blamed stress for my erratic mood swings and jealously.

“I hope so. Since you came into my life, you are all I think about. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I might not have the greatest track record with monogamy, but I don’t lie and I don’t cheat. If I still wanted to be with Anya, I would be. If I wanted to sleep with other girls, I would never have told you I love or that I wanted to be with you. Okay?”

If Anya were just a friend, why didn’t he want me to meet her? Erik must have been in my head because he responded to my unspoken question before I could ask. “I knew you wouldn’t understand the relationship I had with her. I knew you would get upset when you found out. I didn’t think meeting her would make you feel any better about the situation. I wouldn’t have even asked for her help if I thought there was another option.”

I sighed. I couldn’t be mad at him when he said stuff like, “I hope you’ll be my last” and “You are all I think about.”

“I just wished you’d told me earlier,” I said.

“Next time I ask a girl I’ve hooked up with to help us do something risky, I will run it by you first.” He tried to sound serious, but failed horribly. “Are we okay, Tals? I meant what I said. Everything between us is special to me. I don’t take any of it for granted.” Erik was solemn now.

“Yeah, Erik, we’re good,” I told him. “I want to go with you, though. I want to know what Anya found.”

Erik didn’t miss a beat when he said, “Of course. Get changed and we’ll leave in ten.”

He gently pushed me back and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

Erik left to change into street clothes after that. I tried to keep my excitement in check as I pulled on loose fitting jeans and a white tank top. The irregularities Anya found might prove to be nothing. She might tell me the same thing Dr. Thistler told me, that the chemical injection I’d received in Nevada was an unidentified compound and the best I could hope for was that in time, the Agency’s medical research team would find a cure. She might tell me the blood transfusion was what was making me sick.

While I waited for Erik to return, I debated whether to call Mac. He would notice my absence at dinner, but if I called and told him I was going out, he might say no. I decided to take my chances. Maybe he would be too busy with his Director duties. One could hope. At least this way, I would have time to prepare a better excuse than, “I think you’ve been lying to me for the past year, so my boyfriend went behind your back and had someone else analyze my medical records.”

Chapter Ten

Erik was anxious when he knocked on my door ten minutes after leaving. “Ready?” he asked.

“Definitely,” I replied with more confidence than I felt.

As much as I was itching to learn the truth, now that I might, I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t stop scratching. Was I just going to end up with a giant festering wound that could never heal?

Erik and I didn’t talk much as we left the hotel and boarded a bus that ran to the outskirts of the city limits. Thanks to the summer’s extended daylight, the sun was still high in the sky and the air was warm if not muggy. A check of my communicator on the way out let me know we had two hours before curfew. Not much time. I hoped there wasn’t a lot of traffic.

We were meeting Anya at a mall food court in Cleveland Park. My prayers to the traffic gods were answered. Few cars traveled the city streets, making the trip across town a short one. Barely any of the city’s residents gave us a second glance in our civilian clothing, for which I was grateful. After witnessing the way citizens were acting towards Agency members, I didn’t want people realizing I was Talented or an Operative.

When the bus finally reached our stop, Erik grabbed my hand and led me through the thick crowds of people clogging the sidewalks. The mall took up an entire city block. We joined the throng of teenagers making their way through the main entrance. A group of girls no older than fourteen openly gawked at Erik. At first, I worried that they were staring because they knew he was Talented. A quick swipe of their emotions told me his Talented status had nothing to do with their giggling and pointing. I gave the girls a smug smile and held on to Erik a little tighter.

The food court was to the immediate right of the entrance. Fast food restaurants selling everything from fried chicken to raw fish ringed a cafeteria-style seating area. The atmosphere was laid back and happy. I felt myself relaxing amidst the groups of carefree people.

Most of the tables were already occupied by teenagers with brightly colored hair and extravagant clothing. Mine and Erik’s attempt at going unnoticed by dressing in comfortable jeans and plain colored shirts only made us stand out more. A few families were interspersed with the teens. Several adults gave us dirty looks while their children hungrily devoured large ice creams and dipped fries in ketchup. Erik either didn’t notice or didn’t care, but it bothered me. During my handful of previous trips to the city, I’d never felt the divide between the Talented and the non-Talented. Today, I felt it. Things certainly were different now.

I followed Erik as he navigated the crowd, finally stopping in front of a square metal table with four metal chairs. A girl with a sheet of blue-black hair hanging straight down her back was the table’s sole occupant. I stiffened the moment I laid eyes on Anya.

Attractive was too simple a word to describe such breathtaking beauty. Her olive skin was several shades darker than mine and unmarred by freckles or blemishes. I swiped my nose as if I could brush off my own sun kisses. Even the fluorescent lighting seemed to flatter the girl’s irritatingly straight tresses, highlighting the blues and giving her a preternatural appearance. My guard shot up like a jack-in-the-box.

The girl looked up from her salad as if sensing our presence. Emerald colored eyes glittered like the gems they resembled when she saw Erik. Long eyelashes, heavy with mascara, batted feverishly. A thin coating of gloss drew my attention to her full lips. She wore very little other makeup; she didn’t need to.

My stomach dropped to the floor. I was marginally jealous of Cadence Choi, but those feelings paled in comparison to the monster that reared its ugly head when the girl stood and threw her thin arms around Erik’s neck. When he released my fingers to return her embrace, I was reluctant to let his hand go.

“Erik, it’s so good to see you!” she exclaimed. “You look great, as always,” she added, pulling back to study his appearance.

“Thanks, Anya,” Erik replied, glancing at me out of the corner of one turquoise eye. After my earlier melt down, he was worried how I’d react to this girl. I mustered the best smile I could manage, even as images of clawing out her jewel-like eyes danced through my head. “Anya, this is Talia,” Erik said, placing his hand in the small of my back, in what I was pretty sure was supposed to be a warning gesture. “My girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Anya repeated the word like it was foreign on her tongue and she was saying it for the first time. Her eyes grew to globe-like proportions. She staggered several paces back, resting one thin hand on the table to regain her balance. Her mind projected disbelief and understanding in a tangle of emotions. Desire to slap her now flushed face made my hand twitch at my side. I wasn’t proud of my reaction, but I didn’t know how to quash it, either.

Anya recovered her composure, a beautiful mask of ambivalence quickly replacing her heartbroken expression. “It’s nice to meet you, Talia,” she said politely. I took her offered hand and shook it gently, afraid if I held on too long, my rising temper would cause me to crush her delicate fingers. Erik sent me calming thoughts that dampened my mounting agitation, but didn’t erase it altogether.

“Thank you for helping us,” I said evenly.

“Right. So, I guess it was your medical records Erik sent me?” Anya asked, getting down to business. She sat back in her chair and gestured to the empty ones on the other side of the table.

“Yes. I was captured on a hunting mission and they injected me with something. Dr. Thistler, the Head of Medical Research, has been giving me something to counteract the effects, but she can’t seem to find an actual cure. I was wondering what exactly she is giving me,” I said, all the words leaving me with one breath.

Anya smoothed the skirt of her lacey baby doll dress. Self-consciously, I looked down at my own too big jeans and tank top, wishing I’d bothered to wear a nicer outfit. I felt like an ugly duckling sitting across from a swan.

“You said there were some irregularities?” Erik asked, resting his hand on my thigh. His fingers traced small circles above my knee, the rhythmic pattern helping to calm my nerves and quiet my temper.

“Yeah. There were a couple things that didn’t make sense,” Anya said.

Finally, I was going to get some unbiased answers to one of my many questions.

Anya cleared her throat. “The drug she is giving you is an equalizing agent, as you guys thought. What’s weird is that the drug is normally used on prisoners to suppress their Talents and prevent them from using their abilities to escape or harm the guards.”

“Let me get this straight. Talia’s daily injection is supposed to suppress her natural ability to manipulate minds? That doesn’t make sense,” Erik said doubtfully.

“No, it doesn’t. The drug is still experimental and the effects vary from person to person. It has even proven lethal in several cases. To my knowledge, Talia is the only active Operative that it’s ever been given to,” Anya explained, furrowing her perfectly plucked eyebrows in confusion.

“But my Talents haven’t been hindered or suppressed or whatever since getting the drug,” I argued. “I use my manipulation all the time.”

“Well, you have been getting tired pretty easily,” Erik said slowly, turning to meet my gaze. He shrugged sheepishly as if to say he was sorry that he’d exposed my weakness.

“True,” I admitted. It was no secret that exhaustion was a constant state of being for me. “But my actual abilities have been strong, almost stronger than they were before.”

“Your senses are definitely stronger than before,” Erik agreed. “Your eyesight, your hearing, even your sense of smell is more pronounced than before.”

“You’ve noticed that, too?” I asked, sagging with relief. I’d been wondering if maybe I was going crazy - well, crazier - when I noticed that my senses seemed enhanced.

“Like I said, the suppressant has different effects on everyone, but I’ve never heard of it amplifying someone’s powers,” Anya said.

I could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she pondered the conundrum.

“I still don’t get it,” Erik interjected. “Why would the Director want to suppress Talia’s Talents? He uses her to interrogate people, and now he’s using her to administer the aptitude tests. Wouldn’t he want her mind manipulation at its strongest?”

“In theory,” Anya said, tapping a manicured nail against her chin.

I looked down at my own bitten and torn nails resting on the tabletop and folded my hands in my lap to hide the unruly sight.

“Would a suppressant like that neutralize a poison in my system?” I asked doubtfully.

“It might,” Anya said skeptically. “It depends on what the poison was. And since we don’t actually know, I can’t be sure.” She shook her head apologetically.

“Do my medical records give the chemical formula for the poison?” I asked hopefully, looking from Erik to Anya.

“No, they don’t,” Erik answered. “I’m sorry, Tals.”

“Oh,” I replied, the last vestiges of hope deserting me.

“I could take a sample of your blood and try to isolate the chemical. I might be able to determine something more from that,” Anya offered tentatively.

“Could you?” I asked eagerly, optimism surging again.

“Hold on, Tal,” Erik said cautiously. He turned to face me, taking my hands in his and looking directly in my eyes. “You know I want to find out what’s wrong with you almost as much as you do, but if there’s something more going on than Mac is telling you, having Anya analyze your blood could be very dangerous. If she gets caught, we’re all going to be in a lot of trouble.”

His concern for Anya’s safety reignited my earlier rage and I yanked my hands free from his grasp.

“Tal,” Erik sent warningly. He reached for my hand again and I swatted his attempt aside.

“I’ll be careful. I don’t mind taking the risk if you two don’t,” Anya said.

We both turned to look at her. A fire shone behind her emerald eyes at the prospect of doing something dangerous. In that moment, I knew what the attraction between the two of them had been. The knowledge forced me to sit on my hands to keep from lashing out at either of them. Again, a small part of me felt ashamed of my reaction. The jealous, ugly side of my personality dominated just then, though. And I felt helpless to fight it.

“Tal, you need to keep it together,” Erik sent. This time, he didn’t sound angry, just concerned and a little scared. He pushed my curls aside to place a hand on the back of my neck. His thumb stroked my thudding pulse, willing it to return to normal.

“Calm, Tal, calm,” he soothed, and in no time, I was.

I should have been angry that he used my own abilities to control me, but the effect of his words and fingers felt too good. My anger dimmed before extinguishing completely.

I turned to face Anya. “Thank you,” I said giving her a genuine smile. I might be jealous of her perfect appearance and the fact that she knew my boyfriend better than I did, but her willingness to help a stranger touched me. Erik was right. Testing my blood was dangerous. This meeting alone could land us on Mac’s shit list. I didn’t even want to imagine what he would do if he found out we were going one step further.

“I don’t have a test tube or anything with me, but if you soak a napkin with some of your blood, that will work just fine,” Anya told me.

“Do you have a knife?” I asked Erik.

He nodded, removing his hand from my neck to withdraw a Swiss Army knife from his pocket.

“Look away,” he ordered as he poised the knife over my palm.

I squeezed my eyes shut and prepared for the pain, but it never came. I did feel Erik draw the blade against my skin and then quickly press a napkin to the wound. I opened my eyes and glanced at Erik’s wincing face.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

Erik smiled and pressed the napkin tighter against my torn flesh. He folded my fingers over and raised the back of my hands to his lips. Anya averted her eyes, but not before I saw the pained expression she was trying to hide. I almost felt sorry for her, but then I remembered that she’d been naked with Erik and I hadn’t.

Anya took the napkin from Erik, folded it carefully, and placed it in her purse as though it were a precious gift.

“I should have the results in a couple of days. I’ll call when I do,” she said.

“Yeah, thanks, Anya. I really appreciate you doing this for us,” Erik said.

The dark haired girl nodded, flashing us her perfect white teeth. Erik stood and I followed suit. Anya rose to her feet and came around the table to hug Erik goodbye. I clenched my teeth and tried to crush my returning bitterness as she held on to him tighter than I was comfortable with.

“I’ll see you in a couple of days,” Anya said turning to me.

“Thank you,” I said, reaching for Erik’s hand in the process. The polite thing would have been to shake her hand, but I wasn’t feeling terribly polite. During our short conversation with Anya, I’d cycled through a rainbow of emotions – red anger, green jealousy, yellow hope, and thanks to Erik, blue calm. Now all the feelings seemed to be swirling together, making a muddy brown mess of my thoughts.

As we walked away, I wondered what color humiliation was because once I’d put some distance between me and Anya, I became mortified by how I’d acted. I felt Anya’s eyes on my back as Erik and I made our way back through the crowded food court. The urge to apologize to her made me glance back. Even across the room, I could see tears glistening in Anya’s eyes. I offered her a small smile, doubting that she could see me as well as I could see her.

Erik decided we should walk for a while instead of boarding another bus back to the hotel. He insisted that it was a nice night, but I knew from his mind that he was hoping the walk would restore my emotional equilibrium. My stomach rumbled, reminding me we hadn’t actually eaten dinner. I barely noticed the hunger pains over my reeling head. Anya had provided me with an answer, but it only provoked more questions.

Why was medical giving me a drug to suppress my abilities? Mac had gone to such great lengths to develop them and he encouraged, even demanded, I use my Talents on several occasions since my return.

“Want to talk about it?” Erik asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I shrugged. “I don’t know what to say. I mean, she did tell me what drug Dr. Thistler is giving me, but that still doesn’t tell me what’s actually wrong with me.”

“I know it’s frustrating,” Erik said, rubbing my uninjured palm with his thumb. “But maybe we’ll know more after she analyzes your blood.”

“No, Erik, you don’t know!” I exploded, yanking my hand from his. “You have no idea what it’s like!” I wiped angrily at the tears that splashed my cheeks. I didn’t want to cry - I wanted to be strong - but I felt like a branch that had been bent too far and finally snapped.

I stomped forward, bumping into several pedestrians before people started moving aside to let me pass. I could feel Erik behind me, rushing to keep up. He grabbed my shoulder and spun me to face him. His face was blank, completely expressionless.

“I’m sorry, Tal. You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like,” he said with a calmness that irritated me further. I tried to shrug out of his grip, but he held firm. I averted my gaze, staring at the people passing by without truly seeing them. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, letting the physical pain outweigh the emotional.

“I want to help you, Talia. We are going to find out what is wrong with you.” He sounded so sure of himself, like failure wasn’t an option.

“I hope so,” I whispered, turning my gaze up to meet his. He sighed and released his grip. He ran the backs of his fingers down my cheek, smearing what remained of my tears.

“What do you think?” I wanted to know. “Why do you think that Dr. Thistler is giving me a suppressant?”

Erik hesitated before answering. “I don’t know, Tals. Maybe Crane injected you with some kind of amplification drug, like the Agency is using for the aptitude testing,” Erik suggested finally. The hesitancy in his tone contradicted his words. He laced his fingers with mine and we started walking again.

“Maybe ...,” I let my voice trail off. We both knew it made no sense for Crane to give me something that would make me stronger.

Neither of us spoke as we passed restaurants and clothing stores. The other pedestrians were giving us a wide berth now. My impromptu breakdown had drawn attention to us. And people whispered to one another in hushed tones “Agency” as we passed. I didn’t have room in my brain to care.

“Do you really think it’s dangerous for Anya to run my blood?” I asked after we’d walked several blocks. I knew that it was. But I felt the need to fill the silence.

“Well, Tals, yeah, it could be pretty dangerous,” Erik admitted. “If the Director finds out and he really is hiding something......Well, I don’t even know what will happen to her and us.”

“I don’t want her to get in trouble on my account,” I said honestly.

“Me either, but she’ll be careful. Just hang in there a couple more days.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly. “Not just for asking her to help, but for everything. I know that you don’t really need this complication in your life –”

“Stop,” Erik cut me off. “Don’t thank me. Just let me be here for you.”

I stopped in the middle of the crowded sidewalk and pulled him to me. He leaned down until our lips met. The urgency of his mouth against mine contrasted with the gentle tone he’d just used to try and reassure me. Pedestrians jostled us as they passed by. Some hooted and hollered. Their jeers prompted me to wrap my arms tightly around his neck and kiss him deeper.

“I love you,” he sent.

“Say it again.” As long as I lived, I never would get tired of hearing Erik say those words.

Erik pulled back. “I love you, Natalia Lyons,” he repeated, aloud this time. The way he emphasized each word made my heart flutter and I thought I might float right off the pavement.

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Eleven

Every bus that passed us was full to capacity with people desperate to be inside their homes before curfew. Most of the cafes had already stopped serving food and had their signs switched from “Open” to “Closed”. Thanks to my persuasive nature, the counterworker at the Presidential Pie agreed to make us a pizza and sodas to go.

The scent of spicy sausage and green peppers swirled around Erik as he carried the pizza through the sparsely populated sidewalks. My stomach grumbled and my mouth watered, providing a great distraction from dwelling on the meeting with Anya.

Desmond stood guard duty again, waving one large coffee-colored hand in greeting when we approached. He glanced at the communicator strapped to his belt. “Out past curfew again, eh?” he chuckled.

“Food at this place sucks,” Erik replied, holding up the pizza box.

Desmond looked dubious. I didn’t blame him. As far as lies goes, it wasn’t one of Erik’s best. The kitchen at the Hamilton served better food than we were accustomed to.

“Erik doesn’t have a very refined palate,” I explained.

“I’m a simple guy.” Erik shrugged. It was my turn to look dubious. Of all the adjectives I would use to describe Erik, simple was not among them.

Desmond laughed. “You guys have a good night.” He moved aside to let us pass.

Once back in my room, we spread our dinner out on my bed and ate in silence. I kept sneaking glances at my communicator, which was blinking urgently to signal that I had a message. I didn’t have to check to know the message was from Mac.

When I’d all but licked the cheese from the pizza box, Erik stood to leave. He’d promised Mac he wouldn’t spend the night in my room and breaking that vow could land him a one-way ticket back to Elite Headquarters, but I didn’t want to be alone. The day had been exhausting and meeting Anya had proven to be a disappointment. Not only was she gorgeous, but she also succeeded in confusing me further. I craved Erik’s reassuring presence and selfishly didn’t care about the consequences.

“Please stay,” I said, careful not to let any manipulation creep into my words.

Erik pursed his lips and his eyes flickered with indecision. He wanted to stay with me just as badly I was wanted him to. He also preferred to stay in the Director’s good graces, or at least as close to it as he ever got.

“Tal, I can’t,” he started to say, but I cut him off.

“Just until I fall asleep,” I urged him. “Please,” I added softly when it looked as though he wasn’t going to relent.

“Just until you fall asleep,” he agreed finally.

I retreated to my bathroom to change in to my pajamas and perform my other nighttime rituals. It wasn’t even that late, but I found it hard to keep my eyes from drooping. When I finally came out of the bathroom Erik was already settled under the golden sheets, and he was shirtless.

Suddenly feeling much more awake, I bounded across the small room and jumped into bed next to him. I curled up against his bare torso, rested my head on the hard planes of his chest, and listened to his steady heartbeat. He wound my curls around the long fingers of one hand while absently stroking my side, underneath my t-shirt, with the other.

His mind was carefully guarded so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. His reluctance to let me in irritated me. My own thoughts were not so secure and I was projecting my unpleasantness towards him.

“You need to sleep,” he mumbled into my hair. “You’ve had a long day.”

“So have you,” I shot back, my temper flaring at what I perceived to be a patronizing tone in his voice.

“Tals,” Erik said calmly. “Just close your eyes. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere for a while.” His voice sounded weary and his patience with my mood swings was wearing thin.

I tried to relax, letting the rhythmic feel of his hands on my body lull me to sleep. But my busy mind wouldn’t succumb to slumber. After everything that had happened to me in the past year, I knew worrying about one of Erik’s ex-girlfriends was ridiculous. I knew about Erik’s reputation from the moment we met and it seemed unfair to be upset about Anya when I’d just spent the better part of the past three weeks in the constant company of my own ex. But when I thought about Anya’s perfect hair and large, innocent green eyes, I couldn’t help but be jealous. When I thought about Erik lying with her, touching her the same way he was touching me now, I wanted to throttle her.

Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer. “Why didn’t you tell her about me?” I tried to sound more curious than accusatory. Erik’s muscles went rigid and his hand stilled, resting on my hip.

“I did. I introduced you as my girlfriend,” Erik said slowly.

“Yeah, tonight. But she was clearly caught off guard when you told her who I was. Why didn’t you warn her ahead of time?”

Erik sighed and sat up a little straighter. “Do we really have to go over this again? I told you about her. Doesn’t that count for anything?” He folded his hands behind his head. He waited for me to say something, but I didn’t know what I was supposed to say. “Say you trust me, Tal. Say that even though you don’t like it, you accept I’ve been with other people. Or if it will make you feel better, yell at me. Tell me I’m a pig. Do whatever. Just get it out now so we don’t have to keep talking about it.”

“Stay out of my head,” I snapped, pushing against his chest and scooting down the bed.

“All is fair in love and war,” Erik said dryly. He wasn’t mad, not exactly. More disappointed in me, as though he’d thought I could be more mature about the situation. Suddenly, I was disappointed in me, too. I’d acted like a child in front of Anya. So what that she had him first? I had him now. And I would have him last. Erik loved me. Why couldn’t I let this go?

“Tal, come here.” Erik spoke so quietly, if I didn’t have superior hearing, I might have missed the words.

I stayed where I was. Not because I was upset with him; more out of mortification. Erik must think I’m a head case. Then I started crying. Softly at first, but the harder I tried to hide my tears, the harder I sobbed. Soon I was hiccupping and desperately trying to catch my breath.

Erik reached for me, but I didn’t want his comfort anymore. I wanted to be alone with my embarrassment. I didn’t deserve him. Despite my feeble attempts to shove him away, Erik wrapped his arms around me, crushing our bodies together. The harder I struggled, the tighter he squeezed me.

“You’re going to get through this. We are going to get through this,” Erik told me. “I know you are upset about Anya. I get that. But that’s not why you are acting like this. Jealousy isn’t really your thing. After what happened with Donavon, I am surprised you trust me at all. But if you have a flaw, it is that you are too trusting. You want to believe the best of people, and you have trusted too many who have let you down. So let’s talk about what’s really bothering you.”

What was he talking about? What wasn’t bothering me? My health was failing. My future was uncertain. My best friend was dead, executed by the closest thing I had to a father. And now I learn that same man has been giving me an experimental drug that is supposed to dampen my abilities. What was going right in my life?

Erik said nothing, telepathic or otherwise. I figured he’d taken my warning to get out of my head seriously.

“I’m sorry, Erik,” I told him. “I’m just frustrated. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I promise, no more getting worked up about other girls.”

Erik knew I wasn’t telling him everything, but he didn’t push me, a fact for which I was grateful. We settled back under the covers and I fell asleep almost instantly.

Erik was gone when I woke up the next morning. A slight indent still remained in the soft pillow where his head had laid the night before. I grinned broadly, remembering the feel of Erik’s arms around me. It took me a couple of moments for the knowledge that I had to live through another day of exhausting aptitude testing to sink in. But as bad as I felt for myself, I felt worse for the scared children that would be brought before me and Erik for us to decide their fate and even worse for the parents who would only see their children for several days a year.

I padded my way across the plush carpeting, collecting a clean pair of black dress pants and a tight black dress shirt from the closet as I went. I had yet to listen to my messages and was a little surprised that Mac wasn’t pounding on my door at that very moment. I was prepared, though. I would feed Mac the same excuse Erik gave Desmond the night before. Mac would be annoyed, but hopefully placated.

After I’d adequately masked the dark circles underneath my eyes with liberal amounts of concealer, I set off for breakfast alone. I detoured past Erik’s room, but my knock went unanswered. I guess he’s already down there, I thought to myself. His failure to wait for me before leaving his room irritated me slightly, but in light of the previous night’s conversation, I made a valiant effort to keep my emotions neutral. And I was doing a fairly good job until I walked into the crowded room and saw him sitting at a table with Cadence. Her normally pinched face was relaxed and she was actually smiling as they conversed. I gritted my teeth and bee-lined for their table without bothering to fill a plate with the juicy bacon and buttery eggs I could smell on the buffet line.

Like yesterday, Erik felt my presence before I’d made it across the room. He looked up, searching for me. And when our eyes met, he gave me one of his heart-stopping smiles and I relaxed. Conscious of the frantic way I was winding through the white-clothed tables, I forced my feet to a slower pace.

“Morning, Tals,” Erik said, standing as I approached. He planted a soft kiss on my cheek before pulling out the chair next to him.

“Hey,” I said quietly taking my seat. “Good morning, Cadence,” I greeted her with the friendliest voice I could manage.

“Talia.” She nodded. The smile she’d worn while talking to Erik was gone, but her tone held none of the hostility that was her norm when addressing me.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Erik asked, noticing my lack of food.

“Oh, yeah, I guess,” I replied, embarrassed to admit I’d bypassed the buffet in my eagerness to interrupt him and Cadence.

“What do you want? I’ll go get it,” he offered, smoothing my curls away from my face.

“Surprise me,” I muttered, further regretting my brief moment of irritation.

Erik nodded and left his own half-finished meal on the table and went to get me breakfast.

Once he was gone, I was acutely aware of the cloud of awkwardness casting a shadow over the table. For lack of something better to do, I picked at Erik’s half eaten oyster omelet and pile of bright red grapes. Cadence noisily slurped chunky cottage cheese from her spoon, scrutinizing me with her beady eyes.

“I’ve asked Erik to train with me for my Hunters’ tryouts. They’re after the culmination of the aptitude testing,” she said needlessly. Her eyes remained trained on my face, gauging my reaction. I kept my expression impassive.

“Well, there’s nobody better. He’s a great fighter,” I said proudly.

“I know,” she said matter-of-factly. “That’s why I asked him. As much as I’d like to think I don’t need help, I obviously do.” She hesitated before continuing. “He suggested I ask you, as well. He seems to think your unique Talents would be beneficial.” Cadence set her spoon on her plate and swallowed nervously.

“You want my help?” I asked slowly, not believing that this girl, who’d gone out of her way to be difficult with me, was actually asking for a favor.

Cadence bobbed her small head up and down, her black hair bouncing around her heart-shaped face. After being subjected to months of her contrary nature, I wanted to give her a snappy retort, but the distraction the physical exertion would provide me was too tempting.

“Yes. I trust you of all people know how it feels to be denied something you want so badly. I’m willing to do anything since the placement committee agreed to grant me another tryout,” she replied evenly.

I was still on the fence. Helping Cadence could be the olive branch that would make the next three weeks bearable. Refusing her would likely increase the hostility and make hell on earth a reality.

“I would be happy to practice with you,” I replied honestly, mustering a small smile for her. Happy might have been an exaggeration. But saying, “Anything to make you less bitchy,” didn’t seem like the best way to start off our new found friendship.

“Thank you, Talia. I really appreciate it,” she said.

Before the moment could get any more touchy-feely, Erik reappeared and set cheesy eggs mixed with mushroom, onions, and chives wrapped in a spinach tortilla in front of me. Then he handed me a huge glass of neon pink watermelon juice.

“You’re the best,” I said.

Erik beamed and slid into his chair. “I aim to please.”

I dug into my breakfast, suddenly ravenous. Erik and Cadence chatted about mutual friends and favorite city shops while I consumed everything on my plate.

When I was so full that I was grateful my pants had been purchased before my weight loss, I folded my white cloth napkin over the crumbles that remained on the china plate. I swallowed the last dregs of my juice and declared I was ready to face the day.

We began our busy day of administering the tests with much less animosity than the previous one. Cadence and I had reached an unspoken understanding at breakfast. She still disliked me, but she needed my help and if being civil was what it took, she was willing to do so. For my part, I was just thankful to be able to relax in her presence. Normally, I felt guarded and tense whenever she was around. But her attempts at politeness were going a long way towards putting me at ease. We’d never be friends, but the constant vigilance I’d been exercising around her was exhausting and I was grateful for the amnesty.

Back at the hotel, Erik and I parted ways with Cadence with the understanding that we’d meet back up after dinner. Cadence was eager to hit the Hamilton’s underground gym, but I needed to take my medicine and Erik insisted that I rest my mental abilities first.

“It was really nice of you to agree to practice with her,” Erik said as we lounged on my bed waiting for room service to deliver the bison meatloaf and onion strings we’d ordered.

“I figured if she could swallow her pride enough to ask, the least I could do was agree,” I replied, moving my head so that I could hear the soothing sound of his heart beating against his ribs.

Erik laughed and I felt his stomach muscles ripple underneath me. “The physical exercise will help you sleep better,” he said.

“I’d sleep better with you holding me. Maybe I’ll suggest that to Mac.” I tapped a finger against my chin thoughtfully as though this was some brilliant new idea I’d just come up with. I was joking, of course. We both knew Mac would never agree to let Erik stay with me.

“Don’t,” Erik warned, clearly not finding me funny. “I don’t want to rock the boat, particularly right now.” His mental voice was serious and disturbed. I hated the strain being involved with me caused.

Flipping over on to my stomach, I crawled up the length of his body and kissed him lightly on the lips. At first, Erik didn’t reciprocate and I worried my joke had seriously upset him. I kissed him again and felt his mouth twitch against mine. I fed off the slight reaction and straddled his waist, kissing his neck until he couldn’t resist me any longer.

Erik grabbed my hips hard before slipping his hands underneath my tight shirt. His fingers traced the scar tissue marring the skin above my left hip, sending an odd rush of sensation through me. I found his lips again and this time, he kissed me back with so much intensity that my tiny toes curled.

Electricity crackled between us as Erik’s hands ran up and down my sides, his thumbs passing lightly over my stomach, causing my abdominal muscles to clench. My thighs tightened around his waist, sending his thoughts in to dangerously graphic territory. I saw the way I looked through Erik’s eyes; beautiful and strong, not at all like the tired and broken looking reflection that stared back at me in the mirror. I felt the rush of love and intense desire that burned inside of him; it overwhelmed me and I was overcome with the urge to cry tears of joy.

“Erik,” I whispered his name against his lips. “I –” But I didn’t get to finish the sentence because just then, someone knocked on my door.

My shirt was askew and I could only imagine the disheveled state of my hair when I irritably greeted the immaculately dressed delivery boy. His knowing smirk assured me that my flushed face and my hasty, breathless “Thank you” hadn’t gone unnoticed. The boy averted his hazel eyes as he wheeled the cart of food through the doorway.

“Thanks, man,” Erik called from the bed, unashamedly readjusting his own rumpled shirt and the crotch of his khakis.

After the waiter had left, I removed the shiny metal lids from the plethora of dishes that decorated the cart and set the table for our nightly meal. The rich smell of meat and spicy tomato sauce filled the room and I inhaled deeply as my stomach rumbled and my mouth watered.

The food tasted as good as it smelled, but my eyes kept shifting involuntarily towards the mussed golden comforter. The meatloaf was satiating one hunger, but the more primal desire to touch and be touched was left unsatisfied.

“We have forever, Tal,” Erik promised, covering my hand with his own.

“Forever,” I agreed, loving the way the word sounded when I said it aloud.

Chapter Twelve

I stood facing Cadence on the blue practice mat in the center of the Hamilton’s gym. A black blindfold obscured nearly half of her small face. She breathed evenly in and out through her mouth. Her tiny hands clenched and unclenched nervously at her sides as she mentally prepared for my attack.

“Concentrate on your hearing,” Erik instructed from his perch against the cinderblock wall.

Cadence nodded jerkily. I glanced at Erik and he gestured for me to begin. With reflexes born of years of training, I rushed her. She anticipated my impending assault, but underestimated my speed. I collided with her midsection. Air whooshed from Cadence’s lungs as her back slammed against the mats. She was no novice, though, and recovered quickly. She tucked her knees to her chest and then, with surprising force, struck out in my general direction. The blow landed on my mid-thigh and I stumbled backwards several paces, trying desperately not to lose my own footing.

The air around Cadence began to shimmer and her prone form faded into the ether before disappearing completely. I stared at the spot where she’d just been, convinced I would hear her rise. I was wrong. Cadence materialized behind me and before I could even react, her foot made contact with my kidney. A jolt of pain shot up my back and down my legs, nearly sending me to my knees. I swore loudly.

I spun in a circle, all the while searching for some sign of movement from my invisible opponent. When I couldn’t locate her physical form, I searched out her mind to pinpoint her location. I found it just in time to block a right jab. Cadence was relentless and kept coming at me without reservation. As far as combat skills, we were evenly matched. But thanks to my Talents, I was able to anticipate each move a split second before she executed. Still, fighting an attacker I couldn’t actually see was a first for me and I didn’t like it.

Cadence was only a mid-level Talent, so it was taking every ounce of her strength to remain concealed. She wasn’t the only one quickly losing power; using my mental abilities to track her was taking its toll on me. I switched tactics, using my heightened sense of sight to make out the slight disturbance of molecules that marked her position.

Realizing that she’d lost her one advantage, Cadence dropped her invisibility and became corporeal before my eyes. We continued to spar, trading blows easily. Sweat poured into my eyes and I tasted blood after her foot made contact with the side of my head. The only opponent I have ever failed to beat was Erik. I wasn’t going to add Cadence to that remarkably short list. I did the only thing I could think of. I took control of her mind.

Already devoid of one of her senses, Cadence quickly became disoriented. She flailed her arms and spun in circles. Her punches no longer hit their target and her kicks became weak and powerless.

“You’re tired. You want to give in,” I sent, forcing the thoughts from my head to hers.

Ten seconds later, Cadence collapsed on to the mat in a heap of sweat-stained workout clothes. Satisfied, I released my hold on her mind and fell to my knees on the mat beside her. Cadence fumbled with the blindfold, now plastered to her bright red face.

“Erik was right. Sparring with you isn’t like anything I’ve ever experienced,” she gasped, her chest heaving in and out at an alarming pace.

“For your first time, you did really well,” I admitted grudgingly. “Particularly considering you were blindfolded,” I added.

“You need to learn to block your mind,” Erik interrupted. “You won’t encounter many, if any, other Talents that can do what Talia can, but in general, you aren’t focused enough. If you just let your natural urges carry you through the fight, you’ll be more effective.”

“Block my mind?” Cadence asked weakly.

“Yeah, keep your guard up and don’t think, just feel. You’re a really good technical fighter, but in tryouts, you’ll face five Hunters back to back. You’ll tire quickly unless you learn to get lost in the moment.”

“I can teach you to block your mind,” I offered, not sure that was actually such a good idea. I’d conditioned Mac against mental invasions, but he’d forbid me doing the same for others. Both Donavon and Erik had learned to erect barriers and were in the unique position of being both the most vulnerable to my abilities and the most proficient at keeping me out. They were vulnerable because our connections were so strong from the continuous mental communication that their thoughts flowed freely into my mind. But they were also more adept at knowing when I was in their heads and pushing me out.

“Okay, thanks,” Cadence said, finally catching her breath enough to stand.

“Why don’t you watch me and Tal, and then you and I can have a go,” Erik suggested. Cadence nodded and switched places with Erik.

Erik and I began circling each other. The serious expression on Erik’s face transformed to a broad smile as he mimicked Cadence’s light manipulation to turn invisible at the same time he launched himself towards me. I broke to my left and took the brunt of his attack on my right shoulder. Erik outweighed me by seventy pounds and the force of the blow sent me flying backwards on to the mat. I landed flat on my back, gasping for air. Erik didn’t give me time to recover, though. I felt, rather than saw, him charging towards me. I rolled to the left and pushed myself to my feet. My muscles ached and I had yet to recover all my strength from fighting Cadence. Since an opponent you can see was always easier to hit than one you can’t, I used my powers to force Erik back in to a corporeal form.

Erik materialized three steps to my right. His arm shot out with lightning fast speed and I barely had time to deflect the blow. I felt the foot that struck the back of my knee at the same time an invisible arm squeezed my waist and dropped me back to the mat.

“Stay visible,” I demanded, flinging my fist where I thought Erik’s stomach would be.

“Stay out of my head and I will stay visible,” Erik shot back, trying to block my hands and keep me pinned at the same time.

Since Erik was the better fighter, I did the only thing I could think of. I used my head, literally. Our foreheads collided with sickening force and Erik momentarily lost his concentration and became visible. Stars danced across my vision as I wiggled out from underneath him.

Sweat stung my eyes and my arms felt heavy. Exhaustion was quickly setting in and I knew if I didn’t end this fight soon, I would lose. I remembered what Erik had told Cadence - don’t think, just feel. Taking his advice, I let the adrenaline pumping through my veins feed my stamina. I lost myself in the thrill of the fight, channeling my anger and frustration into my movements. My sight sharpened and even the slightest twitch of one of Erik’s muscles became perceptible. Even when he became invisible, I could make out the outline of his transparent form as it moved around the mat.

My nose filled with the smell of mine and Erik’s sweat mingling in the air and even when I couldn’t actually see him, I could pinpoint his exact location based on his unique scent.

Every time part of me made contact with part of him, the intensity of the interaction reverberated through every fiber of my being.

Mac subjected me to years of intense sensory training and long ago, I’d learned to focus my energy on each individual sense to heighten them in turn. But now, I was able to direct my energy to all my senses at once and maintain them simultaneously in an expanded state.

Finally, I was able to trip Erik up and knock him to the ground. I landed roughly on top of him, pinning him beneath my not so considerable weight. Erik’s chest heaved and his turquoise eyes were wide and shiny.

“I give,” he wheezed.

With those words, the fight went out of me and I collapsed next to him. My limbs trembled with fatigue. I hadn’t realized how labored my breathing was until the haze had lifted and I became aware of my surroundings.

Then the full impact of Erik’s statement hit me. I’d never beaten Erik in a fight. We’d agreed to call it a draw before, but I’d never actually won. He must’ve sensed I was too tired to continue, even though the thought hadn’t consciously crossed my mind, and submitted for fear I’d have a seizure or something.

“Wow,” Cadence said in disbelief as she walked towards us. “That was amazing. I knew you were good, Talia, but I didn’t actually believe it until now.”

“Thanks, I think,” I panted, working my way to my knees.

Sweat soaked my tank top making it stick to every inch of my skin. When I looked over at Erik, his dark hair clung to his forehead in clumps and sweat slicked his face and dripped down his neck. He rolled to his feet and pushed himself to a stand. Then he offered me a slippery hand and helped me to my feet.

“Just give me a minute to catch my breath and then we can go,” Erik said to Cadence.

“All that training with Kenly is really paying off,” he said to me. I beamed even though I knew that he was just being nice.

When Erik was ready, I leaned gratefully against the wall to observe their match. By the time they were done, my lids sagged with exhaustion and the cold gray cinderblocks were the only thing keeping me upright. Cadence would have gone all night, but when Erik caught sight of me using the wall to support myself, he wouldn’t hear of it.

“We can do this again tomorrow,” Erik promised her, glancing wearily in my direction. I must’ve looked pretty pathetic because Cadence didn’t press the issue.

Erik and I said goodnight to Cadence at the door to her room. Erik had his arm wrapped fully around my waist, supporting most of my weight as he escorted me through my own doorway. I wasn’t sure that I could muster the energy to shower even though I was salty with dried sweat and smelled like a boy’s locker room. It was only Erik’s refusal to let me get under my covers in my present state that convinced me it was necessary.

I only stayed under the water’s hot, penetrating spray long enough to rinse the stench from my body. I wrapped myself in a huge white robe that bore the hotel’s name on the lapel before exiting the bathroom. Erik sat in a chair he’d pulled next to my bed, lost in thought.

“Hey,” I called as the thick steam rolled into the bedroom from behind me.

“Hey,” he smiled. “Feel better?”

“I do,” I answered, grateful to be clean. I glanced at the clock next to my bed and was shocked to realize it was well after midnight. No wonder I was exhausted. I crossed to where Erik sat and climbed in his lap. His hair was still damp from his own shower, and he smelled like the flowery soap in our bathrooms. He pulled me tight against him.

Erik slipped one hand inside my robe, just above the belt, and ran his fingers over my stomach. The desire to pick up where we’d left off before the waiter had interrupted consumed me. But my inability to keep my eyes focused kept me from acting on my urges.

“Thanks for letting me win,” I slurred, sleepily.

Erik’s fingers stilled and I regretted speaking. The lazy rhythm of the circles he’d been tracing around my belly button felt pleasant.

“I didn’t let you win, Tals. You beat me,” he said, sounding a little miffed. “I mean, you’re the only person who has ever even come close before, but today, you actually beat me fair and square.”

“No way,” I said drowsily, nudging his hand with my elbow so he would start making his circles again.

“I don’t know, Tal. You’re stronger than I remember. And there was something different about you when we fought,” he sounded slightly uneasy, but he started rubbing my stomach again, so I didn’t give his tone too much thought.

“Different? Different how?” I mumbled. I nestled my head into the side of his neck, and he rubbed the side of his face against the top of my head.

“I don’t know. I’m sure it’s nothing,” he mumbled, kissing the top of my wet head. “Probably all that rage you’ve been keeping bottled up inside.”

“Likely,” I whispered, finally letting my eyelids win the battle to plunge me into darkness.

I didn’t wake up when Erik placed me in my bed and pulled the covers snug around me. I wasn’t sure if I dreamed the feel of his soft lips on my forehead, but I muttered what was meant to be “I love you,” anyway.

Chapter Thirteen

A pounding on my door startled me early the next morning. A quick glance at the clock told me I hadn’t overslept. I threw the covers back and called, “Come in,” as I unlocked the door with my mind. Mac barged into the room, a slightly manic, slightly panicked expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, instantly awake and alert.

“We are going into lockdown. Testing has been canceled today. I don’t want you leaving this hotel. Do you understand me, Natalia?” Mac nearly shouted at me.

“Of course,” I stammered. “What happened? Can I help?” I asked, immediately going into good-operative mode.

“No, I cannot risk you getting involved right now. I am not entirely sure of the situation myself. Coalition forces attacked the Rittenhouse in Bethesda early this morning. Our people were able to capture several of the insurgents, but we’ve sustained heavy casualties,” Mac answered gravely.

“What?” I exclaimed. An attack? The Coalition hadn’t risked an attack in Agency territory since the war ended. And an attack so close to the nation’s capital was unprecedented.

“We are still learning the details. We don’t know what they took, if anything. We don’t know what they were after.” Mac averted his steely eyes, a telltale sign he was lying. Whatever the Coalition had been after, Mac knew exactly what it was. I wanted to call his bluff, but I didn’t dare – not when he was already so worked up.

“You said you captured some of their people?” I asked. “I can help. I can interrogate them,” I said, already pulling clothes from my suitcase.

Mac’s face softened slightly. “No, Natalia. At least not yet. I want to keep you safe, out of harm’s way, until we are positive we have captured all of Crane’s forces that are still in the area.”

“But......But I can help,” I repeated lamely.

“I know, Natalia, but you are a prime target for them after your escape from Nevada and your discovery of one of their spies. I cannot risk your safety right now,” Mac explained. “Promise me you will stay here at the Hamilton. It is heavily guarded and everybody is on high alert.”

“Will you come back and tell me more when you know?” I demanded, hating to be rendered so useless.

“Promise me,” Mac ordered as if I hadn’t spoken.

“I promise,” I said meekly.

