Shadowmarked, p.4
ShadowMarked, page 4
“I’m not a spy!” Leanna argued.
“Right and I’m not a Watcher.” Caspian tilted his head. “And she’s not a Marked kid. And—”
“Oh, shut up already.” Leanna glared.
Petra quietly observed the exchange. Both of us wisely didn’t ask what either was talking about, although I suspected Petra might know. She and Leanna talked a lot; it was rare to not see them together anymore. Leanna was a quiet woman around anyone but Petra, and I could see she was very observant.
“Prove me wrong,” Caspian challenged. “If you aren’t a spy—”
“I’m not.”
“Then why did you get this?” Caspian held up an envelope with her name on it, written in fancy cursive and no return address.
Leanna snatched the envelope away, confirming it was unopened before she turned her attention back to Caspian. “I have friends in Kuros. There’s no crime in that, is there?”
“No,” Caspian admitted, moving to where I stood and picking up a bow and arrow. “But keeping secrets from your friends here is a dangerous game, Leanna. One I wouldn’t suggest you play.”
I suddenly felt the need to leave, like I was hearing a conversation I shouldn’t be, yet I needed to learn everything I could, even if the look in Leanna’s eyes was warning enough for me not to ask what was in the letter. Leanna sharply looked away as she tucked the letter into her pocket. “You have your business, and I have mine,” she said. “I’d appreciate it if you kept your nose out of it, though.”
“That’s unlikely to happen.” Caspian smirked, drawing the arrow up and aiming for the target.
The arrow flew swiftly from the bow and hit dead center on its mark. Petra gave an approving nod before Caspian turned to me and gave a little wink.
I grunted.
“Theo was looking for you,” Caspian said before picking up another arrow.
Petra had taken me outside before Theo returned from wherever he’d snuck off to before I woke this morning. He’d disappeared a few times since our meeting with the Council of Eres, each time not saying a word to me. I didn’t want to feel suspicious of Theo, but he’d never kept anything from me. This morning he’d snuck out again without leaving a note or anything. It wasn’t like him, but I trusted him.
“He was in the mess hall last I saw him,” Caspian said before launching another arrow.
I nodded, glad for a reason to leave as my leg was beginning to ache from so much standing. I passed my bow to Petra, before making the long trek back to the Palace.
“I’m fine,” I told Theo for the third time. “Just a little thirsty.”
I couldn’t help the slight limp from standing and walking all morning on my bad leg when I finally found Theo in the Palace. Even with the brace, my leg was throbbing and sore.
“Sorry if I’m not so inclined to believe you.” He passed me a glass of water. I’d found him in the hallway on my way to the mess hall, and the minute he saw my limp he forced me back to the MediCenter to rest.
“I’ll be heading out there soon enough. I might as well get used to the pain.” I was sick and tired of being coddled so much. With or without my leg fully healed, I would fight.
“Hardly.” Theo gripped my hand. He squeezed it lightly. “If it were up to me, you wouldn’t be going.”
“Well, it isn’t up to you, or me, for that matter.”
“I can talk to Jayla,” Theo suggested. “She can’t force you to do anything.”
“Not worth the argument. And I know it’s where I’m needed, which is why I haven’t said anything to her about it.” I sighed. “Where were you?”
“Just getting some fresh air.” Theo said.
My brow scrunched. “Some fresh air… all morning?”
Theo shrugged, but I was quick to note how his gaze shifted away. “I went for a run, outside the city.”
“By yourself?” I asked. Again, Theo shrugged. “You shouldn’t do that, Theo. It’s dangerous.”
“I know.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Which is why I went alone. The fewer people, the less noise there is, and the less attention I’d bring to myself.”
“That’s where you’ve been going every time you sneak out of here?”
Theo’s gaze bounced up to meet mine with surprise.
“Yeah, I noticed,” I said, a twinge of hurt twisting in my gut. He hadn’t trusted me to tell me the truth sooner, even though I’d asked where he’d been more than once.
