“What does that have to do with me?”
I turn my tired eyes onto his sorrowful face. Frey looks worn out, beaten, and on the brink of exhaustion. I probably look the same, if not worse.
“Where’s your sister?”
“Dead.”
“And who killed her?”
“The Patrician. Max, you know all of this. What’s the matter with you? Why are you acting so strange?”
“Because my friend just jumped off the tallest building in the Dead Zone and I couldn’t save her. Because I’m being manipulated by all sides and it’s making me crack. Because I’m trying to figure out the truth and it starts with Troy’s father.”
I slam my head down onto the desk’s surface. My arms fall to my sides and I close my eyes.
What is in this building that everyone wants, and is willing to destroy cities over? What did my parents know that made them such a threat? Will the right side win when this is all over?
“I need to find Troy and Lok,” I say, raising my head.
“Why Lok?”
“He and Troy went to the academy. They may know something.” I turn to him. “You went too, didn’t you?”
“Only for a few years. My father pulled me out when your parents were killed. He thought their deaths had something to do with whatever the Patrician were teaching us at the academy. I had just turned eight.”
“At what age do you start there?”
“Five, but not everyone gets to go.”
“I know. Van told me.”
“Why do you think Troy and Lok can help you?”
“Because I killed Rem before I asked her any questions.”
A look of shock crosses his face. I rest my head on my arms and stare out the windows again. Frey leaves a few minutes later. A half-hour goes by before I go up to my room and put the suit back on. I belt my sheath around my waist, secure my boots, and go look for Garrett. He’s down in the lobby when I finally locate him.
“I need you to come with me,” I say to him.
“Um, ok. Why?”
“Everyone thinks you’re a Patrician sympathizer. I need the Patrician to believe I’ve aligned myself with you. So, whenever I leave the tower, I need you with me.”
“You really think I’m still with the Patrician? After what they did to Addie?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think, all that matters is what the Patrician think. I need you to go along with me.”
“Why not Frey?”
“They know he’s a Dracken, so my plan won’t work.”
“And, what is your plan?”
“If I tell you, you won’t go along with it.”
“Dammit, Max.” He kicks the couch he’s standing in front of. “When do you want to leave?”
“Now, preferably.”
“Are you going to tell anyone that we’re leaving?”
“No.”
“What if something happens to us? They’ll be stuck in this building forever.”
“At least they’ll be safe.”
I step towards the doors and stop, waiting for him to decide whether he’s coming with me or not. He hesitates, but it doesn’t take him long to join me. I take his hand and loop us out of the building and straight to the plaza where I killed Rem. Her body is no longer there. The minute we land, my wristband goes off with locations of the other players. I minimize the display, ignoring it. I go over to the ledge of the pool and sit down.
“Aren’t we going to get the others?” Garrett asks, standing in front of me.
“Not right now.”
“So,” he begins as he sits next to me, “why are we out here then?”
I reach up to his face and pull him into me. I kiss him hard, deep, and heavy. His hands pull me in closer, then he pulls me into his lap. I wrap my legs around his waist while he searches for the seam between my top and the leggings. He finds it just as the drones begin to hum overhead. I don’t open my eyes as I want them to think I don’t realize they’re there. Garrett lowers me to the stone pavers that cover the plaza, and now I begin to wonder how far I’ll need to take this to convince the Patrician I’m loyal to them so they loop us to where they’re at.
He’s in the process of removing my top when I feel us being pulled into the void. The floor is cold against my exposed skin. The lone light shines above the two of us as we hastily don our clothes. I can tell Garrett is pissed that he was interrupted. I’m both annoyed too, though also relieved. I know I was tricking Garrett, but at the same time I didn’t want it to stop.
“Max,” the female voice echoes around us. “Have you found your loyalties? Will you do what we have tasked you to do?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation.
Garrett steps behind him. He’s so close I can feel his breath. He wraps his arms around my waist and begins nuzzling my neck. “Welcome home, Max,” he whispers in my ear.
My heart stops.
Was I just manipulated? Did he really just turn the tables on me? Was it the Patrician who got to Addie, or was it Garrett?
“Has the task been completed, Garrett?” the female voice asks.
“Yes. You can start the transference at any time.”
I push him off, stepping back so I’m only half in the light. “What did you do?” I yell.
“I’m making everything right. Lok told me how to alter the wristbands. I just showed the Nius girl how to do it.”
He reaches out to me, but I step back further, my head hitting