“I’ll find you when I return.” With that, Mac turned on his heel and exited through the still open door to my room. He didn’t make it far before nearly colliding with Erik in his haste. When I took in Erik’s attire - full on, head-to-toe riot gear - I panicked.

“Make it quick, Mr. Kelley,” Mac barked at him.

Erik nodded.

“Are you going out there?” I demanded, both scared and miffed that Erik had been chosen.

“Yeah. I heard it’s chaos. The Director is sending all combat trained Operatives he can spare,” Erik replied, looking uneasy. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute and fear and pain radiated from his mind.

“Then why won’t he let me come?” I asked.

“You would be an obvious target. It’s too dangerous,” Erik said, echoing Mac’s earlier words. “I’ll find you as soon as I get back,” he added.

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. The hard plastic of his outfit dug sharply into my body as I pressed it against him. “Be careful,” I whispered.

“I will,” he promised, his lips close to my ear. “I love you.”

Helpless, I watched Erik jog from my room in the direction of the elevator. Fear and confusion washed over me as I stood pondering why the Coalition had attacked a medical research facility. And why now? Toxic had been so worried Crane would attack in anticipation of Penny’s execution, but her death had come and gone without incident. It made no sense. Before I could think too much more on the subject, my third visitor of the day appeared in my doorway.

“You’ve heard?” Cadence asked anxiously.

“Yeah, just now. Mac came by and made me promise to stay in the hotel,” I replied, sitting in the chair Erik had occupied the night before.

Cadence stood awkwardly in my doorway, so I beckoned her inside. She smiled gratefully and joined me at the small table.

“I volunteered to go, but I was told to stay here,” she said, shaking her head.

“Yeah, me, too.”

We sat for several long moments of uncomfortable silence. “Do you want to get something to eat?” she asked finally.

I wasn’t hungry. The thought of food made me nauseous. But I didn’t want to be alone and even Cadence’s company sounded appealing just then.

“Sure,” I agreed. “Let me get dressed.”

The dining room buzzed with news of the attack, but nobody seemed any more informed than we were. I followed Cadence through the breakfast line, piling food on my plate without noticing what I selected. We picked a table in the corner and I pushed my food around on the plate without actually consuming a single morsel.

The long seconds turned to even longer minutes and, eventually, into hours. No one came in to the hotel and no one went out. Cadence and I sat in companionable silence in the dining room along with the other Operatives who hadn’t gone to Bethesda. When the smartly dressed waiters changed the food on the buffet from breakfast to lunch, we remained stationary. But when dinner came and went without any of the Operatives returning, I couldn’t sit still any longer. I was itching to do something, anything.

“Want to go to the gym?” I asked Cadence. She jumped a little at the sound of my voice. Neither of us had spoken in hours.

“The gym?” she asked quizzically, her dark eyebrows arching upwards.

“Yeah. I can’t sit here. I’m going crazy,” I muttered.

“He’s going to be okay,” Cadence said softy. “They’ll all be okay. Most of the Coalition’s men were probably gone by the time our people arrived.

“I know,” I agreed, giving her a weak smile. “But sitting here with all these other frantic minds is making it hard for me to think rationally.” That was true. The Toxic Operatives gathered in the dining room were all projecting strong emotions and while I couldn’t actually hear any of their thoughts, I could feel the heaviness of their minds, and it weighed me down.

“Meet you down there in ten?” Cadence asked. She stood and stretched. Her joints gave an audible pop, grateful to move again.

“Yeah, ten,” I agreed.

Cadence and I didn’t speak while we worked out. I didn’t have the inclination to spar with her, so we each did our own workouts. I spent the next several hours taking out my frustrations on a punching bag that had never done anything to deserve my wrath.

By the time I left the gym, the skin over my knuckles was split and bleeding; I barely noticed the stinging pain. Back in my room, I showered and dressed for bed in a haze. I didn’t have a medi-kit, so I called the front desk and asked for more towels to wrap my hands.

While I waited for the delivery, I engaged the metal case holding my injections in a staring contest. Steeling my resolve to administer my own medicine was actually a nice break from worrying about Erik and wondering what had actually happened in Bethesda.

I narrowed my eyes, mentally unhooking the clasps holding the case closed. Breathing in and out through my mouth, I summoned one of the needles and a bottle of the suppressant. With the syringe securely in one trembling hand and the vial in the other, I prepared the injection. Then, before I could lose my nerve, I jammed the tip of the needle into my bicep and depressed the plunger. Since I hadn’t managed to hit a vein, the drugs would take longer than normal to calm me, but for my first solo administration I was just happy I’d gotten the needle into my skin at all. I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes, waiting for the chemicals to take effect.

Just as the calming sensation flooded over me, the towel delivery girl knocked on the door.

“Come in,” I called, mentally opening the door.

“You ordered towels, ma’am?” a tentative female voice asked.

“Yeah, just put them on the table,” I replied, keeping my eyes firmly shut. “Thank you,” I added as an afterthought.

“You’re welcome,” she said softly. The almost imperceptible sound of the door closing marked her exit. I willed the towels to me and wrapped the soft fabric around my cracked knuckles.

My brain was on overdrive, my concern for Erik dominating my every thought. I doubted that I’d be able to fall asleep, but I must have because I nearly screamed when I felt a light touch on my face. Panicked, my eyes popped open. The bedroom was pitch-black, warm breath tickled my ear, and a familiar body pressed against my back. Relief flooded through me when I sensed Erik’s presence.

“You’re back,” I breathed, twisting my arm behind my head to cup his cheek.

He winced under my touch. I rolled over to face him, a pang of fear shooting through my stomach when I took in the huge purple bruise surrounding one of his eyes. My gaze traveled south. His bottom lip was split and a thin row of stitches ran the length of his jawbone on one side.

“What happened?” I exclaimed, drawing my hand back.

“A couple of Crane’s men hiding in a storeroom jumped me,” he answered hoarsely.

“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching to trail my fingertips around his swollen eye.

“They messed up my pretty face, but otherwise I’m fine. Can’t say the same for them.” Erik’s turquoise irises were haunted with the memory of the assault.

“You still look pretty good to me,” I said, leaning to kiss a non-bruised portion of his cheek.

“What happened to you?” he asked, noticing the bloody towels wrapped around my hands.

“Punching bag,” I said sheepishly, unwinding the makeshift bandages and throwing them over the edge of the bed.

“Hate to see what that punching bag looks like,” he teased. While his tone was light, the heaviness never left his features.

“It needed a couple stitches,” I said solemnly.

Erik pulled me into his arms and I settled in against him. Despite the easy banter, Erik’s mood was dark, dangerous even. Sadness, fury, and pain swam through his mind, swirling together in a tidal wave of turmoil. Physically, he was with me in the bed, but his mind was miles away, still at Rittenhouse.

“It was awful, Tal,” he sent after a long minute. “They bombed the facility. Everything was on fire......People, buildings......Everything.” Erik’s mental voice was so disturbed, it broke my heart. He put on a tough act, but I knew he felt things more deeply than most.

“What did they want?” I asked.

“I don’t know. By the time we got there, it was chaos. I could barely tell who was on our side. I can’t even describe what I saw,” he said. Erik might not have been able to describe the horrific images he’d witnessed, but he didn’t need to. His mind was open, vulnerable, and I could see the scene in his head. I wished I hadn’t.

The sight was gruesome, bloody and blazing bodies everywhere. The flames consuming one half of the facility were an odd bluish-green. Dying people, ours and theirs, screamed in agony as their lives were cut short. Gun shots rang in my ears and more bombs rained down from overhead. Explosions rocked the earth beneath my feet and I gripped handfuls of Erik’s shirt to steady myself, like the bed was actually quaking. My nose filled with the nauseating mix of chemicals, sulfur, and death that hung in the air. The fear and pain that radiated from the Operatives’ minds seemed to overwhelm me even now.

My heart ached at the massive loss of life that had taken place earlier. Suddenly, Erik’s promise of forever seemed unlikely. He could have been a casualty of the battle.

“I’m sorry,” I sent because I didn’t know what else to say.

“I’m just glad you weren’t there. I couldn’t have handled it if you had been.” Erik kissed me gingerly on the forehead.

“I should’ve been. This is what I trained for,” I replied defiantly, my agitation at being left behind causing my temper to ignite.

“I’m too tired to fight with you, Tals. Just let me hold you tonight,” he pleaded.

I let it go. I knew how Erik was feeling. He’d killed two of his attackers and while he usually put on a good show of not letting stuff bother him, I felt the impact his actions were having on him. He was also thinking about how easily he could have been one of the many Operatives that had lost their lives. I shared his pain. If something had happened to him, I don’t know that I could have handled it. I’d lost too many people in my life and the loss of another person I loved might be the tipping point for my sanity.

We lay there wrapped in each other’s arms for several long minutes. Erik kept his eyes trained on my face, but he wasn’t truly seeing me. His mind was bursting with the appalling images he witnessed. The pain and regret were eating away at his heart and I wanted to ease his suffering.

“So, you’re going to risk angering Mac and sleep with me?” I teased, trying to lighten his black mood.

“He’s too busy to care about us right now. He went to Tramblewood to witness the prisoners’ interrogations,” Erik sent back, still staring through me to the scenes burned in his mind.

“So we don’t have to worry about any unwanted interruptions?” I asked mischievously, speaking aloud.

“I just wanted to spend the night with you. I didn’t come here for that,” he replied, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Erik’s eyes were still haunted, but when I slid my hands under his shirt to rest on his chest, he beamed. The cut on his lip cracked a little wider and I winced, feeling the physical pain of his injuries.

“Erik,” I began, softly kissing the good side of his jaw, “we might not have forever. Things are becoming more dangerous, more complicated every day and you are the only thing in my life I’m sure of.”

Instead of answering, Erik tipped my chin so that our mouths met. The kiss was tender and loving. I kissed him harder, urging him to respond in kind. At first, he seemed hesitant, mentally debating whether I honestly meant what I said or if my sole motivation were making him happy.

“I love you, Erik,” I sent. “I want this. I want you.”

Erik didn’t need any more encouragement. He worked the strap of my tank top slowly over my shoulder, running his tongue across the hollow between my shoulder and clavicle. Shivers of anticipation ran up my spine, and thrill coursed through my veins. I tilted my head back against the pillows as Erik trailed kisses across my throat. His teeth closed around the other strap of my tank as he gently rolled me on to my back.

The hands at my waist slowly rolled the hem of my shirt north, and I extracted my fingers from his chest to raise my arms over my head. Our gazes locked briefly. I nodded in response to his unspoken question.

“Don’t do this for me. Do it because you want to. I can wait,” Erik whispered, his breath tickling my ear.

“I’m doing it for me,” I said, because that was true. I wanted Erik to be happy and to erase the horrible scenes from his mind. But more than that, I wanted us to be together in every way possible. I wanted to share everything with him.

“Good.” Erik kissed my cheek tenderly before sliding the tank the rest of the way over my head and tossing it on the floor. I watched as he slowly removed his own shirt. Erik’s eyes never left mine. His gaze was soft and loving and I knew he was here with me now. His mind was open; I felt and heard every thought and desire.

My breath hitched in my throat when he hooked his fingers inside my shorts, slowing sliding them down my hips.

“You are so beautiful,” he sent and I even believed him because I could see myself through his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen me naked, but he still stared like it was all new to him. I’d never thought I would be comfortable having someone, even Erik, just stare at me without my clothes. But I liked the way his eyes traveled the full length of my body.

Erik took his time exploring every inch of my bare skin and every fiber of my being tingled when he touched me. I ran my fingers through his hair, biting down on my lower lip so that I wouldn’t whimper like the never-been-touched school girl that I was. When the sounds did escape, they seemed to boost Erik’s own desire.

Erik didn’t ask me again if I were sure. He didn’t have to. Just then, I couldn’t have kept my thoughts to myself if my life depended on it. He made me feel beautiful, loved, and best of all, safe. In the back of my mind, I was aware that he was using my Talents to put me at ease, but I didn’t care. Despite my bold declarations, I was extremely nervous.

Somewhere along the way, Erik removed his jeans, and when he pulled back long enough to meet my eyes, he was only wearing his boxers.

“Take them off,” I croaked, nodding to his waist.

Erik’s bruised and beaten face broke into a huge smile and he hastily complied. I stared at him without shame; I’d never actually seen a naked guy before. I was mesmerized. Erik moved slowly over me, momentarily paralyzing me with the intensity of his loving gaze. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his lips to mine.

“I love you,” I whispered against his mouth.

“I love you, too,” he sent, kissing my lips.

Erik was gentle and patient. He left his mind unguarded and the feelings of love and warmth that radiated from him made the entire experience that much better. When it was over, I clung to him, wishing that the bliss would continue indefinitely. We didn’t talk much, but there was no need. When I finally succumbed to sleep, I was confident that no matter what tomorrow brought, I would get through it because I had him.

Chapter Fourteen

When I opened my eyes the next morning, Erik was already awake and stroking the tangled curls splayed across his chest. In the light of morning, Erik’s injuries looked much worse than they had the night before. His eye wasn’t the only part of his body stained purple. A morose necklace of angry red welts ringed his throat. Grimacing, I skimmed his wounds with my fingertips.

“You did that,” he joked, gently pulling my hand to his swollen mouth. The split in his bottom lip was more pronounced and a small part of me regretted all the kissing – an extremely small part. “I knew you’d be frisky, but I hadn’t imagined you’d be such a freak,” he mumbled against my skin.

Playfully, I swatted his chest. “I did not,” I said with mock hurt. “You had those when you arrived.”

Erik laughed and I was relieved to see he was much more relaxed. His turquoise eyes were still haunted, but the heaviness weighing on his shoulders had lessened slightly.

“You did do that,” he whispered, reading my thoughts.

“I’ll gladly take credit.” I smiled, snuggling closer.

“How do you feel?” he asked, his tone turning serious.

“Good,” I assured him. “For the first time in months, I feel really good.”

“And I will gladly take credit for that,” he mumbled, his mouth moving to my forehead. The hand at my waist slowly began stroking the curve of my hip. Goosebumps sprang up all over my still naked body. “You wanna do it again?” he teased, walking his fingers over my stomach.

I kind of did, but Erik’s injuries were more extensive than I’d first thought and I worried about making his pain worse.

“I’m okay, really, Tal,” he whispered, smoothing the hair from my face. “But don’t worry. I was kidding, anyway.” Erik started tracing lazy circles across my stomach and I hated to ruin the happy environment, but I needed to ask him something.

The night before, I’d been so caught up in the moment that any possible consequences hadn’t occurred to me. But now that I wasn’t consumed by the feel of his touch, I had to know why he hadn’t insisted we use protection. I knew why I hadn’t. Hunters were regularly screened for any and all diseases and positive test results were dealt with immediately, so I wasn’t worried about that.

“Erik?” I asked tentatively. “Can I ask you something?”

“You were amazing,” he mumbled, sounding as though he was falling back to sleep. “Best I’ve ever had.”

I blushed, so not what I was going to ask.

“Well, thanks, but I was actually wondering why you didn’t think we should......you know, use protection?” For some reason, I was embarrassed asking about it. I mean, if I was going to have sex with him, the least I should be able to do was talk about it, right?

Erik stiffened. He was wide awake now. “I don’t have anything, Tal. And I’m only sleeping with you,” he promised, sounding weary about the direction of the conversation.

“Oh, I know,” I assured him. “But aren’t you worried that, well, you know, that I might get pregnant?” I held my breath, dreading his answer. I wasn’t sure what I wanted him to say. Did I want him to tell me it had slipped his mind? That we’d be more careful next time? Or did I want him to tell me the truth - that he knew I couldn’t have children?

The shots Crane’s men fired into my back had caused irreparable internal damage. Dr. Thistler broke the news to me months before and I hadn’t actually given it much thought since. I never seriously contemplated whether I did or did not want children. I had so many other things to worry about, it seemed inconsequential.

“Tal ...” he let his voice trail off and I knew that he knew.

“So, you know?” I asked, seeking confirmation. The knowledge that he knew such an intimate detail and I hadn’t been the one to tell him, upset me. It felt like a gross violation of my privacy. Not that having kids was a priority for me, but not being able to was private and I’d wanted to be the one to tell him. Sure, I hadn’t told him yet, but I would have. Had it ever come up.

“I’m sorry, Tal. I swear I didn’t go behind your back or anything. You left that file in my room and I was just looking for the stuff about the poison and equalizer. I promise I didn’t go seeking the information. It was just......you know, there,” he finished lamely. Erik gently nudged my chin until I looked at him.

Tears swam in my eyes, blurring his face into a blue and purple water color.

“It doesn’t matter to me, Tal. If that’s what you’re worried about,” he said quickly.

“I just wanted to be the one to tell you is all,” I sniffed.

Erik squeezed my waist. “I figured you would. When you were ready.”

I wiped the tears leaking from my eyes on to his chest. Why couldn’t I stop crying? I felt like an emotional yo-yo. One minute, I was flying into a jealous rage and the next, I was crying liking a baby over something that didn’t even matter to me.

“Talk to me, Tal,” he urged. “Are you mad at me? Do you hate me? You shutting me out is killing me right now,” Erik said, shaking me gently to illicit some sort of reaction besides more crying.

Of course, I didn’t hate him. Was I mad at him? Not really. Maybe it was better this way, him finding out on his own. At least he’d known the score when he first told me he loved me.

“I don’t hate you,” I finally said, smearing hot tears with the back of my hand. “I just wish the situation were different is all. So many choices in my life haven’t been my own and this just feels like one more decision that has been taken away from me. I’m not even really sure why I’m crying.” Even as I said it, fresh drops fell down my cheeks.

Erik leaned his face closer and when I didn’t pull away, he kissed me softly.

“Down the road, after all of this is over, once we figure out what is wrong with you and find a cure for it, we’ll figure this out, okay?” he asked, pulling back just enough so that his lips could form the words without bumping against my skin.

“Okay,” I whispered back, smiling weakly.

“Are we okay?” he asked, fear causing his voice to crack.

“Yeah, we’re okay,” I promised him.

Erik kissed me gently again. I let my barriers drop, inviting him back in. He relaxed as my confused emotions rushed to greet him. He absorbed the distress and I began to feel a little better. My tears dried and before long, I was positive that I’d once again overreacted.

Now humiliated over the conversation I’d just insisted we have, I wiggled out of his arms and tried climbing out of bed.

Erik grabbed my bare waist as I made a break for it. “You never have to be embarrassed about anything between us, Tal,” he said emphatically, willing me to look at him. His earnest expression brought fresh tears to my eyes. I was turning into a leaky faucet.

“I know, Erik,” I said, turning my head so he wouldn’t see how fragile I really was. “We should probably go downstairs. I’m sure there will be some kind of briefing or something,” I added.

He hesitated for several long moments. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll go change while you get ready,” he finally replied, letting the subject drop.

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to cover as much of my nakedness as possible, and padded my way to the bathroom. Erik’s eyes bore into my back, admiring what he perceived as a pleasant view of my behind. Despite my ruining our perfect night with distasteful morning after conversation, a thrill still managed to run through me as he sent the images of what we’d done just hours before my way.

When I exited the bathroom, Erik was gone and I felt a pang of disappointment at his absence. There was a note scrawled in his tiny handwriting on the bedside table.

Tal, come get me when you’re dressed. Love, E.

Operatives were already congregated when we entered the dining room. I searched for Mac, but couldn’t find him. I did spot Cadence sitting by herself at a table near the window. Grabbing Erik’s hand, I led him through the maze of tables to where she sat.

“Does anybody know what’s going on yet?” I asked.

“Not yet. Director McDonough is supposed to make an announcement soon,” she replied nervously.

Erik and I took two of the empty seats at the table to wait for Mac’s arrival. Ten minutes later, we were rewarded. Mac was wearing a crisp navy suit with his customary white button down and dark red tie. But his short hair was messy, and large dark shadows were visible in the hollows beneath his eyes. In twenty-four hours, stress had carved deep ridges around his mouth and across his forehead.

Mac placed his thumb and index finger in to his mouth and whistled loudly, quieting the crowd.

“As I am sure you all know by now, Coalition forces attacked Rittenhouse Research Facility in Bethesda, Maryland early yesterday morning. Many of you were dispatched to the scene and witnessed the carnage first hand. We have several of the Coalition’s members in custody. In time, I am confident we will learn a lot of valuable information from the now imprisoned men and women.” Mac paused to survey the room, letting the weight of his words sink in.

“Those of you here will commence with the aptitude testing today. The city’s mandatory curfew will now be sundown instead of midnight and will extend to all of you, as well. I implore you to remain vigilant when you leave the hotel. It is doubtful the Coalition will chance another attack right now, but we do not want to take any chances.

“The vehicles to take you to the testing facility will begin leaving within the hour. Thank you.” The silence that had fallen over the room when Mac entered shattered into a cacophony of shouted questions and excited voices.

Mac surveyed the room and when his eyes landed on me, he moved towards our table. “Natalia,” he greeted me as he approached.

“Mac, I’m glad to see you’re safe,” I said stiffly. In fact, I was glad. Despite my growing distrust, I had once thought of Mac as a pseudo father and I did care about his well-being.

“Yes, it has been a very long night,” he replied wearily. “Natalia, I want you to be extremely careful right now. I am going to assign you a bodyguard for when you are outside of the hotel.”

“What?” I exclaimed. “That is completely unnecessary. I can take care of myself,” I insisted. “I’m better trained than anybody you could assign to me.” There was no way that I was letting one of Mac’s cronies follow my every move.

“We have reason to believe you are a target, Natalia. One of the Crane’s men admitted as much under interrogation,” Mac snapped, his expression hard. “I will not lose you.”

I swallowed over the growing lump in my throat and engaged Mac’s gray eyes in a staring contest. If he thought that I would allow a shadow, he was crazy. Mac might honestly believe I needed protection, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a convenient excuse to keep a closer eye on me when he wasn’t around.

“I’ll do it,” Erik offered, jumping to his feet. “Why don’t you let me guard her? I’m highly trained and she never leaves the hotel without me anyway. I care about her well-being more than any person you could assign to her.”

I was shocked at Erik’s audacity. He never backed down from a confrontation. Hell, he frequently incited them. But when it came to Mac, few people spoke out of turn and Erik was no exception. Of course, Erik had more to lose than most if he crossed Mac.

Mac gave Erik a withering stare that would have made a lesser man crumble. But Erik stood his ground.

“Mr. Kelley, I am well aware of how much you care about Natalia’s wellbeing. So much so that you defied a direct order not to sleep in her room while you are here. You might think that I asked you to do that because I would prefer you not be intimately associated with my daughter, but the reason I commanded you to leave her alone is because her medical condition requires her to get a great deal of rest.” Mac was seething and I worried he might actually start foaming at the mouth if Erik pushed him any further.

Then his words sank in. Mac knew Erik stayed in my room the night before. How did he know that? Mac wasn’t even supposed to be in the hotel. I wanted to crawl under the table and hide, I was so mortified.

“I’m sorry, Director McDonough,” Erik hissed to Mac through teeth so tightly clenched that a muscle in his jaw jumped erratically and I worried his stitches might split open.

“You’re right. I did spend last night with Talia. After what I saw yesterday, what I went through, I wanted to be near her. But you know as well as I do that I will not let anything happen to her. She is like my family and you, of all people, know the sacrifices I’m willing to make for my family.” Erik’s words were a challenge.

Raw fear showed in Mac’s eyes as they quickly darted in my direction. I kept my face impassive. Inwardly, I reeled at the realization that Mac was aware of the fact that Erik’s father and brothers were virtual prisoners. Almost worse than Mac’s knowledge was Erik’s omission. Why hadn’t he told me? Did he honestly think that I was too delicate to handle the truth? Erik was normally so cognizant of my mood, but he was too focused on Mac to register my irritation now.

Mac quickly recovered his composure. He glanced between me and Erik, seeming to choose his next words carefully. “You make a compelling case, Mr. Kelley. I will grant your request. However, I am serious about you sleeping in your own room. Should I find out you disobeyed me again, or let anything happen to her, I will personally ensure that you are sanctioned for your obstinacy,” Mac threatened him.

Anger and frustration shimmered around Erik like an aura. His hands clenched into fists, and for one terrible moment, I was convinced he would hit Mac. My mouth gaped stupidly in shock and I sat paralyzed, unable to send Erik calming thoughts before he did something stupid. Luckily, Erik was better at controlling his emotions than I was and he quelled his temper without my help.

“Natalia,” Mac said turning to me, his tone softer than the one he’d used on Erik, but still stern. “I am aware that you are not blameless in all of this. I am partially to blame for your misguided belief that rules do not apply to you, but in this case, they do. I know you think I am being overprotective, but I am simply looking out for your mental and physical health, so, please humor me. It would also please me if the two of you would show a little discretion in public.”

I snapped my lips shut, swallowing my bitter retort. “Yes, Mac,” I agreed quietly when I finally regained my composure. Ordinarily, I would have put up a fight, but the knowledge that if I refused, I’d end up with one of Mac’s spies trailing me around halted any further argument on my part.

“Good. We are all in agreement. Natalia, I’ll stop by and see you this evening.” With that, Mac was gone.

I let out a long breath and Erik slumped back into his chair. Cadence’s small eyes were impossibly large as she glanced back and forth between us.

“I think I’m going to get something to eat before we go,” she mumbled, practically leaping out of her seat in her haste to get away from the uncomfortable scene she’d just witnessed.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” I hissed to Erik once she was gone.

“I know,” Erik whispered. “But I couldn’t let him have some random guy following you around. I hate the idea of him spying on you more than he already does. The whole situation makes me sick.”

“Do you think he’s making up the threat to me?” I asked.

“Not exactly,” Erik began slowly. “I just think it’s very convenient is all.”

“What about your father and your brothers?” I asked. “Aren’t you worried he’ll do something after you brought that up in front of me? And why didn’t you tell me that Mac knew?” My temper was rearing its ugly head.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think you’d believe me. I thought it would be hard enough for you to believe that Toxic would do something like that in the first place. And don’t say you would have, because I know you still have your doubts,” Erik growled, his rage rising to match my own.

When Erik got angry, he scared me, but I was still reeling with the knowledge that he’d lied to me.

“Had doubts,” I snapped, straightening my spine defiantly.

“Huh?” he asked, slightly thrown off, the fire in his eyes dimming.

“You said I have my doubts. I don’t,” I hissed. “I know better.”

Erik deflated and reached for my hand. When I didn’t pull away, he laced his fingers through mine. “I’m sorry, Tals. I’m not angry with you. And to answer your question, no, I don’t think he will do anything to my father or brothers. I knew it was a risk, but I figured mentioning it in front of you would ensure he didn’t. At least I hope that is the case,” Erik said. The conflicted expression that passed over Erik’s features extinguished my own anger. He’d chosen me over his family. He’d risked their lives to spare me the indecency of having a babysitter.

“You shouldn’t have,” I repeated weakly.

“What’s done is done.”

Getting a late start to the day meant the testing ran well past dinnertime. The children all exuded a fear well beyond that of those we’d seen in the previous two days. I took my time with the questions and did a fair deal more improvising in an attempt to put them at ease. Today, Cadence didn’t care about my lengthy sessions, or at least if she did, she refrained from commenting.

Erik’s bruised and battered appearance did little to comfort the children and I even considered suggesting that he wait in the other room with Cadence. But the mental exertion was exhausting and having him next to me helped lessen the burden.

“Just one more,” Cadence said, passing through the doorway separating the two rooms. She sounded as tired as I felt. Her eyes were slightly swollen and her short black hair was mussed around the temples from where she’d been rubbing her head to ward off a headache.

“Thank god,” I mumbled. “I’m starving.” My stomach rumbled loudly, punctuating the statement.

Mac’s allegations from that morning weighed heavily on my mind. All day, I had been contemplating whether to approach him about letting me question Crane’s men. I had to know whether the threat was as severe as Mac had implied or if he were being overly cautious. And more than anything, I wanted to know what it was Crane intended to do with me if, and when, he found me. Was he finally going to kill me? Finish what his men had started the night my parents were killed?

“Do you want me to do the last one?” Erik asked, rubbing my neck to ease my tension. It was well past the time when I normally took my medicine and I was beginning to feel jittery, on edge. But I wasn’t the only one who had slept little the previous night and I wasn’t the one who’d spent the previous day in a war zone. So instead of letting Erik take care of me, I told him no.

“I’m okay. I can do it.” I smiled reassuringly. Erik looked doubtful, but said nothing.

“Bring her in,” I said, turning to Cadence.

She nodded and turned to fetch the waiting child.

When she returned, she was accompanied by Alexia Cruise and a small girl in a flowery dress with a white cardigan fastened over her small shoulders. Hair the color of corn was held back from her forehead with a white band that tied in a bow on one side. Beautiful pink irises twinkled brightly with unshed tears.

The girl’s angelic features and nervous demeanor were a sharp contrast to power radiating from her small body. In my time with Toxic, I’d encountered other strong Talents, none that exuded so much raw energy. I was drawn to her, a moth to a flame. One glance at Erik told me he felt it too.

The little girl climbed into the empty chair across from me and Erik, her pudgy legs swinging as she kicked her white patented leather-clad feet back and forth. She held her head high and stared straight ahead as Alexia Cruise readied to inject her with the amplification drug.

“That’s not necessary,” I said quietly, nodding to the syringe poised over the girl’s pale arm.

“What?” Ms. Cruise asked, confused.

“She doesn’t need the drug,” Erik clarified, letting out a heavy sigh.

“But its protocol,” Alexia Cruise insisted.

“Just draw a sample of her blood,” I ordered. “If anyone asks why you didn’t give her the injection, you can tell them it was my decision.” Not that I had the authority to make such a decision, but that had never stopped me before. There was no point in amplifying the girl’s abilities, anyway.

Alexia Cruise hesitated for the space of a minute before nodding. She extracted a blood sample and was on her way. Cadence studied me curiously. I realized she couldn’t feel it. What was so obvious to me and Erik was lost on both Cadence and Alexia Cruise.

“Your name is Ingrid, right?” I asked when Cadence had finally left the room.

“Ingrid Bowman,” the girl replied in a clear voice that held more maturity than any five year olds should.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ingrid. My name is Talia,” I told her. “And this,” I pointed to Erik, “is my friend, Erik.”

Ingrid’s rosy cheeks spread in to a big grin. “You mean your boyfriend,” she said knowingly.

I laughed. “Yes, my boyfriend,” I agreed.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” she replied, her face falling.

“Well, you’re still young; you’ve got time to change that.” I tried to keep a straight face, but the girl’s solemn expression made it hard.

“You know why you’re here, don’t you, Ingrid?” I said it as though it was a question, but it was really more of a statement.

“Because I can hear people’s thoughts,” she answered in a small voice, the earlier tears were back.

“Yes, you have a form of Mental Manipulation called Telepathy,” I replied honestly.

“Am I going to be taken away from my mommy?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“No, no. You aren’t going to be taken away,” I soothed, even though essentially she was. “You’re going to get to spend the school year with other children like you, special kids.”

Next to me, Erik’s expression turned grim.

“Will I still get to see my mommy?” Ingrid asked frantically.

“Of course, you will,” I replied, giving her a tight smile. The half-truth ate away at my gut. Ingrid would return to her family during summers and holidays. Over time, the trips home would be less frequent. Training, fine-tuning, her abilities would start to take precedence.

“How come I don’t hear your thoughts?” she asked me quizzically. “I hear everyone’s thoughts. Is there something wrong with you?”

I almost laughed. There were so many things wrong with me, where to begin? The reason she couldn’t read my mind, though, was because as soon as she’d picked up on the fact Erik was my boyfriend, I’d put up walls. No one, let alone a child, deserved the torture of rooting around in my head. It might scar her for life.

“Well,” I began slowly, not quite sure what to tell her. “You see, I’m like you,” I finally said after a long pause. It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t really a lie either. I could read people’s minds, but I needed to establish a connection with the person beforehand. Ingrid, on the other hand, needed no such connection; her gift provided a direct line to others’ thoughts and feelings, whether she wanted it or not. “At the McDonough School, you will be taught to block your mind so others like you can’t read it,” I continued.

“Really?” she asked hopefully.

“Really,” I confirmed. “You will also learn to control your abilities, so you only hear others when you want to.” Ingrid’s big pink eyes lit up at my promise.

“Do you read heads, too?” Ingrid asked, turning to look at Erik for the first time.

“Sometimes,” Erik answered uncomfortably. Explaining how mimicry worked to a child would take all day; it was too complicated. I barely understood Erik’s Talents.

“Your brain doesn’t buzz like hers,” Ingrid accused him.

“No, it doesn’t,” I confirmed, impressed she had picked up on the fact. “Erik’s abilities are slightly different from mine.”

“Hmmm,” the little girl replied, pursing her small lips together.

“Can you do anything else special?” I changed the subject, returning to the actual administration of the test.

“Nope,” she answered, averting her gaze to her lap. A brilliant liar she was not.

“Can you control other people? Make them do what you want?” I asked softly.

“Nope,” she responded, shaking her blonde head so forcefully, the bow threatened to detach from the headband.

I’d established enough of a connection to read her mind; she was telling the truth. She was young and inexperienced enough that I didn’t need to probe at all to figure out what she was hiding.

“You can make it rain,” Erik said kindly before I got the chance.

“Yes,” she whispered the confirmation.

“So can Talia,” Erik assured her.

“Really?” she asked me, a plea for confirmation. Oddly, her control over the elements bothered her more than the ability to read minds.

The ability to control the weather was an odd byproduct of mental manipulation and, in rare instances, Telekinetics demonstrated the power. When my emotions ran out of control, as they often did, I was able to make it rain or kick up strong winds. At least once that I knew of, I had even caused an electrical storm.

“Yes, really.” I nodded, feeling a strong kinship with the little girl. Discovering you possessed abilities others did not was unsettling at first. With time, she would learn to cope with that. It became easier after you learned you weren’t alone.

I asked her a couple more probing questions about the extent of her powers as she knew them, but wasn’t able to glean any more useful information. If she had other abilities, she wasn’t aware of them.

When I was confident that I had extracted all the pertinent facts, I turned to the mirror and nodded to Cadence, indicating we were finished. Cadence came through the adjoining door instantly and told Ingrid to follow her.

Ingrid Bowman’s pink eyes stay glued to me until she’d exited the room, her mix of trepidation and relief mirroring my own. We were both relieved she would be going somewhere she would no longer feel like a freak for being different. But we both ached at the thought of the forced separation from her family. I personally knew how hard it was to be torn from your parents, but unlike me, Ingrid would at least see hers on vacations. That fact absolved me slightly of the guilt at having been a part of taking her away from those she loved.

Since I hadn’t allowed Ms. Cruise to give Ingrid the amplification drug, her mind wasn’t numb the way the other children’s had been by the time they left the interrogation room. So I felt her pain more intensely than I had with the other kids and it made me profoundly sad. It reminded me how unfair the Mandatory Testing Laws truly were. Children like Ingrid did need the school to help them learn to use their Talents and to feel normal. But that was a choice that they should be given, not one decided for them.

Chapter Fifteen

Erik was quiet and subdued over dinner. I’d ordered us lamb steaks and broccoli casserole to my room. Erik sat pushing his food around on his plate, only eating small bites. His injuries magnified against pale and fatigued features.

“How do you feel?” I asked, concerned by his melancholy mood.

“Huh?” he asked, so lost in thought, he seemed to have forgotten I was there.

“How do you feel?” I enunciated my words this time.

“Fine,” he lied, offering me one of his beautiful smiles.

“You’re a liar,” I teased. Something was bothering him. Well, a lot of stuff was bothering him, but something that he didn’t want me to know about. If I delved into his mind, I could figure out his source of unease, but I wanted him to tell me himself.

“Just tired,” he mumbled.

We ate the rest of our meal in silence. While I ate, Erik just played with his food.

“Lay with me for a while?” I asked when it was obvious he wasn’t actually going to eat his dinner.

Erik glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was already after ten. He nodded slowly. “Just for a little,” he warned.

I tried to smile, but his reluctance upset me. After the scene at breakfast, I’d anticipated him being less touchy feely than normal, but his complete indifference was not expected – or welcome.

Under the cover of darkness and with Erik’s arms wrapped loosely around me, I chanced questioning his source of distraction again. However, by now, my irritation with his attitude was high and tact was not a concern.

“What’s wrong, Erik?” I demanded.

“What’s wrong?” he shot back incredulously. “Really, Tals? Everything is wrong. The Coalition ATTACKED a Toxic facility, you’re a prime target for them, you’re sick, and we don’t know why, the Director directly threatened to take action against my family this morning, and oh, yeah, we just condemned yet another child to a shitty life of servitude to Toxic. Did I miss anything?” Erik was tense, fury radiating from his body. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to rise to the challenge in his words.

“I’m sorry. You’re right,” I tried to calm his rising temper. I reached up and tentatively stroked his cheek. He didn’t shy away from my touch, but he didn’t respond to it, either. Apparently, Ingrid’s feelings had affected him strongly, a catalyst that had incited the rising panic he had already been experiencing. In a rare reversal of our roles, I tried to assure him that we would find out what was wrong with me and that Ingrid was actually going to be better off in the long run. Erik remained unconvinced, reliving his own experience of having been torn away from his family.

“And Mac won’t do anything to your father and brothers,” I promised. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“And how do you expect to do that?” he demanded.

“I can control people, remember? If it comes to it, I’ll do whatever I need to,” I swore, even though I wasn’t sure that was a promise I’d be able to keep. I’d never actively tried to control Mac and after all the mental conditioning I had done with him, I wasn’t sure I could.

Erik still had his doubts, but some of the tension ebbed away. His arms tightened, pulling me closer. Snuggling against him, I relaxed a little, too.

“I’m sorry, Tals. I shouldn’t be taking all this out on you. I know how stressed you are,” he apologized, kissing my forehead affectionately.

“You should be confiding in me,” I urged. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Erik’s mind quieted, and his guards went back up as he privately contemplated something he didn’t want me to be privy to.

“There’s something else. What is it?” I demanded, fearful that something fundamental had changed in our relationship, making him want to distance himself.

Erik said nothing for a long time and my fear turned to panic. Was he going to breakup with me? Was he trying to find a way to tell me it was over? Now that he’d had me and the thrill of the chase was over, was he bored with me? Had the conversation that morning made him think I was crazy? Maybe he’d finally reached his limit with my jealously and spastic mood swings? Panicked sobs started gathering in my chest, screaming to break free.

“Calm down, Tals,” Erik sent, his mental voice gentle. His soothing only made me fear the worst. He’d seen what I had done to Donavon’s cabin when we broke up and probably worried that, given my unstable health, I would fly off the handle.

“It’s nothing like that, Talia,” he insisted. “Although, I’m not gonna lie, this fighting is getting old. I know that you can’t control it, but I can’t keep doing this with you. I love you, but you just have to trust me sometimes.”

His words felt like a slap to the face. I scrambled across the bed, putting as much distance between us as possible. Erik closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He breathed in and out several times, trying to collect his composure. I buried my head in my hands, my cries breaking free, and I openly wept.

“Come here, Tal,” he said softly, reaching for me.

“No,” I cried, swatting blindly at his hand. “If I’m so much of a burden, then just go.”

Erik’s jaw clenched and I thought that he might take me up on my offer. “Look at me, Natalia,” he commanded. I shook my head, fighting the control he was attempting. “I said look at me, or I really will walk out that damn door,” he threatened.

I hesitated. I didn’t want him to leave, but I was ornery and if I looked at him now, then he won.

Erik groaned loudly. “No tricks, Tal. I’m asking you to please look at me, please talk to me,” he said patiently.

Slowly, I raised my head to meet his eyes. “I can’t help it,” I sniffled, “I’m sorry. I just don’t understand what’s wrong with me.”

“I know, Tals.” He looked sad and my anger turned to guilt. “Can I touch you?” he asked.

I jerkily bobbed my head up and down and Erik crawled over to collect me in his arms.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated.

“Me, too, love, me, too,” he gently stroked my hair, rocking me back and forth.

Erik held me until I calmed down, which I did only under his manipulation. I hated myself for being so ridiculously out of control, but I didn’t know how to stop it. I was constantly ruled my emotions and no matter how hard I tried, I never realized that I was overreacting until it was too late. Erik deserved some kind of award, or a medal at the very least, for putting up with me.

“Having you is the only reward I need,” he whispered. In spite of myself, I giggled. He was so cheesy. “We’ll get through this, Tal,” he promised.

“Will you tell me what you were thinking about earlier?” I asked, hoping that my question wouldn’t start another fight.

Erik didn’t so much as flinch. “It might be nothing,” he warned. “I didn’t want to say anything until I had a chance to think about it more.”

“Okay, but if it has to do with me, I want to know,” I said childishly.

Erik groaned audibly. “You’re awfully nosey,” he commented, playfully tickling my side to let me know he was at least partially joking.

“So I’ve been told,” I replied dryly.

Erik went silent again, and in a rare display of patience, I didn’t push. I knew he was going to tell me if I just gave him time.

“It was something that girl, Ingrid, said,” he started slowly. Well, that was unexpected. I’m not sure what I’d expected, but not that. I tried recalling the conversation we’d had with the little blonde telepath and couldn’t, for the life of me, remember her saying anything bizarre.

“When she said that my mind didn’t buzz like yours,” he added, sensing my confusion.

“What’s odd about that? Your mind doesn’t have the same patterns as mine. We have different Talents,” I replied.

“I know, but I was mimicking your abilities. We should have had the same brain patterns,” he answered.

“Are you sure about that?” I questioned him. “Mimics are rare and we don’t really know much about that kind of thing.”

“No, I’m not sure, which is why I didn’t want to say anything to you,” he admitted. “I haven’t spent a lot of time around other Mimics, so I can’t be positive, but I think that when I mimic another Talent, I should take on their brain patterns. Have you ever noticed when I’m mimicking Henri whether I have the same pattern?”

I’d never actually paid attention before. The question rendered me speechless for the space of several minutes.

“Okay,” I finally sent, “say that is the case, and I’m not sure it is, but let’s just assume it is, what does it mean?”

“I don’t know, but that, combined with what Anya said about the suppressant, makes me wonder if maybe you have a second Talent and that is what the injection is supposed to block.”

“You’re joking, right? That’s not possible,” I insisted matter-of-factly. Unless, of course, being a raging bitch half the time was a Talent. “I’d know if I were a dual Talent. And I didn’t need the drugs before everything happened in Nevada.”

“Research has shown that some people’s abilities manifest later in life. Maybe your second Talent started to come out after your…incident,” he reasoned.

I thought about that. Mac had told me that late onset powers were a problem the Agency was trying to deal with. Was it possible that experiencing a traumatic event, like, say, getting shot, caused a second Talent to emerge?

“Why wouldn’t Mac just tell me if that’s the case?” I wanted to know. “I was at school. I could have worked with someone to learn to use whatever this alleged other Talent is.”

“Dual Talents aren’t always stable, Tal. And a lot of Manipulators aren’t, either. An Elite level Manipulator that also happens to have a second Talent would be at an increased risk for insanity.”

Insanity? Instability? I hated how much sense Erik was making. The mood swings, the erratic behavior, all the crying. Was it possible I was seriously just losing my mind? Were my multiple Talents causing my mind to fracture?

“I hate to admit it, but it sort of makes sense that the Director would want to stop the second Talent from emerging to prevent the side effects,” Erik was saying. “You said you’ve noticed that your senses are stronger. I picked up on that, too. I’ve known there was something different about you for a while, since your return.”

“And you really think this might be it? That I’m a dual Talent, and I’m losing my marbles?” I demanded.

“I can’t be sure, Tal. About the dual Talent thing, anyway. You are not going crazy, though.”

I couldn’t look at him when I asked, “How can you be sure I’m not?”

Erik laughed. Actually laughed. I glared at him. There was nothing funny about this.

“In addition to the physical examination that every Operative gets periodically, I have to have a psychological one. Mimics are at the greatest risk of all for insanity because they can possess every Talent. It’s a lot for one mind to handle. I know you aren’t crazy because I know what to look for.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t ever thought about it before, but it made a lot of sense. I knew Manipulators had to be careful since it’s so easy to get lost when invading another person’s mind and I supposed the same principle applied to Mimics, particularly one that spent so much time mimicking a Manipulator.

