He exhaled, head drooping. When he lifted his face, moisture shone in his eyes, and sweat beaded on his forehead, but his expression was smoother. “No, Clare. I can’t wait for someone else to find the tower. It could be weeks, and every day, more people are dying. Please listen closely, and I know you’ll understand. Sacrifices need to be made.”
“Ezra—”
His eyes bored into hers, unrelenting. “This purpose is greater than you, and it’s greater than me. You can help save countless lives. Wouldn’t you like that? Don’t you want to be a hero?”
She nearly choked on the words. “I want to be alive.”
“I know. I know. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m a gentle person. I’m not here to kill you, I promise.”
Clare opened her mouth then closed it again.
Ezra saw the doubt in her face and lowered his voice to a plaintive whisper. “I need help with the code. If we do this right, both of you can leave the tower unharmed. I’ll even use the sirens to chase the hollows away from the doors. You can be free, just like you want.”
She licked dry lips. “What type of help do you need?”
Peter nodded towards the chamber beside them. “When I realised, last night, that you knew what really happened—” His voice caught, and he took a second to collect himself. “I realised I was out of time. So I worked as hard as I ever had to finish my code. I came up to test it on her. And look; it worked.”
Clare dreaded what she might see, but she had to know. She stepped closer to the glass dividing her from the second chamber.
“Oh.” She swallowed the nauseated moan that wanted to escape.
The hollow was barely recognisable. White bones and red gore mingled in confusing and horrific ways. She had to take a second look to figure out where the creature’s head was.
The hollow looked as though she had been butchered. Except the splits in the skin seemed to have started on the inside. Pus-like liquid seeped out of the holes. Flecks of flesh dotted the floor and walls. Like a million tiny explosions went off inside its body.
“The code works,” Peter said. His lopsided grin grew as he followed Clare’s gaze. “It deactivates the thanites, which in turn, kills the hollows. She went down in just twelve seconds—and she stayed down.”
Clare stepped back from the glass. Bitter bile filled her mouth. Smiling was physically painful, but she made her muscles work. “That’s… amazing. You really did it.”
“Yes. But I’m afraid it’s not ready yet. There’s still too much uncertainty.”
Guessing where the conversation was leading, Clare began to nod. “So now it needs to go to Evandale. We can take it.”
“No.” A sharp note entered his voice. It was harsh enough that Clare flinched back. Ezra’s expression darkened, and even though he lowered his voice, it didn’t lose its edge. “This was my discovery. My code. They won’t get their hands on it.”
He’s possessive. He had his research stolen once; he’s determined to keep the glory this time. “Okay. That—that’s fine.”
Ezra ran his hand over his jaw and turned his eyes towards the ceiling. They glittered in the artificial light. “I know it will work against the hollows. There’s only one uncertainty. Will it be safe for humans?”
His grey eyes flicked down to meet Clare’s. Her stomach dropped. She shook her head, backing away from the glass. “Ezra—no.”
“I’m almost certain you’ll be fine.” He dropped his hand and crept closer. “You’ll have barely any thanites compared to a hollow. And I think I’ve rigged up the destruction to cause minimal damage to a human host. I’m certain it’s safe. Almost. We just need to be sure.”
Clare wanted to scream at him, You thought the thanites would be safe when you activated them, but she forced the words back down. Antagonism wouldn’t save them. She tried to hold onto her composure and keep the gentle cadence in her voice. “Don’t do this to us, Ezra.”
“Someone has to test it.” Now, it was his turn to sound coaxing. He spread his hands. “This is why I was hoping one of the crazies would find me. It crushed me to see how friendly and hopeful you were. But I can’t afford to wait for someone else to stumble on the tower, you understand? If we have any hope of rebuilding our world, we need to eliminate the hollows as quickly as possible. And if that involves some risk—or even some sacrifices—well, it will be worth it.”
Clare’s throat had tightened. It made breathing difficult and thinking even worse. A warm hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up to see Dorran at her side. He was no longer trying to vanish into the background; that meant he thought the war had been lost.
“Look, if I’m right, you’ll be fine.” Ezra spread his arms, a smile twitching across his features. “And I’m sure I’m right. The thanites have been my life for the last year. I know how to handle them. How to destroy them. So, here’s the deal. You get through this test, and I let you leave, unharmed.”
You finished the code in a one-night, energy-drink-fuelled binge. At least take the time to double-check it! Clare opened her mouth, but the words failed her. All she could think of was the dead hollow in the next chamber, its body ripped apart from the inside.
“Trust me,” Ezra said. “I know what I’m doing. Heaven willing, it will work, and you can walk out of here by this time tomorrow.”
She shook her head furiously. Dorran’s hand tightened over her shoulder.
“Well, it’s going to happen whether you want it or not.” The smile twisted into something bitter. “So if one of you wants to volunteer to go first, now’s the time to speak up.”
Chapter Fifty-Five
Dorran stepped forward. “I will.”
Clare grabbed his sleeve and yanked him back. “No!”
“This will be all right.” Dorran turned to face her, his wide shoulders blocking
