The Redemption

Praise for T he Ascension Series— “An engaging and captivating YA paranormal story you will want to read nonstop until the very last page […]. Fans of the genre, both young and old, will enjoy this incredible story of the Asterian race.”

—Faridah Nassozi, Readers’ Favorite

About the Author

Two-time Independent Author of the Year Lauren Hudson’s Ascension Series has garnered more than a dozen awards including Mom’s Choice Gold, Readers’ Favorite, and Book Festival wins in Hollywood, New York, Paris, and London.

Lauren is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Neuroscience and Biology as a Singletary Scholar. Her published works, which include books, articles, and columns, address a wide-range of subjects like medicine, fitness, ethics, and business.

Redemption

Lauren Hudson

“The whole book was nail-biting […]. The final few chapters were riveting with a superb twist that I never saw coming.

—Lesley Jones, Readers' Favorite

The Redemption

All the tears have dried. All the words have been spoken. All the feelings have gone numb. After their sister’s betrayal, Desdemona and Felix Anchor are left to pick up the pieces of their broken family.

With their evil mother, Jane, gaining power with each passing moment, time is of the essence if Felix and Desdemona want to save the world as they know it.

They must prove their cause worthy to not only other Asterians, but to the Asterian Council. Discovering how to rebuild their futures, their happiness, and their identities in the wake of Jinx’s deception and Jane’s destruction is a must. As they work to protect humans and Asterians alike, will they salvage their family, or will they fall to Jane’s reign once and for all?

The

Lauren Hudson 2018 Independent Author of the Year

Lauren Hudson

Publisher Page

an imprint of Headline Books, Inc.

Terra Alta, WV

The Redemption

by Lauren Hudson copyright Š2020 Lauren Hudson All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents, except where noted otherwise, are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any other resemblance to actual people, places or events is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Publisher Page.

To order additional copies of this book or for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Publisher Page P.O. Box 52, Terra Alta, WV 26764 Tel: 304-789-3001 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com www.HeadlineBooks.com Publisher Page is an imprint of Headline Books Cover design by Kevin T. Kelly / www.kevintkelly.com ISBN 13: 9781951556167

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020935527

P R I N T E D I N T H E U N I T E D S T AT E S O F A M E R I C A

To my oldest friend, my other half, my roommate, and my sister. Lauren, I couldn’t do any of this without you. I love you always.

1 All the tears have dried. All the words have been spoken. All the feelings have gone numb.

The world seems to be swirling around Desdemona and Felix as they take their first steps into the House after returning from Las Vegas. Somewhere in the corner of her mind, Desdemona hears her own footsteps as she wanders toward the elevator. She gazes up at the hundreds of floors rising above her, but the normal rush of exhilaration doesn’t come. Dragging her suitcase, she hardly cares when it catches on a chip in the wooden floor. With a half-hearted tug, she returns her gaze to the tattered booties on her feet.

The idea of coming back to the House for another year would normally thrill the Anchor family, but not today. Today, the Anchor triplets have been reduced to twins. To Desdemona and Felix, Jinx may as well be dead. She has completely and utterly betrayed everything they built together over the past year.

An emotionless Felix, acting on autopilot, pushes the elevator button to the 111th floor. Over the past few hours spent traveling, Felix and Desdemona have fallen into a thoughtless silence. Neither knows exactly what to say. All they do know is that they can say nothing that will make their situation better. It just isn’t going to get any better.

The elevator arrives and a group of chatty Asterians exit, blind to the plight of misery unfolding in front of them. After Jinx pledged herself to Jane with a blood bond, Desdemona and Felix fled as far and as fast as possible from Las Vegas. Without telling anyone what went on underneath the Treasure Island 5

The Redemption

Hotel, they hopped on the next flight with the hopes of creating a new normal for their small family.

Kade, forever strongest in the group, stayed back in Vegas to attend the ceremony naming the newest Asterian Council member. Whether he told other Asterians about Jinx’s betrayal or not, Desdemona neither knows nor cares. As long as someone doesn’t ask them about what happened with Jinx, she thinks they can make it through the night. Maybe.

Finally, Felix and Desdemona reach their room. Felix, hands shaking, places his palm on the wood and whispers, “Anchor.”

Instead of swinging open as it usually does, the door creeps ajar, mirroring their despondency.

Felix enters the hallway first, glancing at the three doors to his right. Jinx’s, the first door, is open entirely, giving the pair a glimpse of her dark lava lamp. Felix considers going in and turning the lamp on, as if doing this will make the situation seem less real, allowing himself to imagine for a moment that Jinx could return and tell them it was just one of her mean-spirited, cruel-hearted jokes.

But before he can move, Desdemona takes one big step in front of him and grabs the doorknob, squeezing it tightly. She pulls back on the door, slamming it shut with all the might in her petite body. She storms into her room, her hand resting on the doorknob as she debates whether to close it. She leaves it open.

Felix, taking this as a sign that she wants some company, props his suitcase up on the wall and follows her.

Desdemona sits on the edge of her bed, hands lying limp in her lap and feet flat on the floor. Felix gingerly sits down next to her and lets out a deep breath. The old-fashioned, furry quilt feels rough under his fingertips, and the purple walls seem less inviting than before they left.

“What do we do now?” Desdemona asks in a whisper so soft Felix almost can’t hear her. Even if he hadn’t been able to understand her, he doesn’t need to. She’s verbalizing the question they’ve both been struggling with internally all day.

“What do we do?” Desdemona asks again, this time with a little more desperation. “I can’t just sit here and go to class and 6

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talk to everyone like nothing happened. And I definitely can’t answer any questions about her ….”

Felix opens his mouth to console Desdemona, but no words come out. For the first time in his life, he has no advice to give.

Instead, he allows his eyes to wander around the room in a desperate attempt to find something, anything, that will fix this.

His gaze finally settles on her wooden desk, which sits to the right of the bed. Felix isn’t sure he’s ever seen Desdemona doing work at that desk, but she does love to display her knick-knacks on it. Miniature potted plants, jewelry trays, and pictures of family and friends cover nearly every square inch of the desk. A sequin-studded frame with a photo of five-year-old Desdemona, with blonde hair down to her waist and a smile so big it must’ve hurt her cheeks, sits just in front of her baby blue bicycle clock.

Stacy holds onto her shoulders from behind in a moment of pure bliss. Unlike Desdemona, Stacy has her eyes fixed away from the camera and toward the little girl below her.

For a moment, Felix can’t help but smile at the sweet love and devotion evident between the mother-daughter duo, but his smile fades as he remembers how Asterian law prohibits them from seeing their “parents” during training. Once Desdemona, Jinx, and Felix found out they were Asterians, they promised to leave Stacy, Hilga, and Marcus for the duration of their education at the House. It almost broke Desdemona’s heart to leave Stacy that day, and Felix can only imagine how she must miss her.

Especially now.

“Hey …,” Felix voices, an idea popping into his head. “You know, only three other people in the world know exactly what we’re going through.”

Desdemona shoots Felix a weird look, obviously not catching onto his train of thought. Felix gestures to the photo sitting on her desk, and Desdemona turns to look at it.

“Think about it,” Felix explains. He gets up to reach for the photo, the fake diamonds rough under the palm of his hand.

“Jane betrayed Stacy and Marcus all those years ago. Stacy and Marcus loved Jane like we loved …,” Felix pauses, not wanting to say her name.

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Reaching for the photo in his hand, Desdemona nods. Her eyes linger on the photo too long, and Felix notices a pale tear drift down her rosy cheek. “Yeah, but we can’t see them. It’s against the rules, Felix.”

Although he is usually a stickler for rules, Felix can’t think of a better time than right now to break them. Moving to sit back next to Desdemona, Felix argues. “Mona, the Asterian Council makes rules for the Asterian world, for the normal Asterian world. When have we ever been normal Asterians?”

Just when she thought she had cried all she could, Desdemona surprises herself again as more tears begin to flow. “Just because we’re Jane’s kids doesn’t make us an exception to the rule.”

“Actually … I think it does,” Felix says, shocking even himself. Despite spending the past year trying to fit in as typical Asterians, Felix knows they’re going to have to stop lying to themselves eventually. “What normal Asterian has a mother who tries to kill them with every encounter? What normal Asterian has traveled to Santa Fe and Las Vegas to fight said mother and protect the Asterian race?” Felix pauses, weighing his next words. “What normal Asterian has their sister betray them in the midst of a competition founded on family unity?”

By now, Desdemona isn’t trying to stop the tears. Even Felix finds his cheeks wet without intention. “I want to see Stacy … ,” Desdemona voice cracks slightly.

Felix nods, agreeing. “Then let’s do it now.”

“Shouldn’t we ask Mr. Belton before we go? He’ll probably say yes if we just ask.”

“No,” Felix insists. “Asking would mean we have to explain the situation to him, and neither of us wants to do that.” He stands up from the bed, and Desdemona, wiping the tears from her face, follows.

“And let’s admit it,” Desdemona lowers her voice to a whisper as they exit the room again, obviously avoiding even so much as a glance at Jinx’s closed door. “Mr. Belton is more of a basket case than a headmaster anyway. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

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Felix raises his hand for a half-hearted high-five and lets out what almost resembles a laugh. “Finally, someone said it. I’ve been thinking that since we met him!”

They ride the elevator back down to the ground floor and step out onto the wooden planks of the lobby.

“Maybe I didn’t think this through,” Felix squints his eyes and looks around the large, round lobby area. “How are we supposed to get out of here? Students aren’t supposed to leave without permission or an escort.”

“We can’t leave if we haven’t come back yet,” Desdemona notes bluntly. When Felix raises his eyebrows at her, Desdemona explains. “We weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow morning. No one even really knows we’re here.”

“So … we just walk out then?” Felix looks around nervously, searching for an Asterian who may be spying on their escape.

Desdemona nods and strides toward the door. “Yep. We walk out and pretend to be normal humans. I mean, we did it for fifteen years before this, didn’t we?”

With a shrug, Felix follows his sister out of the House. As she begins to search for a bus route schedule to read or a taxi to hail, her shoulders dip slightly, an indication of fatigue setting in. After Jinx sided with Jane, Desdemona became the most explosive of them all. She seemed to feel every negative emotion possible all at once: rage, desperation, grief, despair, and betrayal. She cried the entire way back to the hotel, shamelessly sobbing all over the tattered taxi seat cover.

The tears didn’t stop while they packed to leave their Las Vegas hotel room. Felix knew he had to be strong for her.

Desdemona dreamt of having a sister her entire childhood, and Jinx had finally begun to warm up to the idea of being a triplet.

After what felt like forever, they had finally become a family.

That’s what really crushed her …. Felix thinks to himself as he watches Desdemona read a bus route posted on the street corner. Thinking back, Felix remembers the expression of pure joy on Desdemona’s face when Jinx agreed to let Desdemona make her up before her date with Kade. Or the look of triumph when Desdemona retrieved the second replica and Jinx praised 9

The Redemption

her “handy work.” Or how Desdemona felt genuinely happy for her sister when Kade came to meet Jinx under Treasure Island.

Just when Desdemona finally got a sister, Jane stole her.

“Okay, so we’re out of the House, but now we have another problem,” Desdemona states, hands on her hips. “How are we supposed to get back home?”

Felix takes a step closer to the bus map and studies it closely.

Although busses travel all around the city of Boston, their routes end within the city. There’s no way they can possibly travel from this part of Boston all the way back to their childhood homes in New Haven, Connecticut by bus.

Felix’s eyes wander aimlessly around the city street until they land on a large, blue metal box. A corded phone—old and rusty, but otherwise functional—connects to the box. Before he can fully consider his actions, Felix rummages through his pocket and scrounges up enough change to make a call. He grabs the phone and dials the only number he knows by heart.

“Hello?” A deep, bellowing tone echoes through the phone and Felix finds himself instantly calmed by his father’s voice.

“Dad, it’s me,” Felix announces, urgency seeping from his words.

“Felix?” Marcus’s tone becomes rigid. “You’re not supposed to call here. I’m going to hang up.”

“WAIT!” Felix nearly screams into the phone. Felix, hearing his father sigh on the other end of the line, knows that he has his attention for at least the next few moments. “This is important.”

“You’ve got two minutes,” Marcus tells Felix in a stern tone.

Where to start? Felix wonders to himself as he takes a deep, settling breath. How does he go about telling his father that their family has been ripped apart just like his was?

“It’s Jinx …,” Felix pauses. “She’s gone with Jane… and we need your advice.”

If Marcus is at all rattled by his son’s words, he doesn’t show it. His tone is unfailingly steady and stern. “Isn’t there someone at the House who can help you with this? You’ve got a thousand other Asterians and Mr. Belton there for you.”

“Okay, you and I both know Mr. Belton is of no help in any situation,” Felix lets out a half-hearted chuckle. “But you and 10

Lauren Hudson

Stacy are the only ones who know what this kind of … this … betrayal feels like.”

“Do you know the consequences for unauthorized interactions with old family members before you leave the House? You’ll have a trial in front of a board of elders chosen by the Council.”

Marcus reminds him.

“First, that’s a stupid, ancient rule,” Felix states. “Second, I dare someone on the Council to tell me and Mona that we don’t deserve some advice and solace in this situation.”

“Just because you’re Jane Anchor’s kids doesn’t make you an exception to the Asterian law.”

Felix shakes his head, hardly believing that his father has chosen now to lecture him about the rules. “But having a sister who has joined the person trying to kill us just might.” When Marcus doesn’t respond, Felix lets out a frustrated breath and glances at Desdemona, who is still studying the map with the utmost concentration. He lowers his voice to a whisper. “Listen, Dad, don’t do it for me. Do it for Mona. She lost her only sister yesterday.”

Marcus pauses, and Felix knows he’s won. “I’m going to call Stacy. We’ll be there as soon as we can. For now, just try to blend in.” Felix nods, as if his father can see him. “Oh, and Felix, try to stay as far away from the House as possible.”

Felix thanks Marcus and hangs up the phone, banging it on the rusty metal. “Let’s go,” Felix announces to Desdemona, immediately starting in the direction away from the House.

“Where are you going?” Desdemona shouts after him, rushing to match his brisk pace.

Felix shrugs. “Anywhere. Away from here.”

Desdemona notes Felix’s short tone and falls silent for a few moments. Above her head, she can hear birds chirping in the crisp fall air as the wind whips around the city block. A couple of bikers pass on the road to their left, ringing their bells as they approach. For a moment, Desdemona remembers the silent, simple life at home in New Haven. With its streetlamps and old shops, Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, like New Haven, almost feels like something out of a storybook.

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As they pass a row of federalist-style homes, Desdemona can’t help but wish she had the opportunity to explore the city a little more. Mr. Belton and the Council keep the House a secret from the outside by restricting access. In fact, she’s left the House walls only twice since their arrival - once to find Jane at Truchas Peak and again to travel to Las Vegas for the Asterian Council competition. Well, and right now too, but this trip - unlike their past adventures - is unauthorized.

A flash of pink out of the corner of Desdemona’s eye catches her attention, making her pause and face a quaint cottage tucked in between two vintage antique stores. With its faded baby pink wood and flickering blue light hanging above its door, sounds of classical music drift from the cottage. A sign adorns the slightly crooked door that reads “Hansel and Gretel’s Coffee House Open” in purple cursive lettering.

“Think they’re going to try to cook us into a scone if we go in?” Desdemona jokes.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Felix plays along, moving to the door. He grabs the rusted handle and pulls the door open, its hinges groaning the whole way. Instantly, a mixed aroma of chocolate and coffee grounds fills their senses, making Desdemona sigh in pleasure.

In contrast to the rundown exterior, on the inside, plush chairs and tasseled pillows of every color have been placed perfectly around stained-glass tables. Coffee cups of all shapes and sizes line the wall behind a cobblestone counter. A plump woman whose head barely reaches past the top of the stone stands behind the counter.

Desdemona’s power Embellishment to see into the past enables her to identify the word “AGREEABLE,” marked in big black letters, across the woman’s wrinkly forehead. This woman, whatever her past may be, tends to be more amiable and flexible than most.

Feeling strangely relaxed, Desdemona approaches the counter and asks, “Excuse me, Ma’am, what kind of coffee do you serve?”

The woman’s face disappears under the counter, emerging a few seconds later with two menus printed on bright yellow 12

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construction paper. She hands one to each Desdemona and Felix with a smile. As Felix looks over the menu’s assortment of hot chocolate, lattes, and cappuccinos, he realizes something important they forgot to grab before leaving the house.

“Mona, do you happen to have any cash?” Felix whispers.

Desdemona scrunches her nose, thinking, before reaching down to her shoes. She rummages around in her bootie for a minute before pulling out a bag filled with various bills.

Felix chuckles. “Why do you keep it in there?”

“Um, have you seen the size of girls’ pants pockets? They’re ridiculously small,” Desdemona responds as she pulls out the bills and begins to count. “$24. We have $24 to last us until Marcus gets here.”

Felix surveys the menu once more, this time paying closer attention to the prices, before settling on the cheapest option: black coffee.

“Have you two decided what you’d like to order?” The woman asks from behind the counter. Just as her words register in Desdemona’s head, a familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach returns. Their training with Kade helped the Anchors control their powers to the best of their ability, but it doesn’t stop visions from coming on at the spur of the moment.

It’s an unspoken rule between them that if you can safely accept a vision, never reject it. If their Creator thinks this is a vision Desdemona needs to see right now, it must be important.

“Get me a hot chocolate,” Desdemona tells Felix, shoving the money into his hand and wandering over to one of the fluffy chairs. Desdemona rubs the tassels of one of the pillows between her thumb and pointed finger, her sense of touch allowing the vision to flood into her mind.

Familiar wooden planks line the walls as Desdemona toys with the crooked nails sticking out of the floorboards. Her fingernails, unusually short and stubby, click on the metal as she and two other boys huddle around a game of monopoly. With his neatly kept dark hair, she easily recognizes one of the boys as a younger version of Marcus. Desdemona, noticing her 1970s 13

The Redemption

style sweater and mom jeans, knows that she can be embodying only one person: Stacy.

“Hey, where did all that money come from?” Marcus accuses the other boy, pointing his finger at the stack of monopoly money now stacked neatly by the boy’s leg.

“What’da’ya mean?” The boy snickers playfully. “I own the boardwalk and two railroads!”

Desdemona hears herself sigh and feels giddiness running up her spine as she hears him laugh. “Chase, we already told you! No using your powers to win monopoly, okay?”

Chase continues to chuckle, and he places the money back into the “bank,” knowing his plan has been foiled. As he does so, Desdemona takes a few more looks around the room and notices an ugly orange couch, one she has seen before and one she will never forget. This is the exact recreation room in the House where the Anchors went during the Hunt, the House’s annual event to encourage power development through friendly competition. Desdemona smiles as she pictures the golden plaque in the House with their name on it, commemorating their triumphant win last year.

Suddenly, Desdemona’s attention turns back to the moment as she hears a quick rap on the wooden door. The door opens slightly and a head pokes through that Desdemona doesn’t recognize.

“Marcus and Stacy, Mr. Belton says he wants to talk to you for a minute,” the boy says. Marcus rises to his feet in response, but Desdemona finds herself wanting to stay here with Chase for a little longer.

“We’re in the middle of Monopoly. Can it wait?” Desdemona asks, hoping the boy agrees and leaves them in peace.

“No, actually, it can’t,” the boy retorts. “When your headmaster says that he wants to speak to you, you speak with him.”

When they finally arrive outside of Mr. Belton’s office, Desdemona knocks lightly on the mahogany door. “Mr. Belton, it’s Stacy and Marcus.”

“Come in, come in, come in!” Mr. Belton yells from inside his office. Desdemona turns the doorknob and enters Mr. Belton’s 14

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office, which looks almost identical to how it looks today, with one glaring exception. In the rear left corner of the office, a large stain glass window allows in a few colored beams of sunlight.

Right below the window, a large, plush pillow houses a sleeping dog with light gold fur like sand. It lifts its head from slumber, making Desdemona realize she has it all wrong. With its deep brown eyes and paws as big as her head, the animal is not a dog at all, but a lioness.

“Please take a seat,” Mr. Belton suggests, tearing Desdemona’s attention away from the wild animal in the corner. He extends his hand to Desdemona as a greeting and Desdemona shakes it promptly. Mr. Belton, unlike his office, looks nothing like his current day self. His full head of thick, black hair and flawless, tan skin tells Desdemona that he wasn’t always the wrinkled, kooky old man he is today. Even more so, he entirely lacks his current aura of wackiness. His steady gaze and unwavering handshake project an image of a put-together leader, someone who can take care of and control his students.

The strangest thing of all, however, is that Desdemona notices a feeling of utmost respect for the man. Instead of feeling like she should just brush his crazy advice right off her shoulder, she readies herself to listen and think about what he has to say.

And it’s a good thing she does because what he says isn’t at all what she was expecting.

“It’s Jane …,” Mr. Belton whispers, suddenly very serious.

“What?” Marcus asks. “Have you seen her recently? We haven’t been able to find her since last night.”

“She didn’t come back to the room after her last class,” Desdemona adds with worry infiltrating her tone. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices the lion rise and begin to pace around the office. Her eyes follow it, aware of every movement.

“I know, and I don’t expect her to be coming back for some time now,” Mr. Belton adds.

“Do you know what happened to her?” Marcus asks, obviously just as distressed as Desdemona. As he says this, the lion begins to growl from within the back of its throat.

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Mr. Belton turns his attention to the golden beast and holds his hand up. “Dr. Ricci, this is not their fault.” The lion’s growling ceases, but the pacing continues.

Marcus shares an alarmed glance with Desdemona, apparently just as confused as she is. “What’s going on, Mr. Belton?” Desdemona asks as she gulps down the lump in her throat.

“Last night around 3:00 a.m. Jane tried to leave the House.

She thought everyone was asleep, but she forgot that we always have a professor on duty. Last night, Dr. Ricci was monitoring the door.” Mr. Belton stops, glancing back at the lion. Its large shoulder muscles flex as it maneuvers around Mr. Belton’s desk.

“Because we ask our professors to be prepared for an intrusion on the night shifts, Dr. Ricci assumed her most dangerous form: a lion.” It takes Desdemona a moment to realize Dr. Ricci’s gift must be transforming into different animals … or maybe just a lion? She’s not entirely sure. “When Jane tried to leave, Dr. Ricci tried to stop her calmly, but Jane took her lion form as a threat and … she touched her.”

Desdemona finds her mind reeling a million miles per hour, finally realizing what she is experiencing. Jane, in her first act as a traitor, stole the powers from a House professor and fled.

Desdemona gasps and notices a familiar feeling of betrayal creep into the pit of her stomach.

“Is she stuck like this?” Marcus whispers with a head nod to Dr. Ricci, who now growls at full force. She shakes her massive, golden head in a nod.

Yes, she is stuck, and it is all Jane’s fault.

Desdemona sucks a big breath of air as she re-enters the present. Felix, now sitting across from her with two mugs, passes a cup with piping hot chocolate across the table to her.

“Are you okay?” Felix asks after seeing Desdemona’s shocked expression. Desdemona shakes her head, trying to fully make sense of what she just saw. She fills Felix in on her vision as the warm hot chocolate eases her flustered mind.