Theo sighed. “I’m just trying to find some way to help. We know what those things are like, we know better than anyone the consequences of not being prepared.”
My heart clenched, worry trying to push through me at the thought of Theo being out there alone when the Reeks arrived. I knew we had to find them, we had to make sure they didn’t reach Eres, but selfishly I wanted anyone but Theo to be the one out there searching. I let out a long breath. “Still, you can’t be putting yourself in danger like that.”
“We need to get ahead of them, Sienna. And if we’re going out there soon, if we’re asking the Marked kids to do the same, then we owe it to them to make sure it’s as safe as we can make it,” he said, placing his hand over mine.
I pulled it away, crossing my arms over my chest. “It’s not safe anywhere, Theo, but especially not out there on your own,” I shouted. “You should have told me where you were going. You could have gotten—”
“This war will hit everywhere soon enough, Sienna, there’s no escaping that. And when that happens, I want to face them knowing I’ve done everything in my power to keep you safe.”
I let out a long breath, leaning my head back into the thick pillow behind me. There was a pain swelling in my chest, a familiar feeling of not being in control, not knowing what to do. I didn’t need Theo to keep me safe. I should be out there helping keep everyone safe—helping find Vic. It was the only thing I ever felt I was meant for, and I was failing, over and over again.
“I can’t lose you.” Theo’s voice was low, and he pushed away a strand of hair.
“You won’t,” I promised, knowing it wasn’t something I could ever control, but not wanting to see him worried. I was mad at him, hurt he didn’t tell me where he was going, yet I understood completely. This is how we’d been trained, forced to fend for ourselves and rarely trust others—it was what the instructors at the DEZ had engrained in us. Despite that, despite being told we needed to learn to survive on our own, Theo, Vic, and I had always relied on each other. But now it felt like that was slipping away. Vic was gone, and Theo was risking his life to protect mine. I just wanted this all to be over.
His black hair spilled over his brow. It’d grown longer since we left the DEZ, and now it nearly covered his mahogany eyes gazing down on me.
“And I’ll make sure of that.” He smiled, leaning in to kiss the top of my head.
We were quiet for a moment, and I couldn’t help the uneasy feeling slowly crawling its way inside of me. “Theo, what aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said quickly. I tilted my head at him. He sighed. “Look, I’m not keeping anything from you that you should be worried about. I’m just trying to help us all—save as many as we can.”
“That isn’t something you need to keep secret from me,” I protested.
“I know you worry—”
“I worry more when I wake up and you’re gone. I worry when I don’t know where you are and when I can tell you’re lying to me… like right now.” I sat up taller in the bed, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Can’t you just trust me? Isn’t the fact that everything I’m doing is to keep you safe and find Vic enough?”
“I do trust you, at least I did. Because up until recently, you’ve never given me a reason not to trust you!”
Theo rubbed a hand to the back of his neck. “I just don’t want you to get hurt in all this.”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt, Theo. I can’t lose you either.”
Theo squeezed his eyes shut. “I know,” he whispered. “Just trust me, please.”
A throat cleared near the door, startling both of us and stopping my interrogation. Tynan stepped into the room, and I could tell from the look on his face he’d heard at least some of our argument. “Sorry, but we have word from the source in Cytos on the Marked kids. Thought you two would want to hear it.”
“Do they know where they are?” I asked.
“Kind of...” From the grim tone in his voice, I knew whatever we were about to learn was not good news.
Theo helped me to my feet, keeping an arm under my shoulder despite my protest. There was tension, something hanging between us, and I could tell Theo wasn’t about to explain, but it was there, and it terrified me. We needed to stay together, we needed to be focused, but all I could think was Theo was lying to me. It terrified me to think he was putting himself in danger to protect me, and he wouldn’t even explain why or how. I couldn’t lose him—I’d already lost Vic. I couldn’t fail again.
CASPIAN
Everyone waited in our joint quarters impatiently for Simon to link in from Cytos. Jayla, Em, and I were near the front along with Logan and Leanna. A few of Jacob’s Sweepers lined the exterior of the small living quarters we were housed in at the Sweepers’ Palace. It was cramped.
