Once again, Holden was quick to note the sensual touch, and his eyes lit up. “We could meet for dinner after, just the three of us. I know the perfect place you just have to try while you’re here in Cytos.”

  “We would love that,” I purred.

  “Then it’s a date,” Holden said as our main course was set on the table.

  Caspian pulled his hand away as he moved to eat the glorious dinner placed before us. I couldn’t help the disappointment filling me as the cold air met the warm place his hand had been. I picked up my fork and glanced over at Caspian, who had a mischievous grin on his face.

  Mr. Holden was busy answering a question from someone on the other side of him, so Caspian leaned in and whispered in my ear. “You look lovely tonight, Mrs. Cassey.”

  His leg brushed against mine. “You aren’t looking too bad yourself, Mr. Cassey,” I teased.

  A throat cleared behind me, and I spun just in time to see Emery lean between Mr. Holden and me. She filled his glass with one hand and rested the other beside me, holding his ID Card.

  I went to place my hand on hers when Holden turned back around. “Well, if it isn’t the lovely little minx who started this wonderful night off with a glass of wine.” His voice had a subtle slur from the drinks he’d already downed.

  Em smiled at him sweetly, and as I went for her hand, Holden reached for her arm. She was unable to pass me the ID Card. Swiftly, she tucked it under her palm as he pulled her hand up to his lips and planted a long, slow kiss on the top.

  “You sure are a beautiful thing, aren’t you?” he said.

  “You’re too kind, sir.” Em’s voice was sultry as she gently pulled her hand away and turned to leave. Holden’s gaze followed her the entire way, making it impossible for her to pass off the ID card. And it would look too suspicious if she stayed behind us or came back too soon.

  Shit. I’d been too distracted that I missed the drop. I didn’t even see her coming. I let some flirty moment jeopardize our mission; something I’d never done before.

  I pushed my plate away, no longer hungry. The guilt and dread in the pit of my stomach did not sit well.

  Holden spent the rest of the night telling us about all the wondrous things in Cytos. I quickly noted most places he mentioned were either sleazy bars, clubs I’d never set foot in, or snooty, posh restaurants men took their mistresses to. But I played my part well, and I ooh’d and ahh’d at all the right moments.

  Caspian continued doing his part, distracting Holden when I asked the more personal questions. Including the name of his source for all the hot gossip in Cytos. A name I didn’t recognize but knew Governor Wallace would appreciate knowing who Holden spilled his secrets to and got information from.

  By the time the night was over and most of the guests had already left, we still hadn’t been able to slip his ID card back, and we were running out of time.

  Like the gentleman Holden claimed to be, he offered to walk us to the door. His hand rested on the small of my back, a little lower than I’d normally let anyone touch, but I resisted the urge to break his wrist as we reached the front foyer.

  “I’ll have a shuttle pick you up tomorrow morning for breakfast. Then we’ll tour the city together,” Holden said.

  “I look forward to it.” I smiled, spotting Emery a few feet behind Holden. “It was a pleasure meeting you,” I purred as I leaned in and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, lingering for a few seconds as Em placed the ID card in my outstretched hand, and I carefully slid it back into his pocket.

  As I pulled away, I let my lashes flutter down, and he beamed back at me.

  “The pleasure was all mine.” He kept his eyes locked on mine. Then he glanced to Caspian, who stretched out a hand and gave a firm shake. “We’ll see you tomorrow night, for dinner then.”

  Caspian nodded. “I can’t wait.”

  And with one last goodnight, we stepped outside into the warm air and busy streets of Cytos.

  Chapter 32

  Jayla

  The walk to the Watcher Headquarters wasn’t long, but it was cold in my skimpy dress. I wrapped my arms around my body before Caspian took his jacket off and draped it over my shoulders.

  Emery caught up with us a few blocks from city hall.

  “Bit of a creeper, that guy,” she mumbled.

  I nodded. “Find anything useful?”