“So that was it? She just left after that?” Felix asks when Desdemona finishes.

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Desdemona nods. “I guess so. But I still don’t understand why she felt it necessary to take Dr. Ricci’s powers. Couldn’t Jane have found another way around her?

“Mona, this is Jane we’re talking about,” Felix reminds her.

“She only cares about power. She’ll take whatever she wants whenever she wants it.”

Desdemona pauses for a moment, recalling Stacy’s view of Mr. Belton’s office and comparing it to what she knows from her past visits to his office. “But what happened to Dr. Ricci? We’ve never seen a lion in Mr. Belton’s office before. Or in the House at all, for that matter.”

Felix shrugs. He doesn’t know more than she does. In fact, they may never know what happened to Dr. Ricci after she became stuck in lioness form. Suddenly, Felix hears shuffling from the back of the restaurant and turns to find the shopkeeper making her way over to where the Anchors sit.

Realizing Desdemona recalled her vision with a very loud voice in a very silent coffee shop, Felix knows the woman heard something she wasn’t supposed to hear. Felix, his eyes darting from left to right, begins looking for a quick way out of the restaurant.

We need to get out of here. She knows too much, Felix thinks to his sister. Desdemona, who has entirely forgotten about the woman since her vision, stands up abruptly and makes a move to the door just as the woman reaches them. Hoping Felix will follow her lead, Desdemona feels a clammy hand on her shoulder.

“No need to rush out so quickly, sweetie. I am like you,” the woman’s voice comes out shaky, but whimsical. Hesitating still, Desdemona turns on her heel and looks quizzically down at the short woman.

“This coffee shop serves as one of a dozen or so safe houses designed for Asterians around the country. I am only called to open it once in a blue moon when a Council member says I should. Apparently, something about you two made a Council member think you needed a smidgen of help.”

“A smidgen is an understatement,” Desdemona tells the woman, with a heavy heart.

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“So does the shop just sit here closed for the rest of the time?” Felix asks, confused about the whole concept.

“Not quite. To humans, the shop looks like a deserted bed and breakfast. It’s enchanted to make people stay away from it.

But when an Asterian in need passes by, it’s enchanted to lure ‘em in and give ‘em a much-needed break.”

Desdemona turns to Felix in realization. “Mr. Belton may not know we left, but someone on the Council sure does. And they probably even know we called Marcus.”

The woman nods. “Oh, they know for sure. Their messenger mentioned it when he told me all about the three ….” The woman pauses. “Well - two - of you.”

Desdemona inwardly groans and outwardly sighs. “Great, just what we need - twelve cranky Asterian Council members breathing down our necks and watching our every move.”

Something about the way Desdemona phrased that sentence reminds Felix of something Jinx would say. He feels a pang in his stomach, almost like someone punched him in the gut. He allows himself to wallow for a moment before suppressing it because he knows that now isn’t the time to mope. He turns his thoughts back to the Asterian Council and wonders aloud, “They’re probably angry.”

The woman shakes her plump head, swinging her low grey ponytail across her neck. “They aren’t as heartless as you two make them seem. They just want happiness for the Asterian world. And even though they don’t usually condone breaking the rules … your situation is really something unique.”

Comforted by the fact that they probably won’t be getting into any trouble from the Asterian Council, Desdemona turns her thoughts to something she’s been wondering about since they returned. Right after meeting Jane in the pirate ship, they left on the next flight back home and didn’t even stay for the award ceremony.

They left Jason and Hazel behind. Kade may have left his sister Hazel to find Jinx, but in the competition for the Council spot, Hazel might have still been competing and she would have given Jason a run for his money.

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“I’m not sure if you know the answer to this, but …,” Desdemona let her voice trail off, not sure she wants to hear the answer to her own question. If Hazel won, that means Jason has returned to his own Asterian training facility. Considering Desdemona has no idea where that is, she might never see him again.

But if Jason won, he could be watching her every move.

“Who won the last spot on the Asterian Council?” She finally managed.

The woman’s face lights up. “Oh! It was that boy. Golly, what’s his name? The one with blonde hair. Oh, he is just so handsome!”

That was all Desdemona needs to answer her question. Jason took the last seat on the Council and no doubt knows everything, including this conversation. Desdemona takes a huge gulp of her hot chocolate, feeling it sit like a ball in her throat.

That’s a good thing, right? Felix thinks to Desdemona. We’ve got a friend on the Council who can help us.

Yeah. Friend, Desdemona thinks back in sarcasm. After the strangely enjoyable kiss they shared under Caesar’s Palace, they became much more than friends. But he’s now one of the twelve most influential Asterians in their world, which means they definitely aren’t a couple.

We’re in limbo, Desdemona notes factually. And I don’t expect that to be changing anytime soon.

The woman suddenly looks down at the floor with squinted eyes, appearing deep in thought. Desdemona looks at Felix with raised eyebrows as Felix shakes his head. He’s stopped trying to guess why Asterians act the way they do.

In a few moments, she emerges from her silence. “Oh, you two, I’ve just been told that your ride is out front.”

Although neither understands how or why she knows this information, Desdemona and Felix decide not to question it.

They thank her time and again for providing them the protection they needed.

19

The Redemption

“Be safe, you two,” the shopkeeper wishes them well as she leads them out the front door. “You may be our only hope for a peaceful existence.”

Without offering anything more, she shuts the door to Hansel and Gretel’s Coffee Shop, leaving Desdemona and Felix to greet their adoptive parents for the first time in nearly a year.

20

2 A grey minivan sits on the street in front of the coffee shop, idling. A sticker announces the owner to be a “Proud Honor Roll Parent.” The message catches Desdemona’s eye and her lower lip begins to quiver. As they move closer to the vehicle, she sees the familiar scratch from when seven-year-old Desdemona rode her razor scooter right into the rear bumper.

The moment she looks in the front seat and makes eye contact with Stacy, she knows she can’t hold it in anymore. She breaks into a full sprint, tears streaming, toward the car. Both Stacy and Marcus get out of the van, opening their arms wide to receive their children.

Desdemona reaches Stacy first and dives into the hug, squeezing her as hard as she can. The familiar scent of Stacy’s vanilla perfume and peachy shampoo only makes matters worse as Desdemona realizes just how much she has missed being at home.

Beside them, Felix and Marcus share a more subdued, heartfelt reunion. Marcus pulls his son in for a tight hug, remembering how he used to do this same thing when Felix came home from school.

“Let’s get you two in the car before someone finds you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already sent someone to look for you,” Stacy notes as she wipes her tear-stained cheeks.

“We’re probably in luck this time,” Desdemona responds. “I don’t think anyone at the House knows we’re gone. They’re all probably still too concerned with the outcome of the competition in Vegas.”

21

The Redemption

Marcus swings open the backseat door before climbing in on the passenger side. Desdemona and Felix fill up the back as Stacy puts the car into drive. Desdemona feels the soft cloth under her fingertips and notices a prominent brown stain on the floorboard from where she dropped her Starbucks latte a couple of years back. It’s easy to laugh now about how upset she had been about wasted coffee.

Oh, how much easier those days were, Felix hears her think as she stares at the stain. It was just so much simpler.

But we didn’t have each other back then, Felix notes, trying to keep up morale even as he finds himself agreeing with her completely. Desdemona gives Felix a genuine smile, but she can’t help the twinge in the pit of her stomach. They didn’t have Jinx back then, and they don’t have her now either.

The air in the car remains eerily silent. Marcus and Stacy understand some of what Desdemona and Felix have been through. They tread carefully, not wanting to unnecessarily stir painful feelings.

“So, where are we headed, you two?” Stacy interrupts their silence with her slightly dulled soccer mom enthusiasm. Even in the darkest of times, Desdemona knows she can count on Stacy to be the most optimistic person in the room.

“Anywhere,” Felix shrugs. “Just somewhere we can talk, I guess.”

“How far is the drive to home?” Desdemona asks, realizing she hasn’t made the drive home to New Haven since their arrival at the House.

“Two and a half hours, tops,” Marcus tells Desdemona, trying to match Stacy’s lighthearted tone.

Felix feels the corners of his mouth turn up as he imagines walking into his old room, sleeping in his own bed, lounging around in his favorite chair in the living room. To go back, even if just for a few hours, would be a much-needed escape from their messy Asterian world.

“Let’s go home,” Felix blurts out before he can stop himself.

If seeing his dad is against the rules, home visits are out. But what does that matter? Felix just can’t bring himself to care about stupid rules. Not now.

22

Lauren Hudson

Marcus shakes his head. “Felix, I understand that you want to go home, but I’m not sure-.”

“I am sure,” Felix says assuredly. “Let’s go home.”

Stacy smiles from the front seat and merges onto I-95 South, the scenic route to New Haven. “Home it is then.”

Desdemona realizes she has another couple of hours in a car and her mind races to how she plans to tell her grandmother, Hilga, the heartbreaking news about Jinx. Exhausted after the day’s events, sleep will be her escape, at least for a little while.

Desdemona feels a light tap on the shoulder after a restless few minutes of sleep. At first, she brushes it off and simply rolls over to lean her head against the car window. Only seconds later, she feels a slightly stronger tap.

“Mona, we’re here,” Felix whispers, shaking her shoulder now. Confused, Desdemona blinks her eyes open and instantly recognizes the front of her old house with its stark white porch, ornate swing, and the seasonal wreath on the front door. She once again feels herself start to well up at the sight. Somewhere between elated and despondent, she swings open the backseat door and gets out with Felix close behind her.

“I never quite realized how much I missed it until now,” Desdemona tells Felix.

Felix nods. “Maybe that’s the point of the whole ’no seeing your family until after you’ve left the House’ thing. It immerses you into the Asterian World and helps you forget how much you miss home.”

Marcus, not able to avoid overhearing their conversation, jumps in. “That would make sense, but not quite. It’s called the Isolation Rule, and the Asterian Council created it nearly 300 years ago to help assure young Asterians could fully develop their powers without outside influences from their family.”

“Where did you learn that?” Felix asks as Stacy punches in the garage code and grants them access to the house.

“Apparently you didn’t pay close enough attention in your Asterian Ethics class,” Marcus playfully teases Felix and Desdemona with a wink. Felix laughs, but just before he can respond, the familiar sound of squeaking breaks fills the air.

23

The Redemption

All four turn around to look down the driveway, where they see a beat-up teal station wagon that could only belong to one person - Hilga.

Oh no… Desdemona thinks to Felix. How are we going to tell her?

Felix shakes his head. We’ll find a way. We have to.

Hilga exits her car slowly, as if thinking about every move before she makes it. She reaches in the backseat to grab her patchwork satchel before shuffling up to meet the group.

“Let’s go inside,” Hilga somberly suggests when she reaches them. Her tone, grim and stern, makes it hard for Desdemona to discern whether Hilga knows more than she has let on.

Obviously, she knows something, Felix thinks to Desdemona.

Jinx isn’t here with us and that alone is suspicious.

The five Anchors make their way into the house with Desdemona trailing the pack. When Desdemona finally passes into the foyer, she breathes deeply, letting the familiar aroma of Stacy’s favorite lavender candle fill her senses.

“I already know,” Hilga announces when they close the front door behind them.

Felix gulps back a lump in his throat and responds, “How much do you know?”

“Not everything,” Hilga shakes her head, unable to hide her melancholy eyes. “But enough.”

“We didn’t ask a single question on the way here because we wanted to let you two rest, but now you have to give us some answers,” Stacy presses. “Where is Jinx?”

Desdemona and Felix share a tense look, neither wanting to be the bearer of unbearable news. Finally, Felix steps up. “With Jane.”

“What?” Stacy’s voice, shaky and shrill, goes up two octaves.

“Shouldn’t we be getting Asterians to help rescue her?”

“It’s not like that, Mom,” Desdemona feels her lower lip begin to quiver as she recalls the unforgettable moment when Jinx pledged herself to Jane.

“Then what is it?” Stacy begins desperately but stops once she sees the look on Desdemona and Felix’s faces. “Oh.” She doesn’t need to hear their answer. She already knows.

24

Lauren Hudson

Silence hangs in the air, making seconds feel like minutes.

Stacy avoids eye contact, hardly able to keep herself together as Marcus shakes his head knowingly.

“We came to you because you’re the only people who understand what this feels like,” Felix tells Marcus, Stacy, and Hilga.

Hilga runs her hand through her hair and sighs. “I always noticed too many similarities between Jinx and Jane. Her hair, her eyes, the way she walked, the way she talked …. Everything about her was Jane. I did everything I could to raise them differently, to try to keep Jinx from going down the same, dark path ….” Hilga’s voice hitches in the back of her throat and Marcus moves closer to her.

“Mom, you can’t blame yourself,” Marcus puts his hand on her shoulder and offers a reassuring pat. “It’s not anyone’s fault but Jane’s.”

Hilga lets out a shaky breath. “I know, but if I could have done anything else, I would have done it in a heartbeat.”

“There wasn’t,” Desdemona assures her grandmother, unable to keep the venom out of her voice. “She did this all on her own.”

A gloomy silence falls as the Anchors consider their predicament. Then, Stacy, in a futile attempt to alleviate some of the tension and pain, does what she does best and plays the hostess. “Would anyone like something to drink? We’ve got lemonade, water, orange juice, Coke, anything you want.”

“Some water would be nice,” Marcus responds. They move into the yellow kitchen and take a seat around the granite countertop in the middle of the room. Stacy feels her fingers shaking as she reaches into the cabinet to grab water glasses.

Just as a glass cup meets Stacy’s fingertips, it slips right out of her reach onto the tile floor, shattering into dozens of pieces.

“Nobody move. I don’t want anyone getting cut,” Stacy warns after the glass settles. She treads lightly to the utility closet, grabbing a broom with trembling fingers.

I prayed and prayed, hoping they would never have to go through what we did. Felix inadvertently hears Stacy’s thoughts 25

The Redemption

as she begins to sweep the shattered glass into a dustpan. Why didn’t you answer my prayers?

Felix, instantly feeling like he was eavesdropping on a very personal conversation, blocks out her thoughts.

“So … what did you guys do?” Felix asks. “You know, when Jane left.”

Marcus shakes his head. “Not much at all. We mostly just did what you two are doing right now - wondered what we did to deserve something like this.”

“I wish we had done more,” Stacy answers truthfully. “Mr. Belton told us that Jane had disappeared, and we weren’t really sure what to do.”

“Well,” Marcus interjects with a quick look at Stacy.

“How could we know what to do? The whole situation was a mess.” Marcus, eager to help Felix and Desdemona in any way possible, dives headfirst into the events surrounding Jane’s initial disappearance.

“Stacy is right in saying that Mr. Belton told us that Jane disappeared, and we really didn’t quite understand the severity of the situation. At first, we assumed Jane was in another one of her moods, or that something had happened … again.

You see, Jane had an incident during our first few weeks at the House. The three of us just wanted to make new friends at the House, that’s all. None of us really understood our powers and we didn’t know the first thing about how to control them.

Well, we sat there one day eating in the cafeteria - a lot like the one you two have now, but a lot less nice. There was this boy…. He kept picking on Jane. He kept saying her hair looked like a five-year- old had cut it and that she might as well just go ahead and shave it all off. I remember Jane’s cheeks growing red as she gnashed her teeth in anger. Whenever he came around, Stacy and I would just steer Jane in the opposite direction. We didn’t want any trouble. Really.

That one day though, we didn’t act quickly enough. We didn’t even notice the boy in the cafeteria until someone hit Jane in the back of her head with the palm of their hand. Of course, 26

Lauren Hudson

this infuriated Jane and she whipped around to see this boy, this boy that had been picking on her since day one. Then, she reached her hand around to the back of her head and noticed that he had put a wad of blue chewing gum in her hair.

He looked at her and said, ‘There, now you have a good excuse to just shave it.’ Before either of us could stop her, Jane grabbed the boy’s wrist and a sizzling noise filled the air. The boy’s eyes filled with shock, fear, pain … something. He started shivering, teeth chattering and everything. The sizzling noise got louder, to the point where even Jane began to panic. She let go of his wrist immediately, but the damage was done. The boy stared at his wrist, now branded with a burn-mark in the shape of Jane’s closed fist. Everyone in the cafeteria fell silent and watched the entire spectacle unfold.

Jane, more mortified than anyone, ran out of the cafeteria as fast as she could. Stacy and I followed her, and the boy began to shout in panic. The very next day, the boy left the House because … well, he wasn’t an Asterian anymore.

After that, everyone treated Jane differently. Jane wore black gloves all the time just to try to give the other kids peace of mind, but not even that helped. No one, except for us - oh, and our mentor – would even come close to her.

We kept thinking things would get better as our training progressed. Our mentor helped Jane control her powers. Our initial training extended from eight months to eighteen months to help keep Jane under wraps.

She ran away when we were just about to finish our training.

The strange thing about it was that we thought things were finally looking up. Jane would talk to us sometimes about how she wanted to join the Chronicles, an Asterian police force, when she graduated from the House. Who better to stop out of control Asterians than someone who can take their powers forever?

But then she left and became the biggest threat the Asterian World had ever seen.”

“But Jane took your powers too, didn’t she?” Felix asks Stacy and Marcus. They nod. “Then why don’t you have a mark like that on your skin?”

27

The Redemption

Stacy holds up her right arm and flips it over to expose the inside of her wrist. Right there, just a few inches above the palm of her hand on her forearm, lies the faint indent of three fingertips.

“You always said that was from when you burnt yourself with a curling iron,” Desdemona reaches for her mom’s wrist and runs her fingers over the mark.

“What was I supposed to say to my ten-year-old when she asked what happened to momma’s arm?” Stacy asked rhetorically. “That my missing sister burnt my arm with her evil powers?”

“Wait, yours is in the same spot, right?” Felix turns his attention to Marcus, recalling a familiar looking mark on Marcus’ right forearm. “You said it was a birthmark.”

“She took our powers at the same time,” Marcus told them, shivering at the thought.

Desdemona, deciding that no question is too nosy anymore, asks, “Did it hurt?”

Marcus shakes his head. “Strangely enough, not at all. The sizzling sensation made it seem like it would burn, but it was the exact opposite. I felt really cold, so much to the point where my fingers began to go numb after a few seconds.”

Thinking back to a conversation she had with Hazel earlier in the year, Desdemona doesn’t find this reaction so strange.

Hazel always said she felt numb under the influence of Jane’s mind tricks.

“But if Jane’s powers take other Asterians’ gifts away, why did Dr. Ricci remain a lion?” Desdemona asks.

Instantly, both Marcus and Stacy give her a shocked and confused look, as if to ask her how she knows about Dr. Ricci.

“I saw it in a vision,” Desdemona answers curtly before they even speak.

“I’m not really sure about that,” Marcus says truthfully. “Her powers were to change from a human, into a lion and then back again. I suppose when Jane touched her, she lost her power to turn back into a human and she got stuck there.”

28

Lauren Hudson

“So… what did you do after that though?” Felix asks again.

Marcus’ story, although enlightening, didn’t completely answer Felix’s question. He knows there must be more; Felix knows his father wouldn’t have just accepted Jane’s behavior.

“We did what you two did,” Stacy gestures to Felix and Desdemona. “We left the House only a few days after we found out about Jane. We thought we had a hunch about where she was.”

“Just the two of you?” Desdemona asks with a half-smile.

It wouldn’t be unlike a few Anchor kids to run off entirely unsupervised.

Stacy shakes her head. “No, Alexander came with us.”

Desdemona sucks in a breath as she recognizes their father’s name.

“But that really came back to bite us in the butt, didn’t it?”

Marcus scoffs.

Felix and Desdemona wait for them to explain what Marcus means and as they do, Hilga rises out of her seat and begins to slowly pace the length of the kitchen.

“We finally found her,” Stacy begins with a gulp. “She took a flight to New York City and was squatting in some abandoned warehouse, making plans about her future.”

Marcus interjects, steam practically coming out of his ears as he recollects the events. “We planned to encourage her to come back to the House and finish her training. We talked to her about how becoming a member of the Chronicles was her opportunity to make the world better, but then she began talking about how much power we could gain if we all worked together.”

“Alexander was enticed by the idea of power and blinded by his love. He stayed in New York City with her as they began to gather support from other Asterians. With this sort of betrayal, we had no choice but to go back to the House. Eventually, she returned, but not for the reason we wanted her to. She came back to steal Asterians’ powers, and Mr. Belton had no choice but to expel her for good.”

Desdemona does her best to swallow the lump in her throat as the parallels between this story and Jinx’s story hit her. Both 29

The Redemption

worried about being accepted at the House. Both fell in love.

Both turned against their family for selfish, stupid reasons.

“Well, I don’t just want to ‘go back to the House.’ Jinx deserves to get what’s coming to her,” Desdemona snaps at Marcus.

Hilga stops her pacing instantly and looks at Desdemona, lips pinned in a thin line. “She’s still your family, and the Anchors I know don’t talk about their family like that.”

Desdemona blinks at Hilga before standing up out of her chair. She feels Felix’s finger brush her arm in warning. “I’m sorry, but I actually do know that Anchors talk like that about family. You’ve been talking about Jane like that since she turned on us!”

“Jinx is not Jane,” Hilga states matter-of-factly.

Desdemona lets her mouth fall open and gawks at Hilga. She raises her voice in anger. “To me, they’re practically the same person! A follower of Jane’s is just as bad as Jane herself!”

“Jinx. Is. Not. Jane,” Hilga repeats, slower with more emphasis.

At this point, Desdemona doesn’t think she can handle it anymore. Tears burning at the back of her eyes, she screams, “THEN WHY DID SHE BETRAY US JUST LIKE JANE?” Desdemona storms out of the kitchen, stomping away just like she did as a young girl, and runs up the stairs to her old bedroom. Unable to put out the fire in the back of her throat, she wants nothing more than for everything to just go back to the way it was before they became Asterians.

30

3 Ten minutes later, Desdemona hears a familiar little tap on her bedroom door. She stares at her purple comforter with puffy eyes, not responding to the knock at all. The person outside turns the doorknob slowly as Desdemona toys with the fuzz on her white sham.

“Mona,” Stacy whispers. Her tone reminds Desdemona of middle school, when they would fight over something stupid and inconsequential. Stacy would send her to her room, furious and frustrated, but she would always come up about fifteen minutes later to talk it out.

Somehow, Desdemona feels like this conversation holds an entirely new level of weight than their old ones. She doubts it will be so easy to talk out.

“They’re just the same, Mom. You know they are,” Desdemona announces bluntly. Stacy moves to sit next to her adopted daughter, pulling Desdemona’s legs up onto her lap just like she used to do.

“Have you thought that maybe there’s still hope for Jinx?”

Stacy suggests. “Everything is over for Jane, but maybe not for Jinx.”

Desdemona shakes her head furiously. “What did you do, Mom?” She can’t stop her bottom lip from trembling. “What did you do when Jane left for good?”

Stacy shifts to wrap her arm around Desdemona’s shoulder, allowing Desdemona to lay her head against the soft wool of Stacy’s sweater. “At first, I did mostly what you’re doing right 31

The Redemption

now. I cried, I yelled, I swore at God and wondered why He let this happen to us. And then … we moved on. We joined ranks with those against Jane and we pretended to treat her like just another enemy.”