“We’ll know more once we hear back from Anya,” Erik promised. “Try not to worry about it until then.”

“Okay,” I agreed, but that was easier said than done. Erik was worried, really worried, which overshadowed his assurances that I was still holding on to my sanity. I might not have lost it yet, but he undeniably thought there was a real possibility I would go insane. Otherwise, getting him to fess up about what was bothering him wouldn’t have been like pulling teeth. And if the whole dual Talent thing turned out to be true, then Erik wasn’t the only one trying to protect me from myself. Mac had an entire medical team working around the clock to find a cure.

“Try and get some sleep,” Erik sent, bringing his mouth to mine, his hands firmly locking my hips against his side and pulling my leg draped across his waist tighter to him. And for just that moment, I knew all I needed to know: Erik loved me, Erik would do whatever it took to keep me safe.

Chapter Sixteen

An irritating ringing pulled me from uncharacteristically pleasant dreams. I blinked awake, disoriented and agitated. It took me a minute to realize the ringing was not in my head. My damn communicator was going off.

“Answer,” I told the machine groggily.

“Are you still asleep?” Mac asked, sounding tired himself.

“I was,” I mumbled. “Why, am I late?” There was no sunlight brightening the dark curtains that hung in the solitary window across from my bed.

“No, it’s still early, but I need to speak with you. Can you come to my room now?” Mac asked.

“Sure. Can I get dressed first?” I replied, feeling instantly queasy. Mac wanting to see me before sunrise undoubtedly didn’t bode well.

“Of course, but do not take too long,” he warned before breaking the connection.

I groaned. Mac was the one who’d been claiming I needed rest, yet here he was disturbing one of the first good nights’ sleep I’d had in a while.

I dressed in the first clothes I could find, dark jeans and a green t-shirt. I hastily brushed my teeth. When I looked in the oval mirror over the bathroom sink, I snarled at my reflection. My dark curls were stuck to my still slightly sweaty forehead and the beginnings of dreadlocks threatened in several places. When I tried to brush out the tangles with my fingers, they caught part way down and I gave up the fruitless attempt at grooming. Instead, I secured a blue and white bandana – Erik had left it in my room – over my head to hide the rat’s nest.

Mac’s hotel room was on the tenth floor of the Hamilton. But to call it a “room” was like calling a castle a cottage. His was one of two doors on the entire floor and when I entered the foyer, I learned the suite stretched the length of the hallway. Ceiling to floor windows made up one wall. The curtains were open, revealing a magnificent view of the D.C. skyline. A sliver of the previous night’s moon hung orange in the sky. The sun was rising on the opposite side of the building, casting a pinkish glow to the otherwise blue morning. The streets were starting to come alive with the early morning commuters. Hover planes bearing Toxic’s logo flew low, patrolling the city limits.

The smell of burnt coffee wafted from the small kitchenette off to one side of the large room. Mac stood with his back to me in front of the wall of windows, his silhouette illuminated by the first light of day.

To my surprise, Erik and Cadence were already seated – and looking rather uncomfortable – on the black leather sofa in the middle of the room. Cadence’s presence lessened my unease. On my five-floor elevator ride, I’d worried Mac wanted to see me in private to admonish me for my less than chaste behavior. But if he’d requested Cadence come to the early morning meeting, my indiscretions were unlikely the reason.

Erik smiled tentatively at me as I made my way to one of the two unoccupied recliners in the living area. His bruises were fading slightly, thanks to Toxic’s miracle medicines, no doubt. The skin of his face and throat were now tinged a slickly yellowish green. The welts on his neck were no longer visible. Only a slight discoloration remained. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, but unlike me, he’d taken the liberty of dressing in pressed khakis and a navy blazer. Cadence, too, appeared better outfitted for the meeting in black pants and a black blazer.

Self-consciously, I smoothed my baggy jeans as I took my seat.

“Good morning, Natalia,” Mac addressed me without turning.

“Morning,” I muttered. I searched Erik and Cadence’s faces for some hint of understanding, but they both looked perplexed.

“I have a special assignment for you three,” Mac began, finally facing us. A white mug with steam escaping the lip in curly wisps was clenched firmly in his meaty hands. The circles under his eyes were more pronounced and with a pang of sympathy, I realized he’d had another sleepless night.

“Are you sending us to Bethesda?” I blurted out, dread filling my hollow belly.

“Bethesda? No, I am not. We have sufficient forces out there. Your assistance isn’t necessary,” Mac replied absently.

“Then where are we going?” I inquired. Maybe he was going to send us to interrogate the prisoners. I perked up at the thought. I caught Erik’s eyes and my brief moment of excitement passed. His expression was grim and I knew that we weren’t being sent to Tramblewood.

“Not all children make it to testing,” Mac began, his hard gaze drifting to Erik. My breath caught in my throat. “Irrespective of the fact that failure to submit a child for testing is a punishable offense, the bigger issue is that when those children start to appreciate their powers, it can cause problems. Without the aid of instructors to teach them properly to use their abilities, these children often become hazardous to those around them.

“One such child has been discovered in Pennsylvania. Ordinarily, I would send a task force in to retrieve the child and the parents would be disciplined accordingly. However, the increase in uprisings in the recent weeks has made me reconsider the normal protocols. The most important thing right now is getting the child safely to the school so she may be trained. I have no interest in sanctioning her family or incurring more bad press for Toxic.” Mac met each of our eyes in turn. All three of us remained straight-faced, but Erik’s anxiety increased with each word of Mac’s speech.

“So you want us to go and what? Covertly take the child from her home?” I clarified, making sure my sleep muddled brain understood. It sort of sounded as though he wanted us to kidnap her.

“Yes and no. I am not asking you to kidnap her, just convince her parents to let her go to the school. I am sending a small group of other Operatives with you in case the situation gets out of control. Part of your job is to make sure it does not. I do not want there to be a scene.”

“Who all will actually go into the house?” Erik asked thickly. My heart went out to him as I saw the images of his own retrieval cross his mind.

“Just you and Natalia. I trust the two of you can make sure the parents agree that it is in the best interests of the child to let her go with you,” Mac replied pointedly.

I got Mac’s unspoken meaning and I didn’t like it. He wanted me to manipulate the adults in to agreement. This was preferable to the alternative, black clothed Operatives raiding the house, guns drawn, and forcibly taking the child, but the whole situation didn’t sit well with me. My discomfort paled in comparison to Erik’s.

Mac had partially requested Erik for this assignment because of his abilities, but I also wondered if he were hoping it would serve as a reminder of what he, Erik, had personally experienced and what would happen if Erik didn’t continue to walk the line.

“Maybe Cadence and I should go in,” I suggested, attempting to spare Erik. Not that Cadence would be hugely beneficial to me when it came to convincing some kid’s parents what was in her best interests, but it also wasn’t like I actually needed the help. I was perfectly capable of controlling several people on my own; the moral support would be nice, but not at the expense of Erik’s mental well-being.

“Mr. Kelley’s talents will better serve the mission,” Mac answered with a note of finality that warned me not to argue. It was early in the morning and my temper was already short where Mac was concerned, so I steeled myself for the impending argument I was about to engage in.

“Don’t,” Erik silently begged me.

I met his eyes; the pain in his turquoise irises caused the angry words to die on my lips.

“Besides, Ms. Choi has another purpose.” Mac turned his attention on Cadence. “You will take custody of the child once she is safely away from her parents. I trust you have had instruction on how to handle these types of situations?”

Cadence nodded. I wondered how often “these types of situations” arose. And what could Cadence possibly say that would make being taken away from your parents okay? At least with the testing, the children had adequate time to prepare for the separation. This kid would be scared and upset. I doubted Cadence’s less-than-friendly disposition would do much to absolve the girl of her fears.

“Good. I want you all to leave immediately. Natalia, if you could change into something more official.” He studied my causal clothes with a look of disapproval. “Then meet the rest of the team in the lobby.”

I rolled my eyes at him. He had said to hurry. If he had told me this was an official meeting, I would’ve dressed accordingly – maybe.

“Then we’re done here?” I asked, standing to leave.

“Yes, but report back to me immediately after you have secured the target,” he responded. “Natalia, you have my private communicator number. As do you, Mr. Kelley.”

“Sure, I do,” Erik confirmed, standing, too.

Heat tinted my cheeks as I thought of the silly, yet slightly sexual, conversations Erik and I had when he called me on Mac’s communicator.

The three of us were quiet as we made our way down the elevator to the fifth floor. Erik followed me to my room to sit while I changed. He didn’t speak while I searched my closet for black clothes similar to the ones Cadence wore and then tried to brush my hair. His eyes had the faraway look of someone lost in deep thought. His mind was open, so I closed mine. I felt intrusive listening to his inner turmoil.

Erik held his hand out to me, palm up, when he noticed me wincing as clumps of my hair parted ways with my head. “Want me to do it?” he asked absently.

I nodded and turned the torture device over to him. I stood with my back to Erik. He gently tugged the offending tangles free. When my hair was smooth – poufy, but smooth – he twisted it into a loose bun at the nape of my neck as he’d seen me do so many times before. After all my hair was more or less secured, he kissed the space behind my ear.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Erik wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and pulled me into his lap. Erik buried his face in the side of my neck and sagged against my back, his weight heavy on my small body. I didn’t mind. Whenever I needed him, he was always there for me and while I wished more than anything right then that the situation was very different, I loved that Erik needed me for once.

In the lobby of the Hamilton, Cadence awkwardly waited several feet from a group of ten heavily armed men. Subtle, Mac, I thought dryly. He’d said the whole purpose of sending me and Erik was to prevent drawing attention to the situation. The mini army militia screamed “witch hunt” in my opinion.

A tall slender man with a full head of snow-white hair broke apart from his band of merry men. He strode purposely towards me and Erik. The vulnerability was no longer visible in Erik’s features. He was all business now.

“Operative Lyons, Operative Kelley,” the tall man greeted us without extending his hand. “My name is Graham Byrnes and I am the Head of Toxic’s extraction team.”

I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t been aware that Toxic actually had an extraction team. I just sort of assumed that when these situations arose, Mac picked a couple of Operatives who weren’t working on other assignments and sent them.

“Nice to meet you,” I mumbled.

Erik simply nodded his head, but didn’t speak.

“I assume Director McDonough filled you in on the details,” Graham Byrnes continued. Then he withdrew two handguns that were holstered at his narrow waist and handed one to Erik and one to me. I started to shake my head to refuse his offering, but he pressed the hard metal handle into my palm and held it there until I wrapped my own fingers around the grip.

“Is this really necessary?” I asked weakly.

“It’s just a precaution. My team won’t be entering the premises with you two. The situation might get out of control and we want you both to be protected,” Graham answered stiffly.

Erik lifted the back of his blazer and secured the weapon in his waistband, out of sight from the casual observer. Reluctantly, I copied him. Even if the situation did “get out of hand”, I would not be using the gun. My abilities were sufficient to subdue an untrained assailant.

Graham motioned for us to follow him and we made our way to where the rest of the group stood anxiously waiting. Cadence fell in step with me and Erik, looking relieved that we were there. She was still dressed in her business-like black suit, but she now had a weapon of her own slung across her chest. After months of trying to establish enough of a connection with Cadence to get a read on her, I was now acutely tuned to her emotions. She wasn’t nearly as calm and indifferent as she pretended. All of this bothered Cadence, too. The older girl was just better at masking her emotions.

Outside the hotel, two large black vehicles with darkly tinted windows idled, their doors ajar. I followed Erik and Cadence to the first car and slid across the leather bench. The metal of the gun was hard and cold through the back of my dress shirt, an uncomfortable reminder of the potential violence that might arise. Several of Graham’s team filed into the first two rows and Graham himself climbed into the driver’s seat.

The several miles that separated the Hamilton and the city’s border took us half an hour to cover despite the fact that there was remarkably little traffic. We passed through the open gate without so much as slowing down. Both SUVs entered the sparse flow of traffic on the 495 beltway that circled Washington, D.C. It was odd to see so few cars when the couple of times that I’d flown over the beltway, it had been packed bumper-to-bumper.

Cadence and Erik sat on either side of me, gazing out the blackened windows as we sped down the cracked and uneven pavement. The exit for Toxic’s Air Base in Greenbelt, Maryland appeared after several long minutes. Graham deftly swerved the vehicle on to the off ramp. A guard station blocked the entrance to the base and Graham stopped the car just long enough to say a couple hushed words to the guard.

After we had been cleared, Graham weaved his way down a small street with boxy-looking houses, one a replica of the next. I scarcely had time to wonder who lived in the identical homes when we made a sharp right down a long, tree-lined road that dead-ended into a massive hover hangar.

Graham’s men filed on to the large plane parked out front. Erik, Cadence, and I followed suit. Graham again took the flight seat and beckoned for me to join him in the co-pilot’s chair.

Once we were high above the base, and the homes resembled a line of ants, Graham cleared his throat. “We are heading to a small town in Pennsylvania, just over the border from Maryland,” he informed me. “There have been reports of a young girl that ‘tells the future.”

“Tells the future?” That piqued my interest. Visionaries were rare these days. One or two were identified during the aptitude testing each year, but a strong Visionary hadn’t been found in decades. Now I knew why Mac was so eager to get his hands on her.

“We have no idea how strong she is,” Graham continued. “But she will be valuable to the Agency when she learns how to use her powers.”

“How old is she?” I asked.

“Not sure, but intel points to between eight and ten,” he replied absently.

“Do we know why she wasn’t tested originally?” I pressed.

“The town is pretty rural; it’s not uncommon for people from the smaller towns to disregard the summons,” he explained. “Personally, I think a lot of them don’t grasp that the testing isn’t optional. In some cases, the parents just assume nobody will know the child is Talented.”

“Mac said the parents wouldn’t be sanctioned as long as I convinced them to let her go peacefully,” I prompted, gauging his reaction.

Graham actually laughed a little at this and I feared maybe that wasn’t actually going to be the case.

“What’s so funny?” I demanded.

“Nothing. It’s just strange to hear somebody so young call him ‘Mac,’” he clarified. “I was in the Hunters with Danbury. We were on the same team for a while and only his closest friends called him that.”

“Well, what else would I call him?” I asked defensively. “I mean calling him ‘Director’ or something sounds so formal and considering I have a bedroom in his house, that would be super weird.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. It would be,” Graham chuckled. “You’re very special to him.”

“He was a friend of my father’s. He just feels a sense of responsibility to me,” I replied sadly. Thinking about my father just then made me miss him terribly.

Graham stiffened at my admission. “Your father was an interesting man,” Graham said carefully.

“You knew him?” I asked surprised.

“I met him a couple times over the years,” Graham said evasively. “Brilliant man. Him and your mother both.” He nodded thoughtfully, as though recalling some long ago memory.

Silence followed his statement. For my part, I wanted to know more, but was afraid to ask. Not that anything Graham Byrnes said would be earth shattering or anything. I just felt uncomfortable talking about my parents with a perfect stranger.

“To answer your question, yes, the mother won’t get in any trouble as long as everything goes smoothly,” said Graham, finally breaking the silence.

“Just the mother?” I asked.

“The father isn’t in the picture. The mother was pretty young when she had her; we’re thinking about eighteen,” Graham explained.

This made me inexplicably sad. The daughter was likely all the woman had and taking away her sole companion was depressing.

Graham began to direct the plane down towards a break in the tree cover. The craft landed in a large field with bleachers on either side, what I’d previously mistaken for a clearing was actually a sport’s field at a school. The field was marked with white lines and numbers indicating yardage at each side. A misshapen T stood in front, and behind, the plane.

“What kind of field is this?” I whispered to Erik once our feet were on solid ground again.

Erik and Cadence, who were standing within earshot, laughed and looked at each other conspiratorially. Several of Graham’s men were also trying to hide smiles when they heard my question.

“What?” I demanded, confused. Of course, I knew it was a sport’s field. The McDonough School had a huge field and bleachers, too. A lot of the combat training took place on that field and when the advanced combat students sparred, the other students came to watch. Many of the physical aspects of the Placement Testing also took place on that field. But ours didn’t have the weird metal posts or the strange lines. Upon closer examination, I noticed that the “grass” we were standing on wasn’t even real grass. It was some odd synthetic substance only made to look like grass.

“It’s a football field,” Erik explained kindly.

“Football,” I repeated softly. “Where’s the goal?”

“You’re thinking of soccer,” Cadence supplied.

Then I remembered the American’s definition of football was decidedly different from the rest of the worlds’. As a child, I’d traveled the world with my parents, but recreational sports had never been high on the “must-see” list. I once again wondered what it would have been like to be normal. Would I have gone to a regular school? Played regular sports? Not American football, of course. Soccer maybe?

“Ready?” Graham asked us, coming to stand beside me.

I nodded. No use dwelling on things that would never be, I decided.

On the other side of the gate marking the entrance to the stadium was a huge parking lot. Two identical black SUVs waited for our entourage. A solitary man dressed in a light-weight brown suit leaned against the hood of one car. He was skinny and awkward in his ill-fitting clothes. He stood up straight, fidgeting nervously with two sets of keys as we approached.

I tried to put myself in his scuffed brown loafers. Most of Graham’s men were large and physically imposing and the arsenal of weapons each man had strapped to various parts of his oversized body was intimidating. Cadence might have been small, but her rigid demeanor made her very unwelcoming. Erik, who was so gentle and kind to me, was terrifying when he was in one of his moods. The fading bruises covering his face gave him a tough appearance; one that said “Don’t mess with me.”

For my part, I doubted I looked menacing, but my odd purple eyes were frequently off-putting. And then there was the fact that my mere presence gave some people the creeps. Not everyone felt it, but those with the ability to sense my power, reacted in one of two ways: they gravitated towards me or they ran for the hills, screaming. The young guy with the car keys undeniably looked as though he wanted to do the latter.

“Hello,” he stammered when Graham was a few feet from him.

“Keys,” Graham demanded gruffly.

The boy extended his arm and with one shaky hand, dropped the keys in Graham’s outstretched palm. Graham threw one set to a guy with a shaved head and ears so large, I questioned whether his haircut was the result of a dare.

“Lyons, Kelley, Choi with me,” Graham called, throwing the driver’s side door open.

The boy in the brown suit barely had time to jump out of the way as Graham threw the car in drive and sped from the parking lot.

Not long after leaving the school, we turned down a gravel road with small, neat houses lining either side. The lingering effects of the Great Contamination were more pronounced here than anywhere I’d been in years. Deformed trees and strange-looking shrubbery decorated yellow lawns. Warped flowers adorned the landscape like a neon rainbow. Vibrant pink fruit hung from badly gnarled tree limbs. Even the sky seemed to be the wrong shade of blue here. It was more like a scene from a cartoon movie than real life.

The houses became farther apart and shabbier the farther we traveled down the unpaved road. We finally stopped in front of a short driveway leading to a ramshackle of a structure. It reminded me of the dilapidated safe house I’d stayed in on my first hunting mission, except that house had been made to look that way from the outside. The interior had actually been clean and well-maintained. I highly doubted the same was true in this case.

Paint that might have been blue in a past life was peeling off the shutters that actually remained attached to the two small windows. The front door hung, cracked and slightly askew, on its hinges. The metal roof was heavily rusted and I bet some portions no longer kept the rain out.

At the very least, Toxic would provide the little Visionary with better living accommodations. The thought didn’t totally absolve my guilt for the role I was about to play in taking her away from her mother, but it did lessen the impact.

“Lyons, Kelley, you’re on,” Graham called to where Erik and I sat in the back of the car.

I glanced at Erik and he nodded without meeting my eyes. We climbed out of the SUV, Graham and his men only seconds behind. Graham handed us each a small ear piece that fit, undetected, inside, allowing us to communicate with the extraction team. Cadence stood uneasily off to one side, not sure what to do with herself.

Erik and I walked up the short drive, gravel crunching loudly underneath our feet. We were so close, my arm brushed his with every step.

“You okay?” I sent.

“Yeah, sure,” he sent back, grabbing my swinging hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

At the front door, I paused, held up a hand to Erik, a signal for him to wait before knocking. I closed my eyes and expanded my senses. Two distinct minds buzzed inside. One was just on the other side of the door, the other in the back corner of the house.

“She’s in there,” I sent Erik.

“I can feel her, too.”

Erik banged three times on the broken wood. A shuffling of feet greeted my ears as someone crossed the room. The hinges protested when the door moved unsteadily inward. An arid odor assaulted my nose when the door opened, causing me to gag. I quickly shut down my sense of smell, blocking the offensive stench.

A heavyset woman I gauged to be in her early twenties stuck her greasy blonde head through the small crack she’d made. Eyes of liquid gold glanced nervously between me and Erik. The woman jutted out her ample chin and asked, “Whadda you two want?”

I sucked in a breath through my mouth, preparing to take control of her mind. “We’d like to come in,” I said evenly.

The woman complacently opened the door wider, allowing me and Erik entrance. Erik’s hand flew involuntarily to his nose as he fought the urge to retch just as I’d done moments before. I felt guilty that my senses were so conditioned that I could have easily turned one off at will. He didn’t have that luxury. Unfortunately, it was a learned behavior, so Erik couldn’t mimic the act.

“Breathe through your mouth,” I advised.

The interior made the outside look glamorous by comparison. A dirty three-seater couch dominated the living space. Springs burst through the filthy cushions in several spots and I decided against sitting. Behind the couch, I found the source of the putrid smell. Several wire cages were stacked on top of one another. A handful of scrawny chickens clucked noisily.

Erik coughed and his eyes began to water. All sense of decorum forgotten, he raised an arm to his face and covered his mouth and nose with his coat sleeve. Either the woman was used to the reaction or she didn’t care. Either way, she wasn’t offended.

“What’s your name, ma’am?” I asked the pudgy woman. I finally got my first glance at the length of her entire form. A dirty blue smock-like dress was drawn tight across her well-endowed chest and protruding stomach. Her swollen feet were stuffed in worn synthetic shoes. I felt miserable for the young woman and her squalor-like living conditions.

“Lisa,” she whispered without emotion.

“Lisa.” I smiled to put her at ease. “My name is Talia and this is Erik and we’re from Toxic. Do you know what Toxic is?”

“Yeah,” she said robotically.

“Good. Is your daughter here?” I asked, wanting to get to the point and get out of this make-shift chicken coop before Erik hurled all over the dusty floor.

“What you want with Bethy?” she asked suspiciously. The chickens had momentarily distracted me and my hold on her mind had slackened.

“We want to ask her a couple questions. You don’t mind, do you?” Erik soothed, taking over.

“Course not.” She smiled, slipping back in to robot mode. “Bethy,” she hollered towards the back of the house.

The pitter-patter of small bare feet filled the tiny house and then a miniature version of Lisa appeared in the doorframe demarcating the living room and a small hallway. The child had the same dirty blonde hair and goldenrod eyes and was a testament to the notion that obesity might be genetic.

“Hello, Bethy,” I greeted the girl.

“Hi,” she said in a small voice. She gazed longingly at the clean, comparatively stylish clothes that Erik and I wore. An expression of wonder at the two strangers that must’ve appeared so out of place in her dingy house came over her features.

“Bethy, we’re from Toxic,” I started kindly.

“I know who you are,” she declared, sticking out her chin in a good imitation of her mother.

“You do?” I asked, startled.

“I saw you coming,” she replied evenly.

“Like out the window?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure that wasn’t what she meant.

“In my head,” she confirmed my thoughts.

“So you can see the future?” I clarified.

“I see things that hadn’t happened yet,” she explained.

Mine and Erik’s eyes met and he sighed. Now that our intel was confirmed, we had no choice but to take her with us. The more of her house I saw, the more convinced I became that going to the school was truly the best thing for her.

“Well, Bethy, did you also see that we came to take you to the McDonough School?” I prompted her.

“Wait just a dang minute,” Lisa interjected. “You can’t just show up and take my kid.”

“Ma’am, we’re here to take Bethy to a better place. Where she will be around other kids like her,” Erik said. His voice was gentle, but his body language spoke a different story. Like me, he did believe that, in Bethy’s case, the McDonough School and Toxic might well be advantageous. But he was strongly opposed to tearing her away from her mother.

“You want what’s best for Bethy, don’t you?” I turned my full attention to her. Under the combined effort of mine and Erik’s abilities, she could only nod obligingly. “That’s what I thought,” I continued, nodding jerkily to reassure myself as much as Lisa.

“Why don’t you sit down while Bethy packs some of her things?” Erik suggested.

Lisa waddled over to her couch and sank down on the dirty cushions.

“Do you need help getting some stuff together?” I asked Bethy.

“No, ma’am. My bags are already packed,” she answered, then turned and walked back down the hallway.

In no time, Bethy reappeared in the living room, a tattered black bag strapped to her back and a small woven purse clenched in one chubby fist. “I’m ready,” she declared.

I nodded and offered her my hand. She wrapped the fingers of her free hand around mine and gave me a small smile. She glanced sadly to where her mother sat staring off in to space. Despite the extreme poverty she was living in, Bethy really didn’t want to go with us. She loved her mother and hated leaving her all alone. But like she’d said earlier, she had seen us coming and had been preparing herself for this moment for the past year. She’d seen the scenario change several times since her first vision. The version where Erik and I came for her was the only one with a positive outcome for her mother. On some level, she was even aware that her mother’s compliance wasn’t exactly voluntary. She didn’t seem to fault me or Erik; rather, she was grateful her mother truly believed this was for the best.

“You can say goodbye,” I told her, sensing her indecision.

Bethy nodded and released her grip on my hand. She crossed the floor to the couch in three long strides and threw her arms around her mother’s neck. Erik coughed uncomfortably and looked away from the scene.

“I love you,” Bethy whispered thickly in her mother’s ear and my chest began to ache.

“It’s almost over,” I assured Erik.

“I know,” he sent back without looking in my direction.

“Why don’t you take her outside?” I suggested when Bethy finally drew back from her mother’s limp embrace.

Erik nodded and then held out his own hand to the child. “Come on, Beth. Let’s go the car,” he told her.

When they were securely through the front door, I knelt in front of Lisa and clasped her swollen fingers in my hands. “You thought sending Bethy to the school would be the best thing for her,” I said in a low, steady voice. “You are happy Bethy will be with other kids like her,” I added, my voicing cracking as I stumbled over the words. Clearing my throat, I continued, “You will miss her, of course, but you did the right thing by letting her go.”

Lisa nodded absently, a dazed and vacant expression hung in her eyes. She kept trying to focus on me, but couldn’t. “I want what’s best for my daughter. I am happy she’ll be with others of her kind.” Lisa had trouble enunciating her words.

I rose to my full sub five-feet and turned to leave. I was a little unsteady as I exited the tiny, dilapidated house, hoping that my words had actually sunk in and that Lisa would be content in the knowledge that she had done right by Bethy.

Chapter Seventeen

Our group arrived back at the Hamilton mid-afternoon. The hotel was virtually empty since most Operatives were either at the testing facility or helping sift through the wreckage in Bethesda. I’d called Mac on the brief flight back to the base in Greenbelt to let him know Bethy was with us and there hadn’t been any trouble. He seemed pleased and ordered Cadence to take charge of the girl until he arrived back from wherever it was he was spending the day. I was relieved Bethy wasn’t resigned to my care since I would have been at loss as to how to entertain her. And I had something else I needed to attend to, Erik.

His mood was black the entire trip back and I worried about him. He insisted on sitting next to Bethy. Nobody minded since she smelled strongly of chicken poop. I hoped Cadence’s first order of business would be to get her a proper shower and some clean clothes. Erik spoke to her in a quiet voice, trying to ease any lingering doubts about her new life. I was simultaneously touched by his compassion and saddened by the events from which it was born.

Erik insisted on going to his own room alone. I wanted to protest, but I knew better. He’d only shut me out if I pushed. I would let him stew in solitude for a couple of hours before I interrupted. In the interim, I decided the best use of my time was taking out my frustrations on the poor punching bag. I might’ve walked around the city and indulged in some retail therapy, but since promising Mac I wouldn’t leave the hotel without my bodyguard, Erik, I wasn’t sure that was really a good idea.

The idea of buying needless clothing and random trinkets to make myself feel better was a notion Penny taught me. Thinking about Penny led my mind in a dangerous direction. She was never far from my thoughts. I tried to keep her tucked away in the recesses of my mind, only visiting her at night in my dreams. With so much happening so fast, I was desperate for a sounding board. Erik was great, but there were topics best discussed with a girlfriend. Penny was the only one I’d ever had.

Despite being a private person, I enjoyed telling Penny about my relationship with Erik. She would have loved to hear that we finally consummated it. When I closed my eyes, I saw Penny sitting on my bed at Headquarters, stuffing her face with room service while I divulged the less intimate details of the encounter. Her high-pitched squeal filled my mind and I heard her saying something silly like, “Welcome to the ranks of the devirginized.”

Deciding a pretend conversation with the girl who had once been my best friend and closest confidante would be cathartic, I imagined what all I would tell her as I beat the swinging bag into submission. But after the happy subjects were spent, I started to think about all the questions I wanted her to answer. I thought about all the uncertainty in my life and how Penny could have made sense of it had Mac let me speak to her before her execution. Of course, I’d never asked to speak with her and Mac had never offered. At the time, I didn’t want to. Now that she was gone, I regretted not insisting upon a meeting.

When I returned to my room several hours later, my mental exhaustion was worse than the physical. Thinking about Penny didn’t prove as rewarding as I’d hoped. So after showering and getting dressed in clean clothes, I sought out my primary source of comfort, Erik. I doubted his mood had improved in the time we’d been apart, but I figured we could be sad together at least. And I was never that unhappy when with Erik.

When Erik answered the door, I was surprised to find him dressed to go out. His mood was lighter and he looked and smelled intoxicating.

“I was just heading towards your room,” he said, kissing me lightly on the cheek.

“Really?” I asked suspiciously. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“We’re going out for a little,” he replied with one of his patented mischievous smiles that I loved so much.

“Are we? Where are we going?” I asked, confused.

“To meet some people. Eat, drink, be merry, etcetera, etcetera,” he said lazily.

“Um, not to put a damper on your great plans, but are you sure that’s such a good idea? I mean, Mac doesn’t want me leaving here without a bodyguard, and there is that whole curfew thing,” I added lamely.

“I think we both need some mindless fun. And you aren’t going anywhere without a bodyguard. I’m your bodyguard. We’ll be back by curfew. The bars will close by then, anyway. So, no more excuses. Let’s get you changed so we can get going,” he insisted.

I was well aware of Erik’s idea of mindless fun and knew Mac wouldn’t approve. I also knew that a drunk Erik wasn’t going to be a very effective bodyguard. But his earnest expression made me hesitant to bring that up. If I told him to go without me, he wouldn’t. He would insist on staying here and then he’d be miserable. So, I agreed.

Erik selected a short, purple silk dress with thin straps from my closet and ordered me to put it on. The dress was one of Kenly’s selections and much shorter and clingier than I liked. The fabric was nearly identical in color to my eyes, making them impossible not to notice. I normally shied away from clothing that drew attention to the physical qualities that marked me as Talented. But I knew that Erik picked the dress because he liked the effect and my primary goal for the evening was making him happy. So, I put on the dress without protest. I even went the extra mile and brushed gold shadow across my lids and applied liberal amounts of black mascara. When I looked in the mirror, I was relieved to find a moderately attractive girl staring back at me. And not the living corpse that I’d resembled lately. Even my curls were tightly wound and bounced prettily between my shoulder blades tonight.

When I emerged from the bathroom, Erik was sitting patiently on my bed. His eyes lit up when he drank in my appearance. “You look beautiful,” he declared breathlessly.

“Thank you,” I replied shyly, somewhat embarrassed by his compliment. Or more likely, the way he was his eyes stared right through my clothes to what lay beneath.

“Maybe we should just stay in,” he said huskily.

“I don’t think that would be satisfying for you,” I said dryly.

“I have no doubt I would be satisfied, very satisfied,” he added, his eyes lingering on the low neckline of my dress. A tingly sensation spread like wildfire from my forehead down to my toes.

“Come on, horny, before you get us both in trouble.” I rolled my eyes and headed to the door, barely concealing a stupid grin.

Another surprise waited for me in the lobby. Cadence and, to my utter shock, Harris Daughtery, were waiting for us. Cadence was dressed in her best imitation of bar appropriate attire. It didn’t look much different than her standard black business suit except the pants were tight against her sculpted legs and her black sleeveless shirt was low cut and silky. Her hair was messily styled and her cherub-like mouth shiny with a pink gloss.

Harris had briefly dated Penny the year before. I hadn’t seen him in months and now wondered how he was dealing with everything. The last time I’d spoken to Penny about Harris, I got the impression there were some lingering feelings on both sides of the equation. I wondered whether Harris felt betrayed or if, like me, hurt.

“Hope it’s okay I invited them,” Erik whispered, his good mood wavering slightly for the first time since I’d knocked on his door.

“Of course,” I confirmed.

Truthfully, I was glad that he’d invited them. Going out with a group of people would be fun and that, after all, was the point in this little excursion. Erik seemed relieved at my confirmation. I was glad to make him happy.

“You look nice,” I called out to Cadence when we got close enough.

“Thanks,” she replied, self-consciously patting her artfully styled hair.

I gave Harris a hug and whispered, “It’s good to see you,” in his ear when he bent down to reciprocate.

I figured we would go to a bar close to the hotel. When we boarded a bus headed for Loudon Circle, I realized I’d thought wrong. Loudon Circle held the largest concentration of nightlife in the city. Apparently, Erik had planned a wilder night than he let on.

The trip across town was quick. The bus driver reminded us curfew extended until ten on account of it being Friday night. He was also sure to add that if we weren’t at the bus stop by quarter of, we’d be walking home.

Loudon Circle was alive with teenagers and twenty-somethings. Bars and nightclubs lined the streets in every direction. The sidewalks were overflowing with drunken laughter and generally raucous behavior. The moment I stepped on to the pavement, I was glad we’d come. The mood at the Hamilton was so bleak and serious, everyone overly cautious in the wake of the attack in Bethesda. Here, though, the people were carefree, unconcerned by the world outside of the bubble that was D.C. Just being in such close proximity to them made me feel lighter.

I followed Erik as he pushed through the crowds until finally coming to a stop in front of a bar called The Four Horsemen. The interior was decorated in rich wood and dark green leather booths. The lights were dim and the interior was already packed wall-to-wall.

Erik led our group through the scantily clad girls gyrating to the loud music pumping through invisible speakers and the already drunk guys ogling them. I clung tightly to his hand, afraid I might get swallowed by the crowd. I was too small to see over the heads of the dancers and their admirers, so when we finally came to a stop at a booth, I didn’t immediately notice who was sitting there.

Extremely long arms reached around Erik and engulfed me in a giant hug.

“Henri!” I exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been out in Bethesda helping out and Erik called to see if I wanted to meet you guys for dinner,” he replied, releasing me. “You look good, Talia,” he added, looking me up and down.

If any other guy in the bar had performed the gesture, his face would’ve become intimately acquainted with Erik’s fist. The boys’ bond of friendship was too strong for that and even if Henri had been attracted to girls, I doubt Erik would have minded.

“You, too,” I replied, smiling.

“I’m not the one who’s been through hell and back,” Henri said, giving my arm a squeeze before turning to greet Cadence and Harris.

That was when I realized he wasn’t alone in the booth. His boyfriend, Frederick, was smiling serenely from his seat. One of his hands was wrapped tightly around a glass of white wine and the mostly empty bottle was sitting in a bucket of melting ice. His rosy cheeks were a further indication that they’d been drinking for quite some time.

I climbed up to sit next to Frederick as he signaled a passing waiter to bring us two more bottles of whatever they’d been drinking. He kissed me sweetly on the cheek by way of greeting.

“How have you been?” he asked, his delicate features contorted with concern.

“Better every day.” I smiled, patting his rosy cheek affectionately.

I’d met Frederick for the first time not long after becoming a Pledge and had taken an instant liking to him. I wasn’t sure how anybody could not like Frederick. Nice seemed too simple of an adjective to describe the fine-boned boy, but that was the only word for him. He was easy to talk to and had a way about him that put everyone at ease. Frederick also had the rare distinction of being the only person I’d ever met who left Toxic. Technically, he was a Talent, but according to Donavon, his abilities were extremely low-level. As a result, he’d requested a discharge instead of taking a remedial job within the Agency. Now he taught at one of the city schools.

Once everyone was seated, and the two bottles of wine and several more glasses had been delivered, the conversation turned light and trivial. Erik seemed to relax further in the company of Henri and Frederick.

Harris was quieter than I’d remembered, but his melancholy mood wasn’t without cause. He was still deeply depressed about Penny, I realized. The smile that slowly spread across his face throughout the evening was directly proportional to the amount of alcohol he drank. I was glad that, at least for a while, he could forget his troubles. It wasn’t long before he was grinning broadly and Frederick was ordering another couple of bottles of the fruity wine.

Cadence sipped hers slowly at first, but every time her glass dipped below halfway, Henri refilled it. I was surprised to find him being such an instigator. He was normally the responsible, controlled one, but a quick peek in his head told me he was desperate to erase the horrific images he’d witnessed over the past two days. Apparently, alcohol aided in the forgetting process. While I liked seeing Henri let loose for once, the darkness lingering deep in his mind scared me.

Erik’s behavior was what I found most perplexing. Despite the fact it had been his idea to come out and have a little fun, he nursed the same glass of wine all night. He enthusiastically took part in the conversation, but his eyes were constantly surveying the darkened room as if some monster lurked in every corner. He kept his arm draped lazily over my shoulders at all times. And my earlier fears about him getting drunk and neglecting his promise to protect me made me feel guilty. He was clearly taking his responsibility very seriously.

I, however, wasn’t being quite so good. Dr. Thistler told me not to drink. After meeting with Anya, I found the doctor’s rules mattered very little to me. Besides, one glass of wine couldn’t hurt. That one glass of wine went straight to my head, though. Words became harder to enunciate and the room swirled around me. If we encountered Mac on the way back to my room, I would pay for the indulgence.

Half way through my second glass of wine, I excused myself to use the bathroom. Erik was hesitant to let me go alone. I assured him if he tried to follow me, not only would it be awkward for me, it would raise eyebrows from any of the other girls that might be in there. He settled for sending Cadence instead.

“Is he always this overprotective?” Cadence asked over the loud music.

“Nah, I think it’s just because Mac thinks I need protection.” I practically had to shout over the music for her to hear me.

“He’s a good guy. You’re very lucky,” she replied. Then Cadence offered me a genuine smile.

I returned it, almost bashfully. The more time I spent with Cadence, the less I minded her. Under the influence of wine, I thought I might even like her. At the very least, I was beginning to understand her. She and I actually weren’t very different. Maybe a real friendship was on the horizon for us.

On the way back to the table, a good-looking boy with pretty blue eyes and a warm, crooked smile pulled Cadence on to the dance floor and started twirling her in circles that were nowhere near in time to the music. She glanced over her shoulder at me in alarm. I nodded, encouraging her to let loose.

When I slid across the green leather of the bench, Erik and Frederick were in the middle of a deep, serious conversation. Erik gestured wildly with his hands while Frederick fervently shook his head back and forth.

“Shit’s about to hit the fan,” I heard Erik say.

“You don’t know that for sure,” Frederick replied.

“There’s something seriously off,” Erik said.

“I can have a Conductor ready on a moment’s notice, but I need at least several days to mobilize a unit to go down south.”

The music was thudding so loudly that neither noticed me right away. Both boys went mute when they finally did. I stared suspiciously from one to the other, but Erik didn’t give me the chance to ask any questions.

“Where’s Cadence?” he asked uneasily.

“Dance floor, if you can believe it.” I nodded to wear Cadence and her partner were jumping up and down in a very uncoordinated attempt at dancing.

Frederick laughed good-naturedly as he poured himself more wine. “More, Talia?” he asked, inclining the bottle towards my glass.

“No,” Erik quickly answered for me, a little too quickly.

I shot him a dirty look. Since when did being my boyfriend give him the right to speak for me? He usually liked it when I drank. It ensured a happy ending to his night. Well, maybe not so happy, actually. The couple of times I’d been drunk around him, we’d fought. Sometimes I wondered if two people with such combative personalities were tempting fate by falling in love. Yet when Erik turned his full attention from Frederick to me, the love and concern in his eyes reminded me why we fit so well. The same passion that fueled our fights drove the incomparable physical attraction between us.

“No, thanks. I think I’m good with what I have left,” I told Frederick.

On the other side of the table, Henri and Harris were taking shots of some sickly brown liquor they lit on fire before drinking. Frederick shook his head and laughed as his boyfriend grimaced at the unpleasant taste left in his mouth.

“Man, that stuff’s nasty,” Henri declared, wiping the excess from his mouth.

As time passed, several Operatives I recognized from breakfasts at the Hamilton stopped by to talk to Erik, Henri, and Harris. A couple of the bold city girls tentatively approached the table and tried to convince Harris to join them on the dance floor. He politely refused, preferring to take more shots with Henri than trying and find a girl to go home with. One or two girls even asked Frederick to dance, but he, too, politely declined. The possessive way Erik held on to me, coupled with the death stares I shot any girl looking in his direction, kept the vultures away. He’d said a little jealously was okay, right?

Cadence finally returned to the table, breathless and sweaty, just in time for us to reluctantly part ways with Frederick and Henri. Outside, I hugged each boy, not wanting to say goodbye.

“I’ll see you soon,” Fredrick promised. “Be careful,” he added in a hushed whisper.

I smiled and promised him I would. His warning made me think Erik must have told him about the Coalition’s threats against me. That must have been what they were talking about when I returned from the bathroom.

Henri gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek and squeezed me so tightly, the joints in my spine cracked loudly.

“Watch the wandering hands with my girlfriend,” Erik teased, slapping him on the back.

“Girlfriend,” Henri cackled, drunkenly, “it must be a cold day in hell.” Then, Erik and Henri hugged in the way only guys do. Henri even planted a wet kiss on Erik’s cheek before pulling away.

“You better get your boyfriend home before he does something stupid,” Erik joked to Frederick, wiping the side of his face with the back of his hand. Then in a much lower voice, he said, “I’m serious. The situation is serious.”

Somehow, I knew he wasn’t talking about Henri and his inebriated state. I once again thought back to the conversation I’d interrupted. “The shit’s about to hit the fan,” Erik had said. What did he mean? And what was a “conductor” and why were people going “down south”? Where exactly was down south? I made a mental note to ask Erik when we were alone.

Frederick grabbed Henri’s hand and began leading him to a waiting taxi. Erik, Cadence, Harris, and I hopped on the city bus, along with a hoard of drunken teenagers. It was already pretty full, so we were forced to stand. My head was spinning from the two glasses of wine, so I rested it against Erik’s chest as the bus lurched forward.

“It was so nice to see Henri and Frederick,” I said.

“Yeah, I thought that you might like that,” Erik replied.

“What were you and Frederick talking about when I came back from the bathroom? And again just now?”

Erik didn’t hesitate in his reply. “You,” he said simply. The way the emotion fled from his expression when he spoke told me he didn’t want to talk about it.

My head felt heavy, like dead weight, and I didn’t have the strength for an argument. “Good things, I hope,” I said lightly, letting the issue drop for the time being.

“Always.”

Chapter Eighteen

Harris was so drunk, he had to lean on Erik for support when we finally disembarked in front of our hotel. Thankfully, Desmond was one of the guards on duty and he agreed to leave his post to help us get Harris to bed before someone who mattered noticed his intoxicated state. Drinking wasn’t forbidden or anything, but returning to the hotel three sheets to the wind would be frowned upon.

While Erik and Desmond half carried, half dragged Harris to his room, I escorted Cadence to hers. She didn’t really need me to since she’d sweated out most of her wine dancing with the city boy, but I felt obligated nonetheless.

“Thanks for inviting me tonight,” she said, pausing with her hand on the doorknob.

“Sure. I mean everyone needs a little fun, right?” I shrugged.

