Simon went silent. The flashing red lights continued to circle overhead, and there was a bang at the door as one of the guards opened it only enough to speak. “Grayson said to be ready to move on her order.” The door slammed shut at the last word.

  “They’re not going to make it far,” Simon mumbled.

  “You might be underestimating them a bit,” I said, knowing he was referring to Caspian and whatever team he had inside this place.

  “No.” Simon shook his head. “They’re underestimating how important those kids are.”

  “And how would you know?”

  “Because I was the one who began this experiment,” Simon said.

  My mouth went dry, and I suddenly couldn’t speak. I knew he was terrible, I’d just said as much, but what was he saying? He was the reason we were here? “What do you mean you began it?” I asked carefully

  Simon looked to his lap, squeezing his hands. “We didn’t mean to start all of this, not the way it’s played out, we just wanted our own lives back,” Simon began. “We’d been given the smallest bit of freedom to use our Carbon abilities to build the city of Venzier, but then they took it away. They put these cuffs on our wrists, and they stopped a part of us from existing. It was torture, those first few years. Knowing something strong lived inside of you, wanting to be released, but never able to. It was like a part of us was trapped.”

  My brows knitted together as I watched Simon wrestle with the memories.

  Simon let out a shaky breath. “We blamed it on the crash site, said one of the Reeks must have lived or the virus survived the wreck, but it was a lie. We did it, we brought them back.”

  “You created the Reeks? Why would you do that?” I asked.

  “We didn’t mean to.” His eyes flashed to mine. “We just wanted our powers back. My brother found a way to remove them—the cuffs. We only did it for a few, but the second our powers stirred inside of us, so did the dormant virus that still clung to our Carbon bodies. It didn’t take long for the first one to transition. It was fast, much faster than I remembered, and once the virus was airborne, with that many Carbons, it was like a plague we couldn’t control. I tried to stop it from spreading, tried to find a way to contain it. The artifact you found was one solution. It can attract the Reeks and contain them to one location, but they can’t be controlled as we quickly found out.”

  He’d helped create them. He brought these Reeks to life and was the reason they’re sending children into the Void. I was shaking, vibrating with rage, but he wasn’t done.

  “We barely escaped with our lives, and my brother went into hiding. He was the only one who knew how to remove the cuffs and once we saw what happened, we knew that could never happen again.” Simon was looking at his own cuff, silver and tightly clasped around his wrist. “For years we tried to destroy them. We sent armies into the Void, but they were killed so fast. Bombs only spread the virus farther into the air, and soon the Reeks were multiplying faster than we could kill them. The wall could only hold them for so long, as you’ve now seen.”

  “So you started sending in the genetic kids?”

  Simon nodded. “We found out they were immune to the virus and had similar abilities to a Carbon. Strength, speed, agility. They could contain the Reeks within the Void, and slowly we were winning the war, but it still wasn’t enough.”

  “What’s this second phase Grayson is planning? What is she doing to the genetic kids?”

  “Controlling them,” Simon said. “Altering their very DNA and turning them into monsters on a leash. The Reeks couldn’t be controlled, but with some of their venom inside of the genetic kids, we have an unstoppable army that she can command.”

  “But they won’t all survive. There are far too many Reeks for even the amount of kids she has here.” I felt my chest close in on me, tightening at the thought of them sending Vic back out there.

  “I know that, but Grayson thinks this will work.”

  “Tell her she’s wrong,” I demanded.

  “You think she’ll listen to me?” Simon scoffed. “She didn’t listen before, and she sure as hell won’t listen now.”

  “Make her listen!”

  Simon shook his head. “I tried to warn her before. I knew what we were doing was wrong, and the only choice we had to make up for what we did was to admit to the other representatives of Armestes what we had done and ask for help, but she refused. She said we’d be persecuted and treated even worse than we were now. Her solution was to erase everyone’s memory who knew anything about the Reeks. She could do it easily with the Carbons, through the microchip at the base of our skulls, and those she couldn’t, she threatened or killed to keep them silent.”

  “She erased your memory?” I asked.

  “Yes.” Simon nodded. “It’s the reason I didn’t know what the DEZ really was… even who Grayson was. She only started feeding me memories because she needs me now. I know how to control that artifact better than anyone, and she needs me to use it for her.”

  “You can’t,” I whispered.

  “I know,” Simon said, his head dropping. “I won’t let that happen.”

  “So that’s why she’s been trying to find you?” I asked. Simon nodded. And I brought him right to her, knowing he would come for me. “Can’t you just lie and pretend you don’t remember?”

  “Grayson has ways of seeing into my memories, especially now with what Jayla holds—even if she doesn’t realize it, they’ll find it soon enough.”

  “But if she finds a way to remove the cuffs, won’t she also release the virus inside of her?” I asked.

  “She will, but she has something keeping her alive. A cure of sorts, the last of it, and only enough to save herself,” Simon explained. “But with her powers, she can not only discover everything I know, she can control anyone’s thoughts and see their memories. I won’t have to say anything for her to know how to use that thing.”