Desdemona shoves her face into Stacy’s shoulder as if that will just make everything disappear. “Did you ever wonder if it was worth it?” Desdemona manages out, her words muffled by Stacy’s sweater.

“What do you mean?”

“Being an Asterian. Did you ever wonder if it was worth it?”

Understanding now, Stacy reaches up to stroke Desdemona’s long, blonde hair. “After Jane left, I thought about it every day.

Most days, I convinced myself it wasn’t worth it. That I should just give up my powers and go back to being human, but after Jane took my powers, I realized I’d been immature and selfish.”

Stacy lifts Desdemona’s head to look her in the eyes, cupping her cheek. “God gave each Asterian an incredible gift. You have an incredible gift, my Mona. He gave each Asterian their power for a reason, and it took me a long time to figure out my reason, but eventually I did. My reason is you.”

At this, Desdemona can’t help but smile. Her adoptive mother always manages to shine a light no matter how difficult the situation. “But what is my reason?”

Stacy lets her hand fall into her lap. “Be patient; it’ll come to you. But if you don’t finish your education at the House, the Asterian Council won’t let you use your powers to help humans.

If you really want to go back to living the life you had before your fifteenth birthday, your room will always - and I mean always - be here waiting for you.”

Stacy stands up from the bed and moves toward the door.

Just before she leaves, she turns around and looks at her heartbroken, desperate daughter. “I can’t make this decision for you, Mona.”

Closing the door behind her, Stacy leaves Desdemona alone with only her thoughts. Well, not entirely alone.

32

Lauren Hudson

Were you listening to that? Desdemona thinks to Felix, although she already knows the answer. No matter how many times she tells her brother not to listen in on her personal thoughts, she knows he can’t help himself. He only wants to make sure she is okay.

Most of it, Felix thinks back timidly, hoping Desdemona doesn’t get more upset.

Wanting to know what Felix has to say on this whole situation, Desdemona asks him the same thing she asked Stacy.

Have you ever wondered if it’s worth it?

Although she can’t see him, Felix nods from the kitchen.

I’ve asked myself that every hour since we left Las Vegas.

And? Desdemona urges him on. No matter how easy it would be just to back out now, Desdemona knows she can’t leave her brother to face this alone. They do it together, or they don’t do it at all.

I’ve never wanted to go back to the human world more. I’ve never wanted to give up on something as much as I do right now, Felix admits. But Mona, Stacy was right. She can’t make this decision for us. I don’t know what to do, but I do know that leaving now makes us just as selfish as Jinx. We can’t drop out when the Asterian World needs us most.

Desdemona can’t help but let one more tear escape. The comparison to Jinx hits Desdemona like a ton of bricks. As much as she doesn’t want to admit it, Desdemona knows Felix is right.

Giving up might be as selfish as joining Jane.

This is bigger than us, Felix. Desdemona tells him. It’s so much bigger than us.

Down in the kitchen, Felix notices Stacy, Marcus, and Hilga talking around him, but he ignores them. I know, but Truchas Peak was bigger than us. The Asterian Council competition was bigger than us. The Asterian World is bigger than us.

Desdemona shakes her head. Did you see how many people were following Jane at that hotel? And that number is only growing.

33

The Redemption

You’re right. This is so much bigger than us. But maybe that just means we’re not supposed to be doing this alone anymore, Felix points out. For each of their encounters with Jane, they’ve been alone or with Kade. They’ve had to face the most dangerous Asterians on Earth alone, two times, and both times they were lucky to escape with their lives. Maybe it’s time to ask for help.

Are you ready to come downstairs? I’ve got an idea I want to run by everyone. Felix asks, hoping he’s not pushing her too fast.

Desdemona takes a deep, steadying breath and lifts her gaze toward the door. So, we’re doing this?

I am doing this, Felix tells her. It’s up to you to decide if you’re doing it with me.

Standing up from the bed, Desdemona wanders to her vanity mirror and runs her hand over the prominent scar above her right eye that Jane gave her last year on Truchas Peak. Memories of the look on Jane’s face while bringing the knife to her cheek threaten to come rushing back.

She closes her eyes, looks away from the unsightly wound, and focuses on a few left-behind lipstick tubes. Opening up her favorite shade of red and leaning toward the glass, Desdemona fills her lips perfectly with the burgundy shade and smacks them together. Forcing a fierce expression, she silently thanks lipstick for always giving her the boost she needs to take a leap.

This is bigger than me, and that’s why I am doing it.

With renewed vigor, Desdemona bounds down the stairs to the kitchen. When she enters, she sees the whole family gathered around the island munching on a veggie tray. If the situation weren’t so serious, Desdemona might believe they’re having a nice family get-together.

“So, what’s your idea?” Desdemona asks Felix as she squeezes around the granite countertop.

Felix gives her a small elbow to the side, letting Desdemona know that he’s proud of her for sticking with it. Simultaneously, he lets out a deep breath he didn’t even know he was holding in.

34

Lauren Hudson

To face Jinx and Jane without his sister by his side would have been a whole different kind of nightmare.

“Well, Desdemona and I have agreed that this time, we face a threat way bigger than us. And although I know Mona would hate to admit it, we need help,” Felix announces with a playful sideways glance at Desdemona.

“And how do you plan on getting enough help to face Jane?”

Hilga asks realistically. “Sounds great when you think about it, but how do you expect thousands of Asterians to drop everything and oppose an Asterian who could ruin - or even end - their lives?”

Felix dips a carrot into ranch dressing. “I think the key is the Asterian Council. Most Asterians look up to them and follow their recommendations. If we can get the Asterian Council to help us, then others will join the cause.”

“But how are we supposed to get a meeting with the Asterian Council? I’m sure we would’ve had to schedule that months ago,” Desdemona notes.

Instantly, Stacy whips around and begins rummaging through a kitchen drawer. Desdemona lived here long enough to recognize this as her magazine drawer, the place where she stashes decades-old editions of “Southern Living.”

Finally, her hand emerges with a thin, black and white magazine Desdemona has never seen before. An Asterian Council photo serves as the magazine’s cover shot. “Actually, I read in the latest issue of ‘Council Monthly’ that the Asterian Council holds open grievance sessions Tuesdays from 3:00-5:00 at their Hartford Headquarters.”

“Tuesday…” Felix tries to count the days in his head. “Wait, but that’s today!”

“From 3:00-5:00? It’s 4:00 now!” Desdemona feels her heart start to race.

“And Hartford is only a forty-five-minute drive from here,” Marcus adds.

35

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Hilga slings her patchwork bag over her shoulder and grabs her keys, shuffling toward the door. She turns around to find everyone staring at her with wide eyes. “I can turn this fortyfive-minute drive into thirty if I step on it!’

36

4 The red and yellow torch fire illuminates a long wooden table stretching across the room. The packed walls capture heat, making everyone break out in a sweat, but heat isn’t the only thing making the Asterians sweat. Their nerves bounce back and forth, jittering with the fear that Jane instills among even the most powerful Asterians.

She sits at the table head in an ornate, carved throne, glancing at each of the people occupying seats within the room. These hand-picked Asterians, called the Gathered, each hold a power Jane has deemed essential to her takeover of the Asterian World.

Stone-cold and stoic, Jinx sits to Jane’s right. After Jinx restored Jane’s strength, Jinx immediately became her most trusted advisor.

“It is now that you each will take the vow of silence necessary to participate in this confidential meeting,” Jane announces to the group sitting in front of her. “Repeat after me. I vow that all topics discussed in this meeting will be kept under lock and key unless otherwise stated.” They all mumble the words back to Jane, having done this before every meeting of the Gathered.

“And remember, any Asterian who shares without permission will find themselves answering to me,” Jane raises an eyebrow at each of the Gathered as if daring them to challenge her. Nobody moves. Everyone knows that breaking the vow would mean losing more than just their powers.

Jane moves on to the topic of the discussion: recruitment and growth. “As each of you know, our liberation force grows larger by the day. Within the next three weeks, we should reach 10,000 37

The Redemption

followers. Our hidden lobbyists within the Asterian training centers have proven very effective; we’ve received thousands of recruits with untamed powers. We need someone willing to gather a group to continue their training.”

Elizabeth, a regal brunette sitting a few seats away from Jinx, speaks up first. “I served for five years as a trainer at the Namkut Facility in New York and I would be honored to serve the cause in this way.”

Jane doesn’t give Elizabeth so much as a smile or a thank you for her volunteering. Instead, she nods and barks another order. “I would like to see at least thirty other Asterians join your team by next week’s meeting. If not, I will find someone else to serve in your place with the Gathered.”

Jane’s very real, tangible threat does not phase Elizabeth, whose expression is unflinching. Although Elizabeth knows Jane will take action if she fails, the Gathered have become accustomed to Jane’s reoccurring ultimatums.

Jane turns to Elizabeth once more and says the words necessary to break the vow taken at the beginning of the gathering.

“I give you permission to discuss this piece of business outside this room.” Turning her attention back to the group, Jane moves on to the next topic of interest.

“Today a new face in the Gathered joins us.” Jane places her hand on Jinx’s shoulder, and for the first time, Jinx does not flinch. “This is my daughter, Jinx Anchor. As some of you may have seen at the feast, she restored me to my previous strength through a blood sacrifice. Her generous gift has given us the opportunity to save all Asterians from the corrupt human race.

If we allow humans to continue down their path of warfare, destruction, and foolishness, it is only a matter of time before they kill not only themselves, but us as well. To prevent our destruction, we must take control. Jinx’s generous gift, as well as her affinity for the future, has allowed us to pursue this goal.”

The Gathered begin to clap politely, thanking Jinx for her sacrifice and thanking Jane for her leadership. Once the clapping dies down, Jane continues. “With that being said, it may be beneficial to consider moving our headquarters to a space that 38

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can help us accommodate hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of Asterians. Does anyone have any quality suggestions?”

One of the Gathered, a lanky boy named Trenton, speaks from the back corner of the room. His voice is meek and shaky.

“My family … they own over … over 100 acres of land in KanKansas. They would be more than … more than happy to give it to … to you.”

Jane lets out a loud, frustrated groan. “Trenton, I said quality suggestions! Are you deaf? How is Kansas a quality suggestion?

What, do you want me to defeat the Asterian Council with corn?”

Trenton shrinks back into his chair with an expression of embarrassment and fear. Silence follows; no one wants to face the same fate as Trenton.

After a few moments of Jane growing increasingly impatient, Jinx clears her throat and speaks up. “Have you considered New York?”

Jane snorts. “The place with the highest concentration of humans in the entire United States? I thought my daughter was smarter than that.”

Jinx’s eye twitches in slight anger, but unlike Trenton, she chooses not to back down to Jane’s malevolent rejections.

“You act like I haven’t thought about that, Mom. If there are more humans, the Asterian Council won’t want to make a big scene. They won’t be able to bring out all their forces to fight us because they will be afraid to hurt too many humans. Either that, or they will be afraid of having too many humans discovering the Asterian race.”

Jane squints her eyes at Jinx and lifts her chin in consideration.

Jinx finishes her explanation with a suggestion sure to win Jane’s approval. “And you’ll be less than 100 miles from the House, in proximity to recruit Felix and Desdemona. You said you needed to get to them before you rule the Asterian World, right?”

An Asterian named Brennan a few seats away from Jinx pitches in with his two cents. “But what I don’t understand is why you need to go through two fifteen-year-olds to defeat the Council. They’re just kids.”

39

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Jane gets up out of her chair and whips around to face the Asterian with flames in her eyes. Her short, jagged hair seems to stand straight up as she rears her head toward the boy. “In case you forgot, they’ve weakened me not once, but twice. I will not let it happen again!”

The Asterian leans back in his chair and dips his head in apology, surrendering to Jane. Jane stares at him for a minute, contemplating whether he deserves a punishment for that kind of disrespect.

Jane clenches her hand into a fist, taking a step toward Brennan. Jinx, practically able to read her mind, interrupts her angry train of thought with a bit of much-needed rationale. “If you take the powers of all your followers, you will not have any Asterians left to lead.”

Letting out a big breath, Jane stomps back to her throne at the head of the table. “We will keep searching,” Jane announces as she slowly regains her composure. “I want someone to find me a secluded location as soon as possible. And …,” Jane glares at Trenton. “I won’t be so forgiving next time someone gives me a stupid suggestion.”

Jinx rolls her eyes and calls Jane out once again. “What did I just say about not having any more followers?”

“You all are free to go. Everyone except for Jinx,” Jane announces, completely ignoring her daughter’s comment. Each of the Gathered shuffle out of the room, some even giving Jinx a sympathetic look on their way out the door. Once the last member shuts the door behind them, Jinx and Jane stand alone with only the torchlight to keep them company. Jinx raises her eyebrows at Jane, daring her mother to make the first move.

“You cannot backtalk me like that, Jinx,” Jane stands from her chair, allowing herself to tower over Jinx.

Jinx, entirely unfazed, stares at her. “I just did.”

“It better not happen again … or else.”

Jinx scoffs at yet another one of her mother’s threats and stands up, matching Jane’s height exactly. “Don’t you understand? You can’t rule by threatening to kill everyone who agrees to support you! You need to be loved just as much as you need to be feared.”

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Jane is the first to break the eye contact when she turns to look at the dying flame of the torch. “J, people who love you betray you. They leave you the minute it works to their advantage.

You of all people should know; you did it to your brother and sister. But fear … fear makes them stay even when they know they should leave. Fear makes them obey, and I will be feared.

Therefore, I will be obeyed.”

The worn car tires come screeching to a stop outside of a small park on the outskirts of Hartford, just thirty-two minutes after Desdemona, Felix, and their family left Stacy’s house.

Green, leafy trees line the concrete sidewalk, creating a division between the park and the road. Inside the sidewalk barrier, a playground has all the works - swings, slides, monkey bars, and a seesaw.

“Wait … the Asterian Council Hartford Headquarters is in this park?” Desdemona asks in confusion, looking around at the empty playground.

Nobody answers her question, but Felix looks at Desdemona with an equally perplexed expression. Hilga makes a move toward a small tree in the right corner of the park, just behind the monkey bars. By the time they reach the tree, Hilga has already dropped to her hands and knees, searching for something in the overgrown grass. In a few moments her hand emerges with a small, grey rock clenched in her fist. She raises the rounded edge of the rock and, glancing around to make sure the area is free of humans, knocks five times in rapid succession.

Before Felix can question his grandmother’s actions, the tree trunk begins to expand, with a nest hole appearing in the middle of the expanded wood. Suddenly, a pale face appears in the hole and a man with a pointy nose says, “Name, please.” He pauses for a moment, waiting expectantly before his face lights up with recognition. “Oh, Hilga Anchor! What can I do for you today?”

Hilga smiles in the subtle, thankful way she always does.

“Joffrey, so good to see you again. We request a meeting with the Asterian Council as soon as possible.”

41

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Joffrey scrunches his nose up in frustration. “I’m afraid we only have about ten minutes left for the public portion of the meeting and we already have five Asterians waiting to be heard …. But maybe I can call in a favor for my wisest friend!” Joffrey winks at Hilga and disappears back into his hole. Only a few seconds pass before the nest hole expands into a small door.

Joffrey emerges with a smile, brushing his hand through his greying hair. “You five go on in. I’ll make sure the Council knows you’re next in line to be heard.”

Desdemona and Felix follow Hilga into the darkness of the opening with Stacy and Marcus close behind them. Wood surrounds them as they travel through the elongated tree trunk.

“Hilga,” Desdemona interrupts the silence as they continue through the dark. “How do you know that guy?”

Hilga chuckles slightly. “You forget that I spent almost sixty years in the Asterian World, Mona. I may have met a few people here and there.”

Desdemona, laughing along but feeling a little stupid, lets the silence continue. Finally, after it feels like the dark tunnel will never end, Hilga stops and turns to her right. She places her hand on the wood and pauses.

“I need one of you to do this,” Hilga motions toward Desdemona and Felix with a sorrowful expression. “Sometimes I forget that I don’t have my powers anymore.”

Felix rushes up next to his grandmother and places his hand right next to hers. Leaning his head down, he whispers “Anchor,” just like they did to get into their rooms at the House.

On command, the wood of the tree trunk begins to move to the side, revealing a majestic rotunda full of bustling Asterians.

Walls lined with golden trim run from floor to ceiling, separated only by hallways that run evenly from every corner of the rotunda. Arrows with directions like “Human Awareness” and “Ethics Control” point Asterians in the right direction as they run from hallway to hallway.

“Wow ….” Desdemona whispers in awe as she watches two Asterians roll a cart full of moving sunflowers through the rotunda area to a hallway clearly labeled “Misuses of Power.”

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“What is this place?” Felix asks as he takes in the busy scene.

Not wasting a single second, Hilga urges the group to follow her to a hallway marked with a sign reading “Council Queries” in fancy, gold lettering. “This is one of the busiest Asterian Council Headquarters in all the world. The one in Las Vegas doesn’t do even a quarter of the business this headquarters handles.”

Desdemona and Felix hear a voice calling, “Desdemona and Felix Anchor! Last call. Desdemona and Felix Anchor for Council queries!” In front of them, Hilga picks up the pace to the point where the Desdemona and Felix begin running.

“We’re here!” Felix shouts back, praying that they haven’t already been passed over. “We’re coming!” Out of breath and a little sweaty, the group reaches the end of the hallway and finds a familiar face. Joffrey stands in front of a pair of large golden doors, much like those found in the rotunda, with a worried expression.

“Oh good! I was just beginning to worry you wouldn’t make it in time,” he says, checking the time on his watch. “Are you ready to go in? The Council will be getting restless if they have to stay much later than 5:00 p.m.”

Without letting herself think too much, Desdemona answers proudly. “We’re ready!”

Felix elbows his sister in the ribs, eliciting a yelp of pain from Desdemona. “What do you mean, ‘We’re ready?’ We don’t have any idea what we’re going to say!”

But by this point, the large golden doors already start to open in front of them to reveal a row of twelve ornate chairs.

“Fake it until you make it, Felix,” Desdemona forces through gritted teeth as they pass through the doorway into the Asterian Council Chambers.

43

5 If the grandiose rotunda lobby weren’t enough to intimidate Desdemona and Felix, the cold courtroom set up inside the Council chambers surely finishes the job. With no windows, ornate, antique gas lamps provide the room’s only source of light. Twelve Asterian Council chairs sit elevated above the doorway, forcing Desdemona and Felix to strain their necks to get a good look at them. As she looks down the row of powerful Asterians, Desdemona can’t help but feel like she’s on trial for a murder she did not commit.

Felix instantly recognizes Mrs. Tary as she stands and greets the Anchor family, much like she did at Caesar’s Palace just a few weeks ago. “Ah, Desdemona and Felix Anchor, long time no see.” Her tone is much more serious than it was during the competition, entirely lacking her signature bubbly exterior.

Felix bows his head in reverence toward Mrs. Tary. “Thank you for hearing us today on such short notice.” Desdemona, following her brother’s lead, also dips her head.

Mrs. Tary turns her attention toward the trio accompanying Desdemona and Felix, and her mouth turns up in a smile just like Joffrey’s had. “Hilga Anchor, I had no idea we would be in the presence of Council members past today. Welcome back to your chambers.”

Desdemona discreetly glances at her grandmother before turning to Felix. Had she heard Mrs. Tary correctly?

Did she just say what I think she said? Felix thinks to Desdemona.

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Desdemona nods. And that means…that Hilga was a member of the Council. Felix stares in wonder at Hilga, finally understanding why Joffrey pushed their query in front of so many others.

Maybe that will help us out here, Desdemona wonders to Felix as she turns her attention back to the row of powerful Asterians.

“Thank you, Mrs. Tary,” Hilga nods respectfully at the tall woman. “It is wonderful to see that the Asterian Council has grown in power and prestige after you took over for me as Council Head.”

Mona, Felix butts into Desdemona’s mind once more, still in awe. Hilga wasn’t just on the Asterian Council. She ran the Council!

“As much as I am sure we would all love to hear about Hilga’s time after the Council,” Mrs. Tary gestures to the other members of the Asterian Council. “I’m afraid we don’t have much time before some of our members have to attend to other matters. Felix, Desdemona, go ahead.”

Desdemona nudges Felix with her shoulder, thinking he should do most of the talking. There’s no telling the anger, sadness, and fear that may come bubbling to the surface if she were to recount their story to the Council.

Clearing his throat, Felix makes a point to cast his gaze up to each member of the Council to draw their attention. Every vote on the Council matters, and Felix would hate to exclude any one of them. “As I am sure some of you are aware, we had a bit of an incident during the final challenge of the competition….”

Felix stops when he notices various Council members quickly beginning to whisper to one another. Mrs. Tary shares a confused look with the Asterian to her left and it dawns on Felix; not all of the Council members fully understand what happened beneath the Treasure Island Hotel.

“Well, I guess I’ll give a little backstory then. My sisters and I picked Treasure Island as our location for the final challenge to compete for the Council spot, but at Treasure Island, Jane Anchor’s army ambushed us.” The hushed whispers of the 45

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council members grow louder as they consider the meaning of Felix’s report. Curious, Felix uses his powers and catches glimpses of what a few of the Asterians are thinking.

I thought Jane Anchor was dead, he heard the member next to Mrs. Tary think.

That’s not possible, he hears another. Her kids killed her less than a year ago.

Taking a deep breath, Felix continues. “And I know some of you are probably thinking. Jane Anchor is dead, right? That’s what we thought too. But believe me when I say that she is very much alive. Thanks to our… sister, Jinx, Jane is just as strong, if not stronger, than she was before.”

Not able to hold herself back anymore, Desdemona steps in.

“While we were under Treasure Island, Jinx betrayed us. She … she helped bring Jane back to health with a blood bond.” By this point in time, some members of the Asterian Council begin thinking in near hysterics.

They must be lying …. Felix hears a Council member think to himself.

Feeling blood boil up to his face, Felix yells over the noise.

“I promise we’re not lying! Jane’s army is growing bigger and bigger, and it won’t be long before it becomes stronger than even the Council!”

Hysterics heighten as each Council member tries to put in their two cents on the matter. Before Mrs. Tary can calm them down, a blonde boy - by far the youngest on the Council - seated in the far-left chair, raises his voice.

“They’re telling the truth,” the boy announces. As he does, the Asterian Council quiets.

Realizing she knows the voice from somewhere, Desdemona turns to find its source. When she does, she finds herself at an utter loss for words as her eyes meet Jason’s for the first time since the last challenge. Her heart flutters and jumps in an unsettling mix of excitement and nerves.

Ms. Tary breaks Desdemona’s train of thought as she turns their attention toward Jason. “And how do you know this?”

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Jason tears his eyes away from Desdemona’s finally. “Kade DeFrates told me right after it happened.”

Another Council member, seated on the other side of the meeting chambers, speaks in a hushed tone, but just loud enough for some to hear. “And why should we believe him? Isn’t he all buddy-buddy with the Anchor family too?”

Desdemona jumps up when she hears this insult and starts to yell. “Hey, Kade is-.” Felix places his hand in front of Desdemona in warning.

Jumping on them isn’t going to help our case here, Mona, Felix reminds his sister. With a huff, Desdemona backs down.

