“Yes, that’s all that was. There was a minor gas leak in the DEZ, just down the hall from where you and Theo were…sitting. And it seems the gas caused you to hallucinate. Screaming about a black figure.” Governor Grayson chuckled before her face turned stone cold. “I can assure you there was nothing chasing you that night. Nothing to be worried about.”

  I shook my head. “I know what I saw.”

  “Hallucinations can feel incredibly real, but rest assured the leak has been found, and the gas is completely out of your system. You are free to go,” Governor Grayson said with a soft smile, but she didn’t move out of my way.

  I considered arguing when Instructor Yarik’s warning flashed back. She told me not to ask questions, only now I wondered if she only meant of her or if she knew Grayson would come here. So instead, I nodded my head and said sweetly, “I guess you’re right. It all felt so real but…but there couldn’t have been anything chasing us. It must have been a hallucination.”

  Grayson nodded as she moved out of the way, putting her hand on my shoulder and leading me out of my tiny confinement. “Exactly. But you’re all fine now.”

  I nodded, trying to make my face read relief, not panic.

  Theo stood at the entrance of the medical station, his hands in his pockets, and a look on his face reflecting the same thoughts I had. They were keeping something from us. If we wanted to get out of here, we’d best keep our mouths shut about it.

  “Thank you, Governor. You didn’t have to come all this way,” I said.

  “Oh, it’s quite all right. I was here already, overseeing the graduation testing that’s going on.”

  My lips began to tremble and I was shaking my head. Going on? Vic was already in there. “Thank you. Are we free to go, then?” My voice was a pitch too high.

  “Of course.” Governor Grayson waved her hand to the door out, and I did my best not to sprint through it. “I’ll be seeing you soon enough, for your own graduation testing.”

  I smiled back, and Theo said thanks again before gripping my hand and pulling me through the door and back into the gallery.

  I opened my mouth, but Theo said quietly, “Not here.” I swallowed back the lump in my throat.

  We raced down the hallway towards the library across from the room they held the graduation testing in. The door was already closed, and two guards stood in front of the large steel entrance. I swore under my breath before moving into the library. The rest of our classmates were inside waiting as well, including Camilla, whose face was pale, and her eyes looked bloodshot, like she hadn’t slept in days.

  I sat down beside Theo in the oversized chairs at the back. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Vic. Theo squeezed my hand, knowing the pain I felt, the worry coursing through me. I closed my eyes and released a long breath when the sound of a chair scraped across the floor. A hissed “get back here” sounded before I opened my eyes to find Camilla standing in front of me, a textbook in her hand. She handed it to me before moving back to her seat where Blane scolded her for whatever it was she’d just done.

  I stared at the book for a long while before opening it. Leafing through the pages on organic biology, I nearly missed it; a small piece of paper was tucked into the middle of the book. I glanced around to make sure no one was watching before I unfolded the note and read it.

  It wasn’t a hallucination. I saw them, too…they’re the final test.

  For the next two hours, we all sat in silence, pretending as though nothing had happened a few nights ago. I didn’t know what Instructor Yarik or Governor Grayson had told the others, but I had a feeling we were all supposed to act like nothing had happened.

  I didn’t know if I could.

  I kept the note crumpled up in my balled-up fist while I waited for some word of how Vic faired. When Instructor Yarik finally came out of the room and said both Vic and Fiona had passed with flying colors and were on their way to processing, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Can we see them? Can I say goodbye?” I asked.

  Yarik actually looked sorry for a moment, as she said, “They have already been taken away from the premises, so unfortunately that’s impossible.” I sighed. “But if you’re smart enough, you’ll see her in a few weeks, Sienna.” The twinkle in her eye led me to believe she wanted to say more, but she couldn’t.

  I nodded, keeping my mouth shut as I’d been told. I brushed past Camilla, who wouldn’t meet my gaze, before I headed down the hallway towards my quad with Theo close beside me.

  I was thankful for the quiet. Theo did his best to be there for me while letting me work through my own thoughts and fears and worries. It was what I loved most about him. Even without words, he knew the right thing to say, and sometimes that was nothing at all.

  When I had reached the hallway leading to my quad, exhaustion pulled at me. I gave Theo’s hand a squeeze, and he planted a soft kiss on my forehead before watching me leave. His eyes lingered until I rounded the corner to my quad.

  The door suddenly felt too heavy and too big. I pushed open the weight of it and found the room wasn’t empty.

  “Took you long enough,” Emery quipped, as I swiftly hopped in and closed the door.

  “What are you doing here?” I hissed. It was late, but not late enough that she should feel safe being here. She could have been seen.

  “They’ve been quick to delete any footage of your testing or that little incident from a few nights ago. So, I chose to stay here and watch Vic’s testing on the tablet live.” Em shrugged. Behind her indifference and feigned interest, I could tell she had to see for herself Vic was okay.

  The fact she was still here and hadn’t barrelled through those doors told me Vic was fine. “And?”

  “Like your instructor said, passed with flying colors,” Emery said. I waited for more and finally Em sighed. “It was a simple task for both girls, one that showed their strengths and didn’t exploit any weaknesses. It seems the higher uppers in the DEZ have been watching each of you carefully, and I would assume each final test is specific to each person.”