  “Then what do we do?” I breathed. I couldn’t let that happen to Vic—to the others. They deserved to live. They deserved a better life than this. And even with whatever abilities they had given the kids, this new way to destroy the Reeks, there were too many of them.

  Simon was silent for a moment before a small, sad smile spread across his face. “Before you were born, your mother used to talk about all the things we would do.” I felt a prickle behind my eyes and quickly looked away. “She planned on taking you to Eres, to the sea and sand. She said you’d learn to swim and fish in the ocean, and I told her that neither of us could teach you how to fish, but she didn’t care. She said she’d find a way. She believed we’d have time… and I took that away from both of you.”

  I felt a tear slide down my cheek, and I dropped my head, staring at the ground.

  Simon’s voice trembled as he said, “I can’t give you that back, but I can ensure I don’t hurt you ever again.” I lifted my head, noting the wetness rimming his eyes and the way he kept his chin high. “The only way to protect those kids, and make sure you’re safe, is to take myself out of the equation.”

  The door opened a few feet away from where Simon sat. “Let’s go. Now,” a guard said gruffly.

  Simon stood, moving towards the door quicker than he should have, causing the guard to instinctively place a hand on the hilt of his gun, but that wasn’t Simon’s target. I stood with him, understanding hitting me way too late.

  “No!” I screamed.

  Simon’s fist slammed into the guard’s chest, causing him to heave over. Another guard pushed through the door behind me, and I felt him moving towards us, but the room was too long and Simon had already found what he was looking for.

  He pulled the pin from the grenade now in his hand, keeping the clip closed as he shoved the guard aside and reached for the door.

  “Wait, don’t do this,” I cried, feeling hot tears spilling down my cheeks, and I didn’t even know why. I hardly knew him, had only just met my father. He’d left me, abandoned me, and he was the reason I was in this mess in the first place. But I’d only just found him… and I wasn’t ready to lose him. “Please,” I begged just as the second guard shoved me aside and moved towards Simon.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t have more time, all three of us. But we’ll be waiting to meet you in the afterlife, and there we will have our happily ever after.” Simon closed the door, sealing himself in the adjacent room where Grayson and her men were, locking me and the guard in on the other side.

  It happened only seconds later, but it felt like a lifetime. I managed one step forward before the blast threw me backwards, and stone and heat from the flames slammed into me. I never had a chance to say goodbye.

  SIENNA

  An explosion rocked the entire mountain sending me crashing to my knees. Ahead I could hear screams and footsteps moving closer. I ducked into a dark room just as four guards marched past.

  “The explosion came from Grayson’s quarters,” a voice called as they passed. “I’ve already sent for the doctor.”

  I didn’t know what the hell was going on or if this was a part of Jayla’s plans, but the explosion caused a good enough distraction that any guards I’d seen were sprinting away from where the kids were being held.

  When they were out of view, I continued my journey down the curved hallway, taking a sharp right when the hallway opened and led me farther away from the voices. I had to be quick before they realized Dr. Allard had let the kids out.

  I knew which door was his even with only one trip there. I’d memorized the hallways and counted the doors that time, knowing I’d need Theo to get out of here. It was silent except for the occasional groans of the mountain around us.

  Theo’s door was already opened when I arrived and it was empty. I glanced around the empty hallways. The other doors were still closed, only Theo’s left open. I took a few more steps and nearly tripped over a body lying in the middle of the hallway. When I crouched down, I found the figure face down and not moving. Panic roiled through me as I turned the body over, but it wasn’t Theo. It was a guard. Something sounded to my left and I spun, bringing my arms up before a figure stepped into the red flashing light.

  “It’s just me,” Theo whispered before he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in. “Are you okay?” He looked me over.

  “I’m fine,” I said, taking a moment to breathe him in before I stepped back. “You?”

  “I’m good. I managed to get these off a guard.” He lifted the guns he’d stolen. “And I’ve set as many explosives as Caspian managed to get me.” While I had been searching for a way to get the kids out, Theo was tasked with laying out explosives so when we left this place, there’d be nothing left for anyone to come back to.

  I checked the clip in the gun he gave me—only three bullets left. “It’ll have to do.”

  “I’ve counted four guards regularly circling these hallways, but with whatever is going on down there, we might have fewer,” Theo said. “I’m hoping this is all a part of the plan?”

  “Me too,” I said, just as the mountain shook, and it felt as though we were now tilted.

  “Do you know which one she’s in?” Theo asked, knowing I’d be going after Vic next.

  “Kind of.” I nodded. “She’ll have guards surrounding her room on the third level.”

  Theo nodded. “Let’s get these kids out then.”

  I knew all doors were unlocked, but none of the kids had made an attempt to leave. Maybe they didn’t realize they could? I moved to the room next to Theo’s and pushed opened the door. A blonde-haired girl was cowering in the corner.

  “It’s okay, we’re getting out of here,” I said. She didn’t move. “You’ll be safe soon, I promise.”

  “There is no safe place anymore. I’d rather be here, away from them,” the girl hissed.

  I noted the black marks on her wrist. She was one of the Marked, which meant she might have been in the Void. I didn’t blame her for worrying she’d face them again.