  “More than a little useful.” She pulled out a thumb drive from her purse and twisted it between her fingers. “Mr. Holden may be a man of many secrets, but he isn’t very good at hiding them.”

  “Good,” I said. “At least I won’t have to be Lillian Cassey again any time soon.”

  Em shrugged and put the drive back in her purse. She glanced over at us. “What the hell happened during the swap? You were supposed to be keeping him side-tracked.”

  “I…we…got distracted. Sorry, Em. Won’t happen again,” I stumbled.

  She eyed Caspian and me before snorting. “I won’t hold my breath on that one. But at least we got the job done.”

  My gaze flickered up to Caspian who was watching me again, and I pulled the jacket closer around my shoulders before I glanced away.

  Em opened the door to the office building where Reyes and her two cohorts, Gillis and Cortez, stood waiting in the foyer.

  “Did you get the information?” Reyes asked quickly.

  “Yes,” I said before telling her what Holden had revealed, and the source he’d gotten it all from. The information hadn’t been of much interest to me. Stories of a few bills Holden had expelled by a few well-placed rumors. And a pending investigation on the Governor himself for infidelity and accepting bribes, both of which I believed were highly likely. In short, Holden was out for the Governor’s position. It seemed the few people he had helping him were already on the move.

  I didn’t, however, mention what Holden had said about the Void or the mysterious deaths in Cytos…one of them being Ava’s. I knew that information was not meant for Cortez or Gillis’s ears.

  When I finished, Reyes nodded her approval. Gillis, Reyes’s technician, had our names in the hotel database we gave Holden. And he had already instructed a receptionist on our payroll to call him in the morning, stating the Casseys had to head home to Kuros unexpectedly and would unfortunately not make our date. Before dismissing us, Reyes casually handed me a Linked chip with payment for our hard work. The quick glance she gave me as she handed it over told me more than money was on the chip.

  The thumb drive Em stole carried a lot of information we had to decipher. Transports with blacked out information. Names of a few crew members, but they seemed to switch each trip, so there was no telling who would be on the shuttle we were hitching a ride on.

  Reyes’ information told us we would leave in two days. I could only assume the shuttle we’d be on would hold Sienna and Theo, as that was the day of their graduation test. Em was already working on a plan to get them out, along with the mission Simon and Reyes had for us. We would be briefed tomorrow on those details, so until then we couldn’t work out the specifics yet.

  “All right, I need to go have a shower and clean off the drool from that creep Holden. We’ll plan more in the morning,” Em said, and I nodded my goodnight.

  Caspian rose with me, and as I took tired steps towards my bedroom, I felt him follow me. I stopped at my door, leaning against it as he took a step closer to me.

  “We should talk,” he said softly and I nodded, opening my bedroom door and letting him in before I closed it behind us.

  I still wore my long, elaborate dress. Caspian had removed his tie and unbuttoned the top of his dress shirt, so his collarbone was exposed. He rubbed a hand down the back of his neck before facing me again. The look in his eyes was something I’d never seen. Not desire, not cocky confidence…apprehension. An unease he’d never displayed before.

  “Jayla, I…tonight was…”

  “Dangerous,” I finished for him, and his eyes flashed to mine. “We can’t…that can’t happen again.”

  His brow creased, and something like hurt flashed across his face. “What can’t happen?”

  “That. Us. We were playing a part, and we almost let our own distraction ruin the mission,” I stated.

  “I hardly think we’d be in much trouble if Holden found out we were using him for information. That guy is a bit of a hack and a drunk. He’s probably spilled those secrets to tons of people before us.” Caspian crossed his arms.

  “That’s not the point, Cas. We had a job to do, minor or not, it was our job. And we almost messed it up because of—”

  “Because of what?” Caspian tilted his head to the side. “Because of a little attraction, a little fun. Is it so hard for you to actually admit you enjoyed tonight?”

  I shook my head. “That’s not the job, Caspian. We don’t get paid to have fun. We get paid to get results. And this mission wasn’t just about his secrets, it was about our friends who we need to protect.”