Simon had sent Em a message almost an hour ago telling her the information he had was urgent, but finding a secure location to connect with us was proving difficult it would seem.
I scanned the room where I found Sienna and Theo sneaking into the back and taking a seat in one of the colorful, cushioned chairs. Sienna was still healing, but it was Theo I was worried about. I’d seen him leave the Palace a few times in the last three days. I had managed to follow him out of the city this morning, only to lose him after he disappeared over a sand dune. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but I knew both he and Sienna were concerned about finding Vic, just like I was. Either he was trying to be a hero all on his own, or he had some plan he didn’t seem to want to share with the rest of us. Either way, if he wasn’t careful, he’d get himself killed out there.
“How much longer must we wait? Does he think we have nothing better to do?” Em grumbled as she leaned against Logan seated on the floor beside her. The two had become surprisingly cozy, though I guess that all had happened while I was in the Void. It was still weird seeing Em this way, slightly softer than her normally prickly self—around him anyway.
“He’ll show up when he’s good and ready, typical Simon.” Jayla hardly stopped her pacing as she spoke.
I stood a few feet behind her, watching as she moved. Her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and she was thinner than before. She needed rest. She needed to take care of herself if she wanted to stop the Reeks.
The first night I was back I’d woken up in the middle of the night to her thrashing and screaming in her sleep. I’d tried to calm her, wake her, but nothing helped until she finally pulled herself out of whatever nightmare she’d faced. I’d tried to sooth her, but she pushed me away, stalking to the bathroom and splashing her face with cold water, but I saw her hands trembling. She wouldn’t talk about it, wouldn’t admit even to me what all of this had done to her. She was our leader, and to everyone else she looked like one, but I could see her breaking, and it killed me to not be able to do anything to help her. The nightmares had become a regular occurrence.
Our team of mismatched warriors all had their issues, and though the nightmares didn’t seem to haunt me as they haunted her, I found my focus on her above everything else—which was dangerous.
Jacob and his Sweepers were growing tired, running on fumes at this point. They spent their days securing the city and scouting nearby and their nights with us hunting down the Reeks. It wouldn’t be long before they, too, couldn’t keep up this pace. We needed more.
My eyes caught Leanna sitting the farthest from the main group next to Petra. I couldn’t help but notice how close the two sat, whispering quietly between themselves. Leanna had always been one to hide secrets, her own father hadn’t even realized how much she knew, but I did. I spotted it the first moment we met, and I could see the scheming and planning running through her eyes now. I just hoped it would somehow help us. She narrowed her eyes into a glare when she spotted my stare.
A light blinked on the portable Linked system, catching my attention, before the holographic image of Simon appeared and the room quieted.
“About time,” Em drawled.
“Do you ever stop nagging?” Simon said, his voice harsh and angry. He had stubble along his jaw line, and his hair was haphazardly thrown back out of his face. He was a mess. “They’ll be tracking this, so I only have a few minutes.”
“Hurry up then.” Jayla crossed her arms as she stood before the table.
“They’re taking them north, outside of Cytos, to a location within the Canvas Mountain Range. We haven’t been able to track where specifically. Almost every genetic kid in the city has been taken, and Grayson has ordered all Carbons to be sequestered in city hall. No one’s allowed in or out.” Simon ran a hand to the back of his neck and glanced behind him. “It’s a goddamn mess here. The Watchers have been sent out hunting anyone known to be connected to us, they’re under Grayson’s control, and she’s given them the order to kill on sight.”
“Shit,” Logan mumbled.
“Gustov and his men have already been taken in. They’re being questioned as we speak, and I’m not certain they’ll all be able to hold out under interrogation.” Simon let the weight of his words sink in. “I suggest you get the hell out of there. Grayson will be coming for you.”