“Yeah, but I haven’t exactly been that nice to you. I knew why you were there, at the school. You were sent to investigate me because of my brother.” It wasn’t a question. Cadence rested her forehead on the door and stared down at the floor between her feet.

“How did you know that?” I asked suspiciously. The assignment had supposedly been unofficial and need-to-know.

“Wasn’t hard to guess. There’d been murmurings of a spy for a while. When a Manipulator showed up in my class, I knew I was a suspect. Randy’s indiscretion tainted my entire family,” she replied bitterly.

She was right. The whole reason she’d been added to my suspect list was because her brother was incarcerated for helping a Coalition prisoner escape.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, not entirely sure what I was apologizing for. It just felt like the right thing to do.

“She was Crane’s sister, you know,” she continued, ignoring my words.

“I know. I read the file,” I said quietly. I didn’t add that I’d seen the pictures of Ellen Larson’s mangled corpse. The grotesque images made me shudder even now.

“She spun him some crazy story about the Director kidnapping a child from Coalition territory or something and how she needed to rescue the kid,” Cadence confided miserably. “Randy believed her, took pity on her. He made all sorts of outrageous claims at his sentencing. I am just glad they decided life in prison was suitable. I hate him for what he did, but it’s just reassuring to know he’s still alive, if that makes any sense.”

“It does,” I assured her quietly. I felt the same way about Penny, or at least I would have if she were still alive.

“I should get to sleep,” Cadence muttered, finally turning the knob and disappearing through the door.

“Night,” I whispered to an empty hallway. Cadence was already gone.

Erik was sitting quietly in my bed when I entered my room. His eyes were closed, his skull resting against the headboard. He looked peaceful and relaxed. The evening with his friends had certainly paid off. Erik’s lips parted in a smile when he heard my soft footsteps on the carpet.

“Hey,” I called, grinning as I crossed the room to join him.

“Hey,” he called back.

“Harris get to bed okay?” I asked, kicking off my jeweled flip-flops before curling up beside him. Erik wrapped one arm around my waist, pulling me against his side.

“Yeah, he’s kinda a mess,” Erik said, running his fingers lightly up my spine.

Pleasant shivers of thrill ran through me and Erik’s smile widened.

“Penny?” I guessed.

“Yup. He needs to be more careful. He was mumbling some nonsense about her in front of Desmond. I mean, Desmond won’t say anything, but Harris shouldn’t be saying stuff in front of people he doesn’t know, or anyone for that matter.” Erik frowned, worry for his friend creating fine lines at the corners of his mouth.

“Probably not,” I agreed.

We laid there in silence for a while. Erik’s hand wandered down to where my dress had ridden up, exposing more of my thigh than was publicly decent. My mind buzzed from the alcohol and I snuggled closer, urging his hand to go higher. He kissed my bare shoulder, playfully sliding the strap down with his teeth. I shivered as he trailed kisses along my throat and jaw. By the time his mouth found mine, I was giddy with anticipation.

Erik grabbed my waist and lifted me into his lap. My dress was bunched, revealing my underwear. Erik ran the tips of his fingers along the outsides of my thighs, sending jolts of electricity through my limbs. I ran my own hands through his hair, wanting to be closer to him.

When he gently pushed me back and broke the kiss, I collapsed against his chest, panting.

“I should go,” he whispered thickly in my ear.

“Already?” I asked, not bothering to hide my disappointment.

“It’s late, Tals. I don’t think it would be a good idea for either of us if I stayed,” he replied, sounding more than a little disappointed himself.

“You can stay for a little longer,” I said, kissing the spot on his neck I knew would break down his resolve.

“Tal,” he moaned, “please don’t.” He gripped my upper arms firmly, pushing me away from him.

I gave him my best imitation of puppy dog eyes. Erik sighed in frustration, shifting uncomfortably beneath me.

“I have a lot on my mind,” Erik said.

“Want to talk about it?” I asked.

Erik shook his head.

“Does it have anything to do with what you and Frederick were talking about?”

This took Erik by surprise. “I told you,” he said slowly. “We were talking about you.”

“What were you saying?” I pressed. Now that we were alone, I wanted to know. Their conversation had seemed serious. I didn’t like serious conversations about me that I wasn’t a part of.

Erik sat up straighter. His lips brushed mine, softly at first. The kiss became deeper, more passionate. All thoughts of Frederick and Conductors and everything that made no sense were overtaken by desire and Erik. Sure, I knew he was using sex as a distraction. I didn’t care. Alone time was a commodity in short supply. Given the choice between spending it talking and spending it doing my new favorite sport, well, that was a no-brainer. We could talk tomorrow.

Erik reached around to my back and slowly undid the zipper of my dress. When the silky purple fabric fell open, he worked my arms out of the straps. He gently rolled me off his lap and on to the comforter. Then he crawled down to my feet and yanked the dress down until I was lying in nothing more than my underwear. I grinned up at him. Yeah, talking could wait.

Afterwards, we sat there, our foreheads touching. While we stared into each other’s eyes, time ceased to exist. The mental experience proved more intimate than the physical one. We shared one mind, one soul. I could see and feel every hope and dream he’d ever had. His life flashed through my mind in fast forward. The happy memories of his family filled me with so much joy that I felt like sunshine might burst from my eyes. I saw him at eight or nine, playing with two smaller versions of himself. A slightly older Erik flying down a snow-covered hill on a metal saucer screaming exuberantly filled my mind next. I felt the wind whipping my hair and the invigorating sting of ice hitting my cheeks, as though I was actually living in the moment.

I saw myself, barely sixteen and wholly arrogant, standing on a sparring mat. I felt his amusement at what he perceived as my overconfidence. I relived being stabbed on my first mission from Erik’s point of view. The memory should have been painful, but it wasn’t. That was the night Erik admitted to himself he was in love with me. Warmth spread through me. I hoped what he saw in my head made him feel even a fraction as precious as the memories in his mind made me feel.

Erik broke the connection first. He put a hand to his forehead, looking dazed. “That was amazing,” he whispered. “How did you do that?”

“I don’t know,” I stammered, still a little stunned. “It was a first for me.”

“Me, too,” he whispered. Erik kissed me softly, his lips barely touching mine. “I hate to go, but I really have to,” he mumbled against my mouth.

I swallowed thickly, wanting to reestablish the bond, but lacking the energy to do so. “I know,” I finally agreed and my eyelids began to droop with fatigue. “Dream about me,” I whispered because, for some reason, the wine and exhaustion made me think that was the right thing to say.

“I always do, Tals, I always do,” he promised.

Since the next day was Saturday, no one knocked on my door or rang my communicator at some obscenely early hour. And I slept, undisturbed, in my comfortable hotel bed until I made the conscious decision to wake on my own.

I knew it was late before I even looked at my communicator. The sun was high and bright in the sky outside my window. When I finally did look at the time, it was past one in the afternoon. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept more than half the day away. Ordinarily, the indulgence would’ve made me feel lazy, but not today. Today, I deserved the luxury.

The message button on my communicator blinked red and urgent with two messages. Before I even pressed the button, I knew one would be from Mac. I was right. His deep voice filled my room, telling me not to leave the hotel since he’d sent Erik to Bethesda. He also requested my presence in his room for dinner at seven. I groaned at the thought.

The second message was, unsurprisingly, from Erik. He hadn’t wanted to disturb me before he left and he’d let me know when he was back.

Since I had no pressing obligations, I decided to take advantage of the rare abundance of time on my hands. For the third day in a row, I succeeded in administering my own medication and that alone was cause for celebration. So, I ordered a lavish meal from room service, complete with a decadent chocolate dessert. The hotel room was equipped with a wall screen, but I chose solitude over the mindless entertainment. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed being alone. There was no Mac appraising my every move, no doctors asking me stupid, repetitive questions.

While I missed Erik whenever we were apart, I was grateful for the privacy. When Erik was around, I fought to stay in control of my emotions. My mood swings and unpredictable behavior put him on edge. He weighed his every word, lest he say something that might upset me and incite my temper. I hated that he felt the need to be so cautious and that I couldn’t regulate my feelings. I didn’t want it to be like this between us. I was scared one day the balancing act would become too much and he’d decide I wasn’t worth the trouble. I wanted us to be equals. He might love me as much as I loved him, but he didn’t need me the way I needed him.

As much as I loathed taking the equalizer, I contemplated calling Dr. Thistler and telling her to increase my dosage. The medication did help with my frame of mind. It calmed me, allowed me to be more rational.

Just as I found her number in my communicator, there was a knock at my door. Abandoning the electronic device, I moved to answer it. When I opened the door, a smiling man in a waiter’s uniform greeted me. I invited him in and directed him to place my lunch on the table. Then I politely thanked him and sent him on his way.

After I had consumed so much food that I thought I might actually bust, I rummaged through the makeup I’d packed and found a couple of bottles of nail polish left over from one of mine and Penny’s shopping trips. Selecting a bright pink, I set up shop on the carpet and began the tedious task of painting my nails.

I was admiring my handiwork when a second someone knocked at my door. Odd, I thought. It was too early for Erik, only 3:00 pm. Since I wasn’t meeting Mac for another four hours, I doubted he was my visitor. I opened my mind. Not Erik or Mac. I concentrated harder. Harris. “Hmmm. Well, this is unexpected,” I mumbled to myself.

“It’s open,” I called, disengaging the lock.

Harris slowly pushed the door open and stuck his sandy blonde head through the crack. He looked horrible. His brown eyes were so red that they actually appeared to be bleeding. The dark circles underneath made him look like he’d been on the losing end of a fight. And the alcohol he’d consumed the night before was seeping out of his pores in a nauseating musk.

“Hey. Come in.” I smiled.

He hesitated once inside the doorway, looking uncomfortable and unsure why he’d come.

“Take a seat,” I offered, inclining my head towards one of the chairs at the table that still held the remnants of my lunch feast.

Harris shuffled his large feet across the carpeting, keeping his eyes downcast. He sat gingerly in the chair, but still didn’t speak.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, hoping to prompt some conversation.

“Miserable,” he grumbled, rubbing his temples. “I had guard duty this morning and I overslept. When the guy I was supposed to relieve came to find me, I was still passed out. The Director then came down to yell at me himself.” Harris shook his head, coloring slightly at the embarrassing memory.

“Mac will get over it,” I promised him. “You know how he is,” I added when that didn’t seem to mollify him.

“I don’t know, Talia...... He was really mad.” Harris looked doubtful. Given the current climate in the Agency, I didn’t honestly blame him. Mac had been in an exceptionally foul mood lately.

“You want me to try and talk to him?” I guessed the reason for his visit.

“Nah, you don’t have to do that. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble,” he replied quickly.

We sat in awkward silence for several long minutes. Harris stared blankly at the window I’d opened to fumigate the room. I waived my fingers and toes as I willed them to dry faster.

“Do you miss her, too?” Harris whispered finally.

I bit my lower lip, debating whether to tell him the truth. The longing in his eyes for some confirmation that he wasn’t the only one who was hurting made me decide honesty was what he really needed.

“Yes, I do,” I replied. “But she was a spy, Harris. She lied to all of us and she nearly got me killed,” I added, glancing nervously around the room as though someone was listening.

“Do you really believe that, Talia? I mean, I know that’s what they’re saying, but do you really think she was capable of something like that?” Harris’s face pleaded with me to say no, but I couldn’t. Privately discussing my true feelings with Erik was one thing, admitting them to Harris was another.

“Yes, Harris. You weren’t there. She admitted to me she was a part of the Coalition and that she was sent here to spy. I know she didn’t say much when she was interrogated, but she never denied what she was,” I said as kindly as I could manage. And that much was true. She’d never said one word to the contrary. She had lied to all of us.

“You were at her sentencing, right?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said slowly, not sure where he was going with this.

“I heard......Well, I heard there was a big scene......That she did something to you?” he pressed.

Crap. I seriously didn’t want to talk about this with him.

“She was a Mimic. She mimicked my manipulation abilities to make me see things. None of it was real,” I replied firmly. It was the same line I’d repeated numerous times to Dr. Wythe and Mac so they would agree to end the therapy sessions. But lying to Harris was not as easy as lying to Mac. Part of me wanted to tell him the truth, openly share his pain. I rationalized the lie by telling myself it would make it easier for him to get over her.

Harris nodded sadly, the last spark of hope flickering out of his eyes. I’d let him down. He came to me hoping for an ally. Instead, I lied and played Mac’s lapdog.

“Look -,” I started to say.

Harris cut me off. “I should go lay back down. I have guard duty again tonight,” he mumbled. He stood and started for the door.

“Harris,” I called after him.

“Yeah?” he said, turning to face me again, one hand on the doorknob.

“I’m sorry. I loved her, too. I thought she was my friend, too,” I said, hoping that would at least comfort him a little.

After Harris had gone, I felt less like being alone with my own thoughts. I didn’t want to think about our conversation or the lies I’d told him. I didn’t want to think about Penny or how much I missed her. I didn’t want to think about what she’d showed me in the courtroom; it was too painful.

In need of a distraction, I decided to call Kenly. I hadn’t spoken to her once since I’d arrived and felt more than a little guilty about that. Since she was finished with her classes for the semester, she would be training with Donavon during the day, but I assumed by now, she would be back in her room, at least if they were following the training plan I’d devised.

Scrolling through my comm contacts, purposely skipping over Dr. Irene Thistler, I found Kenly’s number. Before Harris’ visit, I’d been convinced that I needed my medication increased, but thinking about the unpleasant therapy sessions with Dr. Wythe had made me reconsider.

In the days after the incident with Penny, the doctors had upped my dosage to keep me in a near comatose state. I’d been numb and compliant, easily suggestible. While I hated the way I kept flying off the handle at Erik, I wasn’t ready to revisit those feelings. At least with my current medication, I was clearheaded. Sure, I went from zero to three hundred and sixty in seconds, but at least I could process what was happening to me. Before I made any hasty decisions, I really wanted to talk to Erik. If he thought the higher dosage was necessary, only then would I call Dr. Thistler.

I selected the Kenly Baker entry and hit send.

“Hello? Talia?” she answered excitedly on the third ring.

“Hey, Kenly,” I replied, relaxing at the sound of her voice. “How’s it going? How’s training?”

“Good, Tal. I’ve doing so much better with my Telekinesis. Donavon has been so good to me. I even managed to almost beat him the other day!” The enthusiasm in Kenly’s voice was infectious and my mood lifted further.

I listened to her describe, in detail, all the progress she was making under Donavon’s tutelage. She admitted she was tired, but each day found her more ready for her upcoming placement exams. Donavon had been called away to go to Bethesda on the day of the attack, so he’d filled her in on the situation. The assault made her even more determined to become a Hunter and fight for Toxic’s goals. Her dedication made me both proud and a little sad. The Coalition’s actions had majorly upped the game. Before, the war had been mostly offensive; Toxic always had the upper hand. But now, it seemed the tables might be turning. Every mission would be more dangerous, more important. Hunting assignments had always come with a degree of risk, but not like they would now. And who knew how many more spies the Coalition had placed in Toxic? More Operatives could be compromised as I’d been. I didn’t want that for Kenly.

“You’re going to be back for my exam, right?” she asked.

“I promise I’ll be there, but it doesn’t sound like you need me,” I teased.

“I want you there,” she urged. Her words touched me. Kenly wasn’t much younger than I was – two years – but I felt protective of her, as if she were a younger sister I never had.

“I will be,” I promised.

Chapter Nineteen

At seven p.m. on the dot, I knocked on the door to Mac’s suite. His gruff, muted voice called for me to come in. I pushed the heavy door and entered his suite. Mac sat on the same leather couch as Erik and Cadence had the other morning. Paper littered every inch of the coffee table in front of him and a computer kept him company on the free cushion.

“Hey,” I called, stepping through the door, shutting it loudly behind me.

“Hello, Natalia,” he replied without looking up. “Dinner is already on the table.”

I looked to the corner of the room where five metal covered dishes sat waiting. Mac got up from his work and went to take a seat at one end of the long table. I joined him and began uncovering the serving dishes.

“You did a nice job with the extraction yesterday,” Mac began once our plates were piled high with creamy pasta and garlic bread.

“Thank you,” I mumbled around the food filling my mouth.

“I escorted the girl to the school this morning. She seems pleased to be joining our ranks,” Mac continued.

I gave a non-committal shrug. Pleased wasn’t the word I would have used to describe Bethy’s attitude. More liked resigned to her fate.

“How did her mother respond when you arrived?” Mac asked, eyeing me carefully.

“Liked you’d expect, I imagine.” I shrugged again. “She wasn’t happy at first, but after I explained to her that it was in Bethy’s best interest......Well, she came around, I guess,” I said bitterly.

“Natalia,” Mac responded, a note of irritation creeping into his voice. “You know how important it is for a child as powerful as she is to be adequately trained.”

“I know, I know,” I agreed tiredly. “I just wish it was different, like she really believed it was for the best and not because I made her believe that.”

“It is better than the alternative,” Mac said pointedly.

“I guess,” I muttered, not bothering to ask what the alternative was. No doubt being manipulated was the lesser of two evils.

Mac twirled his pasta with his fork against the curve of the spoon and shoved the heaping bite into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully for longer than I thought necessary and I wondered what he was working his way up to. It was unlikely Mac had invited me to dinner just to see my smiling face. It rarely smiled at him anymore, anyway.

“So why did you want to see me? Am I in trouble for going out last night?” I guessed while his mouth was full of salad.

Mac swallowed the vegetables and gave me a hard stare. “No, you aren’t. Mr. Kelley cleared the outing with me first. He promised you would be home by the citywide curfew and according to the security guards, you were.”

Huh. How responsible of Erik.

“He also promised you wouldn’t drink and my understanding is you were sober when you returned,” Mac continued, cutting the long strands of spaghetti with his knife so that he wouldn’t be forced to use the spoon again.

My table manners weren’t so refined; the pasta kept hitting me in the chin and leaving trails of sauce on my face. I didn’t contradict his intel since I had no intention of ratting myself out.

“Although, I hear that was not the case with Harris?” Mac asked, looking to me for confirmation.

So was this why he wanted me here? Did he want me to gossip about the way Harris had been behaving?

“He had a little too much to drink. It happens,” I replied defensively.

“It is my understanding he was proclaiming Ms. Latimore’s innocence and making defamatory statements about the Agency,” Mac said, raising his slightly graying eyebrows.

Well, maybe Erik had been wrong about Desmond. Maybe he hadn’t kept his mouth shut.

“He’s just upset, and he was drunk. He didn’t know what he was saying,” I argued, setting my fork against my plate with a loud clang.

“Be that as it may, I think it would be best at this juncture to have him removed from active duty pending a full investigation,” Mac replied evenly.

“What?!?!” I exclaimed. “Are you serious? Why? Hasn’t he already been investigated and cleared?”

“A rudimentary investigation, yes,” Mac said slowly. “But I do not think we can afford to take chances, do you?”

It was a rhetorical question, but I felt the need to respond anyway. “He’s one of Donavon’s best friends,” I pointed out. Bringing Donavon into the argument was a dirty trick, but Harris didn’t deserve to be punished for his feeling. I was willing to play every card in my deck and Donavon was my ace of spades.

“And Ms. Latimore was yours,” Mac snapped, effectively stopping any further protests I might make.

I guess he wasn’t above playing dirty, either.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked quietly.

“I just want you to remember that not everyone can be trusted. Those you think are your friends might not be.” Mac shrugged like the matter was settled, but I wasn’t ready to let it drop.

“I think I know that by now. As you so nicely pointed out,” I replied coolly.

“I didn’t ask you here to fight, Natalia,” Mac said wearily.

“Then why did you?” I spat back.

“I have another child I need you to retrieve. This one is not likely to come so quietly,” Mac responded.

I fought to keep my features neutral. I didn’t want another lecture. “Do I have a choice?” I mumbled. After my experience with Bethy, I wasn’t sure I was up to the task.

Instead of answering me, Mac stood from his half-eaten dinner and walked over to the coffee table. He shuffled through the mounds of paperwork and selected a report with several stapled pages. Walking back across the room, he held the pages out to me. I wiped my hands on the napkin in my lap and took his offering.

The report was an anonymous tip that had been called in to Toxic. There was a small town in the Appalachian Mountain Range called Howard’s Knob. Several residents reported a young boy who was “odd” and “made people uneasy.” He was rarely seen in public, but on the rare occasion he was, the residents of his town shied away from him. He lived with his mother, but about once a month, a young man was seen leaving his house in the middle of the night. Toxic believed the boy was being actively hidden from the Agency and that he was a strong Talent of some kind.

“Odd?” I snorted. “That is your basis for sending in your extraction team or whatever you call it? Because the kid is odd?” A lot of kids were odd. And the intel package left a lot to be desired. I thought Mac was being rash in sending in a team.

“The reactions the people have to him are similar to those people have around you, Natalia. He is likely a very strong, elite level, Talent. We have reason to believe he and his mother live in such a remote area in the hopes that he won’t be discovered,” Mac explained.

“How old is he?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Young,” Mac replied evasively, turning his attention back to his half-eaten meal. Mac pushed the pasta around on his plate, purposely not meeting my imploring gaze.

“How young?” I pressed, clenching my teeth. Mac’s refusal to make eye contact spoke volumes.

“Our estimates put him at three or four,” Mac admitted, finally giving up the pretense of eating.

“Three or four?” I exclaimed. Children that young rarely exhibited signs of Talent, well, unless they were exceptionally strong. I had. Some of my earliest memories were of other’s thoughts. “Why don’t we just wait until he comes through the Aptitude Testing?”

“I doubt his mother is planning on submitting him,” Mac replied. “All reports indicate she has gone through a great deal of trouble to hide him.”

“But Mac, the law says that kids don’t have to be tested until they’re five. If he isn’t five yet, then I don’t think we should be going to ‘collect’ him,” I said defiantly. If he thought the animosity and distrust of Toxic was high now, wait until word got out that we were kidnapping toddlers.

“I do not recall asking your opinion, Natalia,” Mac replied icily.

I blanched at the forceful tone in his voice. I set the report off to the side of my plate and resumed playing with my pasta, my appetite gone.

“Aren’t you worried about the way people will react when they find out you took a child under five away from his mother?” I tried appealing to his practical side. Mac was nothing if not practical.

“Yes, I am. That is why I am sending you and Mr. Kelley. Neutralize the situation. I do not want this getting out, understood?” Mac snapped.

I nodded without looking up from my plate. I understood perfectly. And I hated it. Mac was forcing me to do exactly what he’d done to Erik, except worse. If this child was really only three or four, then taking him from his mother was against the law.

“How did you know that Erik stayed in my room the other night?” I demanded. The discussion over whether stealing a child was ethical might be closed, but I was still itching for a fight.

Mac set his fork down and pushed his plate aside. He didn’t shy away from my penetrating gaze. “Natalia,” he began, locking his steal eyes with mine. “Mr. Kelley’s worth to this Agency goes beyond his role as your current boyfriend.”

“I know that,” I replied defensively.

“He killed two of Crane’s men at Rittenhouse, two members of Crane’s inner circle. He was instrumental in the capture of another. After interrogating one of the captives, I had some questions for Mr. Kelley. So, when I returned from Tramblewood at four o’clock in the morning, I went to his room to speak with him. I wasn’t all that surprised to find he wasn’t there. It wasn’t a leap to determine his whereabouts.” Mac paused, weighing his next words. “Look, Natalia. What you and Mr. Kelley do in your down time is your business. I only asked him to refrain from spending the night with you out of concern for your health. I thought you understood that.”

“I do,” I said lamely. “It’s just that you don’t put those kinds of restrictions on everyone else.”

“Everyone else doesn’t take medication to control seizures,” Mac pointed out.

Thanks for the reminder, I thought.

His words started me thinking about Anya testing my blood and Erik’s idea that I was a dual Talent. Did I dare confront Mac now? If knowledge were power, then Mac had all the power. All I had were a handful of farfetched theories and wild accusations. Best to wait, I decided.

I finished my meal in silence, the pasta tasting like cardboard, the thick sauce congealing in my mouth. Mac made a couple attempts at meaningless conversation, but I managed little more than one word replies. As soon as I could excuse myself without being totally rude, I did.

Mac walked me to the door. “The extraction is better this way, Natalia. You and Mr. Kelley can make sure we retrieve the child with as little bloodshed as possible. I promise the mother won’t be harmed or sanctioned so long as she gives up the child. Just be prepared for the worst,” he said softly.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” I whispered.

“Commander Byrnes and his team will be ready at four a.m. I want you all in North Carolina by sunrise.” Mac hugged me, and I reluctantly reciprocated.

Back in my room, I had little time to mull over my new assignment. The light on my communicator was flashing and I gratefully pushed it, assuming it would be Erik. I was pleasantly surprised to learn I was wrong.

“Hey, Talia, its Anya. A couple of us were getting together for dinner tomorrow, wanted to see if you were interested. Same place as last time? Send me a comm back if that works.”

I stood frozen in the middle of the hotel room. She had the blood results. Anya knew what was wrong with me. Sure, her message didn’t hint at that, but we weren’t actually friends and she wasn’t really calling to invite me to hang out. The only reason for her to call was the blood work.

Eagerly, I sent her a quick message, confirming I would meet her at five. That would give me plenty of time to get back from my dreaded mission in North Carolina and make it out to the food court and back by curfew, I thought.

No sooner had I sent the message than Erik finally appeared at my door for the first time that day. Exhaustion deepened the shadows under his eyes. No trace of humor or excitement sparked life in his irises. They were dull and flat. He was in a foul mood. Disgust and despair seeped from his pores, making the air in the room feel oppressive. The acrid smell of burnt chemicals and death stung my nose when I hugged him, nearly choking me.

Erik said nothing when he grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the bed. Agitation made him restless and distant; I didn’t need a mental connection to read his thoughts. I hated seeing him this way. He was always so strong: the rock that kept me steady, the gravity that kept me grounded. My chest ached as I watched the horrible images of the destruction at Rittenhouse float through his head. I wanted to help him, make him feel better, ease the tension, as he’d done for me countless times before.

I easily took control of his mind, filling his head with calm, happy images: the lake at Headquarters, with its glass smooth surface; the rock ledge at school where you could see over three states and it seemed as though you could touch the stars; the pebble beach in Capri where I’d played as a child. The rigidness slowly ebbed from his muscles and he sighed contentedly. His lids became heavy and I watched as they fluttered before closing completely.

“No fair. You’re manipulating me,” he mumbled, but a smile tugged at his lips. He’d come here hoping I would do just that.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, resting my head on his shoulder.

“Nope, just keep sending those happy thoughts my way.”

I built the stage and crafted the set with my mind and Erik wrote and directed the mental play. Soon our scenarios melded together and I was fairly confident I would never be able to go swimming without blushing again. After a time, he no longer needed my help to relax. He lay peaceful and serene on his back, one arm bent behind his head and the other wrapped lazily around my waist.

“Erik,” I began tentatively, “have you talked to Mac today?” His serenity evaporated like water on a hot summer’s day. I wanted to kick myself. I should have waited to bring up unpleasant topics.

“Yeah, this morning when he came to tell me that I was going to Bethesda,” Erik replied tightly.

“Did he tell you about tomorrow?” I asked, crossing my fingers that Mac had saved me the uncomfortable task.

“Yes,” Erik answered shortly.

His mind was open and I could see him reliving the conversation. It had gone about as well as mine had. Erik had also argued with Mac about the legalities of “retrieving” such a young child. Like with me, Mac had reiterated the need for discretion and the importance of obtaining a potentially powerful Talent. Mac had left out one salient detail of the mission during my briefing, however. Howard’s Knob was the same place the Agency had “retrieved” Erik from.

“Are you serious?” I gasped, forgetting that Erik hadn’t willingly shared that detail with me.

“Tals, I really don’t want to talk about it right now. I’ve had an awful day.”

“But, Erik, it’s unfair to send you back there. He can’t expect for you to relive what happened to your mother,” I said, indignant on his behalf.

“That’s exactly why he’s doing it. Just let it go, please,” he urged me, squeezing my waist a little tighter to emphasize his point.

I didn’t want to let it go. Mac was crossing all sorts of boundaries these days and this was just one too many for me. He was baiting Erik into doing something stupid and it made me furious. Worse, it was my fault. If Erik weren’t involved with me, then Mac would leave him alone, but instead, Mac was purposely putting him in uncomfortable situations and testing his loyalty to Toxic. I wanted to march back up to Mac’s room and tell him I would go alone. I dreaded the mission, but I would have much rather gone alone than make Erik relive the tragic death of his mother.

I silently fumed, growing angrier by the second. My mistrust in Mac grew to loathing. My hands twitched, and I fisted them at my sides to keep from striking a pillow while I envisioned it was Mac’s face. How could he do this? I knew he was cold, but I never thought him cruel – until now.

My “silent” stewing must not have been so quiet because soon, Erik was rubbing my back and making soothing noises like one does to a crying child. The fury instantly turned to guilt. He was the one who’d had a lousy day. He was the one who deserved comforting. He shouldn’t have to take care of me, worry about me. I’d spent the day in my room, gorging myself on chocolate cake and painting my nails.

“Your nails look pretty,” he offered, holding one of my hands close to his face so he could examine my work. “What else did you do today?” he asked, trying to distract me. Normally my one track mind wouldn’t have been so easily derailed, but something about the nail painting reminded me of Anya.

“Anya called. She wants to meet for dinner tomorrow,” I sent back, the excitement from earlier brightening my mood.

“She did? Did she find something?” Erik asked hopefully, crushing my fingers in his own fervor.

“She didn’t say. Just said she wanted to meet at the same place. I sent her back a comm saying we’d be there at five. Didn’t she call you, too?” I’d been a little surprised by her message since I’d assumed when the time came, she’d call Erik since she was his friend, not mine.

“Nah, but she probably didn’t want to upset you,” he replied. Upset me? So she knew we’d fought over her.

“Did you tell her that I was jealous?” I sat up, staring at his still closed eyes while trying to suppress the bitterness at his betrayal. How could he talk about me to her? That was supposed to be private. I didn’t want the whole Agency thinking I was psycho jealous. I’d never cared whether other people liked me and I still didn’t. But there was a significant difference between dislike and crazy. And I knew if Anya told people, they’d think I was nuts.

“Tal, it’s not like that.” He pulled me back against his side, “She noticed how agitated you were when we met on Monday, so I just told her that the medication puts you on edge. You weren’t exactly hiding your feelings.” Erik ran his fingers up and down my spine soothingly.

Slightly mollified, I relaxed into him. He had a point. I hadn’t tried to conceal my discomfort. My jealous streak was bad enough, but now a girl I barely knew had picked up on it. Maybe I seriously did need a higher dosage of my medication, after all.

Erik stiffened, and his hand stilled on my back. “Are you really thinking of calling Dr. Thistler?” he asked.

When I met his disbelieving gaze, I hesitated before answering. “Well, yeah, I thought about it. I mean, we fight constantly and it’s my fault. I get so upset over stupid stuff. I just thought that maybe the equalizer was too weak. If she upped my meds, then maybe I’ll be able to control myself better,” I said weakly.

Erik hated the idea. “I’d rather you didn’t,” he said slowly. His words were measured, the muscles in his jaw working furiously as he tried to remain calm.

“Wouldn’t you rather I be sane?” I teased, trying to ease the mounting tension.

“You are sane. You’re just a little emotional, but I’d rather that than the alternative.”

“The alternative? The alternative is that I act like a rational human being, that I don’t lose my temper and yell at you all the time,” I pointed out.

“I don’t like the yelling, but I do love how passionate you are. I like the way you react when I touch you. I like the intensity between us. If that means I take the good with the bad, well, that’s fine. When I talked to you in the days after the sentencing, it pained me how empty you sounded. I don’t want you dull and uncaring. Promise me you won’t call her, at least until we talk to Anya again.”

“Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly. “Are you sure you won’t rather that I be more subdued?”

“Positive. If you were more subdued then you wouldn’t get all hot and bothered when I did this.” Erik slid his free hand up the front of my shirt and I gasped. He rolled me on my back and brought his mouth to mine. I parted my lips; his tongue slide into my mouth, and I ran my fingers through his hair. He was right. Subdued would be no fun at all.

After a make-out session that left us both wanting more, but also feeling better about my decision not to call Dr. Thistler, we spent the next several hours discussing the possibilities of what we would find out from Anya. For so long, my medical condition had been a point of concern and it still was, but tomorrow, we might finally have some answers. Whether her news was good or bad, I didn’t much care. I just wanted to know.

Ever since I learned about Donavon’s blood donation, I felt as though I were living in a bubble. Mac allowed certain people and specific information to cross the invisible barrier, but for the most part, I was isolated. Half-truths and thinly veiled lies had become the norm and I was fed up. I craved the truth, the whole story, and I hoped that Anya could give that to me.

Before long, I was inexplicably tired, considering I’d slept all day. Erik promised to stay until I fell asleep, even though he needed rest worse than I did and that was saying something. I succumbed to darkness with the thought that no matter what happened in North Carolina tomorrow morning, by nightfall, I would finally know what was really wrong with me.

Chapter Twenty

The atmosphere was strained when I dragged myself to meet Graham Byrnes and his men at ten of four the next morning. Naturally, I was the last to arrive; Cadence and Erik were already armed and ready along with Graham’s team. Whether it was the early hour or the fact that the others shared my distaste for being sent to collect a four year old child, I couldn’t be sure, but nobody spoke.

The streets of D.C. looked much as they had when we headed off to Pennsylvania, except lonelier and more imposing since the moon was the only source of illumination besides the SUV’s headlights. Graham didn’t insist I sit in the co-pilot’s seat on the flight, so I stayed with Erik, our fingers tightly laced. Darkness shrouded Erik’s haunted thoughts in thick shadows; I hated seeing him this way. Even worse, I hated there was nothing I could do about it. No one else knew him as I did, so the others didn’t pick up on his uncharacteristically quiet and tense demeanor. Cadence gave us a couple blurry-eyes glances, but even she didn’t comment.

Under different circumstances, I might’ve tried to read her mind and gauge her reaction to the situation, but today, I didn’t care. I only cared about Erik. The closer we got to North Carolina, the further Erik drifted from me. Memories of his mother and his childhood dominated the space between his ears. While I wanted him to know I was there for him, I also didn’t want to intrude. I settled for tracing the blue web of veins that bulged against the whiteness of his hand. It was hard for me to tell if he even registered my presence, but the pressure on my palm never decreased.

When we finally touched down, just an hour after takeoff, in a town Graham informed us was called Boone, North Carolina, the sun was just starting to peak on the horizon. Boone was a small town that had once played host to a University, but was now a well-known sanctuary for people attempting to live off of the grid. We encountered no human life at the early hour as we climbed into the two waiting SUVs and made our way in search of the road that would take us even further up the mountain into Howard’s Knob.

The entrance was tucked behind an abandon strip mall that still had signs for a place called Harris Teeter. Graham deftly navigated the windy road, our car climbing higher and higher into the mountains. My ears popped uncomfortably several times on account of the higher altitude. Graham had insisted the mission was so potentially dangerous that I needed to carry not just a handgun, but a small arsenal of weapons. Instead of making me feel safer, the weapons made me uneasy and weighed down my small frame so much that I felt as though I were drowning.

Thirty minutes later, we finally pulled to a stop at the foot of a long, twisty drive that ostensibly led to a wooden cabin I could just make out in the distance. Graham instructed his men and Cadence to surround the perimeter, covering all vantage points. Then he directed me and Erik to use the driveway and make our way to the front door.

The steepness of the incline, combined with the thinner air, left me winded and gasping when we reached the top of the driveway. I paused to catch my breath before we climbed the ten wooden steps up to the porch.

I barricaded my mind from Erik’s. My nerves were frazzled, my stomach somersaulted, and I worried the added weight of his emotions might send me tumbling back down the mountain.

At the front door, I knocked softly and waited for a reply. None came. In retrospect, I hadn’t actually thought there would be since it was ungodly early. I looked at Erik for a clue as to how he wanted to proceed.

“They’re in there,” he sent. I opened my mind and felt the strong buzz of two distinct brain patterns. My stomach dropped to the porch. I’d been praying Mac’s intel was wrong and that the boy would not be a Talent. But my hopes were dashed when I felt the extremely strong pull of one of the minds.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Do you feel that?”

Erik nodded.

The pull was overwhelming. I felt as though the child’s powers were singing to me, like calling to like. I longed to go to the child, to be closer to him. The little telepath affected me in much the same way, except the boy inside the house was so much stronger. Next to me, Erik’s muscles thrummed with anticipation and I knew he felt the same way. But the anticipation was heavily laced with dread. We weren’t going to meet another powerful Talent. We were going to take a child away from his mother.

I tested the knob and it didn’t budge. I used my telekinesis to disengage the deadbolt and the safety chains and then eased the door open. Inside was a small, tidy living space. The room was decorated in dark greens and burgundies and all the furniture had wooden frames. A large stone fire place took up the left wall. To the right was an open kitchen with a wooden breakfast island and two wooden bar stools. An opened-back wooden staircase led from the main living space to a lofted area above. Both brain patterns were coming from the loft. The boy’s dominated, nearly masking his mother’s completely.

I glanced at Erik and he nodded toward the loft. He started for the stairs, his feet gliding soundlessly over the wooden floor. Erik drew a small handgun from the holster at his waist and held it securely in both hands. I should have done the same, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Following Erik, I clung to the wooden banister to steady knocking knees. At the top, there was a short hallway to the left with two bedrooms and a bathroom at the far end. The boy’s power shone like rays of golden light from underneath one of the doors guiding our way.

I held my breath, willing my head to stop spinning when Erik pushed the door open. Crouched on the floor, between two twin sized beds covered in oddly familiar hand woven quilts, was a pretty blonde woman not much older than me. Her arms were wrapped protectively around a small tow-headed boy with milky blue eyes that refused to focus.

Thoughts of a different day, in a different bedroom, filled my head. I remembered the feel of glossy paper between my fingers. A picture of a small blonde boy stared up at me. He was younger in the photograph, but there was no denying that the same child sat in front of me now.

A strangled scream filled the room and I tripped over my feet as I shoved Erik aside in my haste to get inside. Erik lowered his gun and reached out an arm to steady me. I was aware of his fingers on my arm, but my eyes were glued to the boy. When I tried to move close, Erik stopped me.

“Natalia?” the blonde woman asked in a small, frightened voice. Her voice broke through my shock over seeing the child and an intense rage swelled in my chest.

“You,” I accused, raising one shaky index finger in her direction. Erik’s grip tightened, but I barely felt the bite over the adrenaline pumping fast and furious in my veins.

The room swirled around me and suddenly, I was standing in a different doorway, in a different cabin. Blonde hair spilled over the side of Donavon’s bed, the same blonde hair cascading down the shoulder of the woman crouched on the floor.

“No, no!” I screamed, the pain in my chest increasing exponentially.

The remembered photograph swam before my eyes once again. “Aww, you’re so cute here,” I heard myself say.

The pain in my bicep became too intense to ignore. My vision cleared and once again, I stared at the boy in the photograph. Except now, he was real and clutched in the arms of his mother. Understanding crashed over me in tsunami-sized waves. My knees buckled and I fought against the undertow threatening to pull me under.

Erik wrapped his arms around me from behind as he tried to stave off the inevitable disaster that would surely ensue if I didn’t gain control. Kandice’s eyes went wide with terror, but the faraway expression in the boy’s remained unchanged. The butt of Erik’s gun dug painfully into my spine as he squeezed me tighter.

“Calm, Natalia,” he ordered me in a strong voice. “You need to be calm,” he urged, the panic beginning to show through.

“She’s…she’s…That boy,” I shrieked, tears pouring down my face.

“I know, I know,” Erik soothed.

A lamp flew across the room and shattered into pieces when it collided with the wall. The bulbs in the overhead lights burst, raining glass and filament down upon the room. Closet doors flew open, banging loudly when they struck the wall.

“No…No,” I wailed, sinking to me knees. Erik grabbed one of my wrists and spun me around to face him. He knelt and locked his eyes with mine, Kandice and her son the least of his concerns.

“Natalia, focus on me. Focus on me,” he commanded.

I tried to comply, but I was already so out of control that I couldn’t drop the walls to let him in. The room had begun to spin and blackness clouded my peripheral vision until all I saw where two turquoise dots. I was on the verge of losing consciousness. I fought the darkness, but I couldn’t rein in my emotions or my powers.

“Tals, please,” Erik begged, his voice sounding a million miles away. “I love you, Talia,” he breathed, bringing his lips next to my ear.

My resistance to his mental intrusions faltered before finally breaking and I collapsed into his arms sobbing and trembling. He kissed my wet cheek and stroked my hair, mumbling nonsense that was supposed to make me feel better.

“Donavon knew this would happen one day. He just never imagined that it would be you,” Kandice said quietly from across the room.

“So, Donavon knows about......the boy?” Erik asked her, continuing to hold me against his chest.

“Yes, he’s the one who arranged for us to be hidden up here. He thought it would be safe,” Kandice replied.

“Why? Why doesn’t he want the boy found?” Erik demanded.

“At first, he was afraid of what......of what she might think,” Kandice answered tentatively and I knew the “she” she was referring to was me. “But by the time Alexander was a year old, it was obvious he was special. Donavon knew that the Agency would want him.”

“What can he do?” Erik asked.

“Alexander can see things, even if he isn’t there,” Kandice tried to explain.

“He can see the future?” Erik clarified.

“No, not the future. It’s more like when Donavon isn’t here he can draw pictures of him at Headquarters or at school and then when I talk to Donavon and ask him what he did that day, he’ll describe exactly what Alex drew,” Kandice said, sounding perplexed.

“He’s a viewer,” I mumbled into Erik’s shirt.

“Yeah, and a really strong one,” Erik agreed.

“Right. A Remote Viewer. That’s what Donavon called it,” Kandice confirmed.

“Why doesn’t Donavon want the Agency to have him?” I demanded, finally turning to look at the girl who’d stolen my first boyfriend from me.

Erik kept a tight grip on my arms, but I wasn’t sure if it were for my benefit or Kandice’s; he was still convinced I might try and attack her.

“He told me they do bad things to people and that Alexander would never be safe if he went to Toxic, that they would use him. He’s been trying to arrange to get Alex out of the country, but hasn’t been able to yet.” Hysteria ruled her tone as she spoke, although whether the rising panic was for the child’s safety or her own, I couldn’t say for sure. She too was convinced that if Erik released me, I would kill her.

“Please, you have to keep him safe, help us,” she begged.

“Why would I help you?” I snapped, struggling against Erik.

He pulled me back and tried sending me calming feelings, but I wasn’t having any of it. The original shock of seeing Kandice and Alexander had passed, fury filling the void.

“Part of the reason he doesn’t want them to have Alexander is because of you. He said the way they used you - that’s the way they would use him. Something about your blood,” she pleaded. “Please, Natalia, don’t do it for me or Donavon. But our son deserves better. He deserves a real life. Please.” Her body started to shake and she began to cry.

Our son? Her son? Donavon’s son! I squeezed my eyes shut, no longer able to look at the boy. A small part of my heart died. Donavon’s son. Not only had he cheated on me, but he’d had a son with his whore. Fresh tears poured down my cheeks.

I whimpered, sounding like a wounded animal. Hatred for the girl who’d taken so much from me colored my vision a sickening red. She’d slept with my boyfriend and then she’d had his son.

“Talia, breathe,” Erik’s voice filled my head.

“She had his child!” I moaned, begging Erik to understand my pain. Not only had she taken Donavon, she now had the one thing I never would.

“I know, Tal, I know,” he sent back, sympathy dripping from his words. I turned to face him, his turquoise eyes burned with the aching in my chest. In the time since I’d learned children were not in my future, I’d never truly appreciated the diagnosis. But now, seeing Alexander, I felt incomplete, somehow less of a person because I would never have what Kandice did.

“Natalia, please. Donavon said that you’re a good person,” Kandice begged. “You know this is wrong. I can see that you do. Please help him.”

“The place is surrounded, Kandice,” Erik said sadly. “There isn’t much we can do. They know you’re in here.”

“NO!” Kandice screamed, jumping to her feet and running to the small window at the back of the room. She pounded her fist against the glass, shouting obscenities at her unseen pursuers.