  “They’re here, too, you know that,” I said.

  Still the girl shook her head and refused to move from her spot. I glanced to Theo, unsure what to do.

  He crouched down so he was closer to the girl. “They’re destroying this place. We can’t stay here much longer. Where we’re going you’ll be safe. There won’t be anyone forcing you to do anything anymore.”

  “No one’s forcing me,” the girl said, her eyes widened with fear. “I’m the one doing it. I’m the one in control. It’s easier that way, to just give in. But if I’m out there, they’ll use me—they’ll make me do things.”

  “We have to go,” I said sharply to Theo. I didn’t want to leave anyone behind, but we didn’t have time to argue.

  He grabbed the girl’s arm gently, lifting her to her feet. She didn’t struggle, but her steps were slow. “Do you want to die in here?” Theo asked as he pulled her into the hallway. He pointed around to the flashing red lights, the stone cracking above our heads, and the dust filtering from the roof in the light. The girl shook her head. “It won’t matter if this place feels safer when the walls come crashing down.”

  “I don’t want to die,” the girl whispered.

  “Good, neither do I.” Theo waved a hand towards the hallway, directing the girl to move. “Trust us, please.”

  Reluctantly, the girl began moving. We opened the next door and found less resistance. The farther along we went, the more doors opened on their own, kids waiting to make sure it was safe, and upon seeing their own kind, they soon began willingly joining us.

  “We have to get to Vic,” I said to Theo. She was located on the basement level, but there were guards watching her, and I worried she’d be taken somewhere else if she was important enough to have guards stationed there.

  Theo nodded, pulling an older kid who looked the least scared aside. “There’s stairs at the end of this hallway leading to lower levels. The hallways should be clear, and the doors unlocked. Get everyone to the basement—there will be someone waiting for you there, someone on our side.”

  The boy nodded, drawing his shoulders back and moving. If Jayla and the others had done what they planned, the way down would be clear, and they’d be waiting for us there, but we needed to get Vic. They weren’t keeping her in the same place as the other kids, so we had to venture out of our way to find her.

  Each hallway the kids were housed in was connected to the larger curved hallway surrounding the entire prison, but to get to Vic, we had to move closer to where I saw those guards heading… towards Grayson’s quarters. We had to be quiet if we didn’t want to be seen or heard. A few times, we had to dart into whatever room our stolen ID cards would open to avoid a group of guards sprinting by. But soon we reached the stairwell. The red flashing lights were scarce here and offered little help in seeing. The narrow staircase was made of stone and curved in sharp corners making it hard to move fast. When we reached the second level, I pulled out the gun and held it in front of me as we crept forward.

  We moved through the identically curving hallways until we reached an intersecting hallway and heard a sound, almost like an animal wailing in the distance, and it had my heart beating faster. A sick ripping sounded and a strained gurgle like someone was choking. I tucked my body close to the wall, creeping forward and glancing just around the corner into the hallway where the sound had come from. That’s when I saw it.

  Four guards lay motionless on the ground, identified only by their uniforms. A small body hovered over them, her fingers splayed as though she could grow claws, blood staining the front of her white shirt. All the air in my lungs seemed caught in my throat as the girl turned towards us, her stance like a predator, and I could have sworn her eyes were black as night. But then her hands dropped to her side, and her body seemed to relax and shift as a sob escaped her mouth.

  Vic was sprinting towards me seconds later, and I barely had enough time to prepare before she threw her arms around me, hugging me so tight I couldn’t breathe. She sobbed into my shoulder.

  “You’re really here,” she whispered through the tears. “You found me.”

  “Of course I did,” I said, pulling her in even tighter, my throat choking up. “I promised I’d keep you safe, and I’ve done a shit job of it, but I’m here now.”

  She nodded, noticing Theo behind me and pulling him into our hug.

  “Thank you,” she said to both of us.

  I pulled her back only enough to tuck her under my arm.

  I looked her up and down. “Are you okay?” I asked, noting the blood on her clothes.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “Good, we have to get going.” The mountain groaned as if in agreement. “We’re getting out of here.”

  Vic smiled and wrapped an arm around my waist. We moved forward, and as we stepped over the dead guards, it was only then I noted their throats had been ripped out. Their eyes stared blankly into nothing, and they lay in a pool of their own blood.

  How did this happen? I couldn’t stop staring and began to worry there was something, or someone, else down here with us. I was about to ask Vic when I noticed the blood on her hands.

  She still wore a smile, and something in me was too afraid to ask if she’d done it. Caspian had told me what she’d done in the Void, and I knew no one could survive there or here being timid and shy, yet that was how I remembered Vic. She wasn’t the same girl from the DEZ, not in the least.

  “Did he tell you where I was?” she asked.

  “Who?”

  “Gunner,” Vic said, glancing up at me.

  “Gunner was with you?” Theo’s brow creased.

  “He was, but they took him earlier, before the lights went out.”

  “How did—” I paused. Vic looked back up at me, waiting for me to finish my question, but I just said, “Never mind, you can tell me everything when we’re out.”