“Yes, he was,” Jason responds calmly. “In fact, he was dating Jinx Anchor. And the look on his face …, the tears he shed as he told me what happened. He wasn’t lying. That is one thing that I’m sure of.”

“Let’s assume they are telling the truth,” the same skeptical council member starts again. “Is Jane’s army even big enough to be a threat?”

“That’s a good question, Henrietta.” Mrs. Tary nods pensively as she considers this question. Turning her attention back to Desdemona and Felix, she asks, “Underneath Treasure Island, did you see Jane’s army?”

“Yes, we did,” Felix says.

“Approximately how many Asterians were there?”

Felix pauses, envisioning the large gathering room that held Jane’s army just a few days ago. Although Jane had fewer followers than at Truchas Peak, she still had a few hundred. “I’m not really sure about an exact number …. The room was pretty full, and … and it was a big room too.”

“Just one room?” Henrietta snorts at Felix and Desdemona.

“One room against the rest of the Asterian race? I think I’ll take my chances.”

Some of the other Council members begin to shake their heads in agreement, whispering their similar thoughts to one another.

Desdemona, sensing that this meeting is not going the way they planned, desperately adds, “But we can’t be sure that all of 47

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Jane’s army was in that room! And besides, the army will grow by the day. The sooner we mobilize against them, the sooner we can beat Jane and the sooner all Asterians can go back to protecting humans!”

Mrs. Tary lifts her nose toward the ceiling, slanting her eyes downward to squint at the Anchor family. “I also believe that a single room of rogue Asterians is no real threat to the safety of any race – much less ours.”

Felix and Desdemona look at Hilga, Stacy, and Marcus with matching horrified expressions. Is the Asterian Council really declining their request for help in defeating Jane? Are they really putting the lives of all other Asterians at risk?

“But if you send some Asterians to Treasure Island, you can end Jane before she really begins,” Desdemona suggests.

Mrs. Tary brushes off Desdemona’s proposal with a wave of her neatly clipped fingernails. “I’m just not sure we can do that right now. However, if you provide evidence that Jane’s army has grown to a threatening size, then we could reconsider.”

“Evidence?” Felix clarifies. “We can provide evidence if you give us some time.”

“Perfect! The Asterian Council will gather ranks against Jane once you bring us adequate proof. Proof can come in many forms: eyewitness testimony, photos, documentary evidence. If others share your cause, we will consider this as support that your cause is worthy. Jason!” Mrs. Tary flicks her hand at the newest member of the Asterian Council. “You will accompany the Anchor siblings on their quest for evidence.”

If Desdemona thought that simply seeing Jason made her nervous enough, she couldn’t imagine the feelings that would be ignited if they were to work together again. As Desdemona tries to suppress the butterflies banging against her insides, Jason stands up from his Council chair and moves toward the stairs.

“I’m not really sure if … if that’s necessary,” Desdemona stutters out, hardly able to take her eyes off Jason.

“If Jane is as dangerous as you two describe, then it is absolutely necessary that you have a member of the Asterian Council accompany and protect you along the journey. Plus, 48

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Jason can report to us about your progress,” Mrs. Tary instructs.

A few of the other Council members nod in agreement as she speaks.

Desdemona, showing the strain of what they have endured over the last few days, throws her arms up in the air. “We are perfectly fine taking care of ourselves, thanks.”

Felix elbows Desdemona in the ribs so hard that she grabs her side and shoots him a dirty look.

We need all the help we can get, Mona, Felix thinks to his sister. Remember, this is bigger than us.

Felix smiles politely at Mrs. Tary. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Tary. We appreciate your willingness to give us a chance. We will not let you down.”

Mrs. Tary nods in farewell as everyone begins to shuffle out into the hallway. Felix notices members of the Asterian Council forming an orderly line in front of a regal councilwoman in billowing robes. The Asterian in the front of the line grabs onto her arm, then suddenly disappears without a trace. This continues until each member has vanished from the Council chambers.

Lastly, the woman herself disappears and they are left alone.

“Teleportation?” Felix wonders aloud as the large door of the Council chambers shuts behind them with a creak.

“Eliza can transport others and herself up to 200 miles in any direction,” Jason answers in a somber voice. Desdemona jumps when she hears Jason’s voice to her immediate left, not realizing Jason has been standing so close to her.

Changing the subject, Felix turns to his grandmother with an incredulous look. “Why didn’t you tell us you were the Head of the Asterian Council?”

“And why didn’t you pull any strings for us in there?”

Desdemona shoots a look at Hilga. “We could’ve used your influence!”

Hilga ignores her grandkids’ questions as they re-enter the hustle and bustle of the rotunda. Once again, the grandeur and sheer scale of the room takes Desdemona and Felix aback.

Desdemona turns her head from side to side, trying to take in the headquarters’ detail. She finds herself staring at a large marquee 49

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that tells the whereabouts of each Council member, so enthralled that she doesn’t even realize she starts drifting to the left.

Suddenly, she runs right into a firm body on her side and before she can stop, she puts her hands on his chest to catch herself.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” Desdemona apologizes in an embarrassed tone. She looks up only to be met with Jason’s all-too-familiar blue eyes. She rips her hands off his chest and stutters, “Umm … wow, I really am … so sorry. Just so sorry.”

The corners of Jason’s mouth turn up in a smile and he laughs a little at Desdemona’s flustered state. Desdemona, slightly offended at his laughter, calls him out. “Why are you laughing at me?”

Jason smiles at her again, just like he did after they kissed, and she tries to ignore the memories it brings. “I’m laughing with you because it’s crazy.”

“What?” Desdemona asks, confused.

“Even though I am a member of the Asterian Council, all of this still kind of blows me away. The size, the powers, the people. It all seems a little crazy,” Jason says as they approach a bright red sign reading EXIT in bold letters.

“Well of course it seems crazy to you!” Desdemona says. “A few days ago, you were just like us. Now you’re supposed to be one of the twelve most powerful Asterians on the planet.”

They come upon another skinny tree, almost identical to the one that brought them into the headquarters. A bright light shines on the lowest hanging branch, a branch with only a few straggling leaves.

Hilga turns to her family. “This tree differs from the other tree because it’s like a revolving door. Pull this branch,” Hilga motions to the lowest hanging limb of the tree. “And remember, one person at a time. Stacy, you can go first.”

Stacy steps toward the tree and gives the low branch a tug.

Just like earlier, the trunk of the tree begins to expand until it is just wide enough to fit one person. The brown bark in the front moves to the side, creating an opening in the wood. Stacy steps into the tree without hesitation, and the bark closes back behind her.

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Hilga motions for Marcus to go next. Marcus waits for roughly five seconds before pulling the branch again. The door opens once again to reveal an empty trunk, and Marcus steps inside.

Jason goes next, leaving Desdemona and Felix alone with Hilga.

“Wait a second,” Desdemona puts her hand out to stop Felix from pulling on the tree limb before turning her attention to Hilga. “Why didn’t you help us out in there?”

Hilga puts her hand on Desdemona’s shoulder. “You didn’t need me.”

When the door closes behind their grandmother, Desdemona runs her hand through her hair. “Okay, we definitely did need her in there, but whatever. It’s fine.”

Felix pats Desdemona on the back. “Well, what’s done is done. As C.S. Lewis said, ‘You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the end.’”

Desdemona nods and smiles at her brother. “Just as nerdy as ever, aren’t you?” She pulls Felix in for a hug. When she pulls away, her face changes into one of determination. “Now let’s go out and change that ending.”

51

6 “The problem is,” Felix begins as he buckles his seatbelt.

“We don’t have any way to know Jane’s location. Are we just supposed to assume she’s still hanging around Vegas like a sitting duck?”

Stacy puts the car into drive and makes a left hand turn out of the park, sending Desdemona flying from her middle seat straight into Jason on her right. Although it’s only a split second of contact, she can’t help but notice the slight outline of his arm muscles beneath his shirt. Before she can let herself get too caught up in his physique, she pushes herself off him with a murmur of apology.

“It doesn’t make any sense for her to wait around in Las Vegas. If her following grows like we think it will, her old headquarters will soon be way too small,” Felix explains. He can’t hide smirks angled at Desdemona as she blushes a bright pink - just letting her know that she’s not doing a very good job at hiding her crush.

“Felix is right,” Marcus agrees from the front seat. “But at least the Council knows most everything that goes on in the Asterian World. Jason, do you think anyone knows anything about Jane’s movement?”

Jason shakes his head as Stacy accelerates on the expressway.

Jason, only having been on the Asterian Council for a little over twenty-four hours, hardly has any more knowledge about it than Desdemona or Felix. “I don’t think so. I heard Mrs. Tary and Henrietta talking about how Jane has learned to block Council oversight.”

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“Some help this Council is!” Hilga jokes sarcastically.

Stacy looks at Desdemona through her rearview window.

“Say you figure out where she’s going, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to just run to her. You’ve already escaped with your lives twice, and I worry you won’t be so lucky a third time.”

Before he can stop them, thoughts from their past meetings with Jane flood back into Felix’s mind. Physical damage, like the scar on Desdemona’s face, and the permanent bump on Felix’s head, doesn’t compare to the feelings of terror, anxiety, and betrayal Jane has caused in the past year.

“Well … maybe we don’t have to find this evidence by ourselves,” Desdemona brainstorms aloud. “If the Asterian Council won’t give us help, let’s make our own help.”

“But how are we supposed to get others on our side without the Council?” Felix asks as he watches the cars whiz by on the other side of the interstate.

“The Asterian Council is powerful, but they are not allpowerful. Success can be achieved without their assistance,” Hilga pensively reminds her family.

“What I’m saying is that we should gather support from other young Asterians,” Desdemona suggests. “We could travel around to all the different training facilities and get people on our side. That way, when we finally figure out where Jane is, we won’t have to face her on our own. I am not going after Jane, even if it’s just to gather evidence, without backup.”

Marcus perks up in the front seat as he listens to Desdemona’s suggestion. “Hey, hey, hey, I think Desdemona may be on to something here. Not only will getting other Asterians involved help you face Jane, but it will get the Council’s attention. It will build credibility for your cause. The Council said it would consider your level of support, which I think can include enlisting different facilities in the cause.”

“We have a few different types of training facilities, and they work together around the United States,” Hilga says. Suddenly, she starts digging through her patchwork knapsack. Her wrinkled hand emerges with a pair of jingling keys. “You can take my old RV and visit each type of facility.”

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Felix hesitantly reaches for the keys to the vehicle, but he doesn’t take them just yet. “Thank you for the offer, Hilga, but we can’t drive yet. We don’t turn sixteen for another week.”

Jason clears his throat from next to Desdemona. “I just turned seventeen a month ago and I can drive. You know, the Council sent me to serve you when you need it anyway.”

Stacy starts to shake her head furiously from the driver’s seat, her nose scrunched up in frustration. “Oh no, it is not a good idea for the three of you to drive across the country by yourselves. Marcus and I could come with you.”

“You know that can’t happen, Stacy. You’re already breaking rules by being with Desdemona right now,” Hilga reminds her daughter with a moralistic tone. “And besides, I don’t think driving will be a problem for them anyway.”

“And we won’t be alone, Mom,” Desdemona jumps in, not comprehending what Hilga just said. “We can go back to the House and get Kade and Hazel. I’m sure they would be willing to help us.”

Marcus places his hand on Stacy’s shoulder, seeing her persistent dismay, and squeezes lightly. “I know, I don’t like it either. But you know they must do this. This is bigger than us.”

“We’re almost back to New Haven. Would you like to spend the night at our house, or should we go to Hilga’s to get the RV?” Stacy asks as she makes a turn off the interstate into their neighborhood.

“It would probably be best to get going,” Felix says. “We can spend the night at the House when we get there.”

The ride to Hilga’s house is mostly silent as the car drives by a whole slew of suburban houses just outside New Haven.

Desdemona watches them drive right past her beautiful childhood home, and she says a sorrowful “See you later.”

Once they pass the last Tudor style home in the neighborhood, they start seeing the green grass of cow fields and the white fences of horse farms. Silos reach toward the clouds and barn doors swing open as workers come in and out.

Hilga’s house is exactly the type of place Desdemona imagined. Ornaments cover the one-story home’s lawn: gnomes, 54

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flamingos, folding chairs, the whole nine yards. The roof appears to be patched in some places, creating a pattern much like that of her knapsack. As promised, a surprisingly tidy tan 1990’s RV takes up most of the old, cracked driveway.

Hilga catches the kids staring at her house and pushes the car door open with her foot. “What are you three looking at? You better get going!”

Desdemona and Felix can’t help but share a laugh at how Hilga’s eclectic and goofy sense of style matches her personality all too well. They pile out of the car behind Jason and find their family waiting patiently by the entrance to the RV. “Desdemona and Felix,’ Hilga calls from her doorstep. “I have something I want to give you before you go.” Hilga begins fumbling through her knapsack before pulling out a burlap bag no bigger than her hand.

“This,” Hilga hands the bag over to Felix, “is a Call to Action Bag. It holds hundreds of small stones called Eclogites, made from the same material as the Asterian Jewel. They will start to glow when someone says these words: Et juste agere.”

Felix opens the tiny bag and peeks inside, eager to see these mystical stones, but instead sees only darkness. He turns it upside down and shakes it, but still nothing comes out. “Umm … thank you for the gift, but what do you mean it has jewels in it? This bag is empty.”

“And besides, there’s no way hundreds of rocks would fix in that little bag. You could barely fit ten stones in there,” Desdemona adds.

“The bag may be empty now,” Hilga nods. “But it will not always be empty. The stones will appear as you need them.”

“How will we know when we need them?” Desdemona takes the bag from Felix and similarly looks inside to find nothing.

“You will know.”

“Hilga, please, can you just speak to us normally?”

Desdemona puts the bag in her pocket and throws her arms up in the air. “I don’t understand why Asterians think it’s a good idea to make things so unclear all the time!”

Hilga winks at Felix and Desdemona, ignoring her question entirely. “Oh, and don’t tell Mrs. Tary that you have the Eclogites.

55

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They told me to return all magical items when I stepped down from the Council, but I decided there was no need to return everything.”

With that, Hilga pushes past Desdemona and Felix and hobbles toward the RV. This time, she holds the keys out to Jason, who takes them and clutches them in his fist.

“Don’t you wreck my baby Ruthie, alright?” Hilga waggles her finger at Jason. Assuming that by “Ruthie” she means the RV, Jason gives Hilga an uncomfortable nod.

As they move to the RV to drive back to the House, the sight of Felix hugging Marcus reminds Desdemona that she entirely forgot to say goodbye to her mother! She bounds over to Stacy and throws her arms around her in a tight embrace.

“I’ll be safe, I promise,” she whispers in her mom’s ear.

“I know,” Stacy runs her hand through Desdemona’s hair.

Stacy opens her purse and pulls out her wallet. She fumbles for a moment before grabbing a plastic blue card from the inside. She extends it to Desdemona. “Here’s my credit card; don’t go crazy with it! But… do a little regular charge every now and then just so I know that you’re alive.”

Feeling a lump in the middle of her throat, Desdemona nods furiously in response. Just before she says her final goodbye, she hears Jason calling from inside the RV. “Ummm … Mona, Felix, I think you should come check this out.”

Desdemona and Felix move away from their adoptive parents and follow Jason into the RV, but they immediately realize it is so much more than an RV. A furnished living room with beautiful hardwood floors greets Desdemona, Felix, and Jason. A flat-screen TV, equipped with Wi-Fi and a DVD player, is mounted in front of a leather couch and three reclining chairs.

With vaulted ceilings and crown moldings, Ruthie’s interior looks more like a mansion than a 1990s mobile home.

Desdemona bounds to the rest of Ruthie, noticing three bedrooms and two bathrooms. She opens the doors to one of the bedrooms and beams when she sees a familiar purple comforter set up on the twin-sized bed.

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“It’s my bedroom at home, just like the House!” Desdemona enthuses.

Felix peers into the room next door and notices his black bookshelf spilling with his favorite science fiction novels. “Must be the same magic the House uses.”

Desdemona runs back to the front of the RV and leans her head out the back to her family. “Hilga, where did you get this?”

Hilga winks at Desdemona. “I already told you. I saw no reason to return everything to the Council when I left.”

Jason moves into the driver’s seat and turns the key in the ignition. The engine sputters for a moment before it kicks into action. Jason begins to back it out of the driveway, moving at a snail’s pace onto the road. All at once, he slams his foot on the brake, causing Felix to be flung toward one of the reclining chairs as the RV stops with a screech.

“Sorry, just testing out the brakes,” Jason murmurs in apology.

Felix straightens up his t-shirt with a chuckle. “Give us some warning next time you decide to ‘test the brakes’!”

Felix crashes back in one of the reclining chairs, propping his feet up as he notices Desdemona fooling with the empty bag that supposedly contains the Eclogites. “Can you believe that Hilga used to be the Asterian Council Head?”

“Can you believe that Hilga stole those rocks and this RV from the Council?” Felix laughs, gesturing to their lavish living situation.

“Actually, I can. She seems to me the kind of woman who says, ‘To heck with the system,’” Desdemona pulls the string back on the bag and hands it to Felix. Her expression suddenly grows somber. “Do you think she stepped down because of Jane?”

Before Felix can answer her question, he feels an unease in his stomach. He puts the reclining chair into its upright position and allows the vision to overtake him.

Felix finds himself in a stunning meadow, sunlit, yet surrounded by a circle of eleven shadows. A path leads through 57

The Redemption

a break in the circle, dotted with symbols that Felix instantly recognizes as Asterian Runes. Felix reaches down to the orange sidewalk and runs his hands over the runes and deciphers them, “The standards a leader sets for herself reflect the leader’s quality.” A warm sense of happiness and peace flow through him.

Knowing he needs to move, Felix practically skips down the path until three new figures appear in the distance. A sentiment of love, the kind that a parent feels for a child, slowly begins to accompany the feeling of joy. As he nears the three figures, one with a feminine physique steps back from the group and stomps away.

The beautiful yellow light that bathed the meadow instantly dims and pale gray seeps in through the air. The heavens close in on the ground as the orange path turns to a deep, angry red.

The Asterian Runes start to glow like a harvest moon.

Unable to push the uneasy feeling from the pit of his stomach, Felix continues moving. The path begins to swerve and take sharp turns. Suddenly, he feels a rough hand grab him by the shoulder and the room goes entirely black. Felix fumbles around in the darkness and falls to his knee. He runs his hands over the ground, desperately looking for the comforting runes, but finds none.

It only takes him a moment to realize that they’re gone. Just like Hilga’s powers.

Felix feels a pressure against his chest, constricting his airways and prohibiting him from quickening his movements.

He continues to crawl, using all his strength to move to a small light near the end of the meadow.

Finally, he reaches the light only to notice that he stands back in the same meadow. This time, however, a new figure has taken his spot at the center of the circle. The entire room goes red, signaling feelings of jealousy and anger.

Now furious, he pulls himself down the path to find three small bodies wrapped in swaddling blankets. He somehow knows he and his sisters occupy those blankets. Smiling to himself, he realizes the weight has lifted off his chest, and he stands up so that he can continue down the path.

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The red color begins to fade to a dull pink as the roof lifts and the pathway straightens. He comes upon three more shadows, almost identical to the ones he’d seen before. Just like the three from earlier in the path, the feminine figure steps back and walks away into the darkness.

Felix feels himself being pulled out of his vision and his eyes shoot open to find Desdemona fiddling with the remote to the television in the living room. “Yes,” Felix finally answers.

“What?” Desdemona asks, not even looking up from the remote.

Felix tries to steady his mind with a deep breath. “Yes, Hilga had to step down from the Asterian Council because of Jane.”

This time, Desdemona drops the remote and goes to sit next to Felix. “You seem so sure. Did you see it in your vision?”

Felix nods. “I wasn’t just hearing Hilga’s thoughts; I was inside her mind. And … and I felt how she felt when Jane took her powers … when she lost her powers – when Jane stole her powers and the Council forced her to step down because she wasn’t an Asterian anymore.”

“I don’t mean to eavesdrop,” Jason emerges from the driver’s compartment. “But I think being on the Council is about more than just having powers.”

Desdemona’s eyes go wide as she looks from Jason, to the steering wheel, and back to Jason again. “If you’re here…”

“Then who is driving the RV???” Felix hardly finishes his sister’s sentence before he runs up to the driver’s seat. His mouth falls agape as he watches the steering wheel turn and the gas pedal depress seemingly all by itself.

“Perks of driving an enchanted Asterian Council vehicle,” Jason laughs as he takes a seat on the black leather of the couch.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Felix starts to panic as the speedometer fluctuates.

“Not really,” Jason admits, seeming as calm as ever. “But it’s from the Asterian Council, so I would assume.”

“Felix, I think it’s fine. Hilga wouldn’t let us take Ruthie if she thought it was going to kill us,” Desdemona joins Felix in 59

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the front seat and puts her hand on his shoulder, leading him back to the living room.

Desdemona sits down across from Jason and leans her elbows on her knees. “What did you mean about the Council being about more than just powers?”

“I think that the members of the Council should be role models for how Asterians should act,” Jason explains. “You know, they should be selfless and honest and hard-working. If God created Asterians to protect humans, everything a council member does should work to further that goal.”

“I feel like there’s a but coming somewhere here soon….”

Desdemona tries to tear her eyes away from his lips as she urges him to continue.

Jason laughs. “But I don’t think Mrs. Tary does that very well. She seems to like being up on the pedestal. She enjoys the limelight, the attention. My gut tells me she cares more about that than she does helping other Asterians fulfill their purpose.”

“I bet Hilga was great at putting humans before herself,” Felix smiles as he recollects the saying written on the Asterian Runes. “Jinx said she always tried to set a good example.”

“Jinx,” Desdemona chokes up, stopping herself midsentence. “Well … you know … said that Hilga always treated her like a daughter even though she wasn’t.”

Jason nods sympathetically at Desdemona and Felix squeezes her hand. “But who am I to talk? I just met Mrs. Tary in Vegas and I’ve only been on the Council for one day.” He pauses. “Besides, I think she might’ve been putting on some sort of show or act at the competition. She was much more approachable and bubblier than she seems now.”

No one puts much thought into Jason’s observation as the RV hits a slight bump on the highway. The sun begins to set through the windows, casting an orange light into the living room. Felix reaches for the remote, desperate to break the silence.

“Anyone want to watch The Hobbit?”

60

7 “Wow, this is so much different from my old training facility.”

Jason stares in awe up at the ceiling of the House, watching hundreds of floors reach skyward. A few Asterians bustle about through the various floors, but otherwise, the House remains relatively quiet.

Taking in the familiar, calming scent of the House, Felix leads the group to their headmaster’s office. “Mr. Belton?” Felix knocks on the door lightly, trying to be as quiet as possible because it is almost 9:00 p.m. “It’s Felix Anchor. I know it’s late, but we need to talk to you for a moment.”

The wooden door squeaks open and a raspy voice calls, “Come on in.”

Desdemona shares a worried look with Felix. Normally, Mr. Belton is as jovial as a child on a playground, but his tone hints at nothing of the sort. Jason, who has never met Mr. Belton, shuffles in behind Felix and Desdemona. They find him staring out a small side window, illuminated by the bright glow of a half-moon.