“She can’t. If she or any of her men set foot in Eres, the Council will see it as an act of war against them. They will not let anyone cause harm to our city, Watcher or not,” Jacob said, his eyes fixed on Jayla, who revealed none of the worry I knew coursed through her.
“They’ve already denied our request for help,” Jayla said, and when she caught my eyes, I could see she wanted to tell me before all of this, but we’d had little time alone. “We’re only under their protection for so long, but Grayson won’t attack, not yet. The Reeks are too close, and that virus spreads like wildfire.”
“Jayla, your focus needs to move to those kids.” Simon glanced behind him again and gave a quick nod. “They’re the key to whatever she has planned. And if you want to stop the Reeks, you need to get ahead of her.”
Jayla shook her head and her shoulders dropped. “How? The Canvas Mountain range spreads as far as the Void. We wouldn’t even find them before the Reeks destroy everything. It’s bad here, too, Simon.”
“Then we split up,” I said. Jayla whipped around, giving me a look meant to stop me, but I continued. “We can’t put all our effort in one place, so we separate and send one group to scout the Reeks and another to find the kids.”
“There aren’t enough of us,” Jayla argued.
“Then we get more,” Sienna said from the back of the room. “We’ve been playing by their rules, listening to everyone tell us what we can and can’t do. Screw that. We need an army, so we take one.” The room stirred, and a few of the Sweepers were nodding their heads.
“Who?” Jayla asked.
“The Sweepers, for starters. Anyone willing to join the cause. And the Marked kids. They’ll help, too.” I knew she wasn’t keen on asking the kids already put through so much to fight, but we no longer had a choice. “And then, any citizen that doesn’t want to die at the hand of those monsters. Screw the Council. This is war.” Sienna kept her chin high, even as she leaned on Theo for support. She wasn’t about to back down to anyone, and I couldn’t help but admire that.
Jayla looked to Jacob, waiting for him to shoot this idea down, but he just nodded. “We’re willing to help with or without official orders. I’ve already spoken with Nevia. These are desperate times for all of us.”
“Whatever the plan, just get it done quick. You won’t have much more time, Jayla. Grayson will come, and she’s crazy enough to destroy anything and anyone in her way.” Simon nodded, and without another word he disappeared.
The group began discussing what they would need to do and how many men they had available. After a few moments, when Jacob began counting out how many men they could spare, I pulled Jayla away.
Her eyes fell to the floor, and long, dark hair fell over her shoulders. I didn’t have to ask what was wrong to know the doubt and guilt coursing through her. “There’s nothing you could have said that would have changed the Council’s mind, Jayla. Jacob will do his part to get the Sweepers’ help. But Simon’s right, we can’t risk waiting to find out what they’re using the genetic kids for. If they have something planned to use them against us or the Reeks, we need to stop them before that happens.”
“I know, I just don’t like the idea of splitting up,” Jayla said, her dark brown eyes swimming.
I slid my hand to the back of her neck, pulling her closer and pressing my forehead against hers. “I’m not leaving your side, Jayla, so don’t worry about that. We’ll send only a few out to scout the north. If they find something, we can deal with what to do then.” I brushed a hand against her cheek, and she leaned into it, closing her eyes.
“What if we fail?” she whispered; her hand pressed against my chest. It trembled. “What if I lose one of you?”
It was the first honest question she had asked. The first time she allowed her fears to be vocalized. And as much as I wanted to assure her that wouldn’t happen and we’d all be fine, I couldn’t.
“We’ll always be together Jayla… in this life or the next. You’re mine and I’m yours.”
She opened her eyes, warmth filling them, and longing I was sure my own would reflect. She sighed. “I just—”
A loud siren blared through the entire Palace.
We hardly had time to move before a Sweeper sprinted into our room, eyes wild as they scanned for Jacob amongst the crowd.
“Reeks! They’ve reached Eres.”
JAYLA
It was an out of body experience, running into the city, and I wasn’t even sure how I managed to keep my feet moving. Screams filled the air. The stench of rotting flesh from the Reeks hit us before we reached the city center. The sun was high and the weather warm; it was almost ironic, considering the dark storm we were about to run into.