  I nodded. “That would be why James and Scott’s test seemed more physical. Were you able to get that footage?” They had been trying to break into the system to find anything about what had happened that night, but even with access to Instructor Yarik’s computer, it was proving difficult.

  Emery shook her head.

  “What now?” I asked.

  Emery tapped a long, sharp fingernail across the tablet on her lap. “I have Vic on the tracker, and we’ll see where they take her from here. Then she should be out in a day or two, and we’ll get more information from her.”

  I sighed, my body exhausted from everything that had happened in the last two days. But only one thing mattered: Vic was safe, and she was getting out of here.

  “Thank you,” I said. I knew Em would watch out for Vic and likely had been here for her while I was locked up. It was a small comfort against the guilt and pain of not being here myself.

  Emery shrugged as she slid across the bed towards the door to leave. “She’s a good kid. She deserves a good life; you all do.”

  I nodded, my head hanging low.

  “We’ll be in touch,” Emery said before she slid out the door, and it silently closed behind her.

  As I looked around the small space, the silence hit me like a wave. I was alone. Vic was gone, safe, but gone. And now, the space was too small and too big all at once. My heart began to race. I can’t stay here.

  My breaths came in wild bouts, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to faint or get sick or start crying.

  I pushed open the door, falling to my knees as I collapsed to the ground and gasped for air. I ran. I had to get away from there, away from the memories.

  My feet took me to his quad without even knowing I was going there. I knocked softly, hardly a sound, but he heard it, and the door swung open quickly, like he had been waiting for me.

  Theo didn’t say anything; he just slid over on the tiny bed, and I crawled in beside him. The door closed softly behind me, the darkness was all consuming, but I felt his warmth nearby. A steady hand against my back. His fingers flexed against the smooth skin under the hem of my shirt. And the smell of lemon filled my lungs.

  He lifted the blanket, and I slid under, my heart still pounding, but he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me in close against his chest.

  The tightness in my lungs steadied and my breathing slowed. Resting my head against his chest, I closed my eyes, allowing the fear to subside. My entire body eased into him, and his soft, even breaths allowed my racing heart to slow down, until the two rhythms matched each other and I was no longer afraid. No longer alone.

  The following day, Theo moved all my things into his quad before I woke.

  Chapter 23

  Jayla

  Em pointed to a spot a few yards away. “Should be just up here.”

  It had been five days since Vic completed her graduation test and two days since her tracker went offline. Caspian was quick to suggest the tracker had malfunctioned, but Em shot him down immediately. She did not provide faulty technology, and I knew she would have used the best she had access to for Vic.

  So now, we had decided to scout out the last known location Vic’s tracker had recorded to see if we could find some explanation or reason why the tracker had gone offline.

  We were nearly at the outskirts of Cytos. The metal wall surrounding the city was directly in front of us. There weren’t many buildings in the area, and the few nearby looked abandoned and desolate.

  Soft drops of rain hit my warm skin. The clouds rolling in covered any light the moon had provided, and the streetlamps disappeared altogether this far out of the center of the city. It was getting harder to see anything but the pavement under our feet and the enormous wall in front of us.

  Em slowed down her pace until she stopped. Spinning around, her brow creased.

  “It’s right…here.”

  Cas cocked his head. “There’s nothing here, Em.”

  “Thanks for that amazing observation,” Em hissed. “This is where the signal ended.”

  I paced away a few feet then circled back. We were in the middle of nowhere without any buildings or possible locations that made sense.

  “What’s below us?” I asked.

  Em pulled out her tablet and scanned the area. “A few sewage drains and a water reserve, nothing big enough for a person to squeeze through.”

  “She can’t just disappear!” I threw my hands up.

  Cas knelt on the ground, rubbing a hand against the dirt. “There’s footprints here. They look fresh. Leading…” He glanced up and pointed a few yards away towards the wall.

  We followed until we reached the twenty-foot high metal wall. It was thick and smooth, impossible to climb up. The footprints seemed to circle around the spot before heading back towards the city.

  “Do you think someone else is looking for what we are?” I asked.

  Caspian gave a nod of confirmation. Em growled as she narrowed her eyes, moving towards the building and sewer grates. They were all empty. After a few moments of searching, we found nothing out of place and no reason that would bring the Marked kids to this location.

  How could we have lost her? Where could she have gone?

  Cas put a hand on mine and gave it a squeeze. “We’ll find her.”

  “We’d better damn well find her,” Em interjected, not bothering to be gentle like Caspian was. I knew she was already blaming herself. “We’ll search the entire city. I’ll send out every asset I’ve got. She has to be here somewhere. She couldn’t have left Cytos.”

  Em had also been watching every transport shuttle coming and going from Cytos. Tracking each person and item coming or going, and Vic wasn’t on any one of them.

  “We’ll find her,” Cas said a bit firmer, his hand still wrapped around mine. I shrugged it off and ignored the pained look on his before he composed his features. I had to focus, and I couldn’t do that with him so close to me.

