“Then how can someone like him, with so much power, be overthrown?” Alina asked.
“When you meet Camden and J’koby, your doubts will go. They’ve been conspiring for centuries. They planned you—and look at what a success you have been.”
Alina looked at the ground. “I’m nothing special. I get nervous when you say that. What does everyone expect from me?”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You are special, Alina. And you’re the best hope Carthem has.”
She wanted a new subject. “Tell me about my mother. How did she die?”
Rex frowned. “I knew you would ask about her. But J’koby wants to explain everything to you about your birth and your mother. It’s his wish, and his place. Plus, he’ll do a better job. I don’t know the whole story. I was only thirteen.”
“What can you tell me, then?”
He laughed. “Not much. I wish I’d paid more attention. Camden tried to teach me things, but it’s hard to care when you’re young.”
“But you know some things about my mother, right?”
“I remember her, yes. She came to our house for rebel meetings, held under the guise of poker nights. We set up the table and held cards and everything. Moved chips around as we discussed top secret things.”
“You participated?”
“Yes, when I was old enough to understand what was going on. On one of these nights, Jade and I decided she’d send you to me if you discovered your mortality too early. You’re lucky I remembered anything we talked about. I had a huge crush on her.” He laughed.
They heard a knock on the door and Alina slid off the bed to answer it. Dr. Scott stood in the hallway in his white scrubs, his spectacles perched on his nose.
“Hello, Doctor,” she said. “Come in. Rex is with me.”
“Oh, good. I tried his room first with no answer. I have some good news. Jade’s symptoms have improved enough for us to operate. The surgery is scheduled for this evening.”
“Can we see her before the operation to wish her well?” Alina asked.
“No. I’m sorry. We can’t risk exposing her to any new viruses you might be carrying.”
“But I don’t—” Alina started, but Rex hushed her with a glance.
“Her recovery should take about a week, then?” asked Rex.
“At least. Longer if there are complications. The healing of the brain is a critical process. Problems can arise without warning.”
Alina and Rex exchanged worried looks.
“Feel free to come down in the morning to ask about her progress. We’ll keep you informed as best we can and let you visit as soon as she’s ready.”
“Thank you,” they answered. Dr. Scott nodded, then left the room.
Alina looked at Rex. “At least things are moving quickly.”
“I’m scared,” he said.
“Me too.”
“The thought that someone you love could die is a scary thing. How do mortals deal with it? I suppose that’s why Sampson’s ideology is so persuasive,” Rex said.
“Yes. In Pria there is no death, but ironically, there isn’t enough love to make it scary.”
“That reminds me of something Camden used to say,” Rex mused. “He said in order for love to exist, there must be death.”
“What did he mean?”
“The possibility of death increases love, and love makes death devastating. They are interdependent. He even went further and claimed that without death, people don’t truly love.”
“But don’t you think some people in Pria love? What about your feelings for Jade?”
“I thought I loved her there, but now that I’m faced with the possibility of losing her to death, I have a better understanding of what love is. But yes, I believe immortals can love. In Pria, loss comes through banishment. I was devastated when Camden was sent away. I suppose he meant that the finality of death makes love more poignant and real.”
They were silent for a moment until Rex spoke again. “I meant to ask you—how did you overcome Sampson in the dungeon? Why were your hands free?”
“Oh! One of the guards, Crome, helped me. Sampson ordered him to tie my wrists. The knot felt tight, but when I moved my hands, it came loose.”
Rex beamed. “Crome, huh? He’s one of the best—Sampson never suspected him. He made a big sacrifice for you. His cover is ruined now, and that’s a big blow to the resistance. But I know he believes getting you into Carthem was worth it.”
“Do you think Sampson knows he helped me?”
Rex pressed his lips together and nodded. “It’s obvious. He was ordered to tie your hands, and they went free. He’s in the dungeons as we speak, I’m sure of it.”
Alina sighed. “I hate to think people are in that awful place because of me.”
Rex touched her arm. “Don’t think of it like that. Think how happy they are that you are in this wonderful place because of them.”
For five agonizing days, Rex and Alina fretted as Jade’s condition fluctuated. One hour she moved her body and tried to speak, the next she lay still and unresponsive. Dr. Scott frowned and shook his head when he examined her, and this put them in a near state of panic. Jade needed her rest, but each time her eyes closed, Alina worried they wouldn’t open again.
She and Rex kept themselves occupied by completing jobs for their room and board. They stripped beds and washed windows throughout the building and cleaned the public bathrooms. Before long, Alina couldn’t decide which was worse—scrubbing the smelly toilets or having Rex as her cleaning partner.
The first time they cleaned the men’s bathroom, Rex held a cloth at arm’s length as he wiped the urinals down. His other hand he kept over his nose.
Alina looked at him and rolled her eyes. “Rex, that’s not working. You have to scrub to get them clean, you know.”
“Ughhh!” he wailed. “This bathroom stuff is the most revolting part of mortality. Men are especially disgusting creatures.”
Rex claimed this dirty, unpleasant work brought on his