I never heard the shot. The window splintered as one bullet tore a perfect hole through the glass and landed in Kandice’s chest. Blood soaked through her white sleep-shirt. She fell in slow motion, her body contorting almost gracefully as she floated to land on one of the beds. At first, shock paralyzed me. My body felt numb, my mind detached. I just stared, convinced that any moment, I would wake up and this would have all been a terrible dream. Surely, surely this was not really happening. Mac promised me no one would get hurt. The whole point in sending me on this mission was to prevent anyone from getting hurt.

Slowly, feeling crept back into my limbs. My brain caught up with my eyes and I knew all of it was real. Screams tore from my throat, shattering the remaining pane of glass. I struggled against Erik, finally breaking free from his grasp. Kandice was only feet away, but the distance felt like miles. Kneeling beside her on the bed, I pressed my hands over the bullet wound in her chest. Stop the bleeding, stop the bleeding, I chanted silently. I might hate her, but she didn’t deserve this. No one deserved this.

Kandice’s face had gone ashen. Her body trembled. I didn’t know what to do. Toxic had trained me how to take a life, not save one. “No, no, don’t die!” I shouted, believing I could make her hold out through sheer will alone.

She covered my now crimson hands with her pale white one. “Natalia, please don’t let them have him, please,” she mumbled. Bloody foam formed around her mouth. “I’m so sorry we hurt you.”

“No, you won’t die. Just hang on. We’ll get help,” I urged her, my tears adding to the liquid rapidly spreading across her chest.

“Take care of him, please,” she rasped.

Kandice’s lungs rattled beneath my fingers. Her body gave one last horrible shudder. Her warm brown eyes rolled towards the ceiling, and the last spark of life and fight left her.

Her death wasn’t the first I’d witnessed or the most personal. It wasn’t even the most gruesome. But it tore me apart all the same. The world I lived in, the life I’d chosen, was violent. Not until just then, holding Kandice’s cold, cold hand, did I truly grasp that. The Agency said they protected people, helped people, but at what cost? How many people died needlessly so Toxic could take their children? How many times had this same scene been played out? How many more lives would be lost for the greater good?

Bile burned the walls of my throat. I welcomed the sickness fighting its way out of me. I wanted to expel what I’d just seen in any way possible. I turned my head just in time for the vomit to land on the wooden floor instead of Kandice. Even when there was nothing left in my stomach, I continued to dry heave.

Erik’s hand was warm on my back. He rubbed up and down my spine as I continued to cry for Kandice. An odd urge to laugh bubbled up inside of me because of all the crying I’d done lately, Kandice dying was the first time the waterworks made any sense.

When I finally mustered the courage to meet his gaze, Erik’s eyes mirrored the pain in my heart. Perched on one hip was Alexander. The boy had his face buried in Erik’s shoulder and one small thumb shoved in his mouth. The sight brought on a fresh wave of tears; no child should see their mother murdered.

“He didn’t see it, at least,” Erik sent, trying to make me feel better. “He’s blind, Tals. It’s common in Viewers.”

Of course, I thought. That’s why his eyes were out of focus and why he’d been wearing sunglasses in the picture that I saw. Erik offered me his free hand. At first, I didn’t take it. In life, I’d hated Kandice from the moment I first glimpsed her in Donavon’s bed until the last breath she took. In death, I wanted to mourn her, stay with her in that cabin forever. I didn’t want her to be alone.

“There isn’t anything more we can do for her,” Erik said quietly, following my gaze to Kandice’s lifeless eyes.

I said nothing, remaining next to her body on the bed. Using two fingers, I eased her eyelids closed. I wasn’t religious, but I prayed for Kandice. I prayed that in death, she would find a peace she hadn’t known in life. I asked whoever was listening to tell her I would grant her dying wish. Toxic would not keep Alexander. Mac would not hurt his grandson. I would find a way to keep him safe.

When I was finally finished, I took Erik’s outstretched hand. I clung to his fingers as we made our way from the destroyed room. Neither of us spoke. Alexander whimpered softly. Erik stopped abruptly at the bottom of the porch. He released my hand, shifting Alex’s small body on his hip.

“Take him for a second,” he said, disentangling Alex’s grip on his neck. I hesitated, reluctant to touch the boy. “Just for a second, Tal.”

I reached for Alex, wrapping my hands around his waist. I cuddled him to my chest, his warm body thawing the iceberg surrounding my heart.

Erik withdrew a blade from his pocket. My eyes widened when I realized what he was about to do. Erik rolled back his sleeve and quickly sliced through the skin of his forearm. He winced slightly as droplets of his blood colored the gravel red. He pulled his shirt back down, the blood from his wound soaking through the fabric. He held out his arms to me, offering to take over the burden of carrying Alex. While I’d been reluctant to hold the boy at first, now I was reluctant to give him up. After a brief moment of internal debate, I handed Alex over. Erik settled the boy back on his hip, took my hand, and led me back down the drive.

Graham was waiting for us by the SUVs.

“Why did you shoot?” Erik demanded.

“I got worried. You were taking too long. And from what we could see through the window, she didn’t seem to be agreeing to give up without a fight,” Graham responded matter-of-factly.

I was about to scream obscenities at him, but the increased pressure from Erik’s hand stopped me.

“Burn the house,” Erik ordered in the same tone I used when I controlled people.

Graham appeared skeptical at first, but then nodded to one of his nearby men. “You heard him. Burn the house,” Graham called.

Erik dragged me to where Cadence was leaning against the car door, nervously tapping her foot.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she exclaimed when she saw us. “Here, I’ll take him,” she offered, holding her arms out to Alexander. Erik seemed oddly disinclined to let the boy go and I thought he might refuse her. Turned out he didn’t have to. Alex gripped the collar of Erik’s jacket and whined in protest when Cadence put her hand on his small back.

“It’s fine. I’ll hold him. He’s scared,” Erik said, waving her off. “Tal, why don’t you get in the car?” Erik suggested, softly prodding me in the direction of the open door.

I stared at him blankly like I couldn’t believe he wanted to pretend everything was okay. Everything was NOT okay. He pushed more forcefully and against my better judgment, I complied.

“You okay?” Cadence asked me, ducking her head inside the SUV. She actually seemed concerned. She reached over and pulled at my bloody hands that were now clasped tightly in my lap.

“She’s fine,” Erik said curtly, all the tenderness that he’d shown me in the cabin gone. “It’s not her blood. It’s mine. I cut myself.” I gave him a questioning look because, after all, it was Kandice’s blood. But I didn’t have too much time to dwell on it because an enormous explosion erupted and the wooden cabin went up in a giant orange ball.

Erik slid across the seat, careful not to jostle Alex. When he was situated close enough our legs touched, the boy shifted his head, so it rested on my shoulder. I rubbed his back awkwardly, not sure if that was what I was supposed to do.

“We can’t take him back there, Erik,” I sent.

“We don’t have a choice, Tals. If we run now, they will kill us and him,” he sent back. He refused to look over at me, but he did reach for my hand and gave it a squeeze.

“There is more going on than we know. You heard her. And Donavon wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of hiding him if he didn’t have a good reason,” I argued.

“I know. I know. Just give me some time to think. We’ll figure this out. I bought us some time by having them burn the house. It will take at least a couple days for Toxic to work out who he is without Kandice’s body. Hopefully, by then, we’ll have a plan,” he replied.

“What will happen when they realize he’s Donavon’s?” I asked, scared that I already knew the answer.

“I don’t know,” Erik lied. But I could tell that he was just sparing my already fraying nerves.

“Will they arrest him?” I pressed.

Graham and his men were already making their way down the hill.

“If he’s lucky,” Erik said gravely.

Graham climbed into the front seat and brought the engine to life. The remainder of his men piled in and we set off for the plane.

“Did you find out the boy’s name?” Graham called over his shoulder.

I tightened my grip on Erik’s hand, urging him to think of something fast.

“Alexander Kraft,” Erik answered smoothly. “The mother didn’t get a chance to tell us too much more.” I relaxed slightly at his quick thinking. “We might have learned more if your men hadn’t shot her.”

“What’s his Talent?” Graham asked, seemingly oblivious to Erik’s harsh tone.

“He’s a Viewer, hard to tell how strong he is because he’s so young,” Erik replied, squeezing my hand to warn me not to disagree.

I had no intention of contradicting him; I didn’t want to give them a reason to want this boy any more than they already did. It had been apparent to both me and Erik the moment we got close to Alexander that he was incredibly powerful, which meant Mac would feel it, too.

“Good. Toxic hasn’t seen one of those in a long time,” Graham declared, smiling at us in the rear view mirror.

I recoiled in my seat. Graham might not feel Alex the way that Erik and I could, but the hunger in his eyes unnerved me.

Alex kept his small body glued to Erik, refusing to sit in his own seat once we boarded the plane. Cadence talked to the boy in a soothing tone, trying to convince him to let her buckle him into a separate chair. Alex shook his small blonde head back and forth and grunted in frustration, but he never actually spoke. Erik waved off any further attempts to take the boy from him.

I sat in my own chair chewing my lower lip nervously. Kandice’s words kept replaying in my head: “Part of the reason he doesn’t want them to have Alexander is because of you. He said the way they used you, that’s the way they would use him. Something about your blood.”

My blood? What was wrong with my blood? Then another memory surfaced. When I’d been injured on my first mission as a Pledge, Henri had burned everything that had been contaminated with my blood. At the time, he’d said it was protocol. I hadn’t really understood what that meant, but Toxic had a lot of regulations and “protocols” that made no sense.

“Why did you cut yourself?” I sent to Erik.

“Explains why I had the cabin burned. I can say I was just following protocol,” he sent back.

“Why is it protocol?” I insisted. “What’s so dangerous about leaving an Operative’s blood lying around?”

“I really don’t know. That’s just how it works,” he replied.

I mulled this over for a while and finally decided to ask Anya when we saw her later.

After we’d been in the air for several minutes, Alex crawled off Erik’s lap and moved unsteadily across the small aisle that separated our seats. His tiny fingers curled around my thumb, yanking insistently.

“Up,” he grunted in a child-like voice.

I looked at Erik uncertainly. He shrugged and gestured for me to pick the kid up. I tentatively reached down and grabbed Alex under his armpits, lifting him into my lap. He curled his chubby legs around my waist and buried his face in my hair, gripping a fistful in the process. The dampness from his milky eyes made my neck slick and I had to blink back my own tears.

“It’s okay. Everything will be okay,” I whispered softly, rubbing his back. The delicate curve of his spine shook under my hand. With all the uncertainty in my life, there was one thing I knew for sure - I was not letting Toxic have him. Donavon and Kandice had risked their lives – Kandice had given hers – to protect him. Her sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.

I met Erik’s gaze across the aisle. His nod was almost imperceptible, but I knew he was in my head, reading my thoughts, and he agreed.

Chapter Twenty-One

Mac was waiting for our team in the lobby of the Hamilton. His face was set in hard lines, but his gray eyes twinkled when he saw Alex in my arms. Mac, like me and Erik, had the ability to “feel” other Talents’ powers. Most people actually did. They just didn’t understand what they were feeling. I attributed the ability to us being more in touch with our senses than most.

“I am glad to see the retrieval went well,” he commented, his fingers twitching at his sides as he longed to touch Alexander.

Without thinking, I turned my body slightly, putting myself between Mac and his grandson. “If you consider a casualty a success, then yes, I guess it went well,” I snapped. Several of Graham’s men shifted uncomfortably at my harsh retort.

“It’s always a risk,” Mac said smoothly, refusing to engage.

Erik stepped forward and put a warning hand on my back. “The boy is scared, Director. I suggest he stay with Talia until you move him to the school,” he said stiffly.

“Ms. Choi is more experienced with children. She will take the boy until tomorrow,” Mac declared, nodding for Cadence to relieve me of my responsibility.

Reluctantly, I let her take him and this time, Alex didn’t put up a fight.

“Byrnes, Kelley, with me. I want a full report. Natalia, go get cleaned up, but do not go anywhere until I have a chance to hear your report,” Mac continued.

I wanted to protest. I wanted to be there to control whatever Erik and Graham told him. But Erik’s hard stare told me to keep my mouth shut.

“Just go to your room and wait for me there,” Erik sent.

“We have to do something, Erik. We can’t let them take him,” I pleaded again.

“We won’t. Just wait for me in your room. I’ll be there as soon as I’m done,” he sent back, already following Mac and Graham to the elevator.

“Don’t worry, Talia. I’ll make sure he’s okay,” Cadence said kindly.

“Thanks,” I mumbled. “Will he be in your room, like if I wanted to come see him…?” I let my voice trail off with the question.

“Of course. Why don’t you come see us once you get cleaned up and we’re settled in,” she offered with a small smile.

Alex reached one of his small hands blindly towards the sound of my voice. I intertwined my fingers, still covered in his mother’s blood, with his and squeezed gently, reassuring him that I would come for him. Then I boarded the elevator to my room, dreading what I knew I had to do next.

Donavon answered on the first ring.

“I was wondering when I’d hear from you.” His holographic image smiled at me from the communicator.

My heart broke. As much as I wanted to be mad at him, wanted to hate him, for keeping such a monumental secret from me, I couldn’t. What I was about to tell him would crush him and I hated hurting him more than I already had. But I also had to warn him. I just hoped he had his own contingency plan.

“It’s been crazy here,” I replied quietly.

“Yeah, those Aptitude Tests are hectic,” he agreed.

“It’s not just the testing,” I began, readying myself to launch into the carefully prepared speech I’d scripted on the way to my room. “Your father sent me as part of a retrieval team to collect a child he believed was being purposely hidden from Toxic.” I tried to gauge Donavon’s reaction in the hazy image projecting from my communicator.

“I see,” Donavon said thickly.

“The boy was in Howard’s Knob, a small town in North Carolina,” I continued. “And the mission went badly.” I closed my eyes, fighting the tears back and trying to keep my voice even.

“How bad?” Donavon asked tersely.

“The mother was killed when she put up a fight,” I replied.

Donavon gasped. I wanted to tell him the truth about how Kandice had died, but I knew this conversation would be monitored; I needed my version of events to match the official one.

“The boy, Alexander,” I emphasized his name in case there was any doubt in Donavon’s mind why I’d called him now, “is okay. He’s here at the hotel, with Cadence. I’m going to see him again in a little. I just called because I wanted to talk to you. The whole thing was a nightmare.”

“I’m so sorry, Tal,” he choked back a sob and my chest ached for him. “I never meant for you to –” he started to say, but I cut him off before he said something he might regret.

“It’s okay, Donavon. I’m worried about the kid. He’s so scared,” I whispered, unable to hold the tears back any longer.

“Has Alex said anything?” Donavon asked.

“Not yet,” I breathed back.

“Tal, I......I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Donavon’s voice was muffled as he tried to conceal his tears.

“I have to go,” I said hurriedly. “I just needed to hear your voice.”

“Thanks, Tal,” he whispered.

I slammed the disconnect button. I jumped off my bed and ran into the bathroom. I turned the water in the shower as hot as it would go, tearing my clothes off in the process. Then I collapsed on the shower floor in a ball, my head resting against the cold tiles and sobbed. I cried for Alex and what his life would be like if I couldn’t rescue him. I cried for Donavon and the pain and fear he must be feeling, knowing all his efforts had been wasted. I cried for Kandice and the awful, unfair way she’d lost her life. And I cried for myself, for all I had lost - my parents, my sense of self, my innocence.

Long after the shower water turned cold, I sat ridding myself of the ugliness that had been building inside of me for months, maybe even years. Kandice’s coldblooded murder reminded me too much of my parents. All this time, I believed in what the Agency stood for, thought that it was worth fighting for, but now I knew that we were no better than the men that had killed my family. Erik had tried to tell me, but not until I’d seen the atrocities our men were capable of doing did I understand completely. I couldn’t believe I’d been so blind.

Sitting on my bed, wrapped in my Hamilton bathrobe, I weighed my options. If I took Alex and made a run for it, where would I go? Would I even make it out of the city before Toxic caught me? And how would I take care of him if we did manage to make it out? I was so reliant on Mac and the Agency that I had no idea how to survive on my own.

On the one hand, the Agency had taught me to survive. I knew basic first aid, how to defend myself, and even how to kill. On the other hand, ever since I was ten, Toxic had provided me with everything I needed. I didn’t even have my own money. Mac paid for everything I owned. I was trained to hunt people, not animals for food. Hell, I didn’t even know how to cook if I did manage to kill something to eat. In my entire life, I’d never felt so lost or helpless.

A knock at my door sent a ripple of panic through me. If it were Mac, I wouldn’t be able to control my temper, to pretend as if everything was okay. I reached out and realized, with tremendous relief that it was Erik. Mentally, I unlocked the door, easing it open as an invitation.

“Hey,” he called tentatively, poking his dark head through.

I offered him a weak smile in return, but couldn’t find the strength to respond verbally.

“The Director wanted me to let you know he doesn’t need your report, after all. Between mine and Graham’s, he is satisfied,” Erik said, crossing the room and joining me on my bed.

I nodded, relieved. The longer I could put off facing Mac, the better.

“Why don’t you lie down for a while and try and get some rest,” Erik suggested pushing back a stray piece of wet hair clinging to my forehead.

“We have to meet Anya soon. Besides, I want to go see Alex, make sure he is okay,” I sent.

“Are you sure you’re up for going? I can go talk to her by myself,” Erik offered, rubbing the back of his rough hand across my cheek.

I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent, leaning against his shoulder. “I want to go. Whatever she found out is about me. I need to know,” I insisted.

Erik wrapped one arm around me and pulled me against his chest. “I figured you’d say that. I have some stuff to take care of. At least try and rest. You’re going to need your strength later.”

“Do you have a plan?” I asked, playing with one of the buttons on his shirt for lack of something better to do with my hands.

“Not yet, but I will. The Director said they won’t move Alex to the school until the morning. I’ll come up with something by then,” Erik promised.

“Why are you willing to help him? You hate Donavon,” I pointed out. The two boys had never been on good terms and the situation with me had only exacerbated the already tenuous relationship.

“I’m beginning to think I might’ve misjudged him. The guy has been going through a lot. And besides, I kinda owe him,” Erik said.

“Owe him?”

“He did keep my letter to himself. He could have handed it over to his father, gotten me in a lot of trouble, but he didn’t. And I always knew there was something off about Toxic, but it’s obviously worse than I imagined. I want you and Alex to be safe,” Erik replied.

“What about your family? If you help us, won’t Mac do something to them?” I knew what Erik was risking and I couldn’t let him do that for me.

“I’m working on it,” he said evasively.

I didn’t push. Whatever he was working on, he didn’t want to share and I doubted I wanted to hear it just then; I’d had more than my share of surprises for the day. I was likely in store for at least one more when we finally met up with Anya.

“You rest. I’ll come get you when it’s time to go.”

Erik got up and pulled the covers down, prompting me to crawl under. I hadn’t realized how truly exhausted I was until my head was nestled in the pillow. Erik kissed me lightly on the forehead before turning to leave.

“Erik?” I called, just as he set one foot through the open doorway.

He turned to look at me, his face drawn and anxious. He was bearing the weight of my stress in addition to his own.

“I love you,” I sent.

“I know, Tals. I love you, too.”

As promised, Erik returned half an hour before we were due to meet Anya. He was agitated and distracted by the worries swirling in his head. Neither of us spoke much as we made the same trek across town that we had nearly a week before. Erik’s mind was carefully barricaded. For once, I was immensely grateful. I hated how uneasy he was, but my control was near the breaking point and having his thoughts mingling with my own wouldn’t help.

When we arrived, the food court was only half-full and few of the diners paid us any attention. Anya was easy to spot, her dark hair shining like a beacon from the back corner of the room. Her hair was still shiny and perfect and her pretty pink sundress fit like a glove, but her face was drawn and her smile was strained when she greeted us. Suddenly, I wasn’t so eager to hear what she’d found. The bothered look in her emerald eyes filled me with a sense of a foreboding. Whatever she had to report, I wasn’t going to like.

Anya stood from the round plastic table that she’d claimed, her salad untouched in front of her, and hugged Erik. I was so anxious and unsettled, I didn’t even have to suppress the urge to hit her this time. Then, to my surprise, she wrapped her thin arms around me. I awkwardly returned her embrace. Once Erik and I were seated, Anya wasted no time with pleasantries.

“I ran your blood,” she began slowly, fixing me with her dazzling eyes.

“And?” I prompted her, hoping she would reassure me that I wasn’t diseased in some way.

Erik grabbed my hand and nearly crushed it in his own.

“Well, I’m not sure what it means,” she warned as a disclaimer. “But, well, I found a couple abnormalities.”

This was unsurprising since obviously, I’d been poisoned. I knew there was something abnormal in my system. I urged her on with my eyes.

“I found two Talent Signatures in your blood,” she continued, gauging my reaction for some understanding as to what she was talking about.

I had no clue what that meant. Mac had given me a brief rundown on what a Talent Signature was, but I was still unclear on how they worked or whether having two was good or bad. I shook my head to indicate she needed to explain.

“Every Talent has a Talent Signature unique to them. No two are supposed to be alike. Having two is rare,” she continued.

“Rare?” Erik repeated. “So, some Talents do, then?”

“Dual Talents would, right?” I cut in, thinking about Kenly and what Erik had said after we tested Ingrid the telepath.

“Exactly. A dual Talent has two distinct signatures, both specific to them. What’s odd about yours is they aren’t.”

“What?!” I exclaimed. “What do you mean mine aren’t specific to me? Are they specific to someone else?”

Erik sent me calming vibes. I took a couple deep breaths to regain my composure. My hysterics wouldn’t make the situation any better, likely much worse.

“Well, one of your signatures is unique to you. When I analyzed it, I was able to tell you are a Mental Manipulator with telekinetic powers and some control over the elements. Does that sound right?” she asked calmly, her eyes darting between me and Erik.

I wondered whether she understood the mental messages passing back and forth.

“Yeah, she can do all that,” Erik answered for me.

My own mouth was still gaping from her statement about the two Talent Signatures. I was clearly a couple paces behind the two of them.

“The second signature is a generic one,” she continued. “When I analyzed it, I found the signature is a generic morphing signature.” Anya uneasily fixed me with a wan expression.

A Morphing Signature? That was impossible; I’d never been able to morph. And when I’d taken my Placement Testing, there was no indication that I had the ability to morph, even at a very low level. I stared at her dumbfounded, unable to speak because I had no idea what to say. I looked to Erik and was alarmed to find relief and understanding written on his face.

Did he know something that he wasn’t telling me? Surely, if I had the ability to morph, then Erik would know. He would be able to mimic the power. Yet, if he’d known this whole time, why hadn’t he said something? Or had he? This was what he’d been debating telling me that day in the hotel room, I realized. He’d even suggested that I was a dual Talent. That being shot somehow caused the second Talent to emerge.

“I can’t morph,” I told Anya, because I couldn’t. No matter what Erik thought or what my blood indicated, that fact still remained.

“You would be able to if you weren’t taking that suppressant,” Anya replied evenly.

I sat back in my chair, letting the weight of her words sink in. If what she was saying was true, and I kind of thought it might be, then a couple of things that had happened to me over the past year made a lot more sense.

Morphers had extremely heightened senses. Mine had always been good because of the sensory perception exercises Mac made me do, but not like they were lately. Even Erik had noticed how much better my eyesight and hearing had been since my return from Nevada. The night I confronted Penny, I swore my nails turned to claws and that my teeth sharpened, but when I had tried to explain that to Dr. Wythe, he’d said I was confused and delusional. I hadn’t taken my medicine that evening in my haste to find Penny, which was probably why I’d partially morphed. Partially morphed. I repeated the words over and over in my head, trying to get used to the idea.

When I’d sparred with Erik earlier in the week, I’d beaten him for the first time ever. He swore he hadn’t let me win. At the time, I’d thought he was just trying to make me feel good, but now I doubted that was true. Morphers typically have a strength that’s hard to compete with in a fight, and seeing as I was already close to Erik’s exceptional skill, the combination would be unbeatable.

This new development even explained my ridiculous mood swings and excessive reactions to certain situations. Not that I wasn’t prone to out-of-control responses to stress, but lately, I’d been more irrational than usual. Donavon once explained that Morphers feel things more intensely than others. Most learn to control their reactions when they’re young; they have to if they want to have any friends. Someone just learning to deal with her new emotions wouldn’t be able to handle her new impulses, though. Even my physical reactions to Erik’s touch were more visceral than before. I’d practically begged him to have sex with me more than once. My cheeks flamed at the memory.

When I looked at Erik, I knew that he, too, was remembering some of the same events I was. Understanding lit up turquoise eyes. There was something I still couldn’t comprehend.

“Why would Mac want to suppress that?” I looked at Anya, hoping that she’d have a good explanation. Then, another question occurred to me. “Why would Crane want me to be able to morph? I mean, why would he have injected me with something that would make me stronger? I didn’t even know that was possible.” I looked back and forth between Erik and Anya. They seemed to be having a silent conversation. Both had worked out the conundrum I was still trying to process. My temper flared when I realized that I was the only one not in on the secret.

“What?!?” I demanded, yanking my hand free from Erik’s and sitting forward in my chair.

Erik rubbed my back, trying to calm me. I wanted to swat his patronizing hand away, but I refrained when I realized that I was succumbing to my heightened emotions. You’re stronger than this, I commanded myself.

“I don’t think the Coalition was the one who injected you with whatever it is that gave you the ability to morph,” Anya said slowly, looking a little fearful at my display of uncalled for rage. “You received several blood transfusions after you were shot?”

“Yes,” I confirmed, comprehension dawning on me.

“One of them was of unfiltered blood, right?” she continued quietly.

“Yes,” I said tightly. So, Donavon’s blood had made me sick.

“I believe it was that transfusion that is giving you ‘seizures’,” she confirmed my thoughts. “Except they aren’t exactly seizures. Your body is trying to morph. It’s a natural instinct and it wants to act on it, but it can’t because of the suppressant. You are strong, though, and your system is fighting the suppressant, so sometimes, you start to morph, but can’t and that is when you have these ‘seizures’ or whatever,” she explained.

I tried to digest the information. My head swam and for a minute, I thought that I might pass out. Her explanation made sense. It actually wasn’t that far off from what Dr. Thistler had told me, except for the part about it being because my body was trying to morph. Dr. Thistler had said that my body was trying to fight the chemicals, and sometimes, when I exerted a lot of energy, it couldn’t. But if what Anya was claiming was true, then when I was sparring or in a stressful situation, my system was trying to change, a natural defense mechanism, to protect itself. I rested my elbows on the table and put my head in my hands, fighting the tears back.

Was this really so terrible, though? So, now I could morph. That wasn’t such a big deal. I just had to learn to control myself. And if anything, my new ability honestly was a gift; it made me stronger. I would be a better Hunter now. Yet, if this were all true, why didn’t Mac just tell me? Was he that worried about my mental state? Did he think I couldn’t handle it? Or was there more to it? And Donavon had sworn I couldn’t “catch” a Talent like one did a virus.

“I thought you couldn’t transfer Talents?” I asked, my voice muffled since I still had my head down.

“Ordinarily, you can’t,” Erik said, continuing to rub my back.

“No, if they’d given you, say, Erik’s blood, then there wouldn’t have been a problem,” Anya confirmed.

“What are you talking about?” I demanded, raising my head to meet her gaze.

“The unwashed blood you were given wasn’t the blood of a natural Talent,” she replied quietly. “You remember how I said the second Talent Signature was generic?”

I nodded dumbly. This conversation was becoming increasingly more complex by the second. What the hell was a “natural talent”? All Talents were born that way - naturally. Wasn’t that what “natural” meant?

“A generic Talent Signature is synthetic, man-made. Toxic has long had the ability to manufacture Talent Signatures. What’s unusual is that I found it in your blood and it was transferred from another person. My understanding is that the Agency has never been able to implant the signature into a person successfully and then have them exhibit the Talent,” she explained.

“So, let me get this straight,” Erik snorted. “What you’re saying is that Toxic has been researching how to create Talents?” He shook his head in disbelief. “That’s crazy.”

“Theoretically, Toxic has the ability to make Talents, yes,” she confirmed. “But it’s still supposed to be in development. It’s been tested over the years, but no person we’ve implanted the signatures in has ever actually become Talented or at least not long term.” She paused. “Well, I guess at least one has.”

“So, you’re saying Donavon, Donavon McDonough, the Director’s son, is not a natural Talent? He wasn’t born with the ability to Morph? His powers are manufactured?” I demanded incredulously. I wasn’t sure whether I was more surprised that Toxic could create Talents or that Donavon was one of the created.

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying,” Anya replied softly. “You see, the generic signatures have a version of the amplification drug we give the children during aptitude testing, except much stronger and more complex. That is what, in theory, makes the powers kind of stick in a person’s system.”

“How are the generic signatures made?” Erik wanted to know.

“From the blood of other Talents. The genes that create our gifts are isolated and then enhanced and mixed with a bunch of chemicals. That’s why any time an Operative bleeds on a mission, anything contaminated must be burned. Toxic is afraid that if the Coalition gets a hold of a Talent’s blood, they might be able to use it to create Talents of their own,” Anya answered.

Create Talents? Why would the Coalition want to do that? Crane hates Talents. That was the whole point of his rebellion. But I didn’t have the energy to argue the point with her. I was more worried about our Agency manufacturing Operatives. If Donavon weren’t a natural Morpher, then how many others weren’t either? How many children had been infected with these generic signatures in the hopes they would develop powers? If people were angry about the Mandatory Testing laws, then what would they do when they found out about this?

Suddenly, it all made sense. Mac and Dr. Thistler hadn’t wanted me to know that it was Donavon’s blood making me sick because Mack knew I would investigate. And Mac yelled at Donavon in Kansas because Donavon knew the ramifications of giving me his unwashed blood.

Donavon knew he was created. How had he kept such a powerful secret from me? Earlier today, I’d thought finding out he had a kid was the biggest shock of my life, but that paled in comparison to this. No wonder he wanted to keep Alex away from the Agency. Except Alex was a natural Talent, an incredibly strong, rare natural talent.

Oh, my god. That was what Kandice meant when she’d said they would use Alex the same way they’d used me. If Toxic could replicate the abilities of rare Talents, then they wouldn’t be so rare anymore. They could create tons of people that were able to manipulate minds or remotely track others or mimic other’s powers. Mac was using my blood to create more Mind Manipulators. He would use Alex to make more Viewers. The betrayal never ended.

“Anya, does anyone know that you were researching this?” Erik asked, his voice laced with concern.

“I don’t think so. I was careful. Once I realized what was going on, I did a lot of the analysis at home. I figure if the Agency does actually have the capability to create Talents and is doing it to unsuspecting children, well, then I doubt they want that widely known,” she commented.

“Is Toxic injecting random children with these generic signatures?” I asked.

“I don’t know for sure.” Anya shook her head. “Like I said, as far as I’ve been told, being able to create a Talent is just a theory. I doubt Donavon McDonough is the only one, though.”

“No,” I agreed. “Mac obviously isn’t above experimenting on his own son, but he won’t have tested a prototype on Donavon.”

“Anya, you need to be careful. If you suspect that anyone knows what you did, you need to get out of Washington. Do you still have that communicator I gave you?” Erik asked, rising from the table.

“Yes,” she answered fearfully.

“And you remember what I told you?”

“Call Frederick.” She nodded, true horror forming creases in her forehead.

I gave him a questioning look. “Frederick? Like, Henri’s Frederick?” I sent.

“I’ll explain later,” he replied, offering me his hand.

I took it and stood on unsteady legs. I was still reeling from Anya’s findings and worried I might fall when I tried to walk.

“What are you going to do?” Anya asked, standing herself.

“I need to get Talia out of here, out of D.C., away from Toxic. They’re already monitoring her too closely. It’s only a matter of time before they find out she knows what happened to her,” he replied.

“Be careful, both of you,” she replied.

“Thank you, for everything,” I said honestly and this time when she came around the table to hug me, I wrapped my arms around her tightly. She’d taken an enormous risk doing this for us, for me, and I didn’t want her to think I was unappreciative. Granted, I knew the only reason she’d gotten involved was because Erik had asked her to, but still.

Anya hugged Erik, too, then stood with one hand on the table for support and watched us as we departed. Erik wrapped an arm around my waist, urging me to put one foot in front of the other as we crossed the food court. All the tables were full now, occupied by carefree teenagers throwing French fries at one another and laughing loudly. It was so unfair that they had no cares in the world while I was saddled with the knowledge that our government was more corrupt than I’d ever imagined.

Erik was practically shaking with rage from what we’d just learned. His back teeth ground together as he clenched and unclenched his jaw. His demeanor was terrifying. I was only comforted by the fact it wasn’t directed at me. The bus ride back was strained. Every time I tried to start a conversation, he just shook his head angrily, causing me to snap my mouth closed. When I attempted to reach out to him mentally, I was blocked. I didn’t push. I wasn’t actually sure I wanted to be privy to his thoughts just then.

When we arrived back at the Hamilton, Erik’s mood flipped like a switch. He was no longer tense and radiating angry energy. Instead, he was eerily calm and relaxed. His fingers weren’t digging painfully into my waist, but rested lightly – if not a bit possessively – on my hip. I was irritated that while I was still anxious and confused, he was confident and secure. He called out greetings to the entrance guards and even took the time to exchange easy banter. His nonchalant attitude irked me further.

Once on the elevator, he pushed the button for my floor and sagged against the mirrored wall of the car.

“Go to your room and wait for me. Don’t talk to anyone if you can help it. Dress in the most comfortable clothes you have with you,” he ordered, his mental voice tired but determined.

“What are you doing to do?” I asked frantically.

“I have a couple more things to work out before we leave tonight,” he replied evasively.

“Leave? Where are we going? What about your family? Erik, are you sure?”

“I have it all worked out. Please just trust me, Tals,” he urged, pulling me to him.

The bell dinged, indicating we had reached our floor. I followed Erik off the elevator car. We stood in the hallway facing each other. He leaned down and put his forehead against mine.

“Do you trust me?” he whispered, cupping his hands on either side of my neck.

“You know I do,” I replied just as quietly.

“There isn’t time to explain right now. Just do as I asked and I’ll come for you late tonight. Be ready. Pack your medicine.”

“No!” I practically screamed at him, a little taken aback by my own reaction, but I was not taking that suppressant any longer. Toxic had made me this way and now I would be at my strongest to spite them.

“Tal, we don’t know how you will actually react without it. You might have seizures. We don’t know. I need you well for what I’m planning to work. Please, promise me you’ll bring it. Once we’re safe, we’ll figure out whether you can stop taking it,” he promised.

“Fine,” I said, turning away from him.

He grabbed for my arm and pulled me back until our lips met. I didn’t want to kiss him back because I was mad and felt like being childish. Then the full impact of everything he’d done for me since we met, everything he was still doing for me, hit home. He was risking his life, the lives of his family, and I was being ungrateful and ridiculous because he disagreed with me. Clearly, I needed more of that suppressant instead of less because I was becoming more unreasonable by the minute.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he lifted me off the ground as we kissed. Warmth and caring flooded through me and I clung to him with more urgency. I didn’t want to let him go.

“I love you,” I whispered breathlessly when he finally put me down.

“I love you, too.” He smiled and kissed the end of my nose. Then he waited until I walked to my door and entered my room.

The sun had barely begun to set outside my window and I had hours to kill before Erik would come for me. My room seemed too small as I paced anxiously, turning over Anya’s outrageous statements in my mind. My head throbbed when I thought about how many things Mac had lied about, how many things Donavon had lied about. I wanted to confront him, but I couldn’t bring myself to pick up my communicator. What would I say? After all, hadn’t Mac used him, too, lied to him, too? Obviously, Donavon knew he wasn’t born with the ability to morph, but I doubted whether he’d had a choice in becoming Talented.

The more I thought about it, the worse I felt for him. His own father had experimented on him. What kind of person could put his child in danger like that? How many others had been infected the way Donavon had been? The way I had.

You have no idea what your Agency does to innocent people. Crane knew. He knew and he tried to tell me, but I’d been too proud and trusting to listen. Penny tried to tell. She gave her life attempting to uncover the truth.

Before long, I was fuming. I stomped angrily between the bed and the bathroom, tossing clothes, books, and anything else that wasn’t bolted down against the walls. With every passing minute, my temper rose a little more. Deciding I needed a distraction, I rifled through the outfits I’d brought with me until I found black workout pants, a black tank top, and a black light weight jacket. I set the clothes aside and made my way to the shower.

Erik’s refusal to let me in on his master plan stung and all I could do was sit and ponder the possibilities, each idea more absurd than the one before it. Would we live in the woods like animals? Make our way to the ocean and hitch a ride to Europe? Continually move from one place to the next, constantly looking over our shoulders for Toxic Operatives? We would never be safe. They would hunt us. If I knew nothing else, I knew that.

I was fairly confident wherever we were going that showers and other luxuries I’d become accustomed to would be scarce. I savored the feel of the warm water against my skin. I thought about Alex and Kandice and I hoped she would at least find some peace in the fact her son wouldn’t succumb to the fate she’d given her life to prevent. Although, for that to be true, we had to succeed in getting him out of this hotel and somewhere the Agency wouldn’t find him. A sense of dread filled me. The Hamilton was under heavy security with guards at every entrance and exit. If it were just me and Erik, we stood a chance of getting out without drawing too much attention. Taking Alex would raise suspicion.

I had no clue how Erik planned on getting past Mac’s watchdogs. Assuming we made it past the guards, we still had to find a way out of the city. The security at the border would be even more intense than at the Hamilton. Not to mention, how were we going to get Alex away from Cadence? She’d been increasingly friendlier to me in the previous couple of days, but I doubted her good will would extend to handing the boy over without a fight.

By the time the water was cold, I felt we were about to embark on a suicide mission, but my resolve didn’t waiver. After everything I’d learned, I was even more convinced that Alex needed to be kept safe.

I dried my hair and took pains to straighten every strand until not so much as a wave was visible. The effort would be wasted once we were out of the air conditioning and in the humidity, but with an abundance of time and no other way to fill it, I figured why not. I stuffed the most necessary of my toiletries into one of the cases with my medicine and set them neatly by the door. I looked at the clock. It was only ten.

I climbed into my bed, fully clothed, and pulled the covers over my head. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but I couldn’t stand the mess that I’d made any longer. My mind contemplated all the horrible scenarios that we might encounter and the very real possibility we’d be caught. Any trouble I’d gotten into over the years, Mac had come to my rescue. But now, he would be the one leading the charge against me and Erik. We would be hunted like game and likely killed. The thought terrified me, but was also oddly invigorating.

For years, I’d sat idly by while Mac and Toxic took measures I’d known were wrong. I had even participated in some. Not anymore. I couldn’t right the wrongs that I’d caused. I couldn’t return the children to their parents. I couldn’t help the people I’d put in jail. But I could help Alex. For Donavon’s sake, I hoped Mac never learned the truth about Alex and that I could finish what he’d started.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Just after midnight, the door to my room creaked and someone slipped quietly inside. I knew without him speaking that it was Erik. I threw the covers back and could make out his oddly shaped silhouette moving in my direction.

“You ready?” he asked anxiously. When he moved closer, I realized the reason his outlined was so distorted. He was carrying two large backpacks. One was snuggly fastened against his back while the other was slung over one shoulder. I scurried out of bed and he handed me the one from his shoulder. I silently slipped into the straps.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I muttered.

Erik smirked. “Are you supposed to be a ninja?” he asked when he noticed I was wearing all black.

I shot him a dirty look; we were making an escape, for god’s sake. What was I supposed to wear? Erik was wearing jeans and a dark colored t-shirt, blue or green, I figured.

“I’m trying to blend in,” I shot back.

Erik chuckled and I soon found myself giggling a little, too. Only he would make a joke at a time like this. The tension ebbed slightly as we slipped into the hallway. I immediately registered the lack of neon glow; the lights were out.

“Erik, what’s going on?” I hissed.

“I called in a favor. I have a friend who is an Elite level Electrical Manipulator. He shorted the power to the entire hotel,” he whispered, reaching back for my hand.

“Seriously?” I asked, both stunned and impressed at his ingenuity.

“Yeah, it’s the only way I could be sure there wouldn’t be any security footage of us leaving the building,” he said, leading me down the corridor to Cadence’s room. “We don’t have a lot of time, though. Most people should be asleep, but any one awake will notice. Soon, Operatives will be crawling all over this place trying to figure out what happened.”

Erik knocked lightly on Cadence’s door. Then, to my astonishment, he entered without waiting for her answer, pulling me in after him. Cadence stood, bathed in the silvery moonlight streaming through her window. She looked anxious, but determined. I glanced between her and Erik, confused. Alex was sitting on the floor next to Cadence. His mop of blonde hair turned white by the pale glow. Unfocused milky eyes stared in our general direction and his small mouth quirked into a smile when he felt our presence. Alex leapt to his feet, raced across the room, and threw his arms around one of my legs.

“Hey, sweetie,” I said, patting him nervously on the top of his head. I looked at Erik for some indication of what I was supposed to do, but he just shrugged.

Erik quickly worked his arms out of the straps of his backpack and set it on the floor. He withdrew a strange looking mess of thick, black ropes and began untangling it.

“What is that?” I asked a little alarmed.

“Sling. I’m gonna have to carry Alex. This will be the easiest way,” he answered, deftly unknotting the cords. “Put his stuff in Talia’s pack,” Erik ordered Cadence.

“Is she coming with us?” I demanded, nodding to Cadence.

“Yes,” Erik replied calmly, not looking up from his task.

“Why?” I wanted to know.

“Because we need her, Tals. She wants to help.” Erik gave me a small smile.

I didn’t like it. The more people involved, the more likely we’d get caught. And I didn’t trust her, not with this. She might have been nicer lately, but that didn’t mean I was ready to put my life, or Erik’s and Alex’s, in her hands.

“You can trust me, Talia,” Cadence said softly as though she’d been reading my thoughts.

Maybe she had been. I hadn’t taken any measures to prevent projecting my incredulity. The look on Erik’s face said he’d already made up his mind, so there was no point in arguing. I sighed, resigned that she would be tagging along. Once Erik removed all the kinks from his sling, he started fastening it to his back. I lifted Alex and tried to figure out how to secure him in the contraption. When he was safely nestled against Erik and all his belongings were stowed in my bag, Cadence grabbed Erik’s discarded knapsack.

“Stay close together. We’re going to take the stairs to the back exit. The elevators aren’t working anyway,” he said, assuming control of the situation.

Cadence and I silently followed Erik down the dark hallway to the stairwell. I wasn’t surprised to find the passage pitch black, as well. Mine and Erik’s eyesight was good enough to navigate the steps without much difficulty, but Cadence stumbled and clung to the railing for support. Reluctantly, I reached for her hand to guide her. The last thing we needed was for her to fall and break something. Her palm was sweaty and trembled in my own and my irritation lessened. I wasn’t sure why Erik thought we needed her or why she wanted to help, but if Erik was willing to trust her, so was I.

With me guiding Cadence, we made it to the exit without incident. Erik paused briefly in front of the door. “Tal, there is a guard outside. Just one, I think. Can you take care of him?” Erik sent.

“Got it,” I sent back, moving in front of him to assume the lead.

Erik was right. There was only one guard. I could feel his mind buzzing through the door. I noiselessly pushed the door open and slid through. The guard didn’t see me right away and I took the opportunity to cold cock him. He was a stocky guy and the blow only stunned him. He turned toward me with his gun raised. I yanked it from his hands using my telekinetic abilities and sent it flying across the alleyway. Cadence had followed me. She used the guard’s brief moment of disorientation to kick him in the stomach. He groaned and doubled over. I closed in, bringing my knee into first his groin and then his chin. He fell to the pavement, moaning.

Not to be outdone, Cadence used the heel of her hand to slam his head into the brick wall of the hotel. The guard landed in a motionless heap. I breathed a sigh of relief, one obstacle down.

“Clear,” I called to Erik. Erik trotted to join us in the alley, Alex’s hand clinging with a death grip to his neck.

“Damn,” Erik whistled when he saw the guard. “Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you two.”