  “You’re looking in the wrong place.” A voice, smooth like silk, sounded from the shadows.

  My gun was raised in a second, aimed at the location the voice came from. Cas had his own gun out, and Em armed herself with twin long knives.

  “Who’s there?” I took a step towards the shadow.

  “I said we’d meet again, didn’t I?” The figure stepped out and into the dim light. The smiling face of Simon made my blood go cold.

  I swore under my breath and let my gun fall to my side. Emery and Cas kept their stance.

  “What the hell do you want, Simon? I’m sick of your games,” I huffed.

  “Good, then I won’t play any. I just need you three to come with me.” He shrugged.

  Cas sneered. “And what makes you think we’d do that?”

  “Oh, that wasn’t a request, boy.”

  Cas tensed beside me, and I shot him a look. No bloodshed tonight.

  “Simon, we don’t have time for this. We’re kind of busy, so I’d suggest you pick another day to annoy us. I don’t think I can keep these two in line much longer.” I glanced at Em, whose expression had gone from anger to death incarnate. Her twin knives twisted in her hands as she tilted her head towards Simon, waiting for one word from me to end this worm standing in her way.

  “Ah, yes, looking for that pretty, little brown-haired girl that’s gone miss—”

  Simon didn’t have a chance to finish speaking before the two blades in Em’s hands were inches from his neck. Inches from decapitation.

  “Say one more word, and it will be your last,” Em warned.

  Simon’s eyes glanced over to me and I shrugged. “I think you hit a nerve.”

  “If you think I didn’t come prepared, you are sorely mistaken,” Simon drawled. His stance loosened as he nodded his chin to the darkness all around us. Behind him, and surrounding us, the click of guns rose in unison, and out of the shadows stepped twenty armed men. “Thought I’d bring a little back up this time.”

  Em glanced sidelong to the guns aimed at her head, but she didn’t move. Simon coyly placed a finger on the tip of one of the blades, pushing it away from his neck. Blood dripped from his finger, but he didn’t flinch.

  “As I said, I need you three to come with me. Especially if you wish to see your little friend again.” Simon raised his hand to Em before she swung her blade at him. “I don’t know where she is, and I wasn’t the one who took her. So if you’d please take the dramatics down a notch, that’d be much appreciated.”

  Em bared her teeth before she stepped back beside me. “If he says one more thing about Vic, I swear to god I’m taking his head off.”

  “What do you know about her disappearance?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Slightly more than you.” Simon shrugged. “But that’s not for discussion out here.” He inclined his head to the men on his right and they stepped forward.

  Caspian quickly took up position directly in front of Em and me, his gun raised.

  “Enough!” Simon bellowed, surprising even me with the sudden anger and impatience he exposed, his calm mask falling for only a second, before he quickly composed himself. “You are coming with me one way or another. It’s your choice if you walk there on your own, or we carry you. But you will be coming with us.”

  I grabbed Caspian’s arm and pushed his gun down. He glanced at me with brows furrowed, ready to argue, but I shook my head. We were greatly outnumbered. From the way these men stood and moved, it wasn’t hard to guess they were all Carbons. We wouldn’t make it ten feet before they dropped us.

  “Fine, we’ll come,” I said.

  “Good,” Simon said, as he reached into his pocket for something before tossing them to us. “Put these on first.”

  I held up the three blindfolds he’d given me and sighed. Simon crossed his arms over his chest and waited. Reluctantly, Em and Cas placed the blindfolds over their eyes. I did the same before firm hands gripped my arms and began leading us into the unknown.

  Chapter 24

  Jayla

  After about an hour of walking over wet pavement and through rancid smelling puddles, we were finally brought into a building. It began to rain halfway to wherever they were taking us, so I was thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone by this point. The hand on my left side released me, leaving only one guard holding my right side. My elbow bumped a wall on my free side; this was the first indication we were in a small hallway. A few yards later, we turned, and my foot stumbled on a step. The hand holding me up kept me from falling face-first down a set of stairs.

  “Little warning would be nice,” I grumbled.

  “Watch your step,” the deep voice beside me mumbled.

  I rolled my eyes before realizing he couldn’t see them.

  We descended four flights of stairs before the ground levelled off again. I could tell we were deep underground; the space was cold and smelled a bit like mold and mildew. The musky air clung to my exposed skin, making the water still soaking me feel like grime and dirt.

  The friction of the rusty metal hinges set me on edge as a door swung open, and the Carbon who had been leading me shoved me into a room. Falling to my hands and knees, I let out a low hiss in anger. A deep voice beyond the door chuckled. I turned towards the voice when another body fell on top of me. The quick, cat-like reflexes and sharp nails piercing my skin told me it was Emery.

  She pulled herself off me, tugging me up as I ripped off the blindfold just in time to catch Caspian before the door was slammed shut behind us.

  Em sprinted for the door, but it had no handle or way to open. No window or indication of where we were other than the steel walls surrounding us. Cold concrete covered the floor and ceiling.

  “Why didn’t you just let me kill him when we had a chance?” Em paced by the door.

  I shrugged. “I don’t feel like looking for someone to replace you.”

  “Hey,” Cas said beside me. “What about me?”