“I see that the two of you left the House without permission to see your family,” Mr. Belton doesn’t take his gaze off the moon as he correctly accuses them. “You know that kind of rulebreaking leads to immediate suspension.”

Oh, now he chooses to be a stickler for the rules? Desdemona thinks to Felix. During all their time at the House, they’ve never known Mr. Belton to be serious about much of anything, but now - when they need him the most - he seems set on punishing them.

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Desdemona takes a hesitant step toward Mr. Belton and tries to explain what happened. “Our … sister, Jinx, betrayed us and went to Jane’s side while we were in Las Vegas. Stacy and Marcus are the only ones who understand what we’re going through.

“Why didn’t you ask for permission first?” Mr. Belton asks in the same monotone voice.

Felix steps forward to meet his sister. “Please understand where we were coming from. When we came back from Las Vegas, we weren’t thinking clearly. We didn’t know where to go, but we knew we couldn’t stay here.”

This time, Mr. Belton turns around to face his visitors, but does not appear at all surprised to find an unfamiliar face accompanying them. “If you knew you could not stay, then why have you returned? And why have you brought an Asterian Council member with you?”

Felix sits across from Mr. Belton on one of his plush couches and begins to tell the story of their visit to the Asterian Council.

When he gets to the part where Mrs. Tary demands evidence, Felix stops. “We can’t go back to Jane’s by ourselves. We need other Asterians to help us.”

Mr. Belton reaches down to his coffee table and picks up one of his mini statues depicting popular figures in Asterian history.

As he begins twirling it between his fingers, Felix recognizes it as Keely Krung, founder of the House. “I’m still not understanding why you returned.”

“Tomorrow, let us give a presentation to the House. We’ll make it short; we promise. Just give us ten minutes to persuade other students to help us bring Jane to justice,” Felix stares uncomfortably at his toes. “And after that … we will leave for good.”

Mr. Belton lets an uncomfortable silence fill the air as he ponders Felix’s plea. He gives the Keely Krung figurine one last look before setting it on the coffee table. “Because I feel pity for your family right now, I will not expel you. I also give you permission to travel to other training facilities and make your presentations.”

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Felix lets out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Belton. We really appreciate-.”

Mr. Belton cuts him off suddenly. “However, as punishment for your lack of respect of the House’s rules, you will not be allowed to speak to our students. I will not permit rule-breakers such as yourselves to encourage other students to follow in your footsteps.”

Desdemona stands up from her seated position, almost hitting Jason in the head with her flinging hand. “But Mr. Belton, this is so much bigger than a stupid set of rules! This is about life or death for thousands - no, millions - of humans and Asterians!”

Mr. Belton shakes his head solemnly. “I appreciate your passion, Miss Anchor, but I cannot be persuaded on this issue.

You may spend the night here in the House, but I expect you to be on your way tomorrow morning.”

Desdemona opens her mouth to further her argument but stops when she hears a familiar voice inside her head. Let’s just get Kade and go. There are tons of other facilities willing to hear us out.

Jason, apparently on the same wavelength as Felix on this one, stands up and nods to Mr. Belton. “Thank you for allowing me in the House and letting us speak with you. We will see ourselves out.”

Finally agreeing with Felix and Jason, Desdemona sulks out of the office behind them. When they enter the lobby of the House again, they find the lights have been dimmed for the night, leaving them mostly in darkness.

Desdemona and Felix lead the way to the elevator as Desdemona begins to chuckle. “You know what Mr. Belton’s forehead says?”

“What?” Felix responds.

“It says ‘MALLEABLE,’ and literally any other day besides this one, that would have been true. But he really decided to stand his ground on this one, didn’t he?”

As Desdemona pushes the elevator button, Jason finds himself confused. “What do you mean ‘his forehead said?’”

“Oh! It’s the first of my Embellishments,” Desdemona answers. “I can see one word written on everybody’s forehead.

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It’s usually a word that describes their past behavior or an impactful event in their lives.”

Jason reaches his hand up to rub his forehead, suddenly selfconscious about what his word might be. Desdemona catches his nervous action and smiles to herself, deciding to keep his word to herself. The elevator doors open, and Felix pushes the button to take them up to Kade and Hazel’s room. It whizzes to the top of the building, moving so fast that Jason stumbles a little.

He watches the floors fly past as he desperately tries to stop the churning in his stomach from worsening.

“Jason, are you alright?” Felix asks, noticing his skin has taken on a distinctive green tint. Hoping Desdemona won’t pay his weak stomach any mind, Jason tries to blow off Felix’s question with a nod. However, he lets out a sigh of relief when the elevator stops, and the doors open to reveal a wooded, torchlit hallway.

The trio steps down the hallway toward the suite door that reads “DeFrates.” Felix knocks lightly. After a few moments with no response, Felix knocks again - harder this time. Again, nothing.

“I guess they’re not here,” Felix shrugs.

“But where else would they be? It’s pretty late, so they wouldn’t be eating. I guess they could be in any one of the rec rooms,” Desdemona suggests.

Felix takes a deep breath and begins to comb through the thousands of minds in the House, looking specifically for Kade’s inner conscience. Eventually, a familiar deep voice creeps into the periphery of his powers.

“I think I know where they are,” Felix announces. He begins to lead Jason and Desdemona back to the elevator, pulling out of Kade’s mind before Kade notices and lectures him about privacy once more.

“Actually, can we take the stairs this time?” Jason manages out, his stomach already turning at the idea of setting foot on that elevator again. Desdemona, stifling a laugh, nods and heads to the stairs.

After a few minutes, they reach the room where their initial training took place. With a hesitant glance at his sister, Felix 64

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pushes the heavy stone door open, only to find himself instantly blinded. He begins to itch as millipedes crawl their way up his legs, and the stench of rotting flesh invades his nose. A highpitched scream fills up the silence, making the hair on Felix’s arms stand up.

Despite the horror, in just a moment Felix realizes what’s happening. “Kade! Kade! It’s us!” Felix shouts again and again.

In response, the millipedes disappear, and a perfume of flowers replaces the stench. Beautiful sunlight overtakes the darkness.

“REALLY? WAS THAT NECESSARY?” Desdemona screams at Kade and Hazel, who rest calmly on a rock in the middle of the meadow.

Finally catching his breath, Felix rubs his head. “Geez, why didn’t you at least let us say hey before assaulting us?”

Kade chuckles sarcastically and offers his signature smirk.

“My job will always be to knock the Anchors down a peg or two.”

Hazel smacks her hand into Kade’s shoulder before getting up to give Desdemona a tight hug. “How are you?” Hazel whispers into her blonde hair.

Her question reminds Desdemona of their current situation and she fights to keep her voice steady. “We’re doing,” she answers vaguely, not really sure how she is actually doing.

“How is Kade?”

Hazel pulls away from the hug and glances back at her brother where he twiddles a blade of green grass in his long fingers. “He’s doing.” She moves on to give Felix a hug and, despite not knowing him very well, pulls Jason in for a squeeze as well.

“What are you doing here?” Kade asks, not glancing up from his grass blade. “I thought you skipped town.”

Felix and Desdemona move over to the large rock with Jason close at their heels. “We need your help. We need help from both of you,” Felix admits to Kade and Hazel. “We need you to come with us to find Jane.”

Before he even finishes, Kade begins to shake his head slowly. “If this is about getting Jinx back, count me out.”

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Desdemona lets her eyes travel to stare at her ballet flats.

“It’s not, we promise. It’s about getting the Asterian Council to help us, that’s where Jason comes in.” Jason nods toward Kade in greeting, and Kade returns the gesture as Felix begins to describe their visit to the Asterian Council. “But it can’t just be the four of us against her anymore. We thought it would be good to get other Asterians on our side before we go searching for Jane.”

“So …?” Kade’s voice trails off in question. “I’m not sure where we come in here.”

Desdemona stutters for a moment, realizing that she’s not actually sure how to answer that. “Well … I guess we just thought that you always come with us on these things.”

“And besides, it’s never too late to get some last-minute training in either!” Felix tacks on with mock excitement.

Kade lets his eyes shift from Felix to Desdemona, who nearly bounces on her toes with energy. He turns his attention to Hazel, whose tense face indicates a less than enthusiastic response. “Well, I was supposed to get my first family to train tomorrow.” Her voice trails off as she runs her hand nervously over the rock beneath her. Felix’s mouth opens in understanding.

Normally, the meadow only opens when new Asterians need training; apparently the new Asterians will be Hazel’s students.

Kade leans over to Hazel and whispers something inaudible in her ear. As he does, her expression changes from one of worry to one of determination.

“You’re right. It would be,” Hazel agrees with Kade. “But I can’t back out on this family now. Mr. Belton said I would be the perfect mentor for them.”

“We understand, Hazel,” Desdemona jumps in. “As much as we want you there, we get it.”

“And training new Asterians is a big job. It’s the future of our world,” Jason says factually. At this, Hazel can’t help but smile.

Her smile fades for a moment. “You know, I think that I’ve finally found something to set me free - really set me free - from

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Jane. To think about how I am helping by training new Asterians seems more important than any revenge plan I can conjure up.”

Kade puts his hand on her shoulder and squeezes tightly. He knows his sister is finally on track after years of separation and misery.

“Stay, Hazel. And be the best trainer the House has ever seen,” Kade smirks at his sister, standing up steadily from the rock. “As for me, I’m in. My revenge plan against Jane is too well thought out for me to leave it in the dust.”

Desdemona jumps in the air and grins from ear to ear. “We leave tonight! Get your stuff and meet us at the giant RV parked out front!” With that, Desdemona spins around on her heel and bounds to the door.

“Giant RV?” Felix hears Kade whisper to himself as they exit the meadow. Felix chuckles quietly and follows Desdemona to the elevator’s wooden door, which opens to reveal two familiar faces.

The puffy red hair and freckled skin of the French twins, Jackie and George, brings Felix back to their first day of class in Intro to Asterian Life. Despite not having seen them in months, Felix could never forget their mesmerizing power for manipulating and growing plants.

“Jackie and George! Oh, it’s so good to see you!” Desdemona coos as they enter the elevator next to the Anchor siblings.

Despite being good friends with Desdemona, Jackie does not respond with pleasantries. In fact, her stern face suggests great urgency. The minute the elevator door closes, Jackie speaks. “A little birdie told us you’re going to find Jane.”

Desdemona scrunches her eyebrows in confusion. “Yes … but how did you find out?”

Jackie circumvents the question entirely and pushes the elevator button for floor 256. This sends the elevator flying upward, which consequently sends Jason flying to the floor. “We want in. We know you’re about to leave but come talk to us for just a few minutes. We promise you won’t regret it.” The door opens to the entertainment wing and they rush out, with Jason holding his stomach behind them.

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Jackie and George lead them to a wooden door just like the rest in the hallway. However, this one has a slight yellow glow coming from underneath it, indicating an Asterian gathering.

George knocks in a quick little pattern, and the glow suddenly disappears. A few moments later, the door cracks and another familiar face, Kat Popper, peeks out. Once Kat realizes who it is, she swings the door open and ushers them inside.

Felix thanks Kat for letting them in, then turns to greet the rest of the room, expecting it to house no more than five Asterians. Much to his surprise, more than a hundred Asterians have squeezed themselves into this little rec room, packed shoulder to shoulder. They all stare at Felix.

We shouldn’t be here. Mr. Belton will expel us. Felix thinks to Desdemona as they force smiles at the awaiting Asterians.

I know, Desdemona agrees. But we need to be here. These Asterians want to help and they at least deserve to hear what we’re about.

“Aren’t you worried someone will hear?” Felix leans toward Kat and whispers.

Kat shakes her head and motions toward the glow underneath the door. “It’s a silencing charm. Mr. Belton won’t be able to hear a thing.”

Watching Felix shift his weight nervously from heel to heel, Desdemona takes the reigns. “Wow, thanks to you guys for coming out tonight …. I’m not really sure what to say. I was planning on working on this speech right after we left the House.”

A few classmates chuckle, and Desdemona feels suddenly rejuvenated. “Where are you going after you leave?” Nicole Popper, Kat’s sister, calls out from the back of the room.

This question seems to give others permission to ask their questions too, which causes the room to explode into a mess of chatter. Desdemona hears snippets of questions being thrown at them from all directions, most of which involve Jason, Jane, or the Asterian Council.

“Where is your sister?” This is the one question that Desdemona hears clearly.

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Desdemona feels the familiar hitch of pain stuck in her throat, but forcefully pushes it out of her mind. She needs to get over the nauseous feeling she gets every time someone mentions Jinx; she’ll have to talk about her a lot in the coming weeks.

“HEY!” Desdemona yells over the noise of the room.

The questions die down until Desdemona is the only one still speaking. “I can’t answer all your questions at once.”

Desdemona clears her throat to fill the silence as she decides where to begin. She chooses to take it back to the beginning.

“Last year, Felix, Jinx, and I traveled to Truchas Peak in New Mexico to face Jane Anchor, our mother, and her army of brainwashed Asterians. We defeated her, or at least we thought we did. She was weak, almost dead, until she met us underneath the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas during the final round of the Council competition.”

At this, a few of her classmates gasp audibly. Apparently, the Asterian Council has decided not to publicize the unexpected meeting between Jane and the Anchors. “Our sister brought Jane back to full health by a blood bond. Her army wasn’t very large, but we believe Jane’s army will grow.”

Desdemona tells the story of their meeting with the Asterian Council, just like they did only an hour before with Mr. Belton.

When she finishes, the room falls silent, so silent that Desdemona can hear the girl in the front smacking her gum.

“If the Asterian Council needs proof before they give you help, then why did they send him with you?” The smacking girl asks from the front with a gesture to Jason, who had been silent this entire speech.

At this one, Desdemona tries to keep herself from scratching her head in confusion. She had to admit, she didn’t quite understand why either. Lucky for them, Jason understands his purpose. “I am here to connect the Anchors with the Council and to help them as they gather evidence.” He pauses, thinking, before adding, “And I can promise that everything spoken in this room today is true. Something needs to be done.”

“We ask for your help here,” Felix speaks up for the first time since they entered the room. “This is about more than our family, more than the House, and more than the Asterian race.

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Jane wants to put Asterians on top, which means undermining our goal of protecting humans. And not only does she want to put us on top; she wants to make humans our slaves.”

Felix notices a couple of Asterians begin to shift uncomfortably in their seats as they imagine that kind of upsidedown world. He digs in his pocket, pulling out the empty bag Hilga gave them. “If you choose to help us, all we ask is that you come when we call. Come wherever we are and help us. Come, and together, we can save countless lives.”

The silence that follows is almost sickening. After several tense moments, Felix begins to wonder if their speech convinced anyone. Finally, burly George French stands up from the left corner of the rec room. He raises his hand to the ceiling and shouts, “I will come when you call.”

Jackie stands up immediately next to him and repeats, “I will come when you call.”

Desdemona feels her spirits lift and her hopes soar as Asterians, one-by-one, rise from their chairs and vow the same oath. She looks at Felix, hardly able to contain her gratitude. She now knows they’re not alone - finally, they’re not alone.

When the shouting dies down, only a few Asterians remain sitting. With renewed vigor, Jason opens the Call to Action bag to find it full of small, grey-green stones. Each is small like a skipping rock and grey like a cloudy day. Flecks of brown and green spots every few centimeters give the rocks an appearance of moss on a tree branch.

Jason empties a handful into Desdemona’s cupped palms and tells her to begin passing them around the room. She gives him a confused look, not sure where he learned to use these things, but she follows his orders.

Jason moves down the line and gives each willing Asterian a stone. “This rock is called an Eclogite. Don’t lose it because when we find out more about Jane’s whereabouts, we will use this stone to contact you. When we do, the stone will glow and a location will appear. Make sure you remember that location because it will disappear right after you look at it.”

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Desdemona passes a stone to Kat Popper, who examines it in her hand, wondering how such a plain-looking rock can have such wonderful capabilities.

“Come to the location as soon as possible and we can face Jane together,” Jason finishes handing out an Eclogite to the last Asterian and he finds the bag empty once again. Just like Hilga said, the Eclogites showed up only as needed.

“What if Mr. Belton finds out?” Abbi Popper, Kat’s sister, asks without taking her eyes off the Eclogite.

“Do everything you can to make sure he doesn’t,” Felix shrugs. “But when we finally call and you leave, Mr. Belton will probably be furious. You have to decide which is more important to you. These Eclogites don’t make you our servants; they just give you the opportunity to make a difference. It’s your opportunity for the taking.”

Suddenly, a quick rapping on the door interrupts Felix’s speech. Kat, who has acted as the gatekeeper during the meeting, warily peeks outside. Felix hears a little whispering before Kat turns to them.

“It’s for you,” Kat whispers to the Anchors, gesturing to the door. Desdemona moves to see who it is and instantly recognizes Kade’s short, black hair.

“I went out to the giant RV only to find out that it’s empty!”

Kade slings his backpack over his shoulder. “Shouldn’t we be going?”

Desdemona nods. “Give us one second.” She closes the door back to recreate the noise barrier and turns her attention back to the room. “Thank you for your sacrifice … and um … your dedication. It’ll all be worth it in the end.”

When Kade, Felix, Jason and Desdemona exit and find themselves alone in the hallway, Desdemona can hardly contain her excitement. She starts jumping up and down, stomping her feet, and quietly squealing.

“Shh,” Felix externally shushes her, but internally shouts right alongside her.

“That went so much better than expected!” Desdemona whisper screams to Felix, grabbing his arm and squeezing 71

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hard. When she finally composes herself, she squints at Jason suspiciously. “Where did you learn so much about the Call to Action bag?”

Jason clears his throat as they start down the stairs. “You forget, Mona, that the Eclogites are a Council tool and that I am actually a Council member!”

Desdemona sticks her tongue out at Jason. “You’re like a half Council member.”

Jason scoffs aloud but can’t hide his silent smile as they reach the doors to exit the House. Felix stops in his tracks and turns to look at the tower rising above them. Thinking back to the first time he entered the House, Felix realizes just how much has changed since that moment. That day, he was more nervous and confused than he had been in his entire life. Since then, the House has given him incredible confidence and understanding.

So much has changed since that first day, and he tries not to reminisce too much on his days of contentment with both of his sisters.

He feels a tug on his jacket sleeve and turns to see Desdemona urging him toward the door. “It’s alright. We’ll be back, I promise.”

She knows it’s a promise she cannot keep, but she makes it anyway.

Felix takes in the dark wood one last time before turning to follow Desdemona out of the House.

72

8 “I meant it when I said you’re going to fail if you keep doing this to your followers,” Jinx grits her teeth and tells Jane. A young Asterian no older than Jinx sobs and shakes in the corner of the room. Only five minutes earlier, the Asterian’s fingers teemed with power. Now, because of Jane’s insatiable hunger, the young girl is powerless.

Jane avoids Jinx’s gaze and shoots sparks from her hands, eagerly playing with her new power. The girl in the corner cries louder, no doubt missing the powers that have become central to her identity. “So what! I’ve got one less stupid Asterian on my team. Now I can do this!” Jane lifts her hand higher and shoots a line of white-hot sparks in Jinx’s direction. Jinx now expects this sort of outrageous reaction when she confronts Jane. She ducks quickly just as the sparks shoot over her head, causing them to race toward the earth wall behind them. As the sparks collide with the dirt, the room shakes and stirs.

Jinx rises from her crouched position and stares back at Jane, entirely unfazed.

“Dispose of her,” Jane orders the guards standing by the entrance to the doorway. They move to the girl, but Jane stops them with a flick of her hand. “Wait until we leave the room, you imbeciles.” Jane turns her attention to Jinx and urges her to follow. “Come with me, darling.”

Instead of staying close behind her mother, Jinx digs her heels into the soft ground. “I saw your victory in a vision,” Jinx says in a solemn tone. Jane stops in her tracks and turns around to face Jinx with an instantly fiery look in her blue eyes.

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“What did I tell you about keeping your visions a secret? You are supposed to tell me immediately!” Jane starts screaming, causing the girl in the corner to break into another sobbing fit.

Although Jane puts her face nearly six inches from Jinx’s face, Jinx does not move an inch and she pushes back verbally.

“This is me. Telling you. Right now. Do you want to hear it or not?”

“Or not is not an option! I can make you tell me if I want to!”

Jane retorts with another childish scream.

“But you won’t,” Jinx calls Jane out for her bluff. Jane has been known to harm her followers, but whenever Jane threatens one of the Gathered, it never comes to fruition.

Jane takes a step back from Jinx. “In my vision, I saw you standing above the Asterian Council. The Council bowed their heads in reverence to their new ruler. I saw Desdemona and Felix’s bodies tossed to the side like the stupid optimists they are. I stood next to you as we turned the world upside down to place Asterians on high.”

Jane’s face lights up, and her glare of anger instantly disappears. She pulls Jinx into a tight hug and Jinx tries not to cringe. She feels a poking and prodding deep within her head, as if a doctor poked her brain with a scalpel. Any normal person would be mortified, but Jinx knows it’s just Jane using her lie detector power.

“You’re not lying,” Jane says. “You’re really not lying. I am going to win! I am finally going to rule the Asterian World!”

She pulls Jinx into another uncomfortable hug, this one for no reason other than sheer joy and excitement. This time, Jinx keeps her arms glued to her side. When Jane pulls away, she looks at Jinx in frustration.

“Where is the excitement, J? If we’re going to do this together, I need to know that you’re all in just like me,” Jane tells Jinx in a caring tone, almost like how a nurturing mother would talk to a child she truly loves. If Jinx didn’t know better, she would believe Jane wants her there for more than just her powers.

“You made me a promise,” Jinx tries to keep her voice steady and calm.

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Jane leans back against the earthy wall in a comfortable pose, without a single care in the world. “And that is a promise I intend to keep, dear J.” “It’s a promise you have to keep!” Jinx feels her heart thumping wildly in her chest, and Jinx almost worries Jane can hear it. “If you intend to keep it, why did I see their bodies lying on the ground in my vision?”

Jane pushes herself off the wall and approaches Jinx with a swagger only she can achieve. When Jane gets close enough, she reaches her hand out and places it on the dirty cotton covering Jinx’s shoulder. “The future can change, J. You’ve said it yourself. But whose job is it to make change?” In a sudden flash, Jane shoots a line of sparks from her fingertips into the heart of the girl crouching on the floor. Her body convulses as the sparks run through her veins and she crumbles against the dirt floor.

Without an explanation, or even another word, Jane leaves the room. Jinx looks at the Asterian body lying on the dirt floor and her anger flares with renewed vigor. Although she never met this girl and doesn’t know what the girl did to anger Jane, Jinx knows she didn’t deserve to be murdered.

“Give her a proper burial.” One of the guards raises his hand, as if to protest, but Jinx stops him. “I don’t care what Jane said.

Bury her. NOW MOVE!” Jinx’s raised voice causes the guard on the left to practically jump out of his rusting armor. The guards step out of the doorway, making way for Jinx to barrel past them.

Jinx takes a right down the earth-filled corridor, not bothering to think of a destination. Since the blood bond, Jane has become unbearable to everyone under her command. Her mood swings have become increasingly unpredictable; one minute, she’ll be cold and mature, and the next she’ll be screaming and throwing a toddler’s fit. One hour, she’ll be understanding with her followers, and the next she’ll arbitrarily order twenty executions.