I smiled weakly. “Where to now?”

“We need to get to the Metro Station,” Erik said softly.

“The Metro Station?” I asked, unsure I’d heard him correctly.

“Yeah, we can follow the tunnels out of the city,” he replied.

So this was his master plan? I trusted him implicitly, but it was a maze down there. How did he expect to find our way to the other end? I didn’t have time to question his strategy outwardly, though, because he was already making his way to the street. I looked at Cadence to see if she was anymore clued in to the logistics of Erik’s scheme, but she appeared as doubtful as I felt. There wasn’t time for argument, so I followed him.

Apparently, Erik’s Electrical Manipulator friend was stronger than Erik had let on. Not only was the Hamilton bathed in blackness, the street lights were out, too. Sounds of commotion and frantic conversation wafted from the front of the hotel as we crossed K Street. I held my breath, waiting for one of the guards to spot us.

The whistle of air hissed in my ear when the first bullet whirred past. I heard the second when it left the barrel of the snipers gun.

“DUCK!” I screamed. Unfortunately, I yelled the word in my mind, and only Erik heard it. I realized my mistake in time to leap on Cadence, knocking her to the ground as the second bullet soared over us.

“Talia, do something!” Erik exclaimed.

I threw all my concentration towards my mental abilities, searching for the shooter. It was a lone sniper. Tt had to be. Shots were coming too far apart. I heard the third crack and followed the noise back to its source. I froze the bullet, guiding it harmlessly to the ground. The sniper was close enough for me to latch on to his mind. I took control, forcing him to drop his rifle and curl into a harmless ball.

“How many are there?” Cadence asked fearfully. She was still underneath me on the pavement.

“Just the one, but we need to move in case he radioed in our location,” I replied, getting to my feet. I offered Cadence my hand. She gripped my wrist and I hauled her to her feet.

“Come on. This way,” Erik called, taking off at a slow run.

We jogged the block down K to Fifteenth where Erik cut across a small grassy area that was supposed to be a park. Our footsteps seemed to echo off the tall buildings on either side of the street. I prayed it was just my superior hearing that made them sound so loud. As we approached I Street, Erik came to an abrupt halt.

“Shit,” he swore under his breath.

“What?” Cadence whispered.

“The guard at the Metro Station. It’s not Harris,” he replied softly. He sounded a little frantic and for the first time, unsure of himself.

“There’s only one. Cadence and I can handle him,” I assured him, putting my hand on his arm.

“We can’t take him out, Tal. If we do, they’ll know where to start looking for us,” Erik replied, the wheels in his head working double time to adapt to the unforeseen development.

“Then I’ll take care of it,” I said pointedly. “I am a master manipulator, remember?”

I didn’t wait for his answer before jogging across I Street. I recognized the guard immediately. It was Desmond. He pointed his weapon in my direction when he heard my feet pounding the pavement. I held up my hands to indicate that I wasn’t a threat. Slowly, Desmond lowered his rifle.

I locked his eyes with mine and bore into his mind. “You’re going to let us pass. Then you’re going to forget you saw us,” I ordered. He never stood a chance. His expression went slack and he bobbed his large head up and down stupidly.

“Come on, Erik,” I called. Erik and Cadence sprinted across the street to join me.

“Unlock the gate,” I ordered Desmond in a clear confident tone. He complied without so much as a sliver of hesitancy. Erik rushed past him and began descending the metal stairs. Cadence quickly followed, but she paused and stared at Desmond with an awed expression.

“Go,” I urged when I thought that she might not move.

She nodded and disappeared into the abyss beyond the gate.

“Lock up behind us,” I ordered.

Desmond jerkily shook his head up and down to indicate that he understood. I waited at the top of the nonmoving escalator until I heard the snap of the padlock.

Cadence had only managed to make it a quarter of the way down when I caught up with her. I grabbed ahold of her arm and steered her the rest of the way, urging her to move her feet faster. Now that we were actually out of the hotel, the full weight of what we were doing settled on top of me. We were actually doing it. We were running away from the Agency. Fear made my chest tight and my stomach squirm. But the exhilaration of finally defying Mac, finally standing up for what I believed in, propelled me faster toward the landing.

Erik stood at the bottom, whispering soothing words to Alex, who gave no indication he grasped what was happening.

“There’s a flashlight in your pack, Cadence,” Erik said when he noticed her clinging blindly to me for support. “It should be safe to turn it on now.”

I became impatient as Cadence rummaged through her bag for the light. When she finally found the device, she turned it on and a thin beam illuminated the path in front of her. She looked relieved to be able to see again.

Erik led us down the second, shorter set of steps that went to the train platform. The sound of our feet against the cracked stones reverberated off the rounded ceiling. We crossed the length of the platform before Erik climbed over the edge and lowered himself on to the tracks. Carrying Alex on his back didn’t encumber his movements in the slightest. Less gracefully, I clamored down behind them, my own bag swinging wildly on my back and throwing me off balance. I landed hard, one of my knees banging painfully on the rails.

Learning from my mistake, Cadence smartly threw her pack down first and then jumped. She landed with a soft thud next to me. Squeaking and scratching met my ears as we set off into the tunnel. I tried not to think about the rodents that were causing the noises, hoping Cadence’s light would scare them off.

“Erik, these tunnels are complex,” I began once we had walked for several minutes in silence and was confident it was time to voice concern. “Do you know where we’re going?”

Erik snorted humorlessly. “I’ve spent a lot of time down here, Tals. Trust me, there are few people who know these passageways as well as I do,” he replied.

I tore my eyes away from my feet, where they’d been carefully monitoring the cross beams to ensure that I didn’t trip and land on my face. Alex’s small head bobbed up and down with each step Erik took. I wanted to question him further, but was reluctant to make it seem as though I doubted him. He had gotten us this far, which alone was a minor miracle. I returned my gaze to the ground just in time to see a furry shape scurry across my path. I yelped and jumped, what felt like feet, but was really only several inches.

“What?” Erik asked, spinning around, alarmed at my screams.

“Rat,” I mumbled embarrassed by my reaction.

He tried to hide a smirk. “They’re more scared of you than you are of them,” he promised, holding out his hand and waiting for me to catch up.

“How far is it until we’re out of D.C.?” Cadence asked nervously.

“It’s about ten miles to Virginia,” Erik answered her. “But it’s only a couple more minutes to where we’re going.”

“I thought we were leaving the city?” I asked, surprised.

“We are, just not tonight,” Erik replied evasively.

I hated all of the secrecy, so I delved into Erik’s head for some more concrete answers. His mental blockades were firmly in place. A rush of annoyance overshadowed my earlier resolve to trust Erik. I hated being shut out.

“I’m not trying to hide anything, Tals,” he promised. “You’ll understand when we get there.”

Well, that was ominous. Erik wasn’t prone to over dramatization, but I couldn’t help but think he was being theatrical. Thirty agonizing minutes later, we hit an impasse. Broken concrete and shards of metal were piled from floor to ceiling of the tunnel. “I told you so” was on the tip of my tongue when Erik maneuvered his way to the wall just before where the cave-in began. He ran his hand along the wall until he found a handle. He pulled and a door that had been seamlessly placed in the wall swung open with a loud whine. Rusty metal rungs of a ladder led upwards into an impossibly small passage.

“Duck your head, buddy,” he whispered to Alex before releasing my hand and ascending the ladder.

I watched his feet disappear before I gripped the rungs myself. I wouldn’t have believed the rusty metal could withstand my weight if I hadn’t seen them hold Erik’s. Flakes scratched my palms as I pulled myself higher. Dirt and grime trickled down into my hair from Erik’s shoes. I closed my mouth to keep from swallowing the grossness. The space was so tight and the air so stale that breath barely reached my lungs; I prayed that the end was near. Claustrophobia wasn’t one of my fears, but then again, I’d never been in such a cramped space.

I looked down when I didn’t hear Cadence following me. She stood at the bottom of the ladder, her face frozen in a mask of horror.

“What’s wrong?” I called, irrationally worrying that I would use up what little oxygen was in the tube by speaking.

“I don’t like small spaces,” she called back, sounding close to tears.

I sighed. Great, just what we needed, Cadence to freak out now.

“Just close your eyes and breathe,” Erik instructed her from somewhere above me. “The shaft isn’t long. I’m already close to the top.”

After a couple of false starts, Cadence firmly gripped the first rung, pulled the door shut behind her, and practically flew up the ladder until her head was just below my feet. Above me, Erik gave a hard shove to the underside of a trap door. A dull light filled the tunnel. I resumed climbing. At the top, Erik grabbed my hand and pulled me the rest of the way through. Cadence was still on my heels, so once I was safely on firm ground, I helped pull her through, too.

The hallway was not much wider than the shaft and Cadence was just as uncomfortable in the constricted space. I took hold of her hand and sent calming thoughts her way. Her trembling subsided and she smiled gratefully at me.

A faint glow shone in from the space underneath a door to our right. Erik started moving in the direction of the light as I guided Cadence in his wake.

When we reached the door, Erik knocked three times, paused, knocked twice more, paused again, and then knocked one last time. Nothing happened at first, but then, three sharp knocks replied. I gasped in surprise. I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d expected to happen or what I’d thought the point of his knocking had been, but for some reason, it hadn’t occurred to me someone would answer. Erik knocked once, paused, and then pounded three more times on the door. After the crude code had been exchanged, the door eased open.

A middle aged man with a full head of gray hair stood on the other side. He wore thread bare jeans and a flannel shirt with so many patches sewn to cover up holes, it resembled a quilt. When he smiled, bright white teeth gleamed back at us. His eyes literally lit up when he smiled, sending me stumbling several paces back. The irises were projecting a dull, yellow light into the passage where we were still standing.

“Erikson,” he exclaimed, grasping Erik’s arm and shaking his hand.

“Adam,” he greeted the man with a familiarity that shocked me.

Cadence and I stood awkwardly witnessing the exchange, waiting for Erik to shed some light on what the hell was going on. Adam held the door open and gestured for us to pass through. The vast space was nearly identical to the platform of the first Metro Station. Several men and women patrolled the platform, guns sticking out of the waistbands of their pants. Too many sets of eyes to count bore down on our group when we stepped on to the platform.

I instantly went into fight mode, mentally preparing myself for an attack. It didn’t come. Upon closer inspection, the rag-tag army was surveying us curiously. I relaxed, flexing my fingers and rolling my neck to release the tension.

“Welcome to the Underground,” Erik said, turning tentatively to face me and Cadence.

I stared at him at him blankly, at a loss for words. The Underground? What was the Underground?

“Adam, this is Talia,” he said gesturing to me.

I shuffled forward to stand as close to Erik as I could manage and gave Adam a small wave. He smiled kindly.

“Cadence,” Erik continued, pointing to where she still stood rooted in place. Cadence was speechless, as well, and managed little more than a strangled noise in reply.

“And this,” Erik said, rubbing the tops of Alex’s fingers that were clinging to the collar of his shirt, “is Alex.”

“It’s nice to have y’all,” Adam said. His eyes were no longer glowing, but the small amount of light they gave off illuminated his face. “And it’s great to have you back, Erik.”

“Back?” I croaked.

“Um, yeah, well, I used to live here when I was little,” Erik replied, refusing to look at me.

“And he’s nice enough to come visit every once in a while and bring us some supplies,” Adam said, winking at me.

Ah, that must be why our packs were so bulky. It hadn’t occurred to me to ask what was actually in the bags before we left.

“So, I take it this isn’t a social call?” Adam asked Erik.

“No, unfortunately not,” Erik answered gravely. “They’re both Toxic Operatives and the boy was slated to be moved to the school tomorrow, but we learned some things ...” Erik let his voice trail off.

Adam gave him a knowing look. “So, you finally decided to make a run for it, huh?”

“Yeah,” Erik confirmed. “We won’t stay long, just a couple of nights. I don’t want to cause trouble for you.”

“No trouble, Erik. Y’all are welcome as long as you need.” Adam smiled.

“I feel as though I should tell you who they are,” Erik said hesitantly.

“No need. I can guess they are pretty important to you for you to be taking such a big risk.” Adam waved off Erik’s concern. “We’ll keep ‘em safe.”

“Thanks,” Erik said, relieved.

“It’s late. There are some empty rooms upstairs if y’all want to get some sleep,” Adam offered.

“That would be great,” Erik agreed.

Adam gestured to a brunette girl reading nearby. The girl couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen, tops. Her clothes were just as worn as Adam’s and she shared his round cheeks and thin lips. Not his glowing irises, though. Hers were the color of fresh cut grass.

“Leisel, you know Erik, right?” he asked the girl. She smiled shyly and nodded that she did. “Talia, Cadence, Alex, this is my daughter, Leisel. She’ll show you where to set your things and get some rest.”

I was still so shocked, I forgot my manners and didn’t even thank Adam before following his daughter up a flight of metal stairs. She guided us through glass doors off to one side of the upper platform and down a long hallway. Either side of the passage was lined with massive glass windows that looked suspiciously like storefronts. I had the odd sense we were in some kind of underground mall, a decrepit, abandon one, but a mall all the same.

Halfway down the corridor, Leisel finally turned into a store. A large rectangular table occupied the middle of the room. Eight alcoves, partitioned by sheets of various colors, were set up as individual living quarters.

“This is our guest housing,” she explained in a hushed tone. “There aren’t many people in here now, so you should have some privacy. If y’all need anything, well, you know where to find Daddy.”

“Thank you, Leisel,” Erik said politely.

She smiled at our group before turning to leave.

A soft glow illuminated one alcove, but the rest of the room was fairly dark.

“Cadence, why don’t you take that one,” Erik suggested pointing at a cubicle near the entrance.

“Sure,” she mumbled, hesitantly pushing back the olive green curtain that served as the door.

“I’ll wake you up in the morning. There’s food in the bag if you get hungry,” Erik promised as the curtain swung back in place.

“Want to help me get Alex settled?” Erik asked, looking at me for the first time since we arrived. His turquoise eyes were a mix of embarrassment and exhaustion. He was just waiting for me to explode and demand answers. And I desperately wanted to do just that, but in an uncharacteristic show of discipline, I refrained.

I unhooked Alex’s sling and he wrapped his arms around my neck, burying his face in my hair.

“You okay?” I asked the small boy. If I thought I’d been through a lot today, it was nothing compared to what the child had experienced. His mother had been killed not even twenty-four hours before. He’d been taken from his home, likely poked and prodded by Toxic’s Medical staff, and then kidnapped by me and Erik. My own problems seemed trivial by comparison.

“Sleep with you?” he mumbled into my once again curly hair. I wasn’t sure what shocked me more, his request or the fact that he’d actually spoken. On the plane ride from North Carolina, he’d said only one word and he’d been quiet the entire time we were in the tunnels. Remembering my own parents’ murders, I couldn’t say I blamed him. I’d refused to speak for nearly a month.

I looked at Erik for confirmation.

“Of course,” he said, rubbing Alex’s back.

Erik led us to the largest alcove. The curtained entrance was a muted yellow color and the space looked big enough for the three of us. Then I wondered if Erik planned on sleeping by himself. I hoped not. I really wanted his company.

Erik held the curtain open so I could carry Alex through. A king sized bed with surprisingly clean sheets took up most of the room. A scarred wooden crate served as the bedside table and a lone dresser with four drawers huddled in one corner.

Erik moved to the bedside table and fiddled with an odd contraption. Several seconds later, our room filled with a dull orange glow.

“Kerosene lantern,” he explained when he saw my confusion.

“Right,” I agreed, having no clue what a kerosene lantern was.

Erik folded the blanket covering the bed back. I gently placed Alex on the sheets. The boy wiggled his small body until the pillow molded underneath his head. Erik worked the boy’s sneakers off his tiny feet, then secured the blanket around his shoulders.

“Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?” I asked, smoothing Alex’s hair against his pillow. He shook his head and closed his eyes, reaching in my general direction. Not sure what he wanted, I took his small hand and he wrapped his little kid fingers around my thumb. I climbed over the top of him and lay in the center of the bed, resting my tired skull on his pillow.

“I’m going to go talk to Adam about some stuff. I’ll be back soon.” Erik said as if he were asking my permission. He’d been so in control, so authoritative all night, it was odd for him to seem so unsure of himself now.

“Okay,” I whispered, the weight of the last twenty-four hours bearing down on me. “Hurry,” I added so softly I wasn’t sure he heard me. The nearly imperceptible nod of his head as he exited was my only indication he had.

Alex’s heavy breathing made me even more tired. I fell asleep with Donavon’s son still holding my hand.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I hadn’t been out long when familiar fingers brushed the hair from my face and Erik’s arm slipped around my waist.

“Everything okay?” I mumbled sleepily.

“It will be as long as you’re safe,” he whispered in my ear.

Safe. Were we safe? Would we ever be safe? There was no way Toxic didn’t know about this place. The Underground, Erik had called it. Erik had lived here. For years. How had he kept this part of his life secret from me? After telling me about his mom dying and how the remainder of his family lived under constant scrutiny, did he not trust me enough to tell me about the Underground? I was torn between annoyance and hurt.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, suddenly much more alert.

“About this place? I couldn’t, Tal. Do you think I wanted you knowing that I lived like this for years?”

I untangled Alex’s small fingers and rolled over to face Erik. “You can tell me anything,” I said seriously. “You want me to trust you, but you have to trust me, too.”

“I didn’t even want to bring you here, but on such short notice, I didn’t have a choice. I knew Adam would take you in, keep you safe,” he said, kissing my forehead.

“Is Adam a Talent?” I asked, recalling his glowing eyes.

“Light Manipulator,” Erik replied.

“Was he ever part of the Agency?” I wanted to know.

“Nope, Adam was born here. His parents were Operatives, though. Rumor has it the two of them, along with a handful of others, left Toxic after deciding they’d had enough of the politics. Toxic hunted them. They needed a way to stay hidden, so they founded the movement known as the Underground out of necessity. They set up safehouses all over the country to help other Operatives who wanted to leave the Agency, too. Over time, the movement caught on and parents who didn’t want to submit their children for testing started sending the kids to the safehouses to keep them away from Toxic. Since children and their parents don’t always know that they are Talented until after they’ve been tested, safehouses in the testing cities became imperative. This one,” Erik made a wide sweeping gesture with his arms that was meant to indicate the entire metro station, “came about after the cave-in.”

I let that sink in. Adam had to be in his forties, at least. So if he were born here, then the Underground was old. This wasn’t some ramshackle operation. It had been going on for years, right under Toxic’s nose.

“Do people actually live here fulltime?” I asked.

“For most, it’s just a temporary stop until Adam can arrange to get them safely out of the city. Others live their whole lives here because it’s one of the only stops on the Underground that has never been raided,” he explained. Then, in a barely audible whisper, he added, “That’s why we came here.”

My heart broke for him. His parents had been so scared for their children, they’d traded sunlight and fresh air for the safety that the Underground safehouse provided. I couldn’t even imagine what it must be like to live with the constant worry that at any moment, your home could be invaded and your family torn apart. I guess I was about to find out, though.

My decision to take Alex and run meant I would be forced to make tough choices. The moment I walked out of the Hamilton, I’d turned my back on my life and the closest thing to family I had left. All that mattered now was keeping Alex away from Mac. I was prepared to sacrifice everything to make that happen.

“Where is Adam’s wife? Leisel’s mother?” I asked, dreading Erik’s response. A part of me felt sure I wouldn’t like the answer.

“She died in a raid a couple of years ago,” Erik told me, sorrow filling his features.

So many lives lost, I thought. How did no one in power see the testing laws were doing more harm than good? I wondered whether Adam’s parents and the other founders of the Underground knew the Agency was creating Talents and it that was why they’d left. Was it possible the atrocities had been going on that long?

“That’s awful,” I said quietly.

“Yeah, it is. A lot of the members of the Underground want to take a stand, stage another rebellion against the Agency and put an end to the testing,” Erik continued.

A rebellion? The ragtag group of men and women I’d seen on the platform when we’d entered the station certainly didn’t appear to be a match for Toxic’s trained forces. They didn’t stand a chance. Ian Crane had tried to wage war against Toxic and only succeeded in splitting the country in two. Sure, he now controlled the western corner of the United States, but what had he actually accomplished?

An unsettling realization dawned on me. Crane had staged a rebellion. Crane had taken a stand against the Agency. The official party line was that he didn’t believe the Talented belonged with the general population and that there shouldn’t be a special school and government division devoted to their training and welfare. But if you put a slightly different spin on that idea, it wasn’t much different than what a faction of the Underground wanted to do. The part of the Underground that wanted to fight instead of run wanted to end testing. What else did they want? To stop forcing children to go to the McDonough School. The only difference was that according to the Agency, Crane hated Talents, thought we were freaks of nature. But as I’d recently learned, the powers that be in the Agency couldn’t be trusted to tell the truth.

“Was Ian Crane ever part of the Underground?” I asked.

Erik hesitated. He seemed to be weighing his next words carefully. “I don’t know for sure,” he finally said.

I gave him a look that was pure skepticism.

Erik sighed. “Supposedly, Crane’s parents were among the original defectors from the Agency.”

The information didn’t shock me nearly as much as it should have. It made sense, actually. It explained Crane’s loathing for Toxic and what it stood for. He’d probably been raised to hate and fear Toxic, and by extension, the Talented.

“But you don’t know whether Ian Crane was ever part of the Underground?” I pressed.

“The Coalition’s rebellion was before my time, Tal. All I know for sure is Adam and the other Conductors routinely smuggle talented people into the Coalition’s territory. And those people live happy lives. Crane doesn’t round them up and kill them or anything.”

“But Crane’s rebellion was over the fact he wanted Talents suppressed and hidden, not valued and taught to use their powers for the greater good.” The notion was so ingrained in me, the response was automatic. I felt like Mac’s parrot, dutifully reciting the mantra.

“So the Agency says,” Erik replied softly. “How much do you really believe of what Mac has told you, Tals? You can’t tell me that you don’t have doubts after everything that has happened today.”

Erik was right; I did have a lot of doubts. The one that scared me the most – the one I had yet to admit to myself – was whether Ian Crane was truly responsible for my parents’ deaths. After meeting Crane the previous year, I started to feel as though there was something fundamental I’d forgotten about the night they died. I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

“What do you think?” I asked Erik. “Do you think Toxic has twisted Crane’s views to make him the enemy?”

“I don’t know what I ‘think’, but what I know is that the Mandatory Testing Laws are wrong. Imprisoning people for noncompliance is wrong. Injecting children with experimental drugs to create powers is wrong. Using our blood to make more people like us is wrong,” he answered, growing angrier with each statement.

I sent calming thoughts in his direction, but he was so worked up, they had no effect. I was also concerned his voice would wake Alex, but the boy’s soft snores told me that was pretty unlikely.

“Penny was Talented,” Erik said in a much more even tone. “If Crane really hates us so much, then why did he have one of us working for him?”

That point had been nagging me for a while, too. When I’d been on Crane’s compound in Nevada, I hadn’t encountered any obvious Talents, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any. And I seriously doubted Penny was the exception to the rule. If Crane had one, he had more.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” I muttered.

“We’re going to figure it out. Right now, though, the most important thing is to keep you and Alex safe,” Erik said, pulling me closer.

I titled my head up and kissed him softly, feeling as if it had been a million years since the last time our lips had met. The physical contact grew more intense and intimate quickly until Erik gently pushed me away from him.

He laughed softly. “Not with the kid around, Tals.”

“I should have made him sleep with Cadence,” I grumbled, only half-joking.

I settled for molding my body to Erik’s, pressing my back against his chest while he curled his form around mine. He ran one hand lightly up and down my arm. The tension ebbed from every spot Erik touched. I could feel how tired he was, but his concern for my wellbeing took precedence. Along with thoughts of experimental creation drugs and how my life had been turned upside in less than twenty-four hours, I realized that I hadn’t left the closest thing to family at the Hamilton. My family was here with me in this bed, in this metro station. Erik was my family now. I wasn’t the only one making tough choices and sacrifices. The two of us were in this together. And for better or worse, so were Cadence and Alex.

Seeing as we were several stories underground, I had no way to judge what time it was when I finally woke the next morning. Erik and Alex were gone and I could hear people bustling around outside the curtain. I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Pushing the partition aside, I emerged from the makeshift bedroom. There was no electricity, but the room was lit with the same odd lanterns that sat next to my bed. A handful of people were eating breakfast and laughing, several I didn’t recognize, several I did, and one I had to do a double-take to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

Henri was sitting wedged between Erik and Cadence, munching on cheese and grapes.

“Henri!?! What are you doing here?” I exclaimed, stumbling towards him.

“Morning to you, too, sleepyhead,” he greeted me warmly. Henri stood from the rectangular table and wrapped his long arms around me, lifting me from the worn carpeting. When he set me down, I smiled up at him. His brown eyes were tired and sunken into his face. Wisps of his silky hair were sticking out every which way. The jeans and gray t-shirt he wore were streaked with dirt and grime from his trek through the tunnels.

Alex, who was practically sitting in Erik’s lap, perked at the sound of my voice.

“Tals?” he called, turning his head in my general direction and stretching his fingers for me.

“I’m right here, sweetie,” I said turning from my former teammate and rushing over.

He scooted further into Erik’s lap and patted the air next to him.

Henri laughed. “Jeez, Tal, first you get Erik into a monogamous relationship and now you have him babysitting? Your powers of manipulation are stronger than I thought,” he joked.

Alex bounced happily on Erik’s knee as he popped grapes into his mouth. I rolled my eyes to let Henri know how I felt about his commentary.

“You’re hilarious,” I quipped, stealing a couple of grapes from Alex’s pile and shoving them in my mouth. “But seriously, what are you doing here?” I asked between grapes.

Henri looked uncomfortably at Erik, who pointedly refused to meet his eyes.

“Hey, buddy, why don’t you sit with Cadence while you finish your breakfast so I can take Tal for a walk?” Erik asked Alex in an upbeat voice.

“Tals.” Alex pounded his small fist emphatically on the table.

“Why don’t we eat our breakfast together first,” I suggested, giving Erik a pointed look, but he wouldn’t meet my gaze either.

The jovial atmosphere at the table was underscored with a tension I didn’t totally understand. Everyone sitting there had a million reasons to be on edge, but it felt as though I were missing something. Henri’s presence heightened my unease. I doubted he’d made the trip for purely social reasons.

My offer to eat breakfast before handing him over to Cadence seemed to satisfy Alex, who felt his way from Erik’s lap to mine and settled in. I took my time selecting a slightly stale muffin I wagered Erik had stolen from the kitchen at the Hamilton. In fact, all the food on the table looked as though it had been left over from the previous day’s breakfast buffet.

The conversation resumed as I peeled the paper off my chosen chocolate baked good. As others finished eating, they began to filter away from the table until it was just me, Alex, Erik, Cadence, and Henri. When I couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer, I cajoled Alex in to letting Cadence play with him and reluctantly went with Erik. Henri chose to stay behind, which deepened the sense of dread I was already experiencing.

“So, what’s up?” I asked as we strolled down what I was now convinced was an old shopping mall. I’d thought so the night before, but now with all the lanterns illuminating the hallway, I was positive. The ceiling had even been painted light blue with fluffy white clouds and flocks of birds. Benches were set up every couple of yards with plastic plants next to them to give the impression that we were outside. The effect was touching; the lengths the inhabitants of the Underground had gone to to make their small city feel like home were impressive.

“Tals,” Erik began, grabbing my hand and leading me to a bench.

The gesture unnerved me further. If Erik wanted me to sit, he was obviously anticipating a poor reaction to whatever he had to tell me. For once, I didn’t peek into his head.

“My family is in danger. I need to go to them. I need to get them somewhere safe.”

“I know,” I replied, oddly relieved that this was what he wanted to talk about. “Henri and Cadence are going to go with me,” he continued evenly, bracing himself for my reaction.

“What?” I snapped. “What are you saying? Are you saying you don’t want me to help?”

“I want you safe. I need you to be safe,” Erik pleaded. “I wasn’t joking when I told the Director you were like my family. I can’t put you at risk by asking you to go with us.”

“You aren’t asking, I’m offering. Erik, please, I want to help,” I begged. Didn’t he realize that I wasn’t going to sit twiddling my thumbs while he put his life in danger?

“What about Alex?” Erik asked. “He’s scared and he is already attached to you. He just lost his mother. Toxic knows he’s missing now, that we’re all missing, and they are looking for his father. It’s only a matter of time before they figure out it’s Donavon. And once they do, they’ll come after him with a vengeance. Henri says the whole Agency is on high alert over our disappearances.”

“Cadence can stay with him,” I said weakly. But I knew that wasn’t a viable option. Alex barely let her touch him. There was no way he would stay with her and even if he did, I couldn’t be sure she would protect him.

“You know that isn’t a good idea,” Erik said gently. “Tal, I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. That is why I need you to stay here where it’s safe.”

“I’m a good Hunter. Nothing will happen to me as long as I’m with you and Henri,” I urged.

“You are a good. You’re one of the best, which is why you need to stay and protect Alex and yourself,” Erik said, cupping my cheek in his hand.

“What about you? What if something happens to you?” I couldn’t handle losing you, Erik.

“Nothing will happen to me. I have a plan and it’s a good one since I devised it myself,” he bragged, trying to lighten the mood.

“Is that why you brought Cadence? To help you?” I asked, slightly annoyed that he preferred her to me. I was being childish, but I didn’t care.

“Sort of,” Erik admitted. “She wanted to help and she is a Light Manipulator, which will come in handy.”

“And you trust her? Why does she want to help? What does she have to gain?” I asked incredulously.

“I told her who Alex is and she saw for herself what Donavon went through to keep him away from Toxic. Like you and me, she knows that the Director’s son wouldn’t have taken such a risk if there weren’t a good reason. And she’s started to think her brother, Randy, had the right idea when he helped that Coalition woman escape,” Erik tried to explain.

“And I’m the one who is too trusting?” I demanded with a short laugh. “Erik, you barely know her.”

“Cadence is the one who turned her brother in, Tal. She’s beating herself up over it. At the time, she thought it was the right thing to do. After visiting him at Tramblewood, she knows she messed up. She can’t help Randy. She can help me help my family,” Erik replied.

“She isn’t even that strong of a Talent,” I grumbled, again being unnecessarily petty.

“Well, we took care of that,” Erik responded sheepishly.

“Took care of it? How?” I asked, confused.

“I borrowed some of the amplification drug they’ve been giving the children during testing. According to Anya, the drug will magnify Cadence’s powers ten-fold for a couple of hours. She and I can become invisible and possibly extend the ability to Henri. I’ve known Elite Level Light Manipulators who can do that,” he explained.

“Really?” I was fascinated. If that were true, the possibilities were incredible.

“I hope so. I’m banking on it being true,” Erik admitted.

“When will you leave?” I asked, finally admitting defeat.

“Tonight,” he answered tentatively.

“That soon,” I mused. The thought that I might only have a couple of hours with Erik was causing my chest to tighten and tears to burn the backs of my eyes.

“It’s only a couple of days, Tal. I will come back to you,” he promised.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I warned, choking on the tears now pouring down my cheeks.

“I never do,” he swore, wiping my face with his thumbs, his turquoise eyes now watery, too.

Erik assured me Adam would take care of whatever I needed while he was gone. I had enough semi-fresh food in my bag for me and Alex to last several days before we would be resigned to eating the canned beans and dehydrated meats common among the citizens of the Underground. He gave me a bootleg communicator that operated on a different frequency than the Agency’s. Erik said if I needed anything from aboveground, to send a detailed message to the first stored number and someone on the outside would deliver it. I had enough medication to last me another two weeks and Erik made me promise I would continue to take it.

As the day wore on, I became more and more reluctant to let Erik out of my sight. I was being selfish. He probably had things to go over with Henri and Cadence, but he indulged my neediness anyway. I wanted to be strong for him and assure him the rescue mission would go off without a hitch, but I had an awful feeling he was walking into a trap.

The Agency knew he would come for his family. They’d been lording his father and brothers’ safety over his head to keep him in line for years. Secretly, he, too, knew Toxic Operatives would be waiting for him. Neither of us mentioned it.

After dinner, we put Alex to bed in Cadence’s alcove. The boy clung to Erik when he hugged him goodnight and it was obvious he feared it might be the last time he saw him. Cadence and Henri had turned the table into a make-shift command center and were pouring over maps and crudely drawn diagrams. Neither one protested when Erik said he was going to lay down with me for the hour before they left.

In the makeshift bedroom, Erik stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed. His mind was no longer guarded. All his secrets were finally out in the open, so I knew he had no intention of having sex with me. He just wanted to feel my skin next to his. I removed everything but my underwear and snuggled up next to him. We didn’t talk much; there was nothing left to say.

Erik traced the contours of my face, memorizing every detail. He ran his fingers over the scars on my back and hip and kissed along my collarbone. He nuzzled his face against my chest before resting his cheek against my stomach. I held him, savoring the feel of his touch and the way his warm body felt on mine. His mind was open and the intimate mental connection we’d shared in my hotel room returned. I shared every thought and emotion he possessed. His soul was laid bare and his vulnerability was so touching, it made me want to cry.

For one blissful hour, nothing else in the world mattered except Erik. Tangled in his arms, I forgot about Toxic and Mac and how quickly my life had been turned upside down. Even Alex and our uncertain futures seemed inconsequential. I would have done anything to prolong the time we had left.

“I have to go, Tal,” Erik sighed, raising his head from its resting place.

“I know.” I tried to smile, but I was numb. Erik kissed me softly and I tasted his salty tears.

I watched as Erik climbed out of the bed and dressed. He kept sniffling and wiping his face with his palms. I chewed my lower lip and curled my knees to my chest, hugging my legs as my body trembled.

“I love you, Natalia,” he said simply once he was dressed and I was still curled practically naked on top of the thin comforter.

“I love you,” I replied, hoping with those three words I could convey the millions of others I wanted to say to him. The look on his face said they did. I pulled myself together and got dressed.

Henri and Cadence were anxiously standing at the table when I exited the alcove. I hugged Henri and told him to be careful.

“You would have been a great Hunter,” I told Cadence when I wrapped my arms around her. And I meant it, too.

“Thanks, Talia.” She smiled. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

I watched them walk out of the room. Erik’s eyes were still puffy and he kept rubbing his nose. Once they were gone, I crawled into bed with Alex, gathering the sleeping child against my chest, and cried myself to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Tals? Tals? Wake?” Alex whispered, his face so close his breath tickled my nose.

“Whatdaya need?” I mumbled, reaching absently towards the sound of his voice.

“I haveta go potty,” he whispered back.

I groaned. Welcome to responsibility, Talia.

“Okay, sweetie. I’m up,” I declared, blinking my eyes open.

Alex’s small face startled me. Cloudy blues eyes stared blankly down at me from a pale face. His blonde hair was mussed from sleep. Cherubic lips parted in a small smile as I spoke.

“I’m up,” I repeated, more to convince myself than Alex.

Donavon’s son patted my arm, feeling his way to my hand. When his warm fingers closed around my thumb, he tugged insistently. I quickly clambered to my feet, guided Alex through the curtain, and stumbled to the bathroom in the back of the room. I rested my head on the closed door until I heard the water running, signaling Alex was washing his hands.

“Are you hungry?” I asked when he emerged.

Alex vigorously bobbed his head up and down.

“Let’s see what we can find,” I told him. Then I seated him at the table and scrounged an apple, peanut butter, and some wheat bread from the bag Erik had left and spread out our breakfast.

The few other people sharing our room were still asleep. I envied them. I had no idea what time it was, but I assumed early about summed it up. Alex ate happily while I nibbled on apple bits. Towards the end of our meal, people started filtering out of their cubbies. The other inhabitants greeted us sleepily before heading to the make-shift cafeteria where, as Leisel had informed me the day before, the citizens of the Underground normally ate.

With breakfast out of the way, I decided personal hygiene was the way to go. I gathered changes of clothes for both me and Alex and our meager toiletries, before carrying him down the hallway to the showers. The showers were located in locker rooms that, as far as I could tell, used to be part of a gym. The workout equipment was no longer in working order, having been cleared out to make a giant play area for the children. The locker rooms still had running water, but the heaters no longer worked, so only cold water poured from the faucets.

I worked scrubbing Alex clean as he trembled under the frigid spray. Then I dressed him in clean clothes and sat him on a bench while I hastily cleaned two days’ worth of filth off my own body.

I’d never been responsible for another person; I was barely responsible for myself. When I was little, my parents fed me, clothed me, and made sure I had the basic necessities and then some. After they had died, Mac and Gretchen took over my care. Every minute of my day had been planned for me since I’d started at the McDonough School. I was told when to eat, when to attend classes, when to bathe, what to wear. I’d never even realized how little choice I had in my own life.

Now I wasn’t just responsible for me, but also for another person. When I’d asked Alex how old he was, he’d proudly held up four stubby fingers. I had no experience with children and I knew nothing about being blind. Now that we were alone, I worried I’d been hasty in my decision to run with the boy. Was I honestly strong enough to do this? Could I really provide for him? Keep him safe?

If something happened to Alex, it would be my fault. I kept reminding myself the situation was temporary. Erik, Henri, and Cadence would return. The five of us would plan our next move together. Doubt lingered in the back of my mind, though. What if they were caught? What would happen to them? What would become of me and Alex?

I told myself to remain positive. There wasn’t an option. Pessimism would get me nowhere. Dwelling on what could happen was unproductive. One day at a time became my new mantra.

After we’d eaten and washed, I was at a loss as to what to do. Many of the younger children were already playing in the old gymnasium. The caretakers assured me Alex would be well looked after if I wanted to leave him with them. I was hesitant to let him out of my sight. He’d been through so much in such a short time. Separating him from the only person he knew seemed irresponsible. Adam’s daughter, Leisel, was one of the caretakers and she gently suggested it might be good for Alex to interact with kids his own age. My own childhood had lacked that same companionship. Remembering how lonely I’d been constantly surrounded by adults, I reluctantly agreed.

Alex looked uncertain about being too far from me, so I took a seat in the corner of the room and watched him tentatively play with his new classmates. Despite his handicap, Alex zealously drew pictures and built structures out of blocks. He seemed to get along well with the other kids. With a twinge of sadness, I was reminded of Donavon’s easygoing nature. Donavon had always been quick to make friends and it seemed his son had inherited the trait.

“How ya doing?” Adam drawled, taking a seat next to me on the mat.

“Okay.” I smiled. “Alex is doing great, especially considering...everything.”

“A lot of the children come here under similar circumstances. In time, it will get easier,” Adam promised. “For both of you.”

I prayed he was right. I had no intention of trying to replace Kandice as the boy’s mother. But I hoped that, eventually, his life would return to something resembling normal. After my parents’ murders, I’d been consumed by the desire for revenge. The promise that those responsible would pay became my reason for waking. It drove me, sustained me, to the point of obsession. I wouldn’t let that happen to Alex. The hatred would not gnaw at his gut, turn him into someone he was not.

“This is quite the operation you have going on down here,” I commented, changing the subject.

“We try. Most only stay a couple of weeks until we can get them out to an above-ground community. We do have some lifers. They’re really what keeps this place running,” he replied fondly.

“Well, as long as I’m here, I’m happy to help with whatever you need,” I offered honestly. I liked the idea of people depending on me for once instead of the other way around.

“Got any special skills?” Adam asked, trying to hide a smile.

I think he already knew my “special skills” were limited. “Unless you have the need for somebody who can manipulate minds, well, I’m kind of useless,” I replied sheepishly.

“I wouldn’t say you’re ‘useless’,” he laughed. “You seem to be doing pretty well with the boy.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“I think I have something you can help me with,” Adam said, getting to his feet and gesturing for me to follow.

I glanced over to where Leisel was helping Alex glue dried noodles to a piece of paper. He seemed okay, but I didn’t want to leave without telling him.

Sensing my hesitancy, Adam smiled and said, “I’ll wait.”

I walked over to Alex and bent down beside him. I placed my hand gently on his back so I wouldn’t frighten him when I spoke. My concern was misplaced. He sensed my presence as soon as I was close.

“Tals, picture,” he declared, triumphantly holding the noodle portrait in my direction.

I had no idea what it was supposed to be, but the gesture touched me and a knot formed in my throat. “It’s great, Alex,” I managed to get out. “I’m going to go help out Adam for a little while, but I’ll be back soon. Will you be okay?”

“Yup,” he replied, happily returning to his picture.

“I’ll stay with him,” Leisel promised.

I thanked her before rejoining Adam. I followed him out of the gymnasium-turned-school-room and through the mall. He led me back down into the Metro Station and to the door we’d entered this bizarre new world through. We trekked down the narrow corridor and descended the tube. Thankfully, the shaft felt less claustrophobic without the added bulk of the huge pack I’d carried in.

“We have a lot of contacts on the outside that help us get food to feed all these people,” Adam explained. “They drop packages down the grates on street level and I go pick them up. Unfortunately, it’s mostly canned vegetables and meats. If we’re lucky, we get some dried fruits and cheeses, but either way, we make do.”

Adam expertly navigated the twists and turns of the tunnels until we came to the first drop site. Bags of canned corn and beets were waiting for us. After several more stops, our hull included canned green beans, potatoes, peaches, something called spam, and several bags of dried cranberries, bananas, and almonds. I quickly realized why Adam thought I might be of use to him in this onerous task; he needed a pack mule. I didn’t mind. I was happy to have a purpose.

After we’d visited all the collection spots, we returned to the Underground with our newly acquired wealth. We deposited the food with the kitchen staff. They were already hard at work preparing dinner over open fires made in trashcans. I marveled at the effort it required to provide meals for all the residents. A worker inventoried the donations and stashed them in a large closet lined with shelves brimming with similar fare.

“How often do you check for supplies?” I asked Adam as we made our way back to the school room.

“Once a day,” he said. “I usually go myself since most people here are either too scared to venture out or they don’t know the tunnels well enough to find their way back.”

“I imagine it’s easy to get lost down here,” I agreed.

“That’s what keeps us safe,” he said softly.

Our trip had taken so long, the school day was nearly over when I returned to Alex. The children were helping the teachers pack up the arts and crafts supplies when I entered the room. I decided in favor of joining the rest of the community for dinner in the food court. Alex and I sat with Adam, Leisel, and his two other children, Jules and Iris. Jules and Iris were ten and twelve, respectively. They dominated the conversation with what they had learned in school that day.

Their classes weren’t at all like the ones I’d experienced at the McDonough School. They learned to read using any and all available books that remained on the shelves. Basic math skills were developed with paper and pencils. Even foreign languages were taught using Spanish-English Dictionaries and the like. Instead of combat and weapons training, the students learned sewing and cooking. Each child was required to help prepare one meal a day and spend one afternoon a week patching tents, sleeping bags, and torn clothing.

The kitchen served bean pie with potatoes and a version of peach cobbler for dessert. The food was nothing close to the gourmet fare served at the Hamilton, but I was hungry and it was edible. After dinner, I joined Adam and his family for the night’s entertainment, which Leisel explained was called “basketball.” She was even nice enough to provide commentary since I couldn’t grasp the rules of the game right off. It also allowed Alex to understand what he couldn’t see. He lost interest quickly and by the time blue team had been declared the winners, he was fast asleep in my lap with his head resting on my shoulder.

When the game was over, most people went their separate ways to get ready for bed. I tucked Alex into his half of our bed, but was too restless to fall asleep myself. Adam had told me that he would be on guard duty before we parted ways, so I decided to see if he wanted any company.

Several men and women patrolled the platform. One or two glanced my way, offering small smiles and friendly waves. Leisel was curled up on her same blanket reading a book.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Adam called when he saw me.

“Too much going on in my head,” I called back. It was nice to share my thoughts openly and not worry that I might say the wrong thing or express an emotion inconsistent with the way Toxic wanted me to feel.

Adam sat cross-legged on his own blanket near the door. I joined him and he offered me nuts from the bag he held in one hand. I wasn’t hungry, but felt rude rejecting his generosity, so I grabbed a handful and began popping them in my mouth.

“I’ve known Erik a long time, Talia. That kid is a survivor. He’ll make it back,” Adam said.

“Have you heard anything?” I asked.