  “That’s bullshit, Jayla, and you know it.” He threw his arms up. “We didn’t falter on the mission. Neither of us forgot what we were there for. We just took one small moment to feel something. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Yes, there is!” I threw back. “What if that had happened on a bigger mission? What if that moment of distraction cost someone their life? What if it was Em’s life we risked?”

  “Don’t do that, Jayla.” Caspian shook his head. “Don’t make this more than what it was. And don’t try to push away what you felt—what I know you felt—just because you believe someone may get hurt.”

  I pressed my lips together and let out a long sigh through my nose. “It meant nothing, Caspian. And it shouldn’t have happened. I got caught up in the moment, in the wine and the fancy clothes. But that was all it was, a moment. And it can’t happen again.” Every word felt sour on my tongue, and I couldn’t even look at him when I finished.

  “You’re a terrible goddamn liar, Jayla.” Within two strides, Caspian was in front of me. His hands gripped my face, and his lips pressed against my mouth.

  A fire erupted inside of me, and I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. Every part of my body flared at his touch, suddenly alive, awake, and sparked with energy. My mind told me to push him away, to stop this. But my arms wouldn’t move, and my body only melted further. And I didn’t want to stop—I wanted him.

  His tongue pressed against my lips, and my mouth parted as he swooped in. I moaned against the pressure of his tongue sliding across the roof of my mouth, and my knees nearly buckled, but Caspian held me up. He pressed me against the wall, and his hands clenched my hips as they slipped through the slits in my dress. His hands were warm against my skin, and every spot he touched burned and begged for more.

  He pulled away and moved to my neck. I tilted my chin up, and my eyes closed as I let out another moan. My back arched against the gentle kisses and tiny bites along my neck, my shoulders…lower. My breath was ragged, and I no longer knew where I was. Who I was.

  “Caspian,” I whispered.

  He silenced me with his lips against my mouth once more. His hands wrapped around me, pulling me closer, as if he couldn’t get enough of me. I couldn’t get enough of him either.

  “Caspian,” I repeated. He pulled away finally, his chest heaving with every deep breath he took. His gaze flickered from my eyes to my mouth, and I had to close my eyes so I could say what I had to. “We shouldn’t do this…”

  “Why?” he whispered, and his nose brushed softly against my jaw line. “I’ve thought of every reason and excuse you could give me. Every reason to push me away, to say no. I told myself that if I ever felt…if I ever thought you truly had a reason for me to stay away, I would. But there is none.” He placed a gentle kiss on my jaw and took my hand in his. “I love when you smile—it kills me every time. I want to be the one to make you smile. I’m yours, Jayla. I’ve always been yours, and I’ll never stop being yours. You can push me away, you can shut me out, but I won’t leave you. I’ll never leave you.”

  Those words shattered every wall around me. Every fear I couldn’t speak out loud. Every worry deep in my heart I couldn’t voice. That one day he would leave me, just as everyone else had. Just as my mom had left me. Just as my grandparents couldn’t bear to be around me because I reminded them too much of the son they’d lost. People always left, that was something my own mother taught me a long time ago. But as Caspian spoke, it was like a lock breaking free, and I let it fall to the ground.

  He leaned back, studying my face as his own filled with a wave of emotions. Desire, worry, fear, everything all at once. “Say something,” he breathed. His hand trembled against mine. And I knew then, that if I told him I couldn’t do this he would step away, he would let me go, but he’d never leave. Even if it meant we were only friends—partners—but we’d never been just that.

  I ran my fingers slowly up his chest, feeling his body shiver at my touch as I trailed to his neck, before resting my hand on his cheek. He leaned into it and closed his eyes. I pulled him closer and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Never leave me,” I whispered, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Never,” he said before he reached down and pulled me up into his arms. Carrying me to the bed, he laid me down with surprising gentleness before pressing himself against me and kissing every aching inch of my body. I let him in. I let him be everything I needed, and everything I was scared of. I was no longer afraid.