Jinx’s mind involuntarily wanders to her siblings, as it often does when she is alone. Oh, the look of disbelief on Felix’s face when Jinx stepped away from them and approached Jane …. Oh, the hair-raising, ear-piercing screams of Desdemona when they secured the blood bond. And Kade. Jinx tries to push Kade out of her mind every day and she fails every time. His cold, empty 75

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expression follows her with every step she takes. He trusted her. They trusted her. Jinx brought Jane back to full health and shattered the faith of everyone who ever trusted her.

The hatred they must feel for her now cannot be denied.

Jinx wishes she could make them understand … to make them understand that this is all for them.

Suddenly, a cold hand clasps onto Jinx’s clammy wrist, interrupting her thoughts. By instinct, Jinx uses her free hand to tear a knife from its sheath and raises it to her captor. Before she can react further, the hand pulls her forcefully into a slightly open door. Jinx hears the door close behind her and she raises her knife again. This time, she brings it down with force onto the hand that pulled her in, but it stops just short of his pale skin.

With the knife now hovering just above the hand of her captor, Jinx tries again to force it down, but her hand won’t budge. An Asterian in the room has frozen Jinx in place.

“We know, Jinx,” the man holding her says in an ominous tone. In frustration mixed with fear, Jinx tries to pull her knife away, but it remains stuck. Immediately trying to formulate a backup plan, Jinx takes in her surroundings. In a room that looks much like that of the Gathered, a group of Asterians surrounds a slightly crooked table. Jinx begins to count the Asterians, wanting to know how many she is up against. Five … ten … fifteen … sixteen … seventeen. Seventeen verses one. The fighting odds give her little chance. And considering someone’s powers have locked her into place, running doesn’t seem to be an option either.

“Know what?” Jinx finally addresses the strange statement of her captor, even though she already has a hunch about what he will say.

The burly man, with his brown leather jacket and scarred skin, drops Jinx’s left hand. At the same time, her frozen right hand with the knife also falls to her side. “We know you plan to defeat Jane from within.”

Jinx feels the blood pounding in her head and the drop of sweat on her forehead. How do they know? She hasn’t told a single soul. What are they going to do to her? “If you hurt me, Jane will make sure you feel triple the pain you make me feel.”

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Another Asterian stands from his seated position and looks Jinx up and down, paying close attention to the weapons on her belt. “But how much pain would she make you feel if she learned about your plan?”

Jinx’s eyes scan the room frantically, ruining her tough, calm exterior, as she desperately tries to find a way to persuade these Asterians to keep her plan quiet. “It’s …,” she starts, barely having any idea where the sentence will go.

Brown Leather Jacket breaks some of the tension by starting to laugh softly to himself. Slowly, the other Asterians join him.

The confused look on Jinx’s face continues after the laughter subsides, and Brown Leather Jacket gestures for Jinx to move away from the door. Refusing to move until she receives an explanation, Jinx keeps her feet stuck in place.

“Look, Jinx, I’m Harvey,” a second guy begins. He extends his hand to her, but she simply stares at it until he lets it fall limp like a rag doll. “We didn’t pull you in here to rat you out.”

“We want in,” a familiar, dainty red-head chimes in from the back. Jinx’s head pivots to the voice, knowing exactly who speaks in such airy tones.

“Maxine?” Jinx can’t hide her confusion. Jinx assumed Maxine, Margret’s little sister, would have safely returned to the House in Beacon Hill by now. When Jinx recognizes her stunning blue eyes and rosy red cheeks, her heart falls. Maxine wasn’t supposed to end up like her sister. “When did you join Jane?”

“Just a few days ago,” Maxine answers. “I wanted to do something, and there’s no better way to take down a ruler than from the inside.”

It takes Jinx a moment to get past Maxine’s presence to understand what they are saying. “Wait…you’re not going to tell Jane?”

Brown Leather Jacket, who says his name is Lance, nods and gestures to one of the chairs. This time, Jinx moves from her rigid position by the door and settles around the table. “What makes you think I’m planning something?” Jinx asks.

Lance rests his elbows on the table. “Katee,” Lance gestures to a petite girl near the back. “She can sense a person’s loyalty, 77

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and she knew immediately when you formed the blood bond that you had your own agenda.”

Jinx looks around at the gathering of Asterians and asks questions flooding into her mind, “How often are you guys here?

Isn’t it dangerous to meet like this while Jane’s room for the Gathered is just a few halls down? Jane would know if the room had a silencing charm.”

“We meet the same time as the Gathered meets,” Maxine explains. “As Jane fawns over her minions in there, she’s never noticed the rebellion happening just a few doors down.” Jinx, processing this, can’t help but smile. Each time Jane meets with the Gathered, in another meeting, nearby, Jane’s opponents plot her downfall. It makes hope seem just within reach.

Maxine tightens the ponytail holding her auburn locks. As she does, Jinx notices changes. The lines by Maxine’s eyes and the thin set of her lips suggest an advancing maturity beyond her years.

“Jinx, when I met you at the House, you had this hard exterior. You pretended like you didn’t really care about anyone - well, anyone besides Kade. You told yourself that you hated me because of what my sister did, but I didn’t believe that. One thing about you cracked the glass of your coldness.” Maxine pauses and Jinx feels a shiver run down her spine.

“You love Felix and Desdemona; you love them more than anyone. I know that you didn’t betray them for some selfish, power-hungry reason. You aren’t Jane …. So why? Why did you give yourself to Jane that night?”

78

9 Desdemona rolls over in her small, plushy bed, feeling the silken comforter rub against her bare arm. Streetlights fly by the reflective windows, blasting light into her room for just a second or two. Her mind wanders as she stares out the window at the passing street. Wide-awake, her thoughts run too fast for sleep.

Although Desdemona knows she should try to rest, she completely surrenders to sleeplessness and throws her comforter aside. Letting her feet curl around the soft carpet, she takes a deep breath and enters the living room, wandering toward the kitchen to raid whatever she can find in the fridge. The refrigerator light spills into the kitchen, falling on a face she hadn’t noticed on the way in.

At the sight of Jason standing by the sink, Desdemona lets out a yip of fright and drops the water bottle held loosely in her hand. Holding her hand to her chest, she takes a steadying breath. “Say something next time!”

Jason shrugs. “Sorry, I thought you knew I was here.”

Desdemona reaches down to pick up the bottle, laughing a little to herself. “What are you doing up anyway?”

“Hand me one,” Jason gestures to the water bottle and Desdemona tosses hers to him. Jason, undoubtedly not the most athletic of the bunch, fumbles it for a moment before steadying it with his other hand. “I just couldn’t sleep, I guess. Why are you awake?”

“Me too, so I came here looking for food, but then remembered that we don’t have any yet….” Desdemona lets her voice trail off awkwardly, tapping her finger against the countertop. She 79

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begins to recall her last time alone with Jason. They shared the most extraordinary kiss of her life.

Desdemona ignores her heart screaming to make another move. Instead, she grabs another water bottle and walks to the other side of the counter. “Alright … I’m just going to try to go back to sleep.” With a hesitant nod, she turns to leave, halfhoping he will give her a reason to stay.

Just before she exits the kitchen, Jason’s voice grants her wish. “Mona! Wait.” She feels his hand on her arm, sending chills up her spine. She turns around, meeting his emotion-filled eyes. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

Urging him to continue, Desdemona hesitates. When he doesn’t continue, she gives him a half-hearted smile. “You too, Jason.” Not wanting to push him to say anything more, Desdemona turns to leave again. When she reaches her room, she inches the door closed and collapses back into the sheets.

I’m glad you’re safe? Desdemona thinks to herself. That’s all he’s got after what we’ve been through?

Suddenly, Felix delivers a light poking in her mind, his way of letting his presence be known. You know, I think he meant it sincerely. He cares about your safety.

Desdemona’s jaw drops despite being alone in her room.

Felix! Seriously, you can’t keep snooping like this!

I’m sorry! When your thoughts race a million miles a minute, they’re hard to ignore. Felix pauses, letting his apology sink in.

Get some sleep, Mona. You have plenty of time to work things out with Jason.

Desdemona feels her eyes getting heavy as Felix speaks. He always seems to know just how to clear her head. Oh, I do hope things work out ….

As she tries to drift off, Felix realizes just how much her statement applies to the task at hand. The simple phrase sums up their hopes and wishes. He squeezes his eyes shut as tightly as they can go and prays - prays that everything will just … will just … work out.

Ruthie jerks to a stop at their destination so abruptly that Felix nearly pokes himself in the eye with his comb. He leans 80

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up against the window and peers out at Falls of Rough, the first official stop on their tour of Asterian training facilities. However, when he looks outside, he can’t see anything but too-tall green grass blowing in the gusty winds. Yellow dandelions spot the meadow and a few birds fly overhead, but otherwise, he sees no sign of life, and definitely no sign of an Asterian training facility.

“Hey … Are we sure we’re in the right place?” Felix asks, turning around to find Jason fumbling hopelessly with a foldable map. Squinting his eyes to read it better, he peers at it closely.

“I think we’re in Kentucky,” Jason traces his finger along the route of the RV. “And according to the Council, the center is called Horizon Hill and it’s at Falls of Rough, a small town in Kentucky.

“I’ve been here before,” Kade announces as he walks out of his bedroom for the morning. “We’re in the right place.”

Desdemona yells in from her bedroom, where she appears to be putting on one last coat of lip gloss. “I swear, we wouldn’t be able to get anywhere without Kade!”

“You two wouldn’t be able to live without me,” Kade smirks as he slips on his black tennis shoes. Felix has half a mind to open his mouth and retort before he realizes just how right Kade really is. They would be lost (and probably dead) without Kade.

Desdemona strides out of her room and forces herself to give Jason a half-smile. Things don’t have to be awkward between the two of them. After all, he has no idea she stayed up half the night pondering his four parting words that probably didn’t have any deep meaning.

“What’s the game plan?” Desdemona takes a sip of her water and, like Felix, looks out the window with an expression of confusion.

Felix reaches into his pocket and pulls out the Call to Action bag. “I guess we should probably just do the same thing we did at the House. Tell our story. If they don’t see the urgency and worth of joining the cause, we don’t need them anyway.”

Kade pulls on his jacket, cracking his neck in the process.

“I should warn you about the facility at Horizon Hill; it’s pretty different than the House.”

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“What do you mean?” Felix turns the Call to Action bag in his hand and gives Desdemona a hesitant look.

Kade opens the RV door, pointing to the empty field. “You could say they’re a little more…devoted. Yeah, devoted. That’s the right word.”

Desdemona holds back a snort, thinking his wildly unhelpful adjective has only further confused them. Suddenly, Kade opens one of the drawers in the kitchen and pulls out a halfway-torn napkin.

“Alright listen up, kiddos. There are four - well, maybe five - different types of training facilities,” Kade explains, trying to rough out a map of the United States on the napkin. After a few moments of hopeless scribbles, Kade holds the pencil out, hoping someone with an ounce of artistic ability will step in.

Jason accepts the pencil immediately. Although rushed, Jason’s talent does not go unnoticed. Holding the lead pencil like an extension of his hand, he sections off certain parts of the country.

Kade begins with the far Western region of the United States, darkly circling states like California, Utah, and Nevada. “In the West, a lot of the schools are ‘Tech Estates.’ They focus more on developing technology to help Asterians than on improving natural powers.”

His pencil travels to the Midwest, pointing at Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma with the pink eraser. “The Midwest is full of ‘Environmental Plantations,’ or schools that believe interaction with the outdoors is the most important part of power development.”

He shades in most of the Southeast. “My mom always said that these states, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, most of the Southeast, are full of training facilities like the one at Falls of Rough. A lot of them have strong religious roots.”

“Faith Centers,” Jason nods, confirming Kade’s statement.

Jason continues, coloring a black dot in central Florida, marking the exact location of his hometown and Faith Center, Gregoria.

“As you travel up north into Illinois, New York, and New Jersey,” he quickly shades in the northern-most states. “You’ll see a lot of ‘Strength Facilities,’ where they focus on hand-tohand combat.”

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“But where does that leave the House?” Felix asks, thinking about how the House seems to balance a traditional classroom setting with its mentoring program.

Kade takes the pencil back from Jason and scribbles in a few small dots around the country, one in North Carolina, Washington, Texas, Hawaii, South Dakota, and Maryland.

“There are five ‘Freedom-Formers,’ the name traditionalists use for facilities like the House. These facilities don’t focus on one theme. They provide tools to learn and students have the freedom to form their own views.”

“And this place,” Desdemona points toward the field. “Is a Faith-Center?”

“Through and through,” Kade answers her question and lazily throws the napkin into the trash can. He runs his hand through his black hair while pushing open the door to the RV. As they follow, Felix feels his eyes instantly invaded by the blinding sun, glinting off the tall grass of the meadow. It brushes against his bare legs, feeling almost like an animal, and for a moment, he worries other wildlife may be hiding in the brush.

“Falls of Rough and Horizon Hill …,” Jason mutters to himself. “I heard those names mentioned by the Council.” His voice trails off and he looks up to stare at the cloudless sky.

“Where is the training academy anyway?” Desdemona wonders as she takes in the seemingly empty bluegrass.

Kade suddenly drops to his knees in the middle of the meadow, folding his hands and dropping his head. Knowing they’ve never seen Kade pray, Desdemona and Felix can’t help but gawk. Not long after, they follow suit.

Kade begins projecting in a booming voice. “Horizon Hill, we promise that we have come to bring glory to the Father, He who gave every Asterian their gifts. We promise that we will do nothing to disgrace, dishonor, or dishearten the Lion and the Lamb. We promise we are here to serve Him, for He is the reason we are able to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

Near the end of Kade’s prayer, Felix hears a rustling, cranking sound coming from above, as a swirling, white staircase descends from the baby blue sky. Adorned with golden railings 83

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and marble steps, it seems like a walkway fit for God Himself.

Kade, proud that he remembered the prayer from so long ago, rises from his knees and approaches the staircase.

“When did you say you came here before?” Desdemona asks Kade.

“About a year before I met you. I was here on business for Mr. Belton,” Kade answers. Already knowing what to expect, Kade reaches for the gold railing and the moment the cool metal hits his fingertips, it disintegrates, replaced by a small stick railing.

As he steps onto the pristine marble, it morphs into severely chipped wooden boards. Unfazed, Kade climbs the seemingly precarious staircase.

“Woah, what happened?” Desdemona halfway shrieks as she runs to catch up.

“Are we sure this is safe?” Felix echoes his sister’s tone, testing each step before putting weight on it.

Kade ignores both questions. After a few more minutes, they reach the top of the staircase, where a door awaits their presence.

Kade leans his forehead against the door and announces, “We are here to bring Him glory.” In response, a man in a floorlength brown robe inches the door open. His green, hooded eyes practically glow from the shelter of his robe as he looks at each member of the group. The image reminds Felix of monk pictures from his European History class back in high school.

“Please, in the name of our Father, enter this sanctuary,” he speaks in a deep, yet clear, tone. It takes a few seconds for their eyes to adjust from the bright outside light to the dim candlelit entryway of the Horizon Hill Center. A small and modest space, the room lacks the grandeur of the House’s entryway. This center has no wall hangings, no hanging lights, no front desk, and no tower of floors. In fact, the foyer lacks any decoration whatsoever, just like the man’s clothes. What the entryway lacks in ornament, it makes up for in silence. Complete and utter attention-grabbing silence.

Felix pulls at the collar of his jacket, nervous and more than a little confused. For a moment, he considers speaking, but decides against it for fear of angering the man.

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After a few more moments, the man speaks again. “Welcome to our Horizon Hill Center at the Falls of Rough. I am Brother Franc. The Asterian Council told us to be expecting you sometime today.”

Felix clears his throat, having gathered the courage to get the ball rolling. “Brother Franc, I am Felix Anchor, and this is my sister, Desdemona Anchor,” Felix gestures to Desdemona, who nods respectfully. “Would it be possible for my sister and me to share a message with your students here at Horizon Hill?”

Brother Franc raises his thin eyebrows. “Felix, do you fully understand how we operate at Horizon Hill?”

Felix, taken aback by his question, tries to hide the look of bewilderment from his face. Reluctantly, he shakes his head. “I am afraid I do not, Brother Franc.”

“Then before I decide if you are allowed to speak to our pupils here, I must ensure your morals fall into line with Horizon Hill,” Brother Franc explains before gesturing with his hand.

“Please, in the name of the Father, follow me.”

An impatient Felix tries to hide his frustration while falling into line behind Brother Franc. With the clock ticking and Jane building strength, they hardly have time for a Horizon Hill tour!

Desdemona, hearing her brother’s light sigh and sensing his impatience, directs her thoughts at him. Good things take time, Felix. We have to earn their trust.

Each corner looks just as dull as the last one. They pass a library, a kitchen, and a primitive toilet (which makes Desdemona inwardly gag), before they finally reach the only door containing any sort of decoration.

At the end of the hall, a beautiful ruby-adorned door labeled “Chapel” practically glows in comparison to the other rooms. At the top of the door, a small, silver cross reflects the red shimmer.

Felix’s mind wanders back to the beautiful, yet simple, church Marcus took him to while he still lived at home. By comparison, the Horizon Hill church is magnificent.

Sunlight from Heaven streams through the magnificent stained-glass windows, casting a rainbow of colors on rows of pews. Each pew contains thick Bibles with golden-edged pages 85

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reporting the life of the man hung on the cross. A cross, nearly twenty times the size of the one on the door, hangs in the front of the room and emits bright, white light.

Brother Franc closes the ruby door behind him and speaks softly. “Where is your home training facility?”

“We are from the House in Beacon Hill, Brother Franc,” Desdemona speaks up, pulling her sweater closer to block the chilly chapel air.

“Ah, a Freedom-Former,” Brother Franc half-whispers to himself. “You see, when our Father, God in Heaven, created humans in his image, He knew He was able to watch over them from Heaven above. However, who was to help keep them physically and morally safe below on Earth? Soon after, He created a being with powers gifted from God himself that would protect the humans from the danger that lurks about the lowly Earth. As the world grew and grew in His image, He placed more Asterians on this Earth, each with a power designed to protect others.”

Brother Franc pauses for a moment, staring at the cross with a humble look of adoration. “Do you four believe in this story of creation?”

Jason, surprisingly enough, is the first to speak. “I do! My parents and I all came from Gregoria Creation Academy in Florida. I grew up hearing this every night before I went to sleep.”

Seemingly pleased with this answer, Brother Franc responds with a close-lipped smile. “I have visited Gregoria several times.

It is quite different from our facility. Here at Horizon Hill, we have refused modern-day comforts, for we need nothing in this life beyond the love of the Lord himself.”

Desdemona’s mouth opens in a perfect “O,” finally understanding the lack of any excess decoration in the hallways and on their clothes.

Brother Franc straightens up one of the Bibles in the pews.

“Before you speak to our pupils, I must determine whether your message aligns with ours.”

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Desdemona shares a worried look with Felix. She expected to walk into here and share their story just like they had in the House; she had no idea that Horizon Hill would make them think about the moral alignment of their ongoing battle with Jane.

Jason, who appears to know more than any of them about the scripture, adjusts the collar of his shirt and speaks. “Jane Anchor - Felix, and Desdemona’s mother - is trying to overthrow the Asterian Council as we speak. She plans to use Asterian powers to enslave humans and,” Jason makes air quotes with his hands. “‘Restore power to the rightful race.’ Jane completely misunderstands the purpose of Asterians, and this delusion has caused her to stray from using her powers for good. Desdemona and Felix are gathering other Asterians to prevent Jane from misusing the potential God created in us.”

Jason surprises Desdemona as he speaks. She had no idea about his religion but after listening to him speak to Brother Franc, she has no doubt about the deep roots of his faith.

“I see,” Brother Franc pauses as he stares pensively at the cross. “It is a shame that some grow so far from the Creator.

Without Him, we would not be here.”

Jason nods. “We wouldn’t be, and that is why we need your help. We would greatly appreciate your word that when the Gettysburg battle of this Asterian Civil War comes, you will be there to provide support and forces.”

“Brother Jason, I do agree that your mission is of the utmost importance to the preservation and fulfillment of the Asterian purpose,” Brother France begins in his calm, steady tone.

Desdemona feels her spirits lift, but just when she is about to turn to Felix to celebrate, Brother Franc sighs. “However, there is just one glaring problem. Your request asks us to compromise our Horizon Hill oath.”

Jason’s thin eyebrows furrow in the middle of his forehead.

“What is it? Maybe it is something we can work through.”

Brother Franc shakes his head solemnly. “I’m not sure it is, Brother Jason. We have taken an oath never to fight fire with fire. We vowed never to participate in any sort of physical or emotional violence. We cannot assist in the way you ask.”

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Desdemona can’t help but feel downtrodden, but she realizes that he’s right. Brother Franc and the others cannot truly help without participating in some sort of violence.

Kade, who has been mostly silent since they came into the sanctuary, moves his black hair out of his eyes. When he speaks, his tone hints at annoyance. “And how do you, Brother Franc, propose we stop Jane without any violence?”

The frustration in Kade’s voice glides right over Brother Franc’s head and he simply glances back at the cross with the same thoughtful expression. “That is a good question, Brother…”

“Kade,” he answers curtly. “It’s just Kade.”

“Brother Kade,” Brother Franc repeats. Desdemona notices Kade twitch slightly beside her when he says this. “I am not sure right now how we can do that. However, I will begin praying about it, and I suggest you do the same.”

Kade escalates, hardly attempting to hide his scorn. “Pray about it? What, so we can just waste our time and get no response? Sorry, Franc, but we need real solutions here.”

All three - Jason, Desdemona, and Felix - turn to Kade with an expression of disbelief. Kade has always been blunt, but to be so frank without apology to a man of power and honor about his faith? Felix, feeling his anger boil, pushes past Kade’s boundary into his mind before Kade can stop him.

Stop. Now. You aren’t doing us favors, Felix orders Kade.

Although he’s never given Kade a straight-forward, unyielding command before, there’s no better time than right now to start.

“No, I won’t stop!” At this point, Kade’s voice begins to rise. “We need realistic answers here! We need real Asterians willing to risk their lives to save the race! We don’t need some fictional, ‘praise-worthy’ guy in the sky playing chess with our lives.” With that, full of emotion and sheer anger, Kade storms out of the sanctuary, leaving the trio with Brother Franc.

Instantly, Desdemona turns to Brother Franc and begins to apologize profusely. “Wow, I cannot believe that just happened.

I am so, so sorry. We …,” she gestures to Jason and Felix. “Had no idea he would act like this. If we knew, we never would have brought him in here. I am just so-” 88

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Brother Franc raises a serene hand to stop her. Throughout this entire ordeal, his face has held the same tranquil expression.

“Sister Desdemona, it is okay. Brother Kade has misplaced his anger by directing it toward our Lord. We can only guide him in the right direction and pray for his redemption.”

A heavy silence fills the sanctuary before Felix begins digging in his pocket. After a second, his hand emerges with the Call to Action bag. He pulls an Eclogite out and offers it politely to Brother Franc. “I think it’s best if we leave you now, but I know you said our message aligns with your purpose, so I am going to give you this. If you change your mind, we would greatly appreciate any help you can offer.”