“Too soon. It will take them a couple of days to get down there. At this point, no news is good news,” he promised.

I hoped he was right. Taking care of Alex and trying to help Adam with his collection duties provided a much needed distraction from worrying about my friends’ fates. When I was alone, though, all I could think about was Erik. He had to come back. Not because I needed him, but because I didn’t trust myself to remain rational otherwise. Ian Crane and the Coalition would be the least of Mac’s worries if something happened to Erik. I would be the biggest threat to Mac’s safety then.

“Erik said you have contacts in the Agency? Are they looking for us?” I inquired, even though I knew, at the very least, Mac was.

“The Director is circulating some nonsense about you and Alex being kidnapped. He is keeping the truth need-to-know,” Adam scoffed.

“Kidnapped?” I exclaimed. That wasn’t what I’d expected.

“Civilians will be more inclined to report any sightings of you guys if they think you’re in danger and not that you ran away.” Adam rolled his eyes to emphasize how ridiculous he thought the notion was.

“What about the others? What are they saying about them?”

“Downplaying it for now. They haven’t made it widely known that they’re gone,” he replied.

“Does Director McDonough know who Alex really is yet?” I asked, a lump forming in my throat. Erik said once Mac knew, he would pull out all the stops to find him. I didn’t want to put Adam and his people in danger on our account. He’d been nice enough to take us in and I hated the thought of ruining everything he’d built here.

“I’m not sure. If he has, he isn’t advertising it. He did pull his son from whatever assignment he was on and has him at that hotel,” he replied.

“Donavon is here? In Washington?” I demanded. If Donavon were at the Hamilton, Mac knew.

“That’s what I hear,” Adam confirmed, startled by my reaction.

“How far are we from the hotel? Do you know?” I asked frantically. My connection to Donavon was stronger than any other I’d ever formed. I could reach his mind from a space of several miles if I concentrated hard enough.

“I’d say about three miles, give or take,” Adam guessed, looking thoughtful.

“Thanks for the nuts. I think I’m tired enough to sleep now,” I said, quickly rising.

“Sure. See you in the morning,” he responded. If Adam were confused by my abrupt departure, he didn’t let on.

After high-tailing it through the mall/street, I checked on Alex and found him sleeping peacefully. With great effort, I cleared my mind of all thoughts. Then I concentrated on Donavon. At first, I wasn’t able to connect with him, but perseverance paid off when I eventually felt his familiar brain pattern. It was weak, but the harder I concentrated, the stronger the connection became.

Donavon was at the Hamilton. He was upset and growing angrier by the minute. I concentrated harder. He was with Mac. They were fighting. Mac was screaming at him for being so stupid as to get Kandice pregnant and then not telling him about the baby. Mac was incredulous that Donavon had hid Alex. I concentrated even harder until I could see Donavon sitting on the black leather couch in Mac’s room. He wanted to stand up and defend his actions. He wanted to shout at his father and tell him exactly why he’d hid his son, but Donavon didn’t dare. He was terrified of Mac.

My heart ached for him as he sat there and let his father berate him. Then the dressing down turned even uglier; Mac brought me into it. He insisted that if Donavon hadn’t “messed things up with me”, then this whole situation would’ve never happened. Then something strange happened. The connection faltered. I refocused my mental energy and realized Donavon was trying to block me. He knew I was in his head. I wasn’t sure if the effort of attempting to keep me out and contain his rage at his father was too much for Donavon or if he just gave in to the inevitable, but his barricades dropped almost as quickly as they had gone up.

When I reestablished the link, Mac was still yelling about Donavon letting me catch him with Kandice, causing me to break-up with him. So that was what he didn’t want me to hear. He didn’t want me to know that Mac had essentially forced him to date me. I should’ve let him block me.

Tears stung my eyes as Mac shrieked about all Donavon’s mistakes. I’d never heard Mac so out of control. The composed façade he wore for the world was gone. He held nothing back. Funny, I thought. I always figured I’d be the one to expose the crack in Mac’s armor. Indirectly, the situation unfolding at the Hamilton was my fault. If I hadn’t taken Alex, Donavon wouldn’t be experiencing Mac’s wrath.

Guilt washed over me. My actions had an adverse effect on everyone I cared about. Erik and his family were in danger. Donavon’s secret had been exposed. Cadence and Henri were soon to be on the Agency’s most wanted list if they weren’t already.

Back at the Hamilton, Donavon reached his breaking point. “You have no one to blame for this, but yourself, Dad,” Donavon screamed. “Alex is four years old! Why couldn’t you just leave well enough alone? Are you so ambitious, so desperate to leave your mark on Toxic? Was turning me into a monster not enough for you?” Donavon’s cold laugher filled my head. “Thank you,” he said softly. “Thank you for sending Talia to extract him. She is the only person with enough gumption to stand up to you. All this time, you thought she’d be your salvation. Now she will be your downfall.”

The right side of my face exploded in pain, stars danced before my eyes, and I toppled backwards on the bed. I was so stunned that it took me a minute to realize what had happened. Mac had backhanded Donavon. He had hit his own son. My own pain and hurt feelings were quickly forgotten as the urge to sprint the several miles to the Hamilton and attack Mac overwhelmed me. I wanted to hurt him; I wanted him to feel the humiliation that Donavon was experiencing now. The primal desire to kill had never been stronger and somehow I doubted it was related to my new powers.

Donavon fled from the sitting room of Mac’s suite into one of the bedrooms and slammed the door behind him. He was on the verge of tears and I felt as though I was intruding on something personal and intimate. But he was so upset, I couldn’t leave him alone.

“Donavon?” I sent tentatively. “Are you okay?”

“How’s Alex?” Donavon asked, ignoring my question.

I looked over at Donavon’s son. He was curled in a tiny ball with his thumb stuffed in his mouth, breathing evenly, the very picture of innocence.

“He’s good. He’s sleeping next to me right now,” I added.

“Thank you, Talia. After everything I’ve done to you, I can’t believe you were willing to take such a risk,” Donavon choked, and I knew he was openly crying.

“Well, I didn’t do it for you. You’re an ass,” I said dryly.

“I’m so sorry, Tal. I never meant to hurt you. I did love you. I do love you. What my dad said ...” he didn’t finish his thought, but he didn’t need to. As much I wanted to hate him, I couldn’t even be angry with him when he was in so much pain.

“It’s fine, Donavon. None of it matters anymore. And I love you, too.” I did love him, just not in the way I’d once thought I did.

“Where are you guys? You must be close,” Donavon said.

“I don’t think I should tell you. The less you know, the better.” It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. He wouldn’t put Alex at further risk, but I wasn’t sure how far Mac was willing to go to get the child back. After all, he had experimented on his own son; I doubted he was above intense psychic interrogation if he thought Donavon knew our whereabouts. And I knew firsthand how badly that could end. I shuddered at the thought of what I’d once done to a boy Mac had forced me to interrogate; that guy was now in a psychiatric ward and didn’t even know his own name.

“You’re probably right,” Donavon agreed.

“Have you heard anything about Erik?” I asked hesitantly. If anybody would know whether Erik had been caught, it would be Donavon. But I was reluctant to divulge too much information. While I was convinced Donavon wouldn’t jeopardize mine or Alex’s safety, there was no love lost between him and Erik. I couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t turn Erik in if he knew we weren’t together.

“Isn’t he with you?” Donavon asked, confused. “Dad figured Erik was the only one with the ability to get you of here.”

“We got separated,” I replied lamely. Damn. Maybe asking was a mistake.

“Tal, they have his family’s home under surveillance. Dad knows he will go for them. He needs to be careful; Dad is just as desperate to get Erik back as he is you and Alex.”

I didn’t affirm Donavon’s suspicious, but I didn’t contradict them either. There was no point. “What’s going to happen to you? Will you be arrested?” I asked, fearfully.

“No, technically I haven’t done anything wrong yet. Alex is only four, so Toxic can’t argue that I violated the Mandatory Testing Laws. And it’s not illegal to keep your son a secret from your father, no matter how many times Dad says otherwise. My father is keeping the whole situation quiet since the Agency broke their own laws by going after a young child and…murdering Kandice.” The words were painful in his mind and the connection allowed me the insight to know he couldn’t have spoken them out loud. He’d cared about her. Loved her, even. Regret darkened his mood further.

I was seized with a desire to comfort him, hug him, hold him, and tell him that I was sorry about Kandice. Sorry wasn’t enough, though. He’d lost the mother of his child, his ally in the fight to keep Alex hidden. Never in a million years could I have imagined that I would share his pain.

“I guess that’s good, at least,” I managed to send back.

“I don’t care what they do to me as long as Alex is safe and away from Toxic,” Donavon said.

“I’ll keep him safe,” I promised Donavon.

“I don’t know how to thank you enough, Tal. I wish there was something I could do to repay you.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” I told him.

“Will you tell him I love him?” Donavon asked, tearing up again.

“As soon as he wakes up,” I swore. Then I broke the connection. I wanted to stay in that hotel room with Donavon, even if I were only there in mind and not body. Connecting with someone who understood and appreciated the enormity of what I was facing was comforting. The intensity of Donavon’s emotions was too much on top of my own, though. His mind was a black pit of despair and I couldn’t risk being sucked inside.

I scooted across the bed and wrapped my arms around Alex. Holding him gave me a sense of peace. His warm body reminded me why Kandice had lost her life, why Donavon had orchestrated the plan to hide his son. Toxic and Mac had already corrupted our bodies, ruined our lives, but there was still hope that they wouldn’t do the same to Alex and countless other children.

As promised, the first thing I did the next morning was tell Alex his daddy loved him. The little boy was so brave. He didn’t cry, just nodded stoically and made me promise to tell Donavon he loved him, too, and hoped he would see him soon.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Over the course of the next couple of days, Alex and I fell in to a routine. Every day, he played with the other children while I helped Adam collect the food that had been dropped down the grates. Alex drew me pictures and made me strange looking crafts out of popsicle sticks and I dutifully pinned them to the walls of our living quarters. I often sat with Adam after Alex went to bed and kept him company while he stood guard.

My anxiety over Erik’s well-being increased with each passing day. Adam’s contacts hadn’t heard the news of his capture, so I took that as a positive sign. I chanced reaching out to Donavon a couple more times, but he was no longer close enough to establish a connection. According to what little information Adam was able to glean, the hunt for me, Alex, and Erik was now an Agency-wide initiative. Oddly, there was no mention of Cadence or Henri and I wondered if they hadn’t been associated with our disappearances or if Mac just wasn’t as concerned with finding them.

On the fifth day after Erik’s departure, I returned from my collection duties to find Alex agitated and moody. Leisel told me he’d been like that for hours. He refused to speak and was curled in a ball in the corner of the room, nearly comatose. I hurried over to him and collected him in my arms.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” I asked, stroking his hair. He began to whimper as he buried his face in my chest. Clutched in his small fists were several pieces of balled up paper. My stomach plummeted. Fear constricted my chest like a fist squeezing my lungs until I couldn’t breathe. My hands shook as I pried the pages loose.

“No, no, no, no,” Alex moaned, rocking back and forth.

With trembling fingers, I smoothed the crinkled pages. There, on the first page, was an incredibly detailed picture of Erik; he was bleeding from a cut on his head and his lip was split. His eyes were dull and unfocused. I flipped to the second page - Erik unconscious lying on a bed in a cell. The third page - Erik propped up against a cinder block wall in the cell, two men pinning his arms down by his sides as a third man stood over him with his hand raised. The third man was Mac.

I threw the pictures to the floor as quickly as if they had burned my hand. I started gulping air and began to hyperventilate. My head swam and darkness clouded my peripheral vision. I must’ve screamed or moaned because suddenly, Leisel and several other women surrounded me and Alex.

No, Talia. Be strong, I ordered myself, terrified I was about to faint. Alex needs you, a voice reminded me. I shook my head to clear the black spots. Alex continued to shake in my arms. I hugged him tighter, just as much for my benefit as his.

“Get my father,” Leisel cried. “Talia, Talia are you okay?” she asked, dropping to her knees beside us.

“I’m fine,” I snapped, willing the statement to be true.

Leisel flinched at the tone of my voice.

“I’m fine,” I repeated more calmly.

Leisel picked up the pages and gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth when she saw the images. “I’m so sorry,” she breathed.

A crowd had gathered around us. They were breathing too hard, too much, consuming too much air. I felt as if I were suffocating. Move, move, move, I willed them. They finally parted for Adam, who shoved his way to where I sat. Leisel handed him the pictures without comment. A grim expression settled over his features. Urging the throng of bystanders back, he gripped me around my waist and lifted me to my feet. He put his hand on the small of my back and guided me and Alex out of the room.

Adam didn’t take us back to our alcove, instead leading us to a room at the very end of the hallway. The space was smaller than the others I’d seen. Even through the haze that obscured my vision, I noticed the prettily painted dressers and felt the homey comfort of the room. Worn rugs decorated the floors and hand-drawn pictures dotted the walls. This was where Adam and his family lived, I realized.

He gestured to the largest of the four beds. Numbly, I made my way over. The springs gave a loud groan when I sat. I tried to lay Alex on the mattress, but he clung to the front of my shirt and refused to let go.

My mind raced; Erik had been captured. Erik was going to be killed if I didn’t do something. And it was my fault. I had caused this. My stomach was nauseous and I was glad I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. What was I going to do? I had to go to him. Erik had rescued me so many times and in so many ways, I couldn’t just sit here and let Mac hurt him. Mac. After the way he’d treated Donavon, his own son, I knew there was no hope for Erik.

“I have to go to him,” I blurted out.

“Talia, you need to think this through,” Adam said, taking a seat next to me. His tone wasn’t patronizing. It didn’t have the lecture-like quality that Mac’s always did when he thought I was being rash or unreasonable.

“There’s nothing to think about. He needs me. They’re going to kill him,” I shouted frantically.

“Not necessarily. The Agency wants you and Alex. They will keep him alive until they can draw you out,” Adam reasoned.

“What if they interrogate him? They’ll be able to figure out where we are. You’ll all be in danger,” I shook my head, biting my lip to keep the waterworks at bay.

“He’s strong-willed, Talia. I’m sure you know that. He won’t break,” Adam said calmly.

“They can break anyone. I should know. I’ve broken people. You don’t understand what the psychic interrogation is like. It’s awful,” I moaned.

“No, they can’t. You’re the only Talent with Manipulation powers strong enough to break any person’s will. Why do you think they want you back so badly?” Adam said pointedly.

I was barely listening; I was beyond reason. He had no idea what Toxic was capable of. With all of their experimental technologies, I wasn’t even sure the extent of their abilities. Except Adam was right about one thing. There was one person who hadn’t cracked, Penny. Mac had admitted to me that no Talent had been strong enough to get through her barricades.

Penny had been a strong Mimic, just like Erik was. But Erik had a lot of experience blocking my mental intrusions. If he could keep me out, he could keep anyone out. Hope filled me. If Erik could keep them out of his head and if what Adam said was true, then they would keep him alive until they had me and Alex back. There was a chance I could get him back.

The wheels in my head started turning again. Slowly at first, but picking up steam as I fell into planning mode. I was a Hunter. Toxic had trained me to think on my feet, make snap decisions that could mean the difference between life and death. This was just another mission, I told myself. Sure, a very personal, very dangerous one, but a mission all the same.

A rescue mission would require a team, an exceptionally skilled group of highly trained individuals willing to go against Toxic. Where on earth would I find such a collection of people? The men and women of the Underground weren’t experienced enough for my needs. Amateurs, no matter how determined, made mistakes. Mistakes, when the stakes were so high, were not an option. Erik’s words came back to me.

Supposedly, Crane’s parents were among the Operatives who had originally broken ties with Toxic and founded the Underground. Adam and his men smuggled Talents into Coalition territory. The Coalition had attacked the research facility in Bethesda. Even as the plan took shape in my mind, I had my doubts. What I didn’t have, however, were options.

“Adam?” I began hesitantly, then continued before I lost my nerve. “Was Ian Crane ever part of the Underground?” The words tumbled from my mouth. I still wasn’t sure whether I was ready to associate the man who may or may not have killed my parents with people I’d come to know over the past couple of days. The people of the Underground wanted peace. Crane waged war. Right now, though, I needed someone willing to do battle with Toxic.

Adam didn’t even blink. “Yes. He broke off from our organization because he didn’t think we were proactive enough. He hated hiding. He recruited followers and, well, you know the rest.”

Even though I’d been expecting the answer, it still felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. A million other questions burned in my mind. Only one mattered.

“Erik said you can smuggle people into Coalition territory?” I said.

“We can,” Adam told me, growing uneasy.

“I need you to get me and Alex over the border,” I announced.

“Talia, every person in the country is looking for you two. Toxic is offering a huge reward. It’s too risky,” he answered sadly. “I promised Erik I’d keep you safe. I can’t do that.”

“Erik is in danger. They will kill him. This is the only way to save him. Please,” I begged. “He’s done so much for me. I love him.” The tears were swimming in my eyes and I didn’t try to hold them back this time. I needed Adam to understand how much Erik meant to me.

“Let me make some calls,” Adam said after a long pause. “Lay down here for now. Rest. If I can get a Conductor to agree to take you, you will need your strength. The journey won’t be easy.”

I wanted to impress upon him the urgency of the situation. Toxic had Erik. And while they might keep him alive in hopes of drawing me out, that would only buy him so much time. Eventually, the Agency would get tired of waiting and in the meantime, they weren’t just going to let him sit in a cell twiddling his thumbs.

Going to the Coalition, and Crane specifically, was a huge risk. I had no idea if he would be willing to help and in truth, I had nothing to offer him in return. But he had just orchestrated an attack on a Toxic compound, which meant he might be crazy enough to attempt another. Several of his men had been taken prisoner. He might agree to a rescue mission. Granted, he hadn’t come for Penny once she’d been sentenced to death, but she was just one person. Maybe he’d be more inclined when the lives of a handful of his men were on the line.

The plan was thin and full of gaping holes. I found my thinking in terms of “ifs” instead of “whens”. Unfortunately, I had nowhere else to turn. Asking a man I’d spent half my life hating for help sickened me. But even I wasn’t delusional enough to think I could save Erik alone. Being sick had taught me patience. I could wait to settle my differences with Crane. All the new developments in my life had made me less eager for revenge and more willing to hear him out.

Alex was still agitated and kept twitching and groaning on the bed. I rubbed his back and made soft, soothing noises, but the child gave no indication that he heard me. Deciding to take Adam’s advice, I lay down next to Alex and cuddled him in my arms. His body stilled in my embrace even as his whimpers continued. I scanned his mind, immediately wishing I’d refrained.

Alex wasn’t living in the here and now; he was entrenched in a vision. He was in an interrogation room. Erik was shackled to a solitary chair in the center of a dimly lit room. The single overhead light flickered every so often and I wondered if there was actually a short or if an Electrical Manipulator was the culprit and the scenario was more for effect. One of Erik’s eyes was swollen completely shut and the cut on his mouth that I’d seen in Alex’s picture now tore entirely through his bottom lip. His nearly black hair was matted with what I assumed was his own blood. Erik wheezed as he sat hunched over in the chair. The sound of his ragged breathing was like music to my ears, though. At least he was still alive.

From one corner of the room, Mac screamed obscenities incomprehensibly. Even in the poor lighting, I could make out the crazed expression in his steel eyes. I had finally succeeded in pushing Mac over the edge. My abduction of Alex and my own disappearance had sent him spiraling out of control. Mingled with his incoherent ramblings were words that chilled me. Mac knew Anya had analyzed my blood and he was using her as leverage against Erik. My heart sank. The fact that Erik wouldn’t divulge my whereabouts, even if it meant Anya’s life, made me feel even worse.

A thought occurred to me: If Mac were using Anya to attempt to get Erik to speak, he had no better leverage. Erik’s family must be safe; Henri and Cadence must’ve gotten away. A small glimmer of hope dared to break through the dread. At least Erik had succeeded in what he’d set out to do.

“Tell me where she is!!” Mac screeched at Erik, his voice cracked, already hoarse from yelling.

Erik gave a short, raspy laugh that held no mirth. “Fuck you,” he spat.

Mac brought one heavy boot back and with more force than a man of his age should have, landed his steel-toe in the center of Erik’s knee cap. I cringed, bringing my hand to my mouth as the sound of the bone cracking echoed in the small room. I felt his pain as if I really were in the room with him and it brought tears to my eyes. The only indication Erik gave that he felt the blow was a low grunt.

“I’ll find her with or without your help. Either way, I will kill you once I do,” Mac hissed, leaning over Erik, his large hands pressing on Erik’s shoulders.

Erik winced at the harsh contact, but when he turned his face up to look at Mac, the one turquoise eye still visible had his patented mischievous glint. “You will never find her and it will be me that does the killing if you do,” Erik whispered. His voice was soft and he enunciated each word to make sure there was no misunderstanding.

Even in Mac’s rage-fueled tirade, he had the wherewithal to fear Erik’s temper. He swallowed hard as he drew back. Mac drew his right arm across his chest and I knew what was coming. I pulled out of Alex’s head, yanking Alex out of his vision in the process. I had witnessed enough of Mac’s wrath and I had no desire to watch as he tried to further beat my whereabouts out of Erik.

I used my own powers to calm Alex and without much extra prodding, he fell asleep, exhausted from the vision. I, however, wasn’t so lucky. My mind was too busy plotting and planning. If Adam could get me into Coalition territory, then I would still actually have to find Crane and I somehow doubted he would be in Nevada after I’d infiltrated his Las Vegas base. I debated allowing Crane’s men to capture me. The odds that they would kill me on sight were too great. While on my own, it might be a risk I’d take, Alex was too important.

From my limited knowledge of the Coalition, I understood the citizens of the rebel states were intensely loyal to Crane. There was a possibility a member of the Underground could get word to Crane that I was there and wanted to talk. Again, I couldn’t be sure Crane would agree to the meeting. And even if he did, he might shoot me as soon as he got the chance. But something told me that he’d be curious enough to want to hear me out.

Leaving Alex here with Adam and his people was an option. They would look after him and keep him safe. His presence would slow me down and time was not something I had an abundance of, not when Erik’s life hung in the balance. But the boy had been through so much and separating him from the only person he was comfortable with, me, seemed like a worse decision than bringing him on the journey.

“Talia?” Adam asked, shaking my shoulder gently.

I blinked my eyes rapidly, not realizing I’d managed to fall asleep. “I’m awake,” I mumbled.

I sat up quickly, taking stock of the room. Leisel was sitting, statuesque, on the bed opposite mine. Jules and Iris were watching me tentatively from the floor, where they sat pretending to play a card game. A fine-boned man with light blonde hair stood in the doorway, illuminated by a kerosene lantern.

“Frederick?!?” I exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Talia,” he nodded gravely, moving further into Adam’s quarters.

“Frederick has agreed to escort you across the border,” Adam spoke up.

“You’re part of the Underground?” I stuttered. Why that came as a shock, I don’t know. After everything I’d learned, Frederick’s involvement in the movement shouldn’t have been a big revelation.

“I am,” Frederick affirmed. “I have been for a while now.”

“If you hurry, we can get you out of the city tonight,” Adam said.

“Let’s do it, then,” I agreed.

“Why don’t you let Alex sleep while we pack your things?” Frederick suggested.

Leisel promised she would look after him while I prepared. I followed Frederick and Adam down to the kitchens and filled a backpack with dried fruits, nuts, dehydrated meats, several loaves of stale bread, chunks of cheeses, and several large jugs of water. Then we returned to the guest room. I packed the clothes and toiletries that I’d brought with me from the Hamilton.

I felt guilty taking rations from Adam’s supply, but he assured me they wouldn’t be missed. I knew he was only saying so to relieve my guilt and his generosity warmed my numb insides.

Frederick offered to carry the heavy pack with our belongings so I could carry Alex.

“Talia, I’m happy to keep Alex with us. We’ll keep him safe,” Adam said as we reentered his suite.

“I know you would, Adam. But he’s my responsibility and I’d prefer to take him with me. Besides, we’ve imposed on you long enough.” I smiled my gratitude.

Adam nodded kindly. He meant what he’d said, but he’d anticipated my refusal.

Alex was still asleep on the bed and I hated disturbing his peace. I gently rubbed his back to wake him. Frederick helped me attach the carrying sling to my back and load Alex in. As soon as he was settled, Alex closed his eyes and began to breathe heavily against my neck.

I said a hasty goodbye to Jules and Iris and told them I hoped to see them again. I did. Their accommodations and lifestyle were not enviable, but the simplicity and harmony with which they existed was. Under the circumstances, they were happy and carefree and I wanted nothing more than for one day to see them living above ground and experiencing all the trivial joys I’d taken for granted.

Adam and Leisel accompanied us to the exit, where a young man I didn’t recognize stood guard. Leisel gave me a brief hug and wished us luck. Adam held me a little longer than necessary, promising if any person could get me into Coalition territory without incident, it was Frederick. To Frederick, Adam expressed his appreciation for taking on such a mission. He didn’t wish us luck; I’d need more than that if I were to succeed.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Alex was light and his added weight only made the shaft down to the tunnel slightly awkward to navigate. There were so many questions I wanted to ask Frederick, but I refrained until we were climbing our way across the ancient train tracks. I assumed he knew Erik had been apprehended and I hoped he would be able to give me more positive news regarding Henri and Cadence’s fates.

“So, how is Henri?” I asked quietly, keeping my eyes on the broken beams beneath my feet.

“He’s a little beaten up, but alive and safe,” Frederick replied, shining his flashlight forward to illuminate our darkened path.

“So, he got away?” I asked, relief washing over me like a warm bath.

“He did. So did the girl. She’s a little worse off. She broke her leg and suffered several nasty cuts. They’re both at an Underground compound in South Carolina. I haven’t seen them yet, but I talked to Henri earlier today,” he explained. “I’m so sorry about Erik,” he added quietly.

My lungs tightened painfully as I recalled Alex’s visions. “Do you think they’ll kill him?” I asked in a small voice. I lost my footing as my legs became weak and Frederick grabbed my elbow to steady me.

“Not yet, Tal. Toxic wants you and the boy very badly. They’re betting on you coming for him. They’ll keep him alive for that reason alone,” Frederick replied, nearly echoing Adam’s earlier sentiments.

We wound further into the depths of the old railway in silence. Every passage looked the same as the one before it and I couldn’t fathom how even the most experienced navigator could keep his bearings.

Frederick seemed to sense that I didn’t want to talk and he didn’t push. After what felt like hours, the tunnel began to slope perceptibly upwards. As we ascended, the space became narrower. When we reached the top, Frederick had to stoop. Where there had once been an exit, there was now only a concrete barricade. But off to one side, there was a dim circle of sunlight shining through the ceiling. Frederick removed a long metal bar with a hook on the end. He wedged the hooked end in the tight space letting the light through. He wiggled the bar back and forth until the heavy metal slab came loose, enabling him to move it to one side, his arms straining under the weight.

Frederick reached through the hole and pulled himself up with considerable ease. Then he offered one hand to me. I gripped his forearm and with our combined effort I, too, passed into the daylight.

The sky was shades of deep pink and vibrant orange, a hazy outline of the moon still visible. The warmth above ground enveloped me and my mood lightened instantly. Just being out of the dark, dank tunnels gave me hope, invigorated my senses. We were standing in the rich green grass on the bank of a fast-flowing river. Remnants of a bridge that had once connected our side of the water to the other still stood, but there was no longer a complete structure. A tiny boat bobbed up and down as the water underneath lapped the shore.

“We’ll take the boat down river a couple of miles. There is a vehicle waiting for us on the other side,” Frederick whispered, taking my hand to help me down the embankment.

“The Agency doesn’t patrol over here?” I asked in disbelief.

“Nah, they do a couple of routine patrols a day, but the morning one was already done. The guard in Virginia is part of the Underground. He’s expecting us,” Frederick explained.

Frederick climbed unsteadily into the small craft before helping me board. He quickly untied the rope anchoring the boat to shore and used an oar to push off. We drifted, letting the current carry us for a while before Frederick began to paddle.

Alex was still fast asleep, still exhausted from the viewing he’d done the day before. Being on the open water made me feel truly free and part of me wished we could have just floated there forever. Several planes passed far overhead, but none so much as slowed to indicate they had seen us.

“Do you do this often?” I asked.

A light sheen of sweat had broken out, dampening Frederick’s silky hair and causing it to stick to his forehead. His muscles seemed to strain as he rowed us quickly toward the opposing shore, his brown eyes pure concentration.

“More in the recent months than I have in a while,” he answered evasively.

“You’re a Conductor on the Underground?” I pressed, suddenly desperate to know more about this mysterious movement.

“Yes, ever since I left the Agency,” he confirmed, averting his eyes.

“Why?” I inquired suspiciously. Not that I had any room to question another’s motives for betraying Toxic, but I was curious what had made Frederick defy the organization he’d once called home.

“I left the Agency because I witnessed some of their more nefarious deeds,” he answered carefully, measuring his words.

“But I thought you were a low level Talent and that you left rather than take some remedial job as a janitor or something,” I accused. Then I realized that was the story Donavon had told me. And seeing as almost everything Donavon had ever told me was a lie, it shouldn’t have been astonishing that his claims about Frederick were, too.

Frederick snorted, rolling his eyes. “Hardly. That’s what most Operatives believe, though. I’m an Elite Level Talent, actually.”

“Then why did you leave? Why did they let you leave?” I asked, confused. I’d been shocked when I’d learned Frederick had been granted permission to leave Toxic. That just wasn’t done. As an extremely low level Talent, I assumed the Agency hadn’t been too concerned about losing his gifts. But Elite Level Talents were increasingly rare and I seriously doubted that Toxic would be willing to let one go without a fight. Particularly in light of the fact they were willing to send in extraction teams to retrieve children thought to have superior powers.

“On a mission, I was exposed to some questionably legal actions, so I made a deal with the Director. I agreed to keep my mouth shut if he granted my request to leave the Agency,” he replied, rowing with a little more zeal.

“You were a Hunter?”

“Not exactly. I was an Extractor,” he admitted.

“Were you part of Graham’s team?” I wasn’t sure how many Extraction Teams the Agency had, but it seemed as if they were the bastard child no one wanted to admit existed, so I assumed there was only one.

“No, Graham wasn’t the team leader then,” he replied shortly.

I had so many more questions circulating in my mind that I wasn’t sure what to ask next. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance. A flare began blinking on the shore Frederick was paddling us towards. It blinked several times in fast succession, then went dark and I briefly wondered if I’d imagined the light. Then it came to life again and stayed lit for several seconds before going out. Alarmed, I looked at Frederick.

“It’s a signal. The guard is telling us that we’re safe to land,” he explained. Frederick picked up the flashlight rolling around at his feet and sent a reply, then directed our craft toward the flare.

A slim boy with bright yellow hair and cat-like eyes came in to view as we approached the dock. He was dressed in fatigues with Toxic’s logo sewn on to one arm. Frederick extended an oar in the boy’s direction and he grabbed it, reeling us in. The guard quickly looped the rope around a metal hook on the wooden dock before offering me his hand. I gripped the boy’s arm and let him pull me out of the boat. Alex stirred restlessly as I climbed on to solid ground, but didn’t wake.

“You’re late,” our ally declared, looking at Frederick.

“Got here as fast as we could,” Frederick replied apologetically.

“I have the car ready, but we need to hurry. My replacement will be here soon and I need you guys hidden before he does,” Yellow Hair said, gesturing for us to follow him.

We walked the short length of the dock and climbed a small, grassy hill to a gravel parking lot with an Agency SUV. Yellow Hair remotely popped the trunk and indicated for us to climb in. Frederick unhooked Alex from my back. The boy whined in protest. I took Alex from Frederick and climbed into the hatch.

There were a pile of blankets and pillows, so I used the pillows to make a bed for Alex and tucked him in. I curled up beside his small body, covering both of us with the blankets. Frederick clamored in next and crawled under the blankets with me. The guard spread several more layers of fabric over us before shutting the trunk.

Alex groped for my hand, encircling my thumb with his tiny fingers. “It’s okay, Alex,” I soothed. “I need you to be quiet and lay still for now, sweetie.”

“Kay, Tals,” he whispered in his little kid voice, snuggling closer to me.

Frederick took my free hand and squeezed. “Don’t worry, Talia. I’ve done this hundreds of times. We won’t get caught.”

I had a strong suspicion “hundreds” was a gross exaggeration. But I also knew it wasn’t his first escape, so I tried to take solace in his assurance. Being on the water had been calming after the suffocating enclosure of the Underground. Under the heavy blankets, I once again felt claustrophobic, trapped. My heart rate quickened and I began to sweat. Frederick had failed to fill me in on the details of his plan. The not knowing made me anxious. I had no choice but to trust the yellow-haired guard, so I tried to relax and force my breathing to become even. I inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled out of my mouth.

Frederick’s pine-scented aftershave dominated the small space. I focused on the smell because it reminded me of Henri. He wore the same kind. Thinking of Henri reminded me how much so many people had risked for me and for Alex. The thoughts revitalized my determination. I had to escape. I had to get Alex somewhere safe. I had to rescue Erik.

Hours seemed to pass before the guard opened the driver’s side door and started the engine. The vibrations of the machine coming to life jostled us, causing Alex to whimper. I kissed his hair and sent him calming thoughts. He quickly quieted down, relaxing into his pillow-bed. Gravel crunched beneath the tires as they rolled across the parking lot.

I held my breath when the vehicle stopped and our get-a-way driver spoke to another guard. They exchanged light banter about nothing meaningful before the latter let the car continue. Soon, the road became smooth and the tires glided soundlessly, carrying us to our next destination. The guard didn’t speak as we drove, instead favoring blasting music from the speakers.

“Hungry,” Alex whispered once we’d been driving for a while.

Frederick fumbled with the zipper on the backpack and then handed me a bag full of crunchy banana chips. I extracted a handful and placed them in Alex’s palm.

“Thank you,” he replied, beginning to munch on the fruit.

“You should eat something, too, Tal,” Frederick insisted.

“I’m okay right now,” I said. Although I couldn’t recall the last time I’d eaten, my stomach was in knots and my throat was too constricted to be capable of ingesting solid food.

The car rambled along for nearly an hour before pulling over. The guard didn’t turn off the engine when he opened his door and came around to pop the hatch. Frederick drew the covers off of the three of us. Sunlight assaulted my eyes, the brightness of the day nearly blinding me. The sky was now a clear blue, without a cloud in sight. I had to squint as the orange sun burned my retinas.

Frederick climbed out and exchanged several words with the guard before gesturing for me and Alex to follow. Frederick walked around to the open driver’s door and hopped in. I thanked the guard. He nodded curtly and held the back door ajar for me and Alex. I lifted Alex on to the black leather seat before sliding in. Frederick maneuvered the vehicle back on to the deserted road to continue or journey.

I spread out a more elaborate breakfast for Alex on the seat between us.

“Where are we going now?” I called to Frederick once Alex was once again eating.

“We’ll stop for tonight at an Underground compound in Kentucky. It should take us most of the day to get there since we’ll have to take back-roads, but we shouldn’t run into checkpoints or anything,” he replied, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

“How long before we make it to the border?” I asked anxiously.

Frederick looked back again, debating what to tell me. “Since we have to take some roundabout routes, a couple of days at least, maybe more.”

I sighed. A couple of days were too long. In a couple of days, Mac might unintentionally beat Erik to death trying to coerce mine and Alex’s whereabouts out of him.

“I know you’re anxious, Talia,” Frederick began.

“I’m worried about Erik,” I mumbled.

“I know, Tal. But what are you planning on doing once you’re there? How does going to Coalition territory help Erik?” he asked.

“It might not,” I said evasively, not ready to share my plan quite yet. Admitting what I wanted to do aloud would remind me just how farfetched the whole idea was. The last thing I needed was Frederick confirming I was nuts. “For all I know, Crane might hunt me down and kill me once I’ve crossed into his territory,” I added.

Frederick met my gaze in the rearview mirror again. Indecision flickered in his eyes. “He won’t. Crane doesn’t want you dead.”

I could tell Frederick wanted to say more, but held back. I didn’t ask Frederick how he knew Crane’s feelings where I was concerned. Part of me didn’t want to know. My system couldn’t handle any more shocking truths for a while.

The knowledge that Crane had no intention of killing me brightened my mood slightly. If Crane didn’t want me shot on sight, I had a chance. If I could just talk to him, appeal to whatever compassion he might feel for his captured men, I had a chance.

Just after sunset, we arrived at the next stop on the Underground. To my surprise, this station was a small neighborhood. There were a handful of identical one-story houses with attached garages. Frederick selected a well-lit home with a small, red car in the driveway. He pulled next to the vehicle and the garage door shuddered to life. As soon as it was high enough for our car to clear, he entered, came to a halt, and turned off the engine.

I climbed out and stretched the kinks from my limbs before grabbing Alex and placing him on my hip. Frederick didn’t bother to knock on the door leading from the garage to the interior of the house. We entered through a laundry room that opened into a tidy kitchen.

“Whose house is this?” I asked as Frederick sat his keys and our bags on the round table in the corner.

“Mine, actually,” he said smiling. “I have homes at several of the compounds I frequent.”

Frederick showed me to a bedroom with two single beds covered in blue quilts. The room was so small that the beds and a small night table consumed the entire space.

“You two can stay in here. I can make us some dinner if you want to get settled in,” he offered.

“Thanks, Frederick,” I said softly. “Thanks for everything.” I started to get choked up.

“Talia, this is what I do. I’m happy to help, especially you.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me an affectionate squeeze before departing to make our meal.

I helped Alex get cleaned up and changed. Then I sat him at the kitchen table with paper and crayons while I freshened up. The water was warm and felt amazing after nearly a week of too-short, too-cold showers. I vowed never to take the small luxury for granted again.

Once I was dressed in clean, comfortable clothing, I joined Alex at the table. The smell of roasted chicken and steamed vegetables wafted through the small house. I was scared to look at Alex’s drawings for fear they would be more images of Erik in distress, but when I peeked over his shoulder, there were only obscure shapes decorating the pages.

“You guys hungry?” Frederick asked with mock cheerfulness as he set plates of steaming meat and asparagus on the table.

“Yup!” Alex called back, patting the table for the fork.

Frederick had cut Alex’s dinner into small pieces so the boy wouldn’t choke. I smiled gratefully as his thoughtfulness. I took my own dinner and began pushing my chicken around on the plate. Frederick chewed slowly, scrutinizing my eating habits.

“Henri says I’m a pretty good cook,” Frederick commented when he realized that I hadn’t actually put any food in my mouth.

“I’m sorry, I’m just not that hungry,” I muttered, slightly embarrassed.

“You need your strength, Tal,” Frederick said gently.

Deciding he had a point, I bit a chunk of chicken off my fork. The food smelled incredible, but tasted like cardboard in my mouth. It took all my willpower to swallow and then keep the meat from coming back up. I managed to consume half the dinner.

“Full,” Alex declared, pushing his empty plate away from him.

“Good job, sweetie,” I praised his accomplishment and ruffled his hair. “Are you tired? Do you want to lie down?”

“Story?” he asked hopefully. Leisel had included several children’s books in our things, so I agreed to read him one while he fell asleep.

I tucked him into one of the beds and perched on the edge, opening a book about a large red dog. It had taken three read-throughs before his eyelids began to droop and his small head lulled to one side. When I was satisfied that he was asleep, I turned off the lamp and went to find Frederick. He was in the kitchen, washing our dinner dishes.

“Dinner was great,” I said, leaning against the counter next to the sink.

“Uh-huh, I could tell by the way you barely ate it,” he teased.

I blushed and looked guiltily at my bare toes.

“You’re great with Alex,” Frederick said, changing the subject.

I laughed. “I have no idea what I’m doing, but he’s been through so much. I just want him to be as comfortable as possible. I know what it’s like to lose a parent.”

Frederick made a non-committal noise and returned to the dishes.

“So, you said you’re an Elite Talent. What’s your gift?” I inquired.

Frederick didn’t answer right away. His slim fingers forcefully scrubbed the remnants of chicken from a plate, the wheels in his head churning as he decided how much to divulge. “I’m a Viewer,” he finally said.

A Viewer? This just kept getting more intriguing. Viewers were extremely rare, and Elite Level Viewers were virtually non-existent. Yet, I was now in a house with two. Whatever Frederick knew about Toxic must be extremely detrimental if they let him go. I had to know what it was.

“What happened on your mission, Frederick?” I asked softly.

He cleared his throat loudly. “Kind of what happened to you, actually.”

I raised my eyebrows questioningly, prompting him to continue.

“We were sent to extract a child who wasn’t really under the jurisdiction of the Agency. Things went bad, and the child’s family and several Operatives were killed. Toxic wanted to cover it all up, and I was the only person who wouldn’t agree to that. So, I traded my silence for my freedom. I made it clear if I ever found out they were tracking or monitoring me, then I would go public with what I knew,” he explained.

“But they could have just locked you up, killed you even, to keep you quiet. Why would they just let you go?” I asked more to myself than him.

“That would’ve required a trial, a sentencing at the very least. Toxic couldn’t risk that. If I made claims about what I’d seen on the record, there would have been an investigation. And I didn’t have the balls to run away with the kid so they could spin the story and make me out to be a kidnapper, like you and Erik,” he said pointedly.

“I don’t think that makes you a coward; it makes you smart,” I replied.

Frederick gave me a hard appraising look. “I have regretted my decision every day since,” he said.

“That’s why you joined the Underground,” I replied. It wasn’t a question. After what I’d witnessed, I was ready to sign on the dotted line, too.

“Yeah. I swore I’d do whatever it took to prevent a repeat of that mission.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I reached for a folded blue towel and began drying the dishes he’d placed in a plastic rack next to the sink. We finished cleaning in silence before going into our respective bedrooms. I was exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep. I felt useless. I wanted to take action. All this sitting around was doing nothing to help Erik. The torture I imagined him enduring likely didn’t come close to what Mac was actually subjecting him to. I felt guilty sleeping in this warm, comfortable bed while Erik was crumpled on the concrete floor of some cell. It pained me to think my stomach was full of Frederick’s home cooked food while Erik was likely subsisting off the bare minimum to keep his heart pumping. I was safe and healthy and Erik was bleeding and broken.

When I became so frustrated that I couldn’t lie still any longer, I quietly left the room, careful not to wake Alex. I paced between the small kitchen and the blue couch and chair that made up Frederick’s living room. There had to be more that I could be doing right now. There had to be a way to get to Crane faster. I wouldn’t last a couple more days; I was already driving myself closer to the edge of sanity.

As I paced, my temper flared until it was a full blown inferno. My steps became faster and heavier as I began to stomp. I bit down on my lower lip and felt my incisors pierce my flesh, tasting blood. My breath started coming out in ragged gasps until I was growling. When I caught sight of my reflection in the window, my eyes had elongated. And when I opened them wider, the whites were gone; only large purple orbs filled my sockets. I looked down at my hands; my nails were now pointy and claw-like.

I tried to recall the last time I’d taken my medicine. It had been at least two days since I’d last injected myself. I had the syringes in my bag. All I had to do was get one and I could stop the change. The room started to spin until I was no longer sure which way was up. I sunk to the floor and put my head between my knees, willing myself to calm down. I was too worked up, I couldn’t get control. Part of me knew I was going to morph. The still rational part of my brain fought the transformation, but I was quickly losing touch with reality.

My arms and legs trembled, then began to jerk violently, painfully. I screamed as my bones popped and cracked, reforming themselves. My pajamas tore. I fell to the carpet, writhing in agony.

“Talia!” Frederick yelled, running from his bedroom.

With impossibly fast reflexes, I spun to locate his voice. I bared my sharpened teeth in his direction and he backed against the wall. His eyes were terrified as I advanced on him. In my mind, I was trying to speak, but the only sound coming out of my mouth was a high pitched keening.

“Tal?” Frederick asked, visibly trying to calm himself.

I emitted a low guttural growl and kept moving to where he stood. Frederick’s brown eyes darted around the small room and a spark of understanding lit his face when he saw my shredded clothes. He knelt and tentatively held one hand to me. Unsure what to do, I licked his fingers. Frederick sat crossed-legged against the wall and patted the fur on my head.