  Chapter 33

  Sienna

  They kept us tied up for another four hours before we were finally allowed to stand. It was well past midnight at this point. While we sat locked to the chairs, I watched Theo the entire time. He was so exhausted from the pain they put him through he fell asleep. I watched his chest rise and fall, and eventually he stopped trembling.

  When Instructor Yarik returned, she untied all the ropes. This allowed us both to walk, although Theo still needed assistance. Whatever that chair had done, whatever torture it had provided, it had weakened him. It killed me to see him like that, but they wouldn’t even let me walk beside him.

  “He needs to go to a MediBot,” I said, watching over my shoulder as he winced with each step. His knees looking as though they would buckle at any moment.

  He shook his head. His mouth moved, but he couldn’t get any words out, his voice hoarse and broken from screaming.

  “We don’t have time for a MediBot. His Royal Highness will be fine in a few days,” Instructor Yarik said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. “The electric current that went through him tenses the muscles into spasms and drains the body, but he’ll be patched up soon enough.”

  Over my shoulder, I watched as Theo’s body tensed before Yarik pulled me down the hallway. She was the only one who held me, and for a moment, I thought I could make a run for it, get away.

  But as if hearing my thoughts, Yarik glanced down to me and said, “I wouldn’t suggest any heroics tonight, Sienna.”

  I steadied a glare back at her.

  We reached the end of a hallway and stopped at a heavy steel door leading to a stairwell. Cold air rushed up from below: it smelled a bit stale, and like oil. A subtle hum grew louder the farther we went down.

  After a few flights down, Yarik glanced up behind her, and one of the guards nodded before ordering the rest to stop. Yarik continued, her hand gripping hard around my arm as she pulled me along.

  “Why are they stopping?” I asked.

  Yarik hushed me.

  “I’m not going anywhere without Theo,” I argued, trying to dig my feet in and pull away from Yarik, but she was much stronger than me, and I ended up tripping on a stair and nearly falling down them.

  “Shut up, you stupid girl. They’ve stopped because I asked them to,” Yarik hissed. “We have exactly two minutes before Grayson catches on to anything, and so I suggest you keep your mouth shut and just listen.”

  I aimed steel eyes on her, but clamped my mouth shut and inclined my head for her to convince me.

  “Victoria is alive from what my sources tell me.” My heart jumped into my throat, and I couldn’t help the sigh of relief. “Don’t get too excited yet; she won’t be for long if you don’t listen.”

  I nodded.

  “I think it’s fairly clear you know you are not being released from the DEZ. Where you are going is much worse. I don’t know much; some memories have been wiped from even me. All I know are the small details my sources manage to send down the line before one of them is inevitably killed. But the little I know is enough to keep me up at night.” Yarik let out a shiver before we reached the bottom of the stairwell and stopped before a door.

  She turned me, so I was facing her. “You remember the black figure, the one that chased you and was locked in the Medical Center? Well that thing was once one of my sources. A guard working in the DEZ who transported one of the Marked kids to wherever it is they take you.” Yarik glanced up the stairwell, speeding up her speech. “He returned and within a week, he started to change. A virus infected his body until black scales covered him from head to toe, and he was no longer a man, but a monster.”

  I remembered the black scales, the pitted eye sockets. I shuddered.

  “Wherever you are going, that’s where the virus is. It seems to only affect Carbons, which is why I believe they are sending the Marked kids there. I have no way of telling you what to expect, only that I have yet to find out what happens to my pupils once they leave me. None have ever returned to Cytos.” Yarik looked, for the first time, sad. As if she actually cared about us. “The only advice I can give you is whatever you face, do not falter. Remember your training and trust no one. Some may seem like your friends or like they have your best interests at heart, but in the end everyone is selfish and out for themselves.”

  “Why are you telling me all of this?” I whispered, hearing the continued steps of feet down the stairs as the guards began making their way towards us again.