With a gentle smile, Brother Franc accepts the stone from Felix with a nod. “I will be praying for you and your allies in this essential endeavor. Never forget to let Him be your guide.”

89

10 “Can I just be the first to say, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?” Desdemona throws Ruthie’s door open, her tone dripping with ferocity. She quickly scans the room for Kade but comes up empty. “Geez, he doesn’t even have the guts to face us after what he did. And he’s supposed to be the brave one.”

“There will be other schools to visit, ones willing to help us,” Felix tries to keep his tone steady but mature, knowing that Desdemona hates it when he patronizes her.

Desdemona throws her hair out of her face and turns around.

“But they could have offered to help us! Maybe they would’ve been our greatest allies if Kade hadn’t completely lost his mind and offended their entire belief system!”

“Or they might not have helped us. They could’ve rejected us even if Kade hadn’t done what he did,” Felix reminds Desdemona. “I think you should take a deep breath and calm down.”

Desdemona shoots Felix an incredulous look. “Gosh, do you even care about what we’re doing here? Would it kill you to show some emotion every now and then? Not everything has to be rationalized to fit into your perfect picture of this messed up world!”

Just as Kade did moments earlier, Desdemona stomps away from the RV into the woods surrounding the meadow.

“We should probably go find her. There’s no telling what’s in those woods.” Felix gestures toward the forest.

Heading the way through the same set of trees Desdemona entered just a minute earlier, Felix and Jason search for 90

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Desdemona. Felix tries to extend his powers to search for Desdemona’s thoughts. She’s never been too good at blocking him out, and with his Embellishment, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out the right direction. The green and brown of the deciduous vegetation surrounds them as they leave the meadow behind. Trying desperately to focus on her airy conscience, Felix begins to hear snippets of thoughts here and there.

Continuing in the same direction, Felix looks back to confirm Jason remains behind him. Before he can push pause, a nagging question tumbles out of his mouth. “Hey, do you think I try to rationalize things too much?”

Taken aback by his frankness, Jason gulps and tries to weasel his way out of answering. “I mean, I don’t know entirely because I haven’t been here long.…” When Felix remains silent, obviously waiting for him to continue, Jason realizes he won’t be able to entirely circumvent the question.

“It’s understandable why you try to be so practical. It’s obvious you’ve got some headstrong, impulsive people in your life.”

Felix takes a moment, his mind flipping through the faces of his strong-willed family and friends. “I’ll say.”

“But with that being said,” Jason clears his throat slightly.

“It wouldn’t hurt to remind them that you know and understand what they’re feeling.”

“I feel all the anger and frustration and fear they do, but someone has to try to think of the next step without running off into the forest.” Just as he says this, Desdemona’s voice in his head gets louder, and Felix holds his hand up to silence Jason.

This conversation will have to wait until they find Desdemona and finish damage control.

After a few more paces, Desdemona’s thoughts become louder and louder. Felix and Jason come across a wall of hanging lichen blocking their previously clear pathway.

“Why are they glowing like that?” This time, Felix hears Desdemona’s voice outside his own head just a few feet ahead of them through the vegetation. Pushing the lichen to the side, Felix finds yet another clearing, this one much smaller than the 91

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one hiding the entrance to the Horizon Hill facility. A small pond, with water that sparkles despite the obvious cloud and tree cover above, takes up most of the opening. Desdemona and Kade bend over something that appears to cast a white light across the water.

Desdemona sees Felix and Jason waiting hesitantly just beyond the lichen and waves them over. Felix and Jason both share an uneasy glance, taken aback by the sudden shift from emotional outburst to welcoming invitation. Felix takes a few steps closer to the pond, the damp forest floor squelching under his boots as he gets a better look at the object enthralling Kade and Desdemona.

Squinting slightly, Felix’s eyes focus on a bed of dark purple flowers emitting a beautiful white light, illuminating the dark forest.

“Hyacinths,” Jason states, didactically.

“What?” Kade, Desdemona, and Felix ask in near unison.

Jason stares thoughtfully at the flowers before offering an explanation. “Hyacinths. I learned at Gregoria that in old Christian-based artwork, they symbolized … peace of mind.”

“That still doesn’t explain why it’s glowing. It must have some sort of power on it.” Kade points out. Desdemona reaches her hand out to touch the flower, but Kade smacks the back of her palm out of the way in an instant. “Mona, you know better than to just go around messing with Asterian enchantments.”

“I know, but I just feel kind of drawn to it.” Desdemona explains quietly, cocking her head to the side as she watches the flowers glitter like diamonds.

“Didn’t you learn anything in our training?” Kade asks, halfheartedly. “That’s exactly what whoever created this wants you to think.”

Given their swing of emotions, Felix fears this statement will tick Desdemona off. Instead of losing her temper, she sticks her tongue out at Kade and playfully retorts, “Well maybe if you were a better teacher, you wouldn’t have to remind me like that!”

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Snorting, Kade calmly rises from his squatted position.

“Alright, we should probably get back to Ruthie if we want to hit the center in Chicago by tomorrow morning.” Desdemona gets up too, dusting off her athletic shorts.

Jason remains, still enchanted by the hyacinths. He reaches down to the stems of several particularly vibrant flowers and picks them straight from the bed. The flowers stop glowing almost immediately, but Jason doesn’t seem fazed. Instead, he quietly slips them into his pocket.

“C’mon, weirdo, we’ve got to go,” Desdemona summons Jason and gestures to Felix and Kade ahead of them. Jason casts another look at the bed of fuchsia hyacinths, a look filled with longing.

Nearly as soon as the four of them settle back into Ruthie, Desdemona pauses to ponder how the forest brought tranquility.

What did you guys talk about before Jason and I got there?

Felix intrudes into Desdemona’s thoughts, not wanting to speak out loud in front of everyone.

Desdemona shrugs. Nothing, really. We spent most of the time looking at those glowing flowers.

Then why the sudden change in mood? You were ready to chew him out when you ran away. Felix pauses, avoiding Desdemona’s face. And you already chewed me out before that.

Desdemona unconsciously rubs her eyes, clearing her head.

I don’t know. As we looked at those flowers, I remembered Kade has his own battles both inside and out just like we do. His battles caused him to make a mistake. I know he won’t let it happen again, and one mistake isn’t going to ruin our cause.

Desdemona’s thoughts stop as she wonders how to address the second part of his statement. Uncomfortable, she twiddles her fingers in her lap. I really am sorry for that, Felix. Your reasoning helps keep us alive.

It’s okay, Mona. Your spirit keeps us going when things get tough. Felix puts his hand on his sister’s shoulder and gives her a half-smile. Just know that I can be spirited, too.

Oh, I know you can. You certainly are spirited about your Harry Potter books! Desdemona laughs aloud at this one and 93

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Felix uses his free hand to punch his sister in the arm only a little harder than normal.

“What’s so funny?” Jason looks up from his sketchbook, turning his head between the two siblings.

Kade saunters in from the kitchen and playfully sneers.

“They’re just having one of their secret mind conversations.

They happen pretty often, so get ready to be confused and out of the loop.”

Jason averts his gaze from the siblings and stares into the distance. His thoughts wander to how Jane preyed on his weakness by promising to resurrect his sister Julia. “At least they have each other.”

Felix and Desdemona share a knowing glance because they do have each other, and most people don’t get that lucky. Even when tempers flare, they will have each other. Together, they have a chance to overcome the scars Jane inflicted. Most of all, they will need each other to face their sister again.

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11 Jinx tries to force down the lump in her throat as she stares blankly at the little redhead. For the first time in a long time, someone has put Jinx on the spot. Maxine finally asked the ultimate question, and Jinx finds it nearly impossible to know where to begin.

Jinx takes in all the eyes of rebellion staring back at her and all the ears of rebellion wanting to hear her story – all of them ready to back her up if she tells it right. Although it could lead to grave consequences, Jinx knows one thing. No more lies. Not to them.

Jinx opens her mouth to finally start, steadying herself with a shaky breath. Before she can get the first word out, an older woman at the back of the room interrupts, “Oh, hold on, let me project it!” The woman rises from her seat and slowly shuffles to the front of the room. No one seems concerned or confused by the woman’s exclamation, except for Jinx, who apparently lacks a vital piece of information here.

The woman stands directly by Jinx’s side. Jinx watches in awe as a bright white light projects on the stone wall. “Go ahead, sweetie,” the woman urges Jinx. “Speak and your story will tell itself.”

Hesitating, Jinx opens her mouth and as she begins, she sees her own face appear like a painting on the earthy wall. The painting shifts and morphs as her story develops, laying every bitter detail bare.

“I guess it really started during the first phase of the competition, when Desdemona, Felix and I were at the M&M 95

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Museum looking for the figurine,” Jinx starts, watching as the paint slithers across the wall, slowly developing into a perfect image of the museum from that day. The image shows the Anchors going up to the second-floor theatre when a man in a black hoodie bumps into Jinx. In the painting, Jinx doesn’t take much notice of it and apologizes swiftly, although the man does not acknowledge her. Jinx remains too focused on the task at hand to pay much attention to a random man in a crowded museum.

“But…when we got back to the hotel room that night, I noticed something in my jacket pocket.” The bright colors of the museum swirl around, blending together to reveal yellow walls in the Caesar’s Palace bathroom. A tired Jinx closes the door, sealing her activities from her sibling’s prying eyes. Jinx reaches into her jacket and she retrieves a crumpled, torn piece of parchment. In shaky, child-like scribble, a note is addressed to Jinx.

Thursday night, 3:00 a.m. 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd.

Alone. You don’t want to know what will happen if you don’t abide.

All the love, J. “I really didn’t want to know what would happen and I didn’t want to put Felix and Desdemona in danger. I recognized the address from a vision I had a few days before, and I decided to go alone.”

The paint on the wall instantly strips, only to be slapped back on, this time depicting Jinx in the dilapidated hotel room.

At first, she is alone in the darkness. The scuffling of rat claws on the dusty hardwood floor fills the air.

Two figures drift out from the shadows. Jinx instantly recognizes the beautiful red locks of Margret but does a doubletake when attempting to identify the woman beside her. So thin her ribs poke out from her cotton shirt, Jane’s frailty shocks Jinx.

Apparently not even a woman with dozens of Asterian powers can recover, unfazed, from a near-death encounter.

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“Jane, weak as she was, turned my powers against me. In a vision, she showed me her version of what the future of the Asterian world could be like if I followed her.” Behind Jinx’s open eyes, images of Asterians and humans living in perfect, balanced harmony take her breath away. Asterians live freely and openly, using their powers in everyday situations to make humans’ lives simpler. Humans, grateful for Asterians’ boundless generosity, raise Asterians up in society. The entire scene teems with freedom, respect, and gratitude that many Asterians secretly want as thanks for their deeds to the universe.

“But deep down I knew this was a lie. Jane didn’t have any intention of creating an equal world for humans and Asterians.”

The shadows of the hotel room fade and reveal the elevator that connects the underground of Caesar’s Palace to the lobby. Jinx has Maxine backed up against the wall of the elevator, grilling her about how she came to arrive in Las Vegas. When Maxine tells her what little information she knows, Jinx realizes she must do something to stop, or at least hinder, Jane’s recovery.

“Fargui, one of Jane’s minions, found me before I found Jane at her new headquarters.” The brush strokes go dark once more, only lightening enough for everyone to watch as Fargui led Jinx down to Jane’s new Headquarters below Treasure Island.

“I basically had no plan when I got down there and Jane knew it. She used my lack of preparation to scare me. To show me what would happen if I didn’t join her ….” Jinx’s face distorts as a new, far-worse image begins dancing behind her open eyes.

Felix and Desdemona sleep alone in the hotel room, each in their beds. A squeaking door hinge alerts Jinx that something isn’t quite right. A flash of bright blue eyes and fiery red hair clue her in on the presence of their friend-turned enemy, Margret.

Margret inches her way toward Felix’s bed, tiptoeing lightly, careful not to wake him up.

“She …,” Jinx gulps, feeling her heart beating inside of her chest. “She used her power of persuasion over boys to pit Felix against Desdemona, but the worst part was ….” Jinx wills the tears welling in her eyes to recede as she watches Margret lean close over her brother and whisper sweetly into his ear. At one point in time, Felix believed Margret might be the one for him.

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That is, until she turned her back on them and sided with the woman who wanted nothing more than to see them dead.

“She didn’t even give Desdemona a chance.” Tears disobey Jinx’s command and fall freely as she watches her brother rise from the sheets, still dressed in his blue boxer shorts. Under Margret’s sick control, he reaches under the bed frame for his sword, the same one he paired with on one of their first days of training at the House. Jinx feels her chest constrict as Felix, his face void of emotion, closes the small distance between him and Desdemona’s sleeping form. The sword gleaming green from the light of the hotel room cable box, Felix lifts it deftly, only to bring it down in one swift motion onto his own sister’s thin, vulnerable neck.

Just like she did the first time she watched this unfold, Jinx feels as if she is going to puke. Clutching her stomach, she forces herself to look away from the woman’s projection to focus on telling the story. No matter how much pain it causes her, they must know the depth of Jane’s wickedness.

The picture begins to bleed angry red as Desdemona’s eyes shoot open. She grips wildly at her throat, turning her perfectly manicured hands a fresh, bold crimson as blood flows freely from the gash. At first, Felix’s expression shows only confusion as he notices the weapon in his hand. Then, as he hears his sister wheeze, choking on her own blood, panic overtakes Felix. Sheer panic. He drops to his knees in front of her and uselessly cups his hand around her throat in a hopeless attempt to stop the bleeding. When the flow only seems to intensify, he grabs the white sheet of her bed and ties it loosely around the wound.

But even he knows it’s a futile endeavor as the blood soaks through the sheet in mere seconds, dying Desdemona’s beautiful blond hair red. Desdemona gasps and coughs, desperately trying to find oxygen where it seems like there is none. Her soft, watery eyes are full of pain, fear, and betrayal as she turns her head slowly to look at Felix. She doesn’t need to say anything. The oozing wound and her expression say it all. How could you?

It isn’t long before Desdemona’s betrayed eyes gloss over and her skin becomes as white as the sheets used to be. As she draws a last, wheezing breath, Felix collapses over his sister’s 98

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body, overtaken by grief and sorrow. Felix’s sobbing fills the room.

“Felix couldn’t bear the thought that he killed our sister. He knew he couldn’t live with himself, so he…he just didn’t.” Jinx forces herself to keep her eyes steadily focused on her feet as Felix drops to his knees on the floor, running his hands over the floor looking for something like a madman. It isn’t long before he finds what he’s looking for. The sharp blade of his sword cuts the skin of his hand when it makes contact, but he doesn’t cry out. It won’t matter in a few moments. Dragging himself to his feet, Felix takes one final look at Desdemona’s body, red as the sunset. Without hesitation, he plunges the sword into his chest.

Staggering for only a moment, his face shows no pain - only peace - as his body collapses next to his sister’s.

Jinx pauses for a minute, letting the weight of her story and the paintings on the wall do the work for her. The room falls into silence, except for shaky breaths and the occasional drip of her tears on the floor. She feels just as empty, just as sick, as she did when Jane first showed her the fate of her siblings. Although Felix and Desdemona can push her buttons, they, Kade, and Hilga are all she has in this world. She would do anything, including giving her life, to keep them safe.

“Jane showed me what was going to happen if I refused.

She said that if I joined her, she would not only let my brother and sister live, but she would appoint them as a liaison between humans and Asterians under her regime. She said they would still get to use their powers for good.”

A stubby black-haired Asterian snorts from the middle of the crowd, knowing Jane has a habit of making empty promises.

Instantly, Jinx sneers at him and defends herself through gritted teeth. “Well, would you have let your siblings die?” Instantly, the Asterian lets his eyes fall to his lap with the slightest shake of his head. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“Jane helped me through the final round of the Asterian Council competition, always a voice in my head when we were stuck. She wanted to make sure we made it safely down to her headquarters.” The paint begins moving again, showing Jinx 99

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sprouting off ideas fed to her by Jane, ideas that most assuredly were essential to their success when they arrived at Treasure Island. The cut on her finger, the translation of the rune, the defeat of the fear-inducing dulia. Without Jane, the Anchors probably would’ve ended up lost or dead in the tunnels under Treasure Island.

“When we finally got down to Jane’s temporary headquarters…,” Jinx gulps, pausing as the painting depicts the crowd filling Jane’s throne room. For a moment, Jinx feels like she can’t continue. To hear Desdemona’s screams again. To see Felix’s pained expression again. To stare into Kade’s unfeeling eyes again. Jinx forces herself to look away, knowing she cannot bear to relive the most gut-wrenching moment of her life. She knows what the projection shows as she tells every brutal detail of her betrayal; there is no need to watch.

“Jane told me about the blood bond during our second meeting, but I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. If I’m being honest, I still don’t really understand it,” Jinx explains. The painting depicts her bloody hand gripping Jane’s willingly sliced throat, healing her wounds and strengthening her spirit simultaneously. At this point, Jinx takes a deep breath, having finished her story. She has nothing more to say. After all, most of these Asterians were all there to watch Jane’s healing unfold in real-time. The woman’s powers wipe the painting away, leaving the dusty, pale brown wall in its place.

The group sits in stunned silence. They remember Desdemona’s last words to Jinx. Goodbye, Jinx. The words repeat themselves in Jinx’s head, just as they have every day since the day her brother and sister left. Goodbye, Jinx. Goodbye, Jinx. Goodbye, Jinx. Desdemona hadn’t even used her nickname like she always did. Goodbye, Jinx.

“Jinx? Jinx? Are you okay?” Maxine’s sugary voice breaks through Jinx’s tortured thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

Ironic, how a girl who can see the future has been living so much in the past since that day.

Jinx snaps her eyes back from the dirt floor, scanning the room with a heartbroken expression. She notices several of the 100

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Asterians nodding along sympathetically. For a moment, the corners of her mouth turn up ever so slightly into the shadows of a smile. She’s never told anyone the full story before. Sharing details with an understanding group brought pain, alongside the catharsis of lifting a heavy weight she’s been carrying.

A lanky, plain girl from the corner of the room clears her throat and rises from her chair, speaking like she’s reading from a textbook. “A blood bond is when a familial relative heals another by mixing the healthy and tainted blood. Because the blood of another now runs through their veins, the two connect with one another forever. Consequently, one cannot kill the other.”

“Wait,” Jinx holds up her hand, squinting. “Is this like Harry Potter where they can’t kill Voldemort without killing Harry too?” Although Jinx has never read the books, she has spent enough time around Felix to understand the ending. The thought of him spewing off nerdy facts almost makes her smile. Almost.

The girl shakes her head. “No, it means that no matter what you do to one another, you cannot inflict physical injury to the point of death.”

Jinx lets her eyes fall to the floor again, not quite sure what to do with this information. On one hand, Jane couldn’t kill Jinx even if she wanted to. On the other, Jinx can’t kill Jane, which means someone else will have to do it. For a split second, Jinx wonders if Jane knew this fact before making the blood bond, but she brushes the stupid question away. Of course, Jane knew.

I guess it was just a price Jane was willing to pay, Jinx thinks to herself.

Jinx turns her attention back to the crowd. “So, I’ve told you my story. Now tell me yours. What are you? Who are you?”

Harvey, who appears to be a leader for the group, stands and chuckles slightly. “That’s a question we’re still trying to answer.

When Maxine joined Jane, she did some digging to find others skeptical about Jane’s authority. Carefully, she hand-picked us one by one, risking her head with every conversation.”

Harvey glances back at Maxine with a poignant smile, and his gaze lingers just long enough to suggest there’s something more to be said between them. “Since we meet at the same time 101

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as the Gathered, we call ourselves the Scattered. But we all know that to have a fighting chance, we need your help. And your brother and sister’s too.”

At the mention of Felix and Desdemona, Jinx shakes her head furiously. “You saw their faces when I went to Jane. There’s no way they will help me now, rightfully so.”

“We have a plan to make them believe you,” Maxine stands, butting into the conversation to persuade Jinx.

However, Jinx cannot be persuaded. Especially on this subject. She grits her teeth, letting a ruthless scowl cross over her face. “I gave myself to Jane to protect them, and now you want me to go behind Jane’s back and tell them that? Sounds like a perfect way to get them killed.” Jinx’s expression falls and in a meek voice so quiet they can barely hear, she whispers.

“And besides, it’s useless. I betrayed them.”

Maxine purses her lips, searching Jinx’s forlorn demeanor.

“What Jane doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

At this, Jinx can’t help but snort. “I’ve had my fair share of trying to hide things from Jane and let me tell you, it doesn’t work.” With Jane’s patchwork quilt of powers, there isn’t much that goes unnoticed when she knows where to look. “On that same note, I’d say you have a few days before Jane finds out about your little meetings, and I’d rather not be a part of it when she does.”

Harvey gestures to Lance with a tip of his head. “We have a shield. Lance can selectively block off certain thoughts and events from Jane’s powers.”

“That’s doesn’t seem so foolproof to me,” Jinx points out, imagining the massacre that will occur if Lance’s shield fails even for a second. Deciding she’s done with this conversation, Jinx turns away from the crowd with the intent of leaving. She tries to open the door but finds it locked. Jinx pushes her short hair out of her eyes, too embarrassed and irritated to face the group again.

“This is your decision, Jinx,” Maxine reminds her. As she does, Jinx hears the door unlock. “But the blood bond has made one thing clear: you can’t do this by yourself.”

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Jinx throws the door open and practically stomps back the way she came in. She finds the hallways to be mostly abandoned, except for one too-familiar swish of red hair. Before Jinx can identify the figure, she turns a corner and runs smack into her old “friend.”

“Jinx!” Margret practically shrieks, for a moment sounding like her old self at the House. Jinx mentally slaps herself, killing that line of thought. There was no “old” Margret. She has been with Jane since the very beginning.

“Margret,” Jinx lets her name slip through clenched teeth. In front of Jane, Jinx tries to be civil with Margret, even friendly.

Here and now, however, there are no spying eyes to monitor her behavior.

Margret coughs slightly, clearing her throat and brushing off her expression of surprise. “What are you doing down here still?

The Gathered meeting ended twenty minutes ago.”

For a split second, Jinx panics. Margret’s caught her in the act. She has no excuse to be wandering around these hallways so long after the Gathered have dispersed. But then again, neither does Margret. Jinx’s eyes turn to slits. “What are you doing down here? The Gathered meeting ended twenty minutes ago.”

Using her own words against her, Jinx mocks Margret in a highpitched tone.

Margret lets out a frustrated breath, hating how Jinx can always grind her gears. “I’m on official business for Jane, if you must know.”

For a minute, Jinx considers lying and telling Margret that she is also there on official business. Before the words can slip out, she bites her tongue. If Margret went back to Jane, there would be no arguing her way out of this one. The Scattered’s identity would no longer be hidden and the massacre Jinx mentioned would come much sooner.

“I’m just trying to clear my head,” Jinx lets her gaze fall from the shorter girl, letting Margret believe she was in control of the conversation. “It’s quiet down here.”

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and waves Jinx on with her hand. “Go clear your head in your room instead. You have no place here outside of the Gathered.”

Jinx nods slowly in agreement and slips past Margret’s shoulder, being careful to keep a safe distance between the two of them. When Jinx turns the corner, she lets out a shaky breath.