“Right and I’m not a Watcher.” Caspian tilted his head. “And she’s not a Marked kid. And—”
“Oh, shut up already.” Leanna glared.
Petra quietly observed the exchange. Both of us wisely didn’t ask what either was talking about, although I suspected Petra might know. She and Leanna talked a lot; it was rare to not see them together anymore. Leanna was a quiet woman around anyone but Petra, and I could see she was very observant.
“Prove me wrong,” Caspian challenged. “If you aren’t a spy—”
“I’m not.”
“Then why did you get this?” Caspian held up an envelope with her name on it, written in fancy cursive and no return address.
Leanna snatched the envelope away, confirming it was unopened before she turned her attention back to Caspian. “I have friends in Kuros. There’s no crime in that, is there?”
“No,” Caspian admitted, moving to where I stood and picking up a bow and arrow. “But keeping secrets from your friends here is a dangerous game, Leanna. One I wouldn’t suggest you play.”
I suddenly felt the need to leave, like I was hearing a conversation I shouldn’t be, yet I needed to learn everything I could, even if the look in Leanna’s eyes was warning enough for me not to ask what was in the letter. Leanna sharply looked away as she tucked the letter into her pocket. “You have your business, and I have mine,” she said. “I’d appreciate it if you kept your nose out of it, though.”
“That’s unlikely to happen.” Caspian smirked, drawing the arrow up and aiming for the target.
The arrow flew swiftly from the bow and hit dead center on its mark. Petra gave an approving nod before Caspian turned to me and gave a little wink.
I grunted.
“Theo was looking for you,” Caspian said before picking up another arrow.
Petra had taken me outside before Theo returned from wherever he’d snuck off to before I woke this morning. He’d disappeared a few times since our meeting with the Council of Eres, each time not saying a word to me. I didn’t want to feel suspicious of Theo, but he’d never kept anything from me. This morning he’d snuck out again without leaving a note or anything. It wasn’t like him, but I trusted him.
“He was in the mess hall last I saw him,” Caspian said before launching another arrow.
I nodded, glad for a reason to leave as my leg was beginning to ache from so much standing. I passed my bow to Petra, before making the long trek back to the Palace.
“I’m fine,” I told Theo for the third time. “Just a little thirsty.”
I couldn’t help the slight limp from standing and walking all morning on my bad leg when I finally found Theo in the Palace. Even with the brace, my leg was throbbing and sore.
“Sorry if I’m not so inclined to believe you.” He passed me a glass of water. I’d found him in the hallway on my way to the mess hall, and the minute he saw my limp he forced me back to the MediCenter to rest.
“I’ll be heading out there soon enough. I might as well get used to the pain.” I was sick and tired of being coddled so much. With or without my leg fully healed, I would fight.
“Hardly.” Theo gripped my hand. He squeezed it lightly. “If it were up to me, you wouldn’t be going.”
“Well, it isn’t up to you, or me, for that matter.”
“I can talk to Jayla,” Theo suggested. “She can’t force you to do anything.”
“Not worth the argument. And I know it’s where I’m needed, which is why I haven’t said anything to her about it.” I sighed. “Where were you?”
“Just getting some fresh air.” Theo said.
My brow scrunched. “Some fresh air… all morning?”
Theo shrugged, but I was quick to note how his gaze shifted away. “I went for a run, outside the city.”
“By yourself?” I asked. Again, Theo shrugged. “You shouldn’t do that, Theo. It’s dangerous.”
“I know.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Which is why I went alone. The fewer people, the less noise there is, and the less attention I’d bring to myself.”
“That’s where you’ve been going every time you sneak out of here?”
Theo’s gaze bounced up to meet mine with surprise.
“Yeah, I noticed,” I said, a twinge of hurt twisting in my gut. He hadn’t trusted me to tell me the truth sooner, even though I’d asked where he’d been more than once.
Theo sighed. “I’m just trying to find some way to help. We know what those things are like, we know better than anyone the consequences of not being prepared.”
My heart clenched, worry trying to push through me at the thought of Theo being out there alone when the Reeks arrived. I knew we had to find them, we had to make sure they didn’t reach Eres, but selfishly I wanted anyone but Theo to be the one out there searching. I let out a long breath. “Still, you can’t be putting yourself in danger like that.”
“We need to get ahead of them, Sienna. And if we’re going out there soon, if we’re asking the Marked kids to do the same, then we owe it to them to make sure it’s as safe as we can make it,” he said, placing his hand over mine.
I pulled it away, crossing my arms over my chest. “It’s not safe anywhere, Theo, but especially not out there on your own,” I shouted. “You should have told me where you were going. You could have gotten—”
“This war will hit everywhere soon enough, Sienna, there’s no escaping that. And when that happens, I want to face them knowing I’ve done everything in my power to keep you safe.”
I let out a long breath, leaning my head back into the thick pillow behind me. There was a pain swelling in my chest, a familiar feeling of not being in control, not knowing what to do. I didn’t need Theo to keep me safe. I should be out there helping keep everyone safe—helping find Vic. It was the only thing I ever felt I was meant for, and I was failing, over and over again.
“I can’t lose you.” Theo’s voice was low, and he pushed away a strand of hair.
“You won’t,” I promised, knowing it wasn’t something I could ever control, but not wanting to see him worried. I was mad at him, hurt he didn’t tell me where he was going, yet I understood completely. This is how we’d been trained, forced to fend for ourselves and rarely trust others—it was what the instructors at the DEZ had engrained in us. Despite that, despite being told we needed to learn to survive on our own, Theo, Vic, and I had always relied on each other. But now it felt like that was slipping away. Vic was gone, and Theo was risking his life to protect mine. I just wanted this all to be over.
His black hair spilled over his brow. It’d grown longer since we left the DEZ, and now it nearly covered his mahogany eyes gazing down on me.
“And I’ll make sure of that.” He smiled, leaning in to kiss the top of my head.
We were quiet for a moment, and I couldn’t help the uneasy feeling slowly crawling its way inside of me. “Theo, what aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said quickly. I tilted my head at him. He sighed. “Look, I’m not keeping anything from you that you should be worried about. I’m just trying to help us all—save as many as we can.”
“That isn’t something you need to keep secret from me,” I protested.
“I know you worry—”
“I worry more when I wake up and you’re gone. I worry when I don’t know where you are and when I can tell you’re lying to me… like right now.” I sat up taller in the bed, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Can’t you just trust me? Isn’t the fact that everything I’m doing is to keep you safe and find Vic enough?”
“I do trust you, at least I did. Because up until recently, you’ve never given me a reason not to trust you!”
Theo rubbed a hand to the back of his neck. “I just don’t want you to get hurt in all this.”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt, Theo. I can’t lose you either.”
Theo squeezed his eyes shut. “I know,” he whispered. “Just trust me, please.”
A throat cleared near the door, startling both of us and stopping my interrogation. Tynan stepped into the room, and I could tell from the look on his face he’d heard at least some of our argument. “Sorry, but we have word from the source in Cytos on the Marked kids. Thought you two would want to hear it.”
“Do they know where they are?” I asked.
“Kind of...” From the grim tone in his voice, I knew whatever we were about to learn was not good news.
Theo helped me to my feet, keeping an arm under my shoulder despite my protest. There was tension, something hanging between us, and I could tell Theo wasn’t about to explain, but it was there, and it terrified me. We needed to stay together, we needed to be focused, but all I could think was Theo was lying to me. It terrified me to think he was putting himself in danger to protect me, and he wouldn’t even explain why or how. I couldn’t lose him—I’d already lost Vic. I couldn’t fail again.
CASPIAN
Everyone waited in our joint quarters impatiently for Simon to link in from Cytos. Jayla, Em, and I were near the front along with Logan and Leanna. A few of Jacob’s Sweepers lined the exterior of the small living quarters we were housed in at the Sweepers’ Palace. It was cramped.