“I didn’t really believe Erik when he told me,” he whispered.

I whimpered and dropped to my stomach, scooting closer to him. I looked over my shoulder, seeking out my reflection. A small, nearly black wolf with giant purple eyes stared back at me. I tried to cry, but it came out as a horrific whine.

“It’s okay, Tal. Just concentrate on changing back. You can do it. Just focus your energy,” he commanded.

I stared up at him sadly, unsure that I had the ability to comply.

“Come on, Talia,” he urged, collecting my small wolf body in his arms, no longer afraid I’d attack him.

I did as he ordered and focused my powers. After several tries, my body began to shake again and the painful sensation came back as my body morphed back to human. Soon, I was sobbing uncontrollably in Frederick’s arms and to top it off, I was naked.

Frederick was non-fazed as he rubbed my bare back. “It’s okay, Talia. You’re okay,” he soothed.

I cried harder. I wasn’t sure if I was reacting to the transformation or if all my bottled up emotions were finally breaking free. Either way, nothing staunched the fat tears pouring down my face and soaking through Frederick’s pajama pants.

“I’ll get your medicine. Erik said you had some drug that would prevent you from morphing. Where is it?” Frederick asked, running his hands along my tangled curls.

“NO,” I practically shouted sitting up. “I don’t want that.” Realizing I was fully exposed, I wrapped one arm across my chest and hastily wiped at my eyes.

Frederick gave me an appraising look and I wanted to melt into the carpet with utter humiliation at him seeing me sans clothing. His delicate face broke into a huge smile. “No offense, Talia, but you do nothing for me,” he said, working his way out of his shirt and handing it to me.

I gratefully slipped the soft fabric over my head. Frederick helped me to my feet, and my legs wobbled unsteadily.

“Come on, let’s go lay down,” he guided me back down the short hallway that led to the bedrooms. He bypassed mine and Alex’s and directed me to his. Frederick’s room wasn’t much bigger than the other one, but there was a huge bed with rumpled blue sheets. He held the covers back and gestured for me to climb in. He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

“You should take the medicine, Talia,” he said softly. “When Morphers first begin to transform, they can’t control it. With everything going on, you don’t need to deal with this, too.”

“I don’t want their drugs. I can control it,” I urged.

Frederick looked doubtful, but didn’t argue further. Instead, he reached over and turned off the lamp next to the bed. Then he grabbed a pillow and stretched out in the small strip of beige carpeting between the bed and the wall.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” I mumbled. “You already saw me naked.”

Frederick gave a short laugh. “Yeah, and when Erik finds out, the least of my worries will be Toxic finding out I’m one of the Conductors of the Underground.”

I chocked on the tears running down my throat when I giggled. When I’d dated Donavon and he’d gotten jealous, I’d been furious. But Erik’s possessive nature thrilled me and the confidence in Frederick’s tone when he joked about Erik’s reaction made me feel as though I really would see him in the flesh again.

Sleep came easier now that changing into the wolf had sapped what little energy I’d had left.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Frederick sat at the kitchen table, his eyes wide with amusement as he listened to Alex explain about the time he’d spent in the Underground, when I stumbled in.

“Morning, Tals,” Alex called in a sing-song voice when he heard my footsteps.

“Good morning, sweetie,” I replied tiredly, ruffling his hair as I sat beside him. I was still wearing Frederick’s too-big t-shirt and a pair of long shorts he’d left on the bed for me.

Sun was already streaming through the glass panes in the living room and remnants of pancakes were pushed off to one side to make room for Alex’s coloring book. I searched the kitchen for a clock and when I found none, I asked Frederick, “What time is it?”

“Eight,” he answered.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” I demanded. “We need to get going.” I jumped to my feet and headed to the bedroom to pack.

Frederick had grabbed hold of my wrist before I made it more than a couple of steps. “Not yet, Talia,” he said quietly. Then Frederick gestured to the laundry room and got up from the table, indicating for me to follow.

“Will you be okay for a minute, Alex? Frederick wants to show me something outside,” I told the boy. Alex bobbed his blond head up and down, so I followed Frederick into the laundry room and through the door to the garage.

Sunlight seeped through the small space where the garage door and the concrete floor didn’t quite connect, bathing the room in shadows.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t we leaving?” I asked uneasily.

Frederick sighed and glanced nervously everywhere but at me. “There is somebody who wants to meet you,” he finally said.

“What? Who?” I exclaimed suspiciously.

“Earon Kelley,” Frederick answered quietly. “Erik’s father.”

“He’s here?” I stuttered.

“Yeah, he and Erik’s brothers, Edmond and Evan, were brought here a couple of days ago. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you, but he noticed the lights on in my house last night and left me a comm this morning. When I called him back, he asked to see you,” Frederick explained.

I had mixed feelings about meeting Erik’s father. Part of me was excited by the prospect. I thought that it might make me feel more connected to Erik. Yet another part of me dreaded facing him because the guilt over Erik’s capture weighed heavily on my mind and seeing his family might make me feel worse. Not that I didn’t deserve his blame. If it weren’t for me, Erik would never have gotten involved in this crazy plan. At the time, I hadn’t truly appreciated the impact my disappearance would have on Erik’s family. I’d been selfish. I’d needed Erik’s help, so I requested his involvement without processing all the consequences.

“Okay. When?” I finally asked.

“As soon as you’re ready,” Frederick answered.

“I’ll get dressed.” I turned and retreated into the safety of the house. Alex was still drawing at the table, so I told him Frederick would sit with him while I changed and packed. Alex didn’t so much as glance up from the alarmingly realistic image of Mac’s house at school he was creating.

I took my time making myself presentable. I composed a million different apologies, but none of them conveyed how truly sorry I was that I’d gotten Erik and his family mixed up in my problems.

When I reentered the living room, Frederick and Alex were no longer alone. An older man with black hair, graying at the temples, sat stiffly on Frederick’s couch. His tanned skin was heavily lined and his sapphire blue eyes were sad. Next to him were two replicas of Erik, but younger. The boys, Edmond and Evan, I assumed, appeared to be slightly younger than I was. They both had Erik’s lithe build and sharp cheekbones. One wore his dark brown hair in a short ponytail and his eyes were the same beautiful turquoise. The other had close cropped hair of the same color and his eyes matched his father’s. Unsurprisingly, they both shared Erik’s temper and the hatred and disgust radiating from their minds when they saw me made me recoil.

“Hello,” I said softly, directing my greeting towards Mr. Kelley since he seemed the friendliest of the trio.

“Alex, why don’t we go play out back?” Frederick suggested, grabbing Alex’s hand and leading him to a door at the back of the kitchen.

I watched them go, dreading being left alone to face Erik’s family.

“Talia Lyons,” Earon Kelley declared, rising from the sofa.

The most I’d been hoping for was a curt nod or maybe a handshake if I were lucky. I received neither. Instead, Erik’s father wrapped me in a huge hug. Initially, I tensed at the physical contact, but quickly relaxed as his warmth and relief enveloped me.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Kelley,” I whispered, returning his embrace.

“For what, dear?” he asked, pulling back and taking in my appearance.

“For everything. For begging Erik to help me escape with Alex. For Erik getting caught. For you and your sons being forced to leave your home,” I rambled, moisture collecting in the corners of my eyes.

Mr. Kelley fixed me with his piercing eyes, and with the same intensity Erik brought to his every endeavor, said, “It’s not your fault, Talia. We knew this day would come. We’ve been planning for this day.”

He was being so kind, I hugged him again. Earon Kelley stroked my hair, just the way his son would have.

“Don’t sugarcoat it, Dad,” the longer haired boy snapped, jumping to his feet. “It is her fault. If Erik weren’t so infatuated with her, then he wouldn’t have been so careless and wouldn’t have gotten caught.”

When I chanced a glance in his direction, his eyes were blazing and he was poised to attack, his muscles tense and ready. Mr. Kelley must have realized the threat because he positioned himself between the two of us, blocking his son’s advance.

“Sit, Edmond,” he growled at his son. The one word held so much authority it reminded me of Erik’s take-charge demeanor during our escape and I nearly collapsed to the floor, feeling as though I should obey him, too. Edmond hesitated briefly before sinking back to the cushions next to his brother.

Mr. Kelley turned to face me, his face friendly once again. “My son cares a great deal for you, Talia, but that’s not why he did what he did. Olivia, my late wife, she and I always knew there was more to that school and Toxic than they let on. That’s why we worked so hard to hide our children. Erik knew that. He helped you because it was the right thing to do.”

“Did Erik tell you what we learned, about my seizures and everything?” I asked.

“A little, but we didn’t get much of a chance to talk before, well, before we got separated.” Mr. Kelley gestured to one of Frederick’s blue chairs and I tentatively sat down. He joined his sons on the couch. “Can you explain to me what you discovered?”

I took a deep breath to collect my thoughts and then launched in to the story that Anya had told us. I got a little tripped up when I relayed the details about the Talent Signatures since the science was still murky in my head. Erik’s father listened patiently, only interjecting questions when he needed clarification. I gave the most succinct answers I could manage. I tried to ignore Edmond, but he made it hard since he was projecting unpleasant images in my direction. I didn’t blame him. I would hate me, too.

When I finished my diatribe, the four of us sat in silence. I gazed out of the kitchen windows and saw Frederick racing around the backyard on all fours with Alex on his back. Alex laughed as Frederick bucked and neighed, pretending to be a horse. The scene made me smile and I was once again reminded why I’d done what I’d done.

“Frederick says you’re heading for Coalition territory. What do you plan on doing once you get there?” Mr. Kelley asked, breaking the silence.

“Finding Crane,” I replied slowly. I still had yet to verbalize my plan to another person.

“Why?” Mr. Kelley’s tone wasn’t accusatory, merely interested.

“The Coalition attacked a Medical Research Facility in Bethesda last week and several of his men were taken prisoner. I’m hoping to convince him to stage a rescue. I intend on trading my knowledge of the Agency in return for him getting Erik out, too.”

“What makes you think Ian Crane will agree?”

“I don’t know that he will,” I admitted. “But I can’t just leave Erik there, and Crane is the only person with the resources to help me.”

“What about his alleged intolerance of Talents?” Mr. Kelley pressed. He searched my face, gauging my reaction.

“I’m not sure I believe that anymore. The Agency has lied about so much, I’m willing to take the chance they lied about that, too.”

“How do you intend on finding Crane? His whereabouts are typically kept a secret,” Mr. Kelley commented.

I’d been pondering that very conundrum. The idea of showing up at the border and saying, “Take me to your leader,” was the best I’d come up with. If Frederick was right and Crane didn’t want me dead, I had nothing to lose.

In the back of my mind, another even more ridiculous idea was forming. Mac and Dr. Wythe had worked extremely hard to convince me Penny’s memories weren’t real. In light of everything I’d learned in the interim, I had no doubt those memories were very real. The cottage near the water was a place I knew, a place I had been – I could feel it. If I concentrated hard enough, I felt sure I could find that cottage. And when I did, I would find Crane.

“I have a couple of ideas,” I said evasively.

Mr. Kelley looked skeptical, but he didn’t push the issue. “And you want to take the boy with you?” he inquired instead.

“Yeah, Alex has been through so much. I need to keep him safe.”

“What if your plan doesn’t work, Talia? You might be able to save yourself, but he would just be a hindrance. Taking him at all will put him in danger,” he replied.

I had thought about that, too, but I didn’t have a choice. We’d come this far. I wasn’t stopping now. I would not let Mac have him. “Do you have a better suggestion?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

“Leave him with me. I think you might be embarking on a suicide mission, but much like Erik, trying to tell you not to do something is likely only going to encourage you. That being said, I think you stand a better chance alone. I will keep Alex safe,” Mr. Kelley promised.

“Like you did Erik?” I demanded, regretting my words immediately.

Edmond jumped to his feet again and started for me, snarling threateningly. Mr. Kelley put a firm hand up and his son froze.

“Every day, I live with the guilt of letting Erik surrender himself to Toxic. Once they killed my wife, I knew they wouldn’t hesitate to kill the rest of us and I was weak not to have put up more of a fight. I won’t make that mistake again. What they are doing to children, what they have done to you and Erik and god only knows how many others, is inexcusable. I don’t have the resources to help you rescue my son or stop Toxic, but if I can, I will protect the boy. It’s the least I can do,” he vowed. His determination was palpable and I believed him.

Earon Kelley was so distraught over what had happened to his wife and his eldest son, it was eating him up inside. For years, he’d felt like a failure, been helpless to rebel. Guarding Alex, who the Agency wanted so badly, would give him a purpose. He clung to that to help fight the depression over Erik’s capture. I empathized with him. I knew what it was like to look for any avenue of revenge you could find to avenge the atrocities in your life.

“Okay,” I whispered.

Mr. Kelley and I walked outside to find Frederick and Alex and explain the change of plan. Edmond and Evan remained glued to the sofa’s cushions, Edmund stewing in his own pot of hatred for me. Evan had remained silent through the entire exchange, but his brain patterns mirrored those of his brother. Neither thought that I was worthy of their older brother. I hated that I agreed.

Alex took the news as stoically as he’d taken all the other disturbances in his life. He didn’t shed a single tear and I admired his strength. I’d already refused other offers to guard Alex, but Erik’s father was different. I could trust him because Erik wouldn’t have sacrificed his life if I couldn’t.

Frederick suggested that we take the day to regroup and gather our strength before we made the journey to the border. I hated wasting any more time, but I wasn’t ready to leave Alex just yet, anyway.

I spent the day playing with Alex while Frederick and Mr. Kelley talked. Edmond and Evan stayed in the background, the only indication of their presence was the angry snorts and death glares set off when we were around each other. I felt as though I should defend my actions, but Edmund was a brilliant projector and I knew that nothing I said would lessen the blame he attributed to me. Evan warmed slightly to me throughout the day, but friendship was not in our future.

When we all crowded around Frederick’s table for a dinner of bison steaks and potatoes, I thought about what an odd collection we made. Donavon’s son sat to my left, quietly chewing his food and affectionately leaning his head against my side. Henri’s boyfriend sat on my right, bridging the gap between me and Erik’s family. Erik’s father sat across the table observing me while I helped Alex cut his food. Erik’s brothers sat forlornly on either side of their father, staring at their plates and refusing to take part in any conversation in which I was involved.

After the dishes had been cleared, I tucked Alex into his twin bed and read him a story. Once he was asleep, I kissed him softly on the forehead.

“I will come back for you,” I whispered.

The peaceful look on his small face that was so much like his father’s told me that was one vow I had to keep.

Frederick had created a make-shift bed on the living room floor for Earon, Edmond, and Evan so they would be there when Alex woke. Frederick and I would be leaving before sunrise. The men were finalizing the plans for Alex’s care in my absence. I joined them and listened without comment. Shortly thereafter, Frederick and I excused ourselves for bed.

“Talia?” Mr. Kelley called, following our retreat down the short hallway. Frederick continued into his bedroom, giving us some privacy.

“Yeah?”

“I know what my son sees in you,” he said with a smile.

“You barely know me,” I commented, my voice catching.

“True, but you are so much like his mother. A little reckless, very stubborn, incredibly loyal. He’s lucky to have someone who cares so much,” Mr. Kelley said, getting a little choked up, too.

“You have no clue of the sacrifices he’s made for me, of how much he’s been there for me when I needed him.”

“I know my son pretty well. I have a pretty good idea. Just make sure you come through this alive. Erik doesn’t deserve to lose another person he loves,” he whispered softly. Then he hugged me tightly before returning to the living room.

I watched him for several minutes. In twenty years, Erik would look just like him. He’d be graying around the temples, wrinkling around the eyes. Would he, too, deeply regret the decisions he’d made in his life? Would I be one of those decisions? Would he hate me for what I’d done to him and his family? At the very least, I had to make sure he got the option.

Frederick and I had agreed that I would sleep in Frederick’s room again, so I wouldn’t wake Alex when we left. That night, I slept little. I’d made a decision and I wasn’t about to let Frederick or anyone else talk me out of it. Without Alex, I could take more chances and if my plan worked, I could reach Crane faster than if I waited for Frederick to wake.

Once Frederick’s light snores filled the bedroom, I crawled from the mattress, being especially careful not to jostle the springs more than necessary. I crept from the room and made my way to Alex’s. When I opened the door, a thin beam of light illuminated Alex’s small features and my heart ached for him. I crossed the small space and kissed him softly on the top of his blonde head. He stirred slightly, settling deeper into his pillow.

“Be brave, Alex,” I whispered. “I’ll be back for you.”

Then I grabbed the bag that I’d packed while he was getting ready for bed. If I rationed, the food that I’d taken from Adam’s pantry would last me several days. There was only one set of clothes and one pair of shoes in the bag. That was all I would need.

On tiptoes, I silently walked through the main section of Frederick’s house and slid through the backdoor. The night air was warm and thick with humidity. I quickly undressed, placing my garments in the pack before refastening the straps over my shoulders. The material was rough against the bare skin of my back, but soon it wouldn’t matter. I closed my eyes and titled my head toward the silver crescent moon. I cleared my mind of all thoughts except one. I clung to that concept and concentrated all my energy towards achieving my goal.

At first, nothing happened, save sweat beading across my hairline and underneath my arms and I panicked slightly. This had to work. I concentrated harder.

Seconds later, I knew my efforts were about to be rewarded. The shaking started in my legs, making its way up the length of my body. My stomach muscles quivered violently and I became nauseous, causing me to double over. The tendons in my arms twisted as they broke and reattached around my morphing bones. The transformation was uncomfortable, but not nearly as painful as it had been the night before. The whole process transpired in under a minute. But unlike the previous evening, I hadn’t turned into the small wolf. I’d focused on the bird form that I’d witnessed Henri take so many times.

Tentatively, I raised my arms, now hulking black wings, and flapped them several times. My talons rose several inches off the ground before I toppled forward and landed on my chest, my wings spread wide. Focus, Talia. This time, when I lifted my wings, I concentrated on the feel of the air resisting my ascent and used that to rise higher and higher until Frederick’s house was nothing more than a speck.

I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going, but knew I needed to head west. The pack bobbed against my back as I soared over homes and trees alike. The freedom was unlike anything I’d ever experienced and I considered never landing back on solid ground. Up here, I had no problems. Up here, I was truly alone and safe and free.

I flew through the night, using the stars to guide me. Hours passed just as quickly as the scenery beneath me. Bright orange rays broke the horizon as my wings began to fatigue. I dove back to the ground. The exhilarating feel of the air rushing against my feathers thrilled me. I coasted at a lower altitude until I spotted a densely packed cluster of trees. I dove lower and wound my way through the branches and leaves scouting for the safest place to land.

After circling several times, I determined that the forest was devoid of human occupation. Exhausted, I landed between two trees, my talons sinking into the soft earth. It took me several moments, but eventually I was able to force my wings back to arms and then the rest of my body followed suit. I lay panting slightly on the damp grass until I could muster the energy to sit up. Hastily, I unhooked my backpack and pulled on the bed clothes that I shed hours early. Next, I found the communicator Erik had given me and powered it on.

The screen lit up almost instantly. A tiny hourglass turned over and over as the device tried to locate my position. Latitude and longitude coordinates appeared not long thereafter, followed by the words “Gunnison National Forest, Colorado.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I had made it. I was in Coalition territory. I was giddy with my accomplishment and even the lackluster selection of jerky and stale nuts for breakfast didn’t dampen my spirits. After I’d replenished the calories I’d burned on my flight, I rested against the rough bark of the closest tree. I was still tired, but before I slept, I needed to recall those long forgotten memories of Crane’s cottage.

With a tremendous amount of effort, I turned my Talents inward and searched my mind. In the courtroom, Penny had showed me my parents standing outside a cottage talking to Ian Crane. The sound of waves crashing against rock had been in the background. I’d seen the images through Penny’s eyes and that was how I recalled the scene now. I saw my four-year-old self with my head buried in my father’s shoulder. I could feel the tears coming, but I forced them back. Now was not the time to be sentimental.

I tried to turn the images into real memories but failed. I pounded the ground with my fists in frustration. The amount of times that I’d delved into other people’s minds and extracted private, sometimes even painful memories, and now, when it actually counted, I was unable to perform the intrusion on myself.

I opened my eyes and began scolding my inability. Failure was not an option. I closed my eyes again and focused on a different memory, a more recent one, the one where Erik held me in the Underground before we’d parted ways. I recalled the tenderness in his eyes, the love he’d so openly expressed. The mental connection that was more intimate and complete than any physical connection ever could be. Then my mind clouded over with Alex’s visions of Erik, bleeding and bruised, chained to a chair while Mac screamed and beat him nearly unconscious.

Erik needed me. Since we’d met, our relationship had been lopsided. He’d been the strong one, the one who always came to my rescue. I had leaned on him, depended on him so much without reciprocating. Worse, he’d never expected me to. I’d been selfish, taking everything he had to give, providing nothing but trouble in return. Now, he needed me, and I was letting him down.

Spurred on by the thought of Erik being tortured further every day that I wasted, I dove back in to my own memories. I let go of the last vestiges of control and succumbed to my powers. The same scene materialized in my consciousness, except this time, I wasn’t witnessing it through Penny’s eyes. This time, I was in my own head, my own four-year old head. I could feel my father’s arms around my waist. I could hear my mother, my father, and Crane talking as I shyly hid my face. I drowned out the sounds of their voices and concentrated on the area surrounding the cottage.

The trees melted before my eyes and I was no longer sitting on my father’s hip. Now I was running across a beach, soft sand wedging its way between my tiny toes. I giggled as the white foam of a broken wave chased me back from the water’s edge. The hem of my ruffled purple dress was damp and grains of sand latched on to the fabric when my feet kicked it up. A soft breeze blew my curls across my sweaty face, plastering the strands to my forehead. My mother’s voice, carried by the wind, called me back in the direction I’d just come from.

I turned, a huge smile lifting my chubby cheeks when I saw her perched on a large rock with her arms open. I sped towards her as fast as my small feet would carry me. When I was still several yards from her, I tripped, my face landing in the soft sand. I expected to see my mother when I lifted my head, but the scene had changed again.

Now I was lying on a worn, brown leather couch across from a fireplace. My father’s dark blue eyes were staring back at me. His smile was warm and his hand moved up and down my back. I smiled and rubbed my eyes with one fist.

“Daddy,” I whispered.

“Hi, baby. It’s time to go,” he whispered back.

I lifted my small arms and wrapped them around his neck. He carried me through the front door of the cottage. A hover car ambled quietly in the gravel drive. My father carried me to where my mother already sat in the backseat. He placed me on the seat next to her before climbing in. I wiggled my way into his lap and pressed my nose against the cool glass of the window. I watched the cottage and the surrounding trees grow smaller as the car rose into the sky. I could see the ocean once we’d cleared the treetops.

“Sit back, baby,” my father said, pulling me away from the window and pressing my back against his chest, resting his chin on my shoulder.

Tears leaked from beneath my closed lids. I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. I was no longer in the hover car with my parents. I was back in the forest in Colorado, alone. I fumbled with the communicator and pulled up a map of California. The cottage was on the ocean, which meant it had to be on the west coast. I searched for pockets of trees that overlooked bluffs to pinpoint its exact location. I found what I was looking for seconds later. If I left now, I could cover the distance by nightfall, but as I stood on shaky legs and started repacking my bag, I knew I lacked the strength to make the journey without rest.

I warred with the idea of attempting the trip anyway, but miraculously, common sense won out. I spread out the blanket I’d brought on the ground and settled in. Just a couple more hours, I promised myself.

When I woke, my back ached and I was so thirsty, I nearly choked when I tried to swallow. I greedily guzzled an entire bottle of water from my bag. The sun was still peeking through the leaves overhead, so I took the time to eat a handful more nuts and some crumbly cheese. Then I drank a second bottle of water in its entirety before stripping off my clothes and packing my sparse belongings.

This time, the transformation was nearly instantaneous. A strong tingling sensation spread through my limbs as I again became the bird. I took off, climbing higher until I was above the forest. I flew toward the now setting sun, using the rays to guide me west. I thought only of Erik and the safe feeling his arms around me invoked. There was no way the night in the Underground would be the last we spent together. No matter what happened when I landed at the cottage, I would be ready. Throwing myself at the mercy of the man who’d murdered my parents was despicable, but letting Erik suffer any longer was worse. He’d sacrificed so much for me. This was the least I could do.

I flew long after the moon was high in the sky and the stars twinkled brightly. I kept my bird eyes focused on the passing landscape below me. Sometime just before sunrise, the Pacific Ocean came into view. I flew out over the water and dove down until my belly skimmed the warm water. Then I climbed back over the bluffs and circled low, searching for the cottage. Too many miles to count later, I found it. I soared past and then double-backed to make sure I hadn’t imagined the structure.

Even after I’d seen the images in my head, part of me hadn’t been totally convinced they were real. Now there was no denying the fact. I took several more passes, flying lower each time. I assessed the security; it was intense. Men ringed the perimeter of the small forest and several more stood guard closer to the house.

I landed several miles from the edge of the trees and quickly morphed back to my human form. I dressed in the jeans and plain white tank top I’d packed, tying my tennis shoes securely to my feet. I took a deep breath, stealing my nerves for what might prove to be a death march. With the level of security in place, I had no choice but to surrender to the first guard I encountered, and I hoped that would prevent me getting shot again.

On account of my heightened eyesight, I saw the guard before he saw me. I shuffled my feet to make enough noise to draw attention to myself.

“Halt!” the guard shouted at me.

My pulse quickened as he pointed his enormous rifle in my direction. I raised my hands in surrender, my eyes trained on the barrel of his gun. The scars on my back ached at the memory of bullets from a gun just like the one the guard had ripping through my skin. I stood frozen in place, waiting for the man to close the distance between us.

“This is private property,” he declared as he drew near. “I suggest you turn around and go back the way you came.”

“I’m T-t-t-tail Lyons,” I stuttered, still focusing on his weapon.

“Excuse me?” he replied, his eyes disbelieving, like he hadn’t heard me correctly.

I cleared my throat and spoke in a clear, confident voice. “I am Talia Lyons.”

The guard’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Down on your knees,” he ordered.

Without tearing my gaze away, I sank obediently to my knees. The guard’s finger jumped against the trigger and I recoiled, fearing that he might accidently pull it. With his free hand, the guard reached for a communication device at his belt.

“We have a situation out here,” he spoke rapidly into the mouth piece as he depressed a button on the side.

“What’s wrong ?” a voice crackled from the other end.

“I have a girl who says she’s Talia Lyons out here,” the guard responded. He waited for a reply that didn’t come right away.

“What’s she look like?” a different voice demanded finally.

The guard looked at me uncertainly, then inched closer, looking uneasy for the first time.

“Small. Curly brown hair. Purple eyes,” he answered.

“Bring her up here and be careful. She’s extremely dangerous,” the voice ordered.

“Affirmative,” the guard replied, refastening the device to his belt. “On your feet,” he demanded of me.

I slowly rose, keeping my hands visible so that I wouldn’t provoke him. He grabbed one of my arms and twisted it painfully behind my back. I winced, but didn’t make any audible noise. He urged me forward while keeping my arm pinned behind me. The guard pushed me through the woods with the barrel of his weapon.

A short distance into the forest, several other guards materialized and fell in step with us. One grabbed my other arm, painfully digging his fingers into my bicep. I gritted my teeth and kept my eyes forward. I had to swallow the overwhelming urge to attack. It went against every fiber of my being to submit to their dominance. Thoughts of Erik, the reason I’d come here in the first place, were the only thing that kept my temper in check.

The trees became thinner and the dirt floor of the forest gave way to a gravel drive that I recognized. Several more heavily armed men stood blocking the entrance to the cottage. The man holding my twisted arm jammed the butt of his gun harshly into my kidney. White hot pain shot through my side as I stumbled forward, barely catching myself before I fell to the ground. I whirled around to face him, rage overtaking me, and I readied my muscles to attack, not caring that I was seriously outnumbered.

I lunged for the guard. We collided with the ground, me on top. I ripped the gun from his hands and threw it at the man closest to us. When I stared down into his terrified eyes, I lost it. I channeled all my fear, rage, and pain into each punch. The guard tried to raise his hands to protect his face, and when he couldn’t, he tried to throw me off of him.

I had gotten in four or five good shots before numerous sets of hands pulled me off of the man. I used my abilities to force the men touching me to let go, but soon learned the effort was pointless. Every time one set of hands released me, another took its place. Finally, someone kicked the back of my knees, causing me to fall to the ground. Something heavy hit me between my shoulder blades and suddenly, I was face down in the gravel with a swarm of gun barrels pointed at my head.

Great plan, Talia, I thought. Way not to provoke them.

“Talia Lyons,” a man’s voice called. I was afraid to raise my head to look at the speaker. “How does such a small girl cause so much trouble?” the voice continued. I said nothing. “An entire country is looking for you and here you are.”

“I want to talk to Crane,” I snapped, my voice muffled by the ground.

“President Crane isn’t here, so you’ll have to deal with me,” the man said. “Get her on her feet,” he added to the guards.

Two men grabbed me under my arms and hauled me to my feet. Gravel was embedded in my cheek and I had to resist the urge to wipe it off. The men turned me until I was facing a tall, well-built man in his late twenties. He had brown hair, messily styled, and piercing eyes. The look of open hostility he wore sent a shiver skittering down my spine.

“I thought Crane wanted me alive,” I said, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.

“He does,” the man confirmed. “But for the life of me, I don’t know why. You have done nothing but cause trouble for our people.”

Personally, I thought that the characterization was a little unfair. He made it sound as though I single-handedly waged a war against the Coalition.

“Lucky for you, Ian has a certain fondness where you’re considered,” the man continued. I didn’t like the way that he said fondness. It made me want to take a shower. “Take her inside, to the cage.”

Cage? I certainly didn’t like the sound of that.

My guards pulled me forward. They were so much taller than I was and my feet barely touched the ground as they dragged me to the front door of the cottage. Once inside, I didn’t have time to take in the surroundings. They practically carried me towards a hole in the center of the room. Oh, my god, they are going to drop me down there, I thought frantically. I started to struggle. When I couldn’t escape their grip, I used my abilities to force them to release me. But as soon as they dropped me, strong arms circled me from behind.

“We can do this the hard way or the easier way,” the man who had spoken to me outside growled in my ear. I tried to invade his mind, but I couldn’t. It was just like with Crane. His barriers were too strong and I was too weak from my journey here.

“I might not be allowed to kill you, but I will drug you if I have to,” he continued.

I might not be able to fight him mentally, but I did have some physical fight left in me. I stomped as hard as I could on the top of his foot. Then I threw my elbow backwards, making contact with my stomach. He didn’t release me, but his grip slackened. I kicked the heel of my shoe into his shin at the same time I grabbed his wrist and began twisting it painfully.

I could feel the guns trained on me, but I held on to the man’s words. If they weren’t allowed to kill me, then I hoped that meant no one would actually take a shot. A small sting in between two of my ribs paralyzed me. I stayed conscious long enough to see the tranquilizer dart pinning my t-shirt to my skin.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“How could you?” a girl’s voice said, breaking into the blackness.

“She attacked Jared!” an angry voice shot back. “She could’ve killed him!”

“Talia isn’t a killer,” the girl hissed.

“That is exactly what she is. A trained killer. Besides, you didn’t see her. She was ready to take on all of the exterior guards! I had to drug her,” the man responded. He no longer sounded mad, more as if he were trying to justify his actions.

I sat up, groaning. My head felt massive, my cheek stung, and my side ached. I reached up to touch my face and felt a bandage covering it. I looked at my surroundings. I must be in the cage, I thought.

It sure looked like a cage. The space couldn’t have been more than six feet by six feet. There were bars on three sides of the room. The fourth wall was stone. The bed I was sitting on rested against it. When I shifted on the mattress, the springs squeaked. I froze, not wanting to let my captors know I was awake.

“You should have called me immediately. I could have handled her,” the girl was saying. Now that my head was a little clearer, I realized she was close by.

“I didn’t want to bother you. I know you need to rest.” The man’s voice was gentle now.

“Don’t treat me like a child, Brand. I am fine and I am in charge, not you. When she wakes up, I want to be informed immediately. Is that clear?” the girl snapped.

I shook my head to clear the tranquilizer haze. The girl’s voice was familiar, but for some reason, I couldn’t place it. My head was so heavy. I just wanted to put it back down on the pillow. Since I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, I did just that.

“Fine, Ms. Crane. I’ll make sure to let you know the minute the prisoner comes to,” Brand shot back. Ms. Crane? Was Ian married?

“OH. MY. GOD! She’s not a prisoner!” the girl screamed at him.

I bolted upright. Then I pinched the skin on one wrist with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand. I must be dreaming, I thought. Or maybe I finally went off the deep end, because surely my ears were playing tricks on me.

I tried to scream the name that formed in my head at the sound of her voice, but my throat was raw and the word came out hoarse and little more than a whisper.

“Well, I’m not letting her out of the cage. She’s too dangerous,” Brand yelled back.

“Good thing it’s not your call to make.”

It was her. I knew it. I chanted her name in my head, over and over. Footsteps pounded in the darkened hallway to one side of my cell. I could feel her before I caught sight of the red-orange hair.

“Penny!” I repeated aloud, my voice stronger now.

“Talia!” she cried when she was still several feet away.

I scrambled off of the bed and stumbled to the bars. I thrust my arm through the metal, stretching my fingers in her direction. She nearly collided with the metal structure when she laced her fingers with mine.

“Open the cell door,” Penny shrieked to the man behind her - Brand, I assumed.

Brand fumbled with the key ring at his belt, but once he had the right key in his hand, he hesitated.

“Now!” Penny barked.

He reluctantly complied. Penny released her grip on my hand and rounded the cage. I flung myself into her arms as soon as she entered.

“I thought that you were dead,” I sobbed, still not believing she was actually there.

“I know,” she said. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain everything soon.”

I pulled back, staring into the lime green eyes of my best friend – the girl I’d condemned to death. Oh, my god, she must hate me. She should hate me. I hated me.

“I’m so sorry, Penny,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.” I repeated the phrase over and over again.

“It’s okay, Tal. I don’t blame you for anything,” she promised.

Brand scoffed behind her. Penny shot him a withering glare over her shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you upstairs,” Penny said, turning back to me. She put her arm around my shoulders and guided me out of the cell. Brand fell in step on my other side and I noticed the gun in his hand for the first time. I shrank closer to Penny, not wanting to be closer to the weapon than absolutely necessary.

Penny led me down a dimly lit corridor, through a main room, and up a spiral staircase. Brand stayed close to me, clearly not wanting to touch me, but determined not to let me out of his reach just in case. At the top of the staircase, we hauled ourselves through a trap door. I looked around and recognized the foyer of the cottage. The hole that we’d just crawled through, I realized, was the hole I’d worried they were going to throw me down.

Penny directed me to a room on the right. The room had a worn brown sofa and matching arm chair set up in front of a stone fireplace. The walls were stone and decorated with framed paintings. Two large windows looked out over the ocean.

I ran to one window and pressed my face to the glass. Waves crashed onto the bluffs below. I could hear the roar of the sea through the pane. I closed my eyes and let the noise calm me.

“Tal?” Penny asked, placing a hand on my back. “Why don’t you sit? We have a lot to talk about.”

I turned around. Brand was already seated in the arm chair with his gun resting on one knee. His gaze followed me as I moved to sit on the sofa.

“Where’s Crane?” I asked once I was seated.

“He’s on his way back here,” Brand said.

“I need to talk to him.” I had so many questions for Penny, but finding Crane and begging for his help rescuing Erik was more pressing.

“He’ll be here by the morning,” Penny assured me, placing a hand on my arm.

“What do you want with President Crane?” Brand asked, pinning me to the couch with the harshness of his glare.

I swallowed, looking from Penny to Brand. Should I tell them? I wanted to be the one to tell Crane. I hoped to catch him by surprise. I didn’t want him having a refusal ready when I finally saw him.

“It’s private,” I finally answered stiffly.

Brand scoffed and turned his gaze towards the empty fire place.

“Is this about Erik?” Penny asked gently. I stared at her, shocked. Did they already know that Erik had been captured? “The Coalition has several spies in the Agency. We got word a couple of days ago that Erik had been arrested.”

“What else have you heard?” I asked, frantically grabbing her shoulders.

Brand jumped to his feet and darted towards us. He reached for me and jerked me back from Penny.

“Brand!” she shouted at him. “Stop. She wasn’t going to hurt me!” Brand released my arms, but remained standing next to the couch.

“What else have you heard?” I repeated numbly.

“He’s still alive,” Penny said cautiously. She was trying to keep her face neutral.

Fear for what she was leaving unsaid filled me. “Alive?” I mumbled.

“He’s been roughed up pretty badly,” Brand interjected. “Our sources tell us Medics have been sent to his cell to revive him several times.”

“Brand,” Penny hissed. “SHUT. UP.”

My hands flew to my chest, as if they could hold my heart together. I wanted to melt right into the cushions of the couch or throw myself out of the window into the roaring sea. This couldn’t be happening. It was worse than I thought. My head spun so fast I had to put it between my knees.

“I’m so sorry, Talia,” Penny said, rubbing my back as I sucked air through my nose and blew it forcefully out of my mouth.

“I need to get to him,” I wheezed. “I need to save him.”

Neither Penny nor Brand replied. She just continued to rub my back until I was able to sit back up.

“I need to save him,” I repeated, silently pleading with Penny to tell me that was possible. She looked up at Brand, then back at me.

“I’m sorry, Tal,” she said again.

“Rescuing the boy isn’t possible,” Brand said flatly.

I rounded on him. “It is possible. I will not let him die because of me!” I jumped to my feet, causing Brand to back away from the sofa. “I will do whatever it takes to get him back.”

“There might be one way, if you’re serious,” Brand said slowly.

“What?” I demanded, hope sparking.

“The Agency wants you more than they want him. They might be willing to make a trade.”

“Absolutely not,” Penny declared, rising to stand next to me. “That is not an option.”

“I’ll do it,” I said without thinking.

“No, you won’t,” Penny replied firmly. “I didn’t risk my life to let you go back there. My mother didn’t die so you could give up this easily.” The fierce determination that I’d seen in the courtroom shone in Penny’s eyes now. I was so caught off-guard by it that her words didn’t immediately register. Her mother? Then I remembered that Brand had called her Ms. Crane in the hallway downstairs. All the pieces were starting to fall into place.

“Ellen Larsen was your mother?” I asked softly.

“Yes, and she was trying to break onto the school grounds to rescue you when she was caught.” I wanted to shrivel up and die. I was responsible for Penny’s mother’s death. “That’s when Uncle Ian decided to send in an undercover agent that could get close to you,” she continued. “I volunteered to go. I didn’t realize it would take so long for me to become friends with you. At school, you were always with Donavon and closely watched by the Director. It wasn’t until you were at Elite Headquarters that I could get you alone.”

I remembered the first time I’d encountered Penny in the Hunters’ Village. That seemingly chance meeting wasn’t chance at all. I felt hollow. Nothing in my life was real.

“Why does the Coalition want me so badly?” I asked quietly.

“The Coalition doesn’t want you,” Brand growled. “Ian does.” Cold fear spread through my entire body. I didn’t like the sound of that at all. I had made a terrible mistake in coming here.

“What do I want?” a voice boomed from behind us. I turned and met Ian Crane’s dark eyes. He moved slowly into the living room, stopping a foot in front of me. “Natalia, it’s good to see you, I think,” he said.

“You think?” I managed to squeak out.

“Yes, if you are going to try and kill me again, it’s not good to see you.” Crane smiled. I swallowed thickly. “I am pretty sure that’s not why you’re here, though. Word is you kidnapped a child and your boyfriend is currently a resident at Tramblewood. What I’m not sure of is what convinced you to come to me.”

I steeled my nerves. It was now or never. “I need your help.”

“What makes you think I would help you?” Ian asked. The words themselves sounded like a challenge, but the way he said it was more inquisitive than combative. It seemed like he wanted me to say something specific, as if there were actually one right answer to his question. I was pretty sure I knew what the answer was, too. I just wasn’t sure I could say the words.

“You said you knew my father,” I started shakily. “I think, at one time, you were friends with both my parents.” I paused. The next words would be the hardest. Saying them out loud would make the accusation real. Rip the bandage, I told myself. “And I’m pretty sure Mac killed them,” I finally added.

Crane smiled thinly and held out a hand to me. “You and I have a lot discuss, Natalia Lyons.”

Epilogue

Ian Crane stood in his study, staring at the ocean below without really seeing the water. What she wanted him to do was crazy. He knew that. A prison break? Toxic was anticipating the attempt. He’d had the element of surprise on his side when he’d gone to Bethesda to retrieve his niece. Even then, he’d sustained heavy casualties. Were his forces strong enough to attack again so soon?

“Are you going to give her what she wants?” a voice asked from the doorway, startling him out of his musings.

Crane turned and saw Brand leaning against the doorframe. The young man was mutinous. Crane didn’t have to ask his opinion on the matter. Brand’s expression said it all.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Ian Crane replied. He moved from the window and sat in his favorite recliner. He motioned for Brand to join him in the study.

“One life isn’t worth the countless lives we may lose in the attempt,” Brand said.

Crane said nothing.

“Haven’t enough people died already?” Brand demanded. “Penny may never recover from what they did to her.”

Ian raised his eyebrows questioningly. “I think you underestimate Penelope, Brand.”

Brand slumped back on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. Crane watched with an amused expression. He knew Brand’s concern for his niece was genuine, bred from a childhood friendship that never had the chance to become more.

“If you attack Tramblewood, Toxic will retaliate,” Brand said bluntly. “Having that girl here puts us all at risk.”

Crane sighed. “You are very young, Brand. And the war with Toxic is very old. It is only a matter of time before they decide we are more than just a thorn in their side. Talia showing up will only speed up the inevitable. We have been playing defense for years. Maybe it is time we took the offensive.”

Brand’s laugh held no mirth. “You are going to do it, aren’t you? You are going to go after the boy.” The younger man shook his head. “Unbelievable.”

“I am,” Ian confirmed, not realizing until he spoke the words that they were true. The decision wasn’t an easy one. A prison break would prove next to impossible. Then again, they’d told him starting a war with Toxic was impossible, too. Of course, the rebellion hadn’t ended the way he wanted. He hadn’t succeeded in repealing the mandatory testing laws. Toxic was still experimenting with the Creation drug. The Talented were still oppressed and most of them didn’t even know it.

This time would be different, he vowed. Brand was right. Rescuing the boy, having Talia in residence, meant Toxic wouldn’t sit idly by any longer. The only question left was who was going to make the first move.

“I am,” Crane repeated. “Send out the word. Round one starts in forty-eight hours.”

Created, the final chapter in the Talented Saga, coming Summer 2013

Contact Information:

For more information on Sophie Davis and the Talented Series, visit Sophie’s website, www.sophiedavisbooks.com

To contact Sophie directly, email her at sophie.davis.books@gmail.com.

You can also follow Sophie on twitter, @sophiedavisbook.

Thank you for taking the time to read Hunted. Sophie loves feedback, and any reviews posted to goodreads.com, amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or any other retail site where Hunted is sold, are greatly appreciated.

Acknowledgements

As always, I would like to thank my friends and family for all of their love and support. I would not be able to create Talia’s world without their help in this one. I would also like to thank all of my beta readers. Without their comments and suggestions, Hunted would be little more than the rambling first draft that I wrote for NANO in 2011.

Thank you to Hannah. Without her networking and marketing skills, no one would have ever heard of Talented.

A big thank you to Kelley Bjork for providing the cover art images!!

And last, but certainly not least, thank you to all of my fans. You make writing Talia’s story more enjoyable than I could have ever imagined.

Use the links below to snag your copies of Sophie’s other books!

Captivated, A Talented Novella

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Pawn, Nightmares Trilogy #1

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Table of Contents

Hunted

Other Books by Sophie Davis

To my Grandma Nan and Grandpa Bob

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Epilogue

Created, the final chapter in the Talented Sage, coming Summer 2013

Contact Information:

Acknowledgements