“Nothing happened. We were in the center lift.”
“Yes, but it was stopped next to a sealed floor. The lift didn’t move for almost thirty minutes.”
“This is unbelievable. I would shake my head if I could since this is all utter nonsense.”
“Then what were you doing?”
“Nothing. I wanted to see if I could loop into the sealed floors, that’s all.”
“And? Did you?” His tone changes to one of intrigue.
I’m about to answer, but stop just as the words are forming in my mouth. “You’re not Brink.”
“Why would you say something like that, Maxy?”
“This isn’t real.”
Brink begins caressing my arm, then nudges his legs against mine. “Yes, Max, it is.”
“How did you get in my room if the door is locked? You’re not a Looper, and no one’s abilities work outside of Thrace Tower except for mine.”
He stops.
“You’re the Patrician and I’m waking up now.”
Brink and the paralyzer vanish, but I still can’t move.
Sleep paralysis.
“Frey!” I shout as loud as I can.
I’m finally able to sit up. Sweat drips down my forehead, and my heart races as someone pounds on my door. I fall out of bed and have to crawl over to unlock the door. Frey and Garrett burst in, weapons drawn. Frey sheathes his blade, picks me up in his arms, and we head upstairs. He sits me down on one of the couches, far from the windows. Garrett joins us a few minutes later having checked the entire floor for any intruders.
“Destroy this,” I say, shaking my wristband. “They’re in my head.”
“Who is, Max?” Frey asks.
“The Patrician. They know we’re in Pentras Tower. I thought I could hide it from them, but they know.”
“What happened?” Garrett asks.
“They wanted to know if I’d managed to get into one of the sealed floors.” I bring my hands close to my face. “They want something in this building and have never been able to access it until me. That’s why I was maimed. They did it so I could get them what they’ve been searching for.”
“How do you know?” Frey asks, sitting next to me.
“I just do.”
Garrett sits by my feet. “We can’t deactivate your wristband, Max. We’ll never be able to move in and out of the tower or the Dead Zone.”
Tears run down my cheeks. “I don’t want this. Any of this. Why are the Patrician targeting me and no one else? I could just loop away and never come back. Then where would they be?”
“You’re just tired,” Frey says. “You need to get some sleep. We can talk more about it in the morning.”
My wristband chimes, which is odd. A display appears showing someone on the roof of Pentras Tower. The Nius who was in Addie’s group rushes from the lift.
“You need to come. Hurry,” she says, out of breath.
We follow her towards an exit at the far end of the room that leads to the roof. The night air is chilly, and the wind strong. The four of us have to hold onto the guardrail along the roofline in order to keep from being blown off. The Nius points to the lone figure that is standing at the corner of the roof. We step cautiously over to the person facing us.
“Don’t!” Addie shouts.
We all stop.
“How did you get up here?” Frey asks.
“I don’t know. I was in the lobby, but I fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, I was on the roof.” Her voice trembles, as does her body.
I step closer. Frey grabs at my shirt trying to stop me, but I swat at him. “Addie, hold on. I’m coming,” I say, trying to keep my tone calm.
“They’re going to kill me, Max,” she says, choking on tears.
“Who is?” I ask, moving one more step closer.
“The Dracken.”
I stop.
“I thought they were going to help us. Free us from the Patrician. But it was all lies, Max. Your parents lied to everyone,” she screams. “This should be you standing here, not me.”
“You’re being manipulated, Addie. The Patrician got in your head through your wristband. Don’t believe them.”
“You’re wrong, Max. You’ll see. You’re all wrong.”
“Addie!” I shout as she falls backwards off the roof. I try and loop, but I’m being prevented.
“Go get her,” Garrett screams at me.
“They won’t let me!”
“Who, Max?” Frey asks.
“The Patrician.”
Twenty-Three
Everyone has been instructed to report down to the sixteenth floor of the medical section. The Nius who alerted us about Addie has figured out how to disarm our wristbands. I’m the only one not permitted to do so, as I still have to be able to loop.
I needed to be away from everyone, so I’m sitting at a desk in a classroom on the twentieth floor. I stare out the window as the sun begins to rise. We’ll only be able to hold off the Patrician for so long. Once they figure out the wristbands no longer work, they’ll send the army, and we are greatly outnumbered.
“There you are,” Frey says, walking in. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He takes a seat next to mine, reaches for my hand, but I pull it away. “It’s not your fault.”
“I know,” I respond, but I continue to stare out the window.
“Our wristbands are defunct. We can still use our weapons, but no shields.”
I don’t respond.
“Come on, Max. I need you to snap out of whatever funk you’re in.”
“How were you chosen?” I ask after a long silence.
“What do you mean?”
I turn my attention towards him. “For The Litarian Battles. To be a Dracken.”
“Troy’s father recommended I apply for The Litarian Battles.”
“Why, do you think?”
“Because Troy and I are friends. He wanted both of us to go to Icarian so we could get out of Tarsus. Troy’s father knew the trouble I had at home. He thought The Litarian Battles would be a perfect outlet for me to escape.”
I turn my head back towards the window. “He lied to you.”
The desk legs scrape along the floor as he moves it closer to me. “Who did?”
“Troy’s father.”
“I’m not following you, Max.”
“My parents