Simon had sent Em a message almost an hour ago telling her the information he had was urgent, but finding a secure location to connect with us was proving difficult it would seem.
I scanned the room where I found Sienna and Theo sneaking into the back and taking a seat in one of the colorful, cushioned chairs. Sienna was still healing, but it was Theo I was worried about. I’d seen him leave the Palace a few times in the last three days. I had managed to follow him out of the city this morning, only to lose him after he disappeared over a sand dune. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but I knew both he and Sienna were concerned about finding Vic, just like I was. Either he was trying to be a hero all on his own, or he had some plan he didn’t seem to want to share with the rest of us. Either way, if he wasn’t careful, he’d get himself killed out there.
“How much longer must we wait? Does he think we have nothing better to do?” Em grumbled as she leaned against Logan seated on the floor beside her. The two had become surprisingly cozy, though I guess that all had happened while I was in the Void. It was still weird seeing Em this way, slightly softer than her normally prickly self—around him anyway.
“He’ll show up when he’s good and ready, typical Simon.” Jayla hardly stopped her pacing as she spoke.
I stood a few feet behind her, watching as she moved. Her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and she was thinner than before. She needed rest. She needed to take care of herself if she wanted to stop the Reeks.
The first night I was back I’d woken up in the middle of the night to her thrashing and screaming in her sleep. I’d tried to calm her, wake her, but nothing helped until she finally pulled herself out of whatever nightmare she’d faced. I’d tried to sooth her, but she pushed me away, stalking to the bathroom and splashing her face with cold water, but I saw her hands trembling. She wouldn’t talk about it, wouldn’t admit even to me what all of this had done to her. She was our leader, and to everyone else she looked like one, but I could see her breaking, and it killed me to not be able to do anything to help her. The nightmares had become a regular occurrence.
Our team of mismatched warriors all had their issues, and though the nightmares didn’t seem to haunt me as they haunted her, I found my focus on her above everything else—which was dangerous.
Jacob and his Sweepers were growing tired, running on fumes at this point. They spent their days securing the city and scouting nearby and their nights with us hunting down the Reeks. It wouldn’t be long before they, too, couldn’t keep up this pace. We needed more.
My eyes caught Leanna sitting the farthest from the main group next to Petra. I couldn’t help but notice how close the two sat, whispering quietly between themselves. Leanna had always been one to hide secrets, her own father hadn’t even realized how much she knew, but I did. I spotted it the first moment we met, and I could see the scheming and planning running through her eyes now. I just hoped it would somehow help us. She narrowed her eyes into a glare when she spotted my stare.
A light blinked on the portable Linked system, catching my attention, before the holographic image of Simon appeared and the room quieted.
“About time,” Em drawled.
“Do you ever stop nagging?” Simon said, his voice harsh and angry. He had stubble along his jaw line, and his hair was haphazardly thrown back out of his face. He was a mess. “They’ll be tracking this, so I only have a few minutes.”
“Hurry up then.” Jayla crossed her arms as she stood before the table.
“They’re taking them north, outside of Cytos, to a location within the Canvas Mountain Range. We haven’t been able to track where specifically. Almost every genetic kid in the city has been taken, and Grayson has ordered all Carbons to be sequestered in city hall. No one’s allowed in or out.” Simon ran a hand to the back of his neck and glanced behind him. “It’s a goddamn mess here. The Watchers have been sent out hunting anyone known to be connected to us, they’re under Grayson’s control, and she’s given them the order to kill on sight.”
“Shit,” Logan mumbled.
“Gustov and his men have already been taken in. They’re being questioned as we speak, and I’m not certain they’ll all be able to hold out under interrogation.” Simon let the weight of his words sink in. “I suggest you get the hell out of there. Grayson will be coming for you.”
“She can’t. If she or any of her men set foot in Eres, the Council will see it as an act of war against them. They will not let anyone cause harm to our city, Watcher or not,” Jacob said, his eyes fixed on Jayla, who revealed none of the worry I knew coursed through her.
