“No friends?” Trinee asked.
“Well, maybe one.”
“Who?”
Alina blushed. “A boy was nice to me, but I hardly knew him. I can’t really call him a friend.”
“But you can call him your true love, right?” Trinee teased, linking arms with her.
Alina’s eyes sparkled. “Of course!” she exclaimed, and they burst into laughter.
They spent the afternoon in town, where they ordered milkshakes at the soda shop and flirted with the cute waiter, then scoured the department store for fancy dresses to try on. Trinee showed her the historic district of Stormport, where they window shopped and kept a tally of the boys who stopped to stare at Alina.
“You should talk to some of them,” Trinee prodded. “Let your hair down, like you did with the waiter in the soda shop.”
“I only flirted with him because you did. I couldn’t talk to him on my own—I don’t have anything to say.”
“That’s the lucky thing about being pretty. Boys are interested no matter what you say,” Trinee sighed.
Alina studied Trinee for a moment. She had long eyelashes that almost touched her eyebrows. Her black hair was slightly frizzy, but the way she pulled it back made her look older and sophisticated. Alina noticed the graceful curve of her jaw and how confidently she held her shoulders and neck.
“Trinee, you are beautiful,” Alina raved, her sincerity so convincing that Trinee looked hopeful for a moment, then grinned.
“You don’t have to build me up. I wasn’t fishing for a compliment.”
“I know. But I really mean it.”
“Well, thank you. And you are too—inside, as well as out. I can tell you’re worried about that.” Trinee smiled, her white teeth bright against her ebony skin. “And I am trying to build you up. But I’m being honest too.”
Alina smiled and dropped her eyes so Trinee wouldn’t see her tears.
I have a friend.
She loved Carthem. This broken world gave her everything Pria never could.
The days flew by after Alina found a friend. She spent most of her free time with Trinee, who occasionally invited other friends along. Alina soon felt at ease around them even as they peppered her with questions about Pria. At Baylor’s request she concealed her immortality, as did Trinee, but otherwise spoke freely and found it liberating. The girls were appalled that century-old men dated teen girls and babies were left alone to crawl around mansions while their caretakers went out. They seemed impressed by Alina’s ability to endure such a place.
She and Trinee spent many afternoons downtown, revisiting the same landmarks and stores, including the soda shop where the cute waiter worked. He greeted them the moment they walked through the door, poised behind the counter with a grin on his face. After a few visits, Alina heard more about him than she cared to know. His name was Pierre, he was the star of every sports team in his high school, of which he graduated early through excellent marks. Scores of girls came in regularly to see him, as he made the best Sweet-n-Nutty malt shake in town. But they were silly girls, and he was looking for a serious relationship—someone he could spend the rest of his life with. He leaned against the counter as he bragged, twitching his biceps beneath his rainbow-striped shirt. When Trinee mentioned the customers waiting in line, he didn’t seem to hear but continued to pester Alina for her name. The customers came to her rescue when they started yelling at him. Pierre jumped up to take their orders and the girls made their escape, bursting into laughter as they exited the shop.
Alina loved having friends to laugh with, and felt reluctant when Baylor finalized their travel plans to Jaden. He oversaw their preparations by filling their packs with food, water, sleeping gear, clothes, weapons, and first-aid supplies. Early summer in Carthem meant traveling in the heat, and to alleviate this, Baylor secured the best vehicle in Stormport—one with large tires, four-wheel drive, and air conditioning.
Two days before their planned departure, Baylor informed them that Lance had rearranged his schedule to meet with them at last.
They had expected Lance to call for them earlier—Alina was famous, after all. But whenever Rex pointed this out to Baylor, he shook his head and mentioned Lance’s busy schedule. This time, however, he revealed a little more.
“You may find Lance a bit—” He paused, thinking of the right word. “Eccentric.”
“Why is that?” asked Jade.
“He’s brilliant,” Baylor assured them, “but as Sampson’s top target, he’s paranoid about being assassinated. He doesn’t meet with anyone fresh from Pria for weeks, sometimes months—when he’s sure they’re loyal to Carthem. He’s made an exception for Alina.”
“Took him long enough,” Rex said dryly.
“You can’t blame him for being careful,” Baylor replied. “He’s convinced if he dies, the fight against Sampson will fail. And he’s probably right.”
The next morning, Baylor drove them across town to the tallest building in Stormport. The guard at the front door frowned as he scanned them with the same device they’d seen when they first arrived. It emitted a long beep as it went over Alina.
“Serum runs through her veins,” Baylor explained. “It’s going to beep every time for her.”
The guard looked surprised but nodded to permit their entrance. Their footsteps echoed as they walked into the tall foyer. On a railing above, a worker passed in a white laboratory outfit with a plastic shield over the eyes. Now she understood why the building was so large—it housed Carthem’s laboratories.
Baylor led them into an elevator and tapped a button. The elevator clanged shut and lurched them up seven stories, where they exited into a quiet, empty hallway. They walked to the end of the hall to a shiny metal door with a monitor in the center.
Baylor placed his hand on the