Although she feels no threat from Margret herself, she fears what Jane would do to Jinx if Margret gave her a reason. Jane can’t kill Jinx, but that doesn’t mean Jane can’t inflict pain. There are fates worse than death.

Jinx arrives at her quarters and climbs under her scratchy excuse for a blanket. Her ever-active mind decides it has ideas other than sleep for the night, pulling her into a vision-like dream of the future.

Jinx recognizes the vision instantly. She stands atop a golden bridge, overlooking a bustling city of Asterians and humans.

Sun beams down on the capital, casting it in beautiful rays of harmony. She looks closer at the citizens and notices fire-affinity Asterians creating beautiful glassware in the manufacturing hub. Asterians with water-related gifts manipulate puddles on the ground to produce a playground of fountains for children, Asterian and humans alike. Those with green thumbs ripen the fruits and veggies in the market to the perfect degree.

The serene atmosphere, the smiling faces, the free Asterians.

This is exactly what Jane showed her when they first met in Las Vegas. This is exactly what Jane promised.

Frustrated with Jane’s mind games, Jinx turns her back on the city and searches for Jane. Whenever Jane manipulated her vision before, she always lurked in the background, feeding off Jinx’s reactions.

But this time, she is alone.

This time, the vision is her own.

Knowing there must be a reason for her to experience this vision of the future, she forces herself to be more vigilant. She must be missing something. Turning back to the city, her eyes focus on a beautiful, glittering building - no, a palace - to her left. Golden just like the bridge, the palace reaches toward the 104

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silky blue sky in spirals of yellow. Wide-open, giant glass doors welcome anyone who wishes to visit.

Although the doors beckon to her, Jinx resists the urge.

Something inside Jinx hints that the secret to this vision lies outside the palace walls.

Turning her attention back to the buzzing city, Jinx begins to feel annoyed. Normally, her visions show her exactly what she needs to see. Why is it that now she must search an entire city for it?

With a grunt, Jinx decides to descend the steps on the side of the bridge into the city. At the bottom, she enters a beautiful garden. Red roses, white lilies, and green vines wrap their way around hedges. She stops for a moment and allows herself to take in the purest, most refreshing fragrance of her young life.

Although her heart wants to linger in the garden, she trudges onward.

After five more minutes of walking, she finally dives into city craziness. People bump into her shoulders left and right, but she can’t bring herself to be bothered by anyone. The contagious smiles of happy citizens uplift Jinx. A trio of Asterians not much younger than her kick a soccer ball around with super-human speed and accuracy. Free and joyful. That’s what they are.

She continues a gleeful stroll through the city, feeling lighter and more worry-free than ever. How wonderful and easy it would be to live in a world like this, a world where she worries about nothing except the price of fresh produce. A world where humans accept and encourage Asterians, with no hiding behind a shroud of secrecy.

For a few moments, Jinx breathes in the crisp, morning air and allows herself to believe in this reality.

As she walks through the open pathways of the vibrant market, a bushel of apples tumbles from a cart and interrupts her fantasy. She brushes it off as an accident; someone must have rushed to the stand and bumped into the apple basket on their way. No real harm, no foul. However, something about the look on the apple seller’s face makes Jinx do a double take.

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The seller does not appear to just be annoyed. Rather, his nose scrunches in an expression of deep-rooted anger and hatred.

It only takes a second for Jinx to find the man who bumped into the stand. Another market vendor, shorter and much stockier, with tattered, frayed apron edges, sparks a look that matches the seller: fury, mixed with a hint of … jealousy?

Jinx lingers in the middle of the market, spying on the feuding pair as the seller picks up his apples one by one. He rolls each one over in his calloused palm, slowly healing the bruises sustained in the fall.

Instantly, Jinx understands the jealousy. The Asterian can create pristine produce, not having to throw a single apple away because of his power. The human cannot.

Unsettled by the dispute, Jinx continues moving down winding alleys and streets. She immediately notices raised voices behind closed doors and senses whispered gossip from envious lips. People glare at one another across crowded street corners.

Even if Jane intends to create this world, it would be far from perfect. The closer Jinx comes to arriving back at the beautiful golden bridge, the easier it becomes to notice the scratches and cracks hidden underneath its shiny façade. It’s only a matter of time before it crumbles.

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12 Ruthie rumbles along a seemingly endless stretch of highway.

Acres of flat land whiz by the windows, home to nothing but miles and miles of corn. Except for the occasional silo and barn dotting the horizon, Indiana provides little entertainment when it comes to highway scenery.

Sketching a route with his pen, Kade sets his sights on getting at least one of each type of training center to join the cause. Hopefully, after the first school realizes the importance of fighting Jane’s rise to power, they will work to convince others of the same. A domino-effect.

Jason, propped up against the leg of the coffee table, uses the fine lead of his pencil to sketch. Every now and then, he’ll cast a glance at Desdemona just to make sure he’s drawing her features as accurately as possible. He knows he can never do her justice, but he can find nothing and no one else he would rather spend hours studying.

Desdemona, oblivious to Jason’s form of silent flattery, rests her eyes next to Felix, who has lost himself in yet another YA fantasy fiction book series. Desdemona stopped trying to keep up with his latest nerd novel fix a while back, and instead has settled for trying to clear her mind.

Jason, who appears to be an ever-increasing romantic distraction for Desdemona, is just that: a distraction. There’s no place for flirty glances and stolen kisses here, not while Jane is on the rise. Maybe after, but that is something Desdemona knows she can deal with if this mess ever ends. No, not if. When.

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Jane, albeit deserving of more attention and energy than the other two, produces moments of crippling fear within Desdemona’s mind. Desdemona knows she must be strong to face Jane again, but her thoughts dwell on each time Jane exploited her weaknesses. Her fingers brush along the stillpresent scar Jane seared into her skin on Truchas Peak, forever marking previously flawless skin. Desdemona won’t let that happen again. It will not happen again.

And then there is Jinx, a shadow in the back of her mind, almost like a steady headache that persists despite proper medication. There might be times when she doesn’t really notice the pressure, but it’s always there. In the silence, in the quiet, it becomes louder and heavier than ever.

Just as the sun begins to set over the cornfields, Kade strides in with his marked-up map flapping against his chest. Kade slaps his map on the table with an intense look in his eyes.

“While you’ve been sitting as this RV drives us to the Wyler Ward Strength Facility in Chicago, I’ve been mapping out a plan.

I’d like to hit at least one of every type of school. We should hit the Environmental Plantation in Kansas and then a Tech Estate in California.”

Just as Kade is about to continue explaining his plan, a faint flash of light shows through the thin paper of the country map.

Kade lifts the map off the coffee table, confused, only to find alltoo-familiar symbols etched into the light wood.

“A rune,” Felix states, matter-of-factly. He runs his fingers over the curvy figures, furrowing his brow as he reaches back to his training from the House, translating it in his head.

It only takes Jason a moment to read the rune. He always excelled in Asterian Runes class at Gregoria, which is lucky for him since he now has the power to create them as a Council member. “Mrs. Tary wants to have a conversation with us as soon as possible.”

Desdemona, Felix, and Kade share a heavy look. As soon as possible? Has something about their arrangement changed?

Dozens of questions flow through their silence, but Jason wastes no time. He shuts his eyes tightly, causing his eyebrows to pull 108

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themselves closer to his eyelids. Breathing deeply, he places his hand on the surface of the coffee table and imagines Mrs. Tary’s office. He focuses his attention on the surface of her desk, just beside the picture of her and her husband.

Desdemona leans over and whispers to Felix, who matches her expression of confusion. “What is he doing?” Desdemona’s murmur must still have been too loud because Jason replies, his voice monotone and steady. “I’m creating a Rune.” Trying to regain his focus and picture his message, Jason begins to mentally scribe the rune on the surface of the desk. He pictures each symbol, writing it neatly and methodically. After the entire message has been placed and scribed correctly, he silently gives it permission to appear.

Jason opens his eyes to find both Desdemona and Felix with their eyes wide and their brows furrowed.

“I thought Asterian Runes were only for ancient and cryptic messages Council members use to warn Asterians about danger?”

Felix questions, recalling their time spent in their Asterian Runes class at the House.

Jason laughs slightly, the corners of his mouth turning up sweetly. “That’s their original intent and really, that’s how they’re usually used. But between members of the Council, sometimes it’s quicker to use a rune. Besides, if it’s something urgent, a rune almost always gets their attention.”

“So it is something urgent?” Desdemona worries, flashing her mind through all the questions she pondered over just a few minutes before.

Jason’s previous smile fades to a look of concern as he notices Desdemona’s worry. He stutters. “I mean, not necessarily, But … probably.” He clears his throat, trying to tear his eyes away from Desdemona and focus on the task at hand. “I told Mrs. Tary she can contact us whenever she gets the chance, as it doesn’t seem that we’ll be doing anything but riding until we get to Chicago.”

“Does the rune appear right after you put it there or …?”

Kade asks, cocking his head to one side. Kade never became proficient with Asterian Runes.

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Jason shrugs. “It appears whenever I tell it to. I can scribe the rune and then let it sit for however long, or I can let it show immediately like I just did.”

“What did you tell her …?” Felix’s voice trails off as Ruthie’s lights start to flicker, casting the RV in darkness. They flash on for a split second before shutting off entirely. Instantly, an electric blue light fills the living area. The rays of light bend and twist, forming a familiar thin figure in seconds. Even her deep brown eyes show through in the hologram of Mrs. Tary that looks out upon the living room.

“Mrs. Tary, thank you for speaking with us. Welcome,” Felix speaks out confidently, keeping his voice steady as he shoots his sister and friend a silencing glare.

Mrs. Tary scans the room with eyes like slits, not even acknowledging Felix’s greeting. “You four seem comfortable there.”

Desdemona, her eyebrows raised, makes eye contact with Jason. He’s the one who told Mrs. Tary they were ready to talk, so he should be the one to carry the meeting.

Jason scratches his cheek nervously. Although they both serve as Council members, the power difference between the two could not be more obvious. The prestigious tilt of her chin insinuates that Mrs. Tary, the Council head, will forever see herself as being superior to Jason, the Asterian Council’s newest recruit.

“You mentioned you had something to tell us as soon as possible. Is everything alright?” Jason asks, trying to hide the slight tremble in his voice.

Mrs. Tary clicks her tongue, nodding, “Ah, yes. I recently received contact from Brother Franc from Horizon Hill about your visit.”

Desdemona gulps so loudly she’s worried Mrs. Tary can hear her even through the projection. Brother Franc no doubt told Mrs. Tary about Kade’s … incident. She has no idea how Ms. Tary will respond to this behavior, but she’s pretty sure there will be consequences.

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Just as Desdemona feared, Mrs. Tary presents a wicked glare.

“We heard about Mr. Defrates’ shocking, disturbing behavior.

The Asterian Council supports Brother Franc, and any further disrespect will not be tolerated.”

Felix lets his attention fall on Kade, who he assumes will respond with a heartfelt, sincere apology. But his assumption is incorrect. Kade presses his lips together in a blatant refusal to acknowledge Mrs. Tary’s admonition.

“We are extremely sorry for what happened at Horizon Hill,” Felix butts in after realizing Kade plans on saying nothing to make up for his actions. “Emotions ran hot and things got out of hand. It will not happen again.”

While Felix speaks, Mrs. Tary does not offer even a nod in his direction. Instead, she stares daggers at Kade. “The apology is not yours to give, Mr. Anchor.”

Desdemona elbows Kade in the ribs. Even if Kade stands by his treatment of Brother Franc, it wouldn’t hurt to fake an apology. Not giving Mrs. Tary what she seeks right now could cost them the Council’s support. In the long run, it could cost them their lives.

Kade elbows Desdemona right back, eliciting a surprised yelp from her. Finally, he speaks in his typical, cold-hearted tone. “I realize I was probably out of line with how harsh I was, and I recognize that. But as for what I said, I can’t apologize. I meant what I said. We need real Asterians ready to make real commitments.”

“It’s a blessing we chose Jason to join the Asterian Council instead of you, Mr. Defrates,” Ms. Tary scrunches her nose in disgust as she looks at him. “You know we can’t tolerate any disrespect of religious beliefs on this Council.”

Kade deflates slightly, but the despair is so fleeting most would miss it. “I meant no disrespect to Brother Franc. I stated my belief that empty promises of an ambiguous savior will not help us win this war.”

“I find it hard to believe you meant no disrespect, Mr. Defrates. That statement itself is disrespectful,” Mrs. Tary throws one last punch Kade’s way before turning her attention to 111

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Desdemona, Felix, and Jason. “This is your warning, kids. Your one warning. If I hear of another incident such as this, I will not be so forgiving.”

Mrs. Tary gives one last click of her teeth before flickering out of sight. Instantly, Ruthie’s lights shutter on. Felix immediately lets his head fall into his hands, huffing out a tense breath. Ms. Tary’s impending threat just overshadowed whatever pleasant memories he had of bright and cheerful Mrs. Tary at the competition.

Seeing Kade’s stone-cold expression, Desdemona rolls her eyes and lets out a huff. “Would it have killed you to just say you’re sorry for once?”

“Desdemona,” Kade uses her full name, which he rarely does, as he picks up the wrinkled map from the hardwood floor.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean. Neither should you.”

Kade swaggers into the kitchen, thinking he’s superior to his three friends - his only three friends. Felix, wondering what on Earth happened to the stoic yet understanding trainer they met just a year ago, shares a pained moment with Desdemona. Jinx’s betrayal touched each of them differently.

Perhaps it hit Kade the hardest of all.

112

13 Jinx sits around the familiar table as members of the Gathered come one by one, taking their seats. Each member waits patiently for Jane to begin the meeting.

Jinx perches herself just to Jane’s right, per Jane’s orders.

Jinx sits so close to her mother that she could reach out and strangle her. Or she could stab her in the stomach before anyone could stop her.

For a second, she entertains the thought. She could end her captivity right here, right now. She could reunite with Felix and Desdemona, explain everything, and ask for their forgiveness.

She could even see Kade again, kiss Kade again … finally tell Kade she loves him. Maxine’s words come rushing back at her, ruining her pretty little daydream. You can’t do this by yourself.

Even if she had the courage to strangle or stab Jane right now, her attempts would be futile. Because of the blood bond, Jane cannot die by her hand. Not to mention, a failed assassination attempt would only get Jinx killed.

Several floors above them, loud voices ring down from the dining hall as Jane’s followers gather to eat. With more Asterians joining the ranks and honing their skills, thanks to Elizabeth’s training, it won’t be long before the forces need to relocate to a larger facility.

Finally, the last member of Jane’s congregation, Trenton, walks in through the door, shoulders hunched and eyes fearful.

After what happened last time Trenton attended a meeting of the Gathered, Jinx understands his anxiety. Two guards, both of whom possess supernatural strength, slide the door shut behind 113

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them and give Jane a curt nod.

Jane slaps her hand on the sturdy wood of the table, causing each Asterian to sit at attention. With all eyes fixed on her, Jane smiles wickedly. “Welcome, welcome, welcome, my sweet and trusted friends.” The glint in her eyes makes Jinx’s heart begin to race.

“Repeat after me. I vow that all topics discussed in this meeting will be kept under lock and key unless otherwise stated,” Jane states. The Gathered lackadaisically mutter the words, having said them seemingly a thousand times before. By this point, they know the rules and they know the consequences of a breach.

Jane turns her attention to the imposing brunette, Elizabeth.

Since her agreement to train the newcomers, Elizabeth has been promoted and she now sits just two seats away from Jinx.

“Elizabeth, give me an update on the new recruits.”

Elizabeth nods politely. “I received word from young Asterians at several facilities across the country, most notably Gregoria Creation Academy and Wyler Ward, about them wanting to join the winning side.” Elizabeth smirks as she says the word ‘winning,’ showing a glint of her slightly crooked teeth.

“We will help them begin their travel tomorrow.”

The girl next to Elizabeth, a pale Asterian not much older than Jinx, looks over numbers written neatly on a piece of paper.

“To date, we have nearly four thousand Asterians who have left or are ready to leave their training facilities to serve you, Jane.”

Jinx tries to hide her concern as the number floats around the room. She feels her stomach turn, imagining Jane’s followers secretly infiltrating each Asterian training facility and preying upon young Asterians. How Jane gains their approval and trust, Jinx doesn’t know.

Jane responds in a high-pitched tone that sounds to Jinx like fingernails on a chalkboard. “Speaking of travel, I believe it is time we prepare for ours. As many of you know, this location is no longer suitable. Because of Jansen and Elizabeth’s extraordinary work, it has become too small.”

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underground tunnels of Treasure Island feel as though they are bursting from the seams. Every seat in the dining hall is filled, forcing late arrivals to stand against the wall and eat. Rooms made for two now host three or four Asterians. Not having seen the sunlight in weeks, Jinx can’t help but feel claustrophobic.

“I know several meetings back we discussed the advantages of a headquarters in New York City, but I have decided against that. If we were to be attacked there, too many human lives would be lost.”

Jinx stops herself from snorting, as if Jane ever once cared about humans. There must be a different reason Jane decided against the city, despite its proximity to the House.

“Instead, we will be relocating to the opposite side of the country, California, to be exact. I will be announcing this to everyone tomorrow morning and we will be utilizing our longdistance teleporters to arrive by tomorrow night.” Jane continues.

She offers no further explanation as to the reasoning behind her choice, but Jane never does anything without a concrete reason.

What is Jane not telling the Gathered? Whatever she has decided to hide, Jinx makes a silent vow to find out. She isn’t quite sure how, but she will.

Without waiting for a response from any of her advisors, Jane nods and plows on through the rest of her secret agenda.

“Last for today, I’ve received reports of some …,” Jane pauses, turning her stare toward Jinx. “Sneaking around.” Jinx feels a lump begin to form in her throat as the weight of Jane’s words dawn on her. Did Margret mention running into Jinx in the hallway the other day? Does she know about the Scattered?

What will she do to them if she finds out who is involved?

Although Jinx left yesterday’s meeting with no intention of returning, she knows Jane would treat a failure to rat out the Scattered as a betrayal.

Jinx forces herself to meet Jane’s eyes. If Jinx will be called out by Jane in front of the Gathered, she will do it with dignity.

Jane licks her lips, surveying Jinx, but then turns away.

“Traitors will not be tolerated, and treason will not be forgiven.

Anyone who knows of suspicious behavior and comes forward will receive a reward in the highest regard.”

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For a brief second, Jinx entertains the consequences of telling Jane what she saw last night. A reward in the highest regard? Information in exchange for Jinx’s freedom? Her heart flutters for a moment as she imagines reuniting with her friends and family, but she instantly smacks it down like a fly under a swatter. The cause of the Scattered is bigger than her; it’s bigger than her family. If Jane were aware of their intentions, it would mean certain death for every Asterian in that room.

Not saying anything means committing treason to Jane.

Saying something means committing treason to humanity.

The decision isn’t a hard one.

Jane lets the silence hang over the room for several moments, waiting for anyone to come forward. Her eyes fall on Jinx once more, but they do not linger like they did before. “Well, I will let everyone know that they should feel free to inform me of any suspicious actions in private if they are not comfortable doing it in front of others. You all are free to go.”

Jinx forces herself to make slow, relaxed movements toward the door, despite the instincts telling her to flee. She shuffles out of the room just in front of Trenton, and they both take a right toward their rooms. Slowly, the Gathered peel off in different directions, leaving the two alone.

Trenton stands so close to Jinx she can practically feel his breath on the nape of her neck, sending shivers up and down her spine. What is he doing? Jinx readies herself to whip around to tell Trenton off, when his pale hand closes around her wrist like a manacle. On instinct, she grabs her knife from her belt and holds it up to his throat, so close she can see his skin straining against the metal. She presses harder, but the skin simply seems to bend - never breaking.

“Impenetrable skin,” Jinx mutters to herself, cursing under her breath. Still, she does not drop the knife.

Trenton reaches up with his free hand and pushes the knife away from his neck. Although the blade should have sliced open the skin of his hand, it does no damage. He moves it easily, suggesting superior strength as well.

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“I know where you were last night,” Trenton states, his voice low but steady. Gone is the timid boy from the Gathered meeting.

Gone is the boy who seemed afraid of his own shadow. That boy has been replaced with an unbreakable, fearless man. Trenton’s panicky nervousness had only been a façade, probably to protect himself. Jane likes confidence, but too much confidence can get you killed. Trenton’s expression reeks of way too much confidence.

Jinx rips her hand free from his grasp, catching him off guard.

Just because his skin is stone doesn’t mean he has the strength of stone. “Then go ahead and tell Jane on me, why don’t you?”

Trenton shakes his head. “Jinx, if I wanted to turn you into Jane, I would’ve done it without consulting you first.”

“Then what do you want from me?” Jinx asks, brushing her nearly shoulder-length hair out of her face. It’s grown quite a bit since they arrived in Las Vegas, and she makes a mental note to chop it off again when she gets the chance.

Trenton takes a step closer to Jinx. “I want in.”

Jinx takes a step back, waving her hands as she puts some distance between them. “Listen, you came to the wrong person for this. I’m not ‘in.’ I was forced to go to a meeting of theirs last night, but I’m not committing treason.”

Trenton scoffs, rolling his blue eyes. “Cut the crap, Jinx. I know you’re not here for Jane. You’re here to save your brother and sister. You can only save them by joining.”

Quick footsteps down the hallway interrupt their conversation.

After a few seconds, Jinx notices Elizabeth and Jansen coming down the dimly lit hallway toward their rooms. Panicking, Jinx looks for some place to duck into, but finds none. If Elizabeth and Jansen find them together like this, whispering, it will look suspicious, particularly on the heels of Jane’s warning. Thinking quickly, Trenton intertwines his fingers with Jinx’s and closes the gap between them. Jinx wants to pull away, but his heavy gaze makes her pause. Before she can react, Trenton leans down to capture Jinx’s lips underneath his own. The kiss is warm and inviting, filled with a syrupy sweetness that catches Jinx off guard.

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“Ooh, what’s going on here?” Elizabeth coos in an annoying, high-pitched tone. “A little office romance, I see?”

Although Trenton’s impulsive kiss catches her off guard, she understands his motives. Jinx forces a blush to rise to her cheeks and giggles sweetly. “Oh no, please keep this quiet! We’re not trying to attract any attention.” Trenton nods fervently in agreement - almost too fervently.

Elizabeth glances between the two of them, her eyes filled with curious excitement. “Don’t worry, lovebirds. Your secret is safe with us.” Elizabeth rubs Jinx on the shoulder and smiles before pulling Jansen down the hallway, leaving Jinx and Trenton alone once more.

Jinx slaps at Trenton’s arm and rips her hand out of his grasp.

Now that they are alone, there is no need for him to be breathing down her neck. “What was that?”

“I know Elizabeth; we went to the same training facility. And I know she wouldn’t hesitate to tell Jane about anything she sees.

This just gets her off our back,” Trenton treats it nonchalantly, like the weather.

Jinx lets out a heavy sigh, knowing he’s right but not daring to admit it. “You know, I have a boyfriend at home.” The words leave her mouth before she can stop them and as soon as they do, she wishes they hadn’t. This is the first time since she came to Jane’s headquarters that she