“They’ve already denied our request for help,” Jayla said, and when she caught my eyes, I could see she wanted to tell me before all of this, but we’d had little time alone. “We’re only under their protection for so long, but Grayson won’t attack, not yet. The Reeks are too close, and that virus spreads like wildfire.”
“Jayla, your focus needs to move to those kids.” Simon glanced behind him again and gave a quick nod. “They’re the key to whatever she has planned. And if you want to stop the Reeks, you need to get ahead of her.”
Jayla shook her head and her shoulders dropped. “How? The Canvas Mountain range spreads as far as the Void. We wouldn’t even find them before the Reeks destroy everything. It’s bad here, too, Simon.”
“Then we split up,” I said. Jayla whipped around, giving me a look meant to stop me, but I continued. “We can’t put all our effort in one place, so we separate and send one group to scout the Reeks and another to find the kids.”
“There aren’t enough of us,” Jayla argued.
“Then we get more,” Sienna said from the back of the room. “We’ve been playing by their rules, listening to everyone tell us what we can and can’t do. Screw that. We need an army, so we take one.” The room stirred, and a few of the Sweepers were nodding their heads.
“Who?” Jayla asked.
“The Sweepers, for starters. Anyone willing to join the cause. And the Marked kids. They’ll help, too.” I knew she wasn’t keen on asking the kids already put through so much to fight, but we no longer had a choice. “And then, any citizen that doesn’t want to die at the hand of those monsters. Screw the Council. This is war.” Sienna kept her chin high, even as she leaned on Theo for support. She wasn’t about to back down to anyone, and I couldn’t help but admire that.
Jayla looked to Jacob, waiting for him to shoot this idea down, but he just nodded. “We’re willing to help with or without official orders. I’ve already spoken with Nevia. These are desperate times for all of us.”
“Whatever the plan, just get it done quick. You won’t have much more time, Jayla. Grayson will come, and she’s crazy enough to destroy anything and anyone in her way.” Simon nodded, and without another word he disappeared.
The group began discussing what they would need to do and how many men they had available. After a few moments, when Jacob began counting out how many men they could spare, I pulled Jayla away.
Her eyes fell to the floor, and long, dark hair fell over her shoulders. I didn’t have to ask what was wrong to know the doubt and guilt coursing through her. “There’s nothing you could have said that would have changed the Council’s mind, Jayla. Jacob will do his part to get the Sweepers’ help. But Simon’s right, we can’t risk waiting to find out what they’re using the genetic kids for. If they have something planned to use them against us or the Reeks, we need to stop them before that happens.”
“I know, I just don’t like the idea of splitting up,” Jayla said, her dark brown eyes swimming.
I slid my hand to the back of her neck, pulling her closer and pressing my forehead against hers. “I’m not leaving your side, Jayla, so don’t worry about that. We’ll send only a few out to scout the north. If they find something, we can deal with what to do then.” I brushed a hand against her cheek, and she leaned into it, closing her eyes.
“What if we fail?” she whispered; her hand pressed against my chest. It trembled. “What if I lose one of you?”
It was the first honest question she had asked. The first time she allowed her fears to be vocalized. And as much as I wanted to assure her that wouldn’t happen and we’d all be fine, I couldn’t.
“We’ll always be together Jayla… in this life or the next. You’re mine and I’m yours.”
She opened her eyes, warmth filling them, and longing I was sure my own would reflect. She sighed. “I just—”
A loud siren blared through the entire Palace.
We hardly had time to move before a Sweeper sprinted into our room, eyes wild as they scanned for Jacob amongst the crowd.
“Reeks! They’ve reached Eres.”
JAYLA
It was an out of body experience, running into the city, and I wasn’t even sure how I managed to keep my feet moving. Screams filled the air. The stench of rotting flesh from the Reeks hit us before we reached the city center. The sun was high and the weather warm; it was almost ironic, considering the dark storm we were about to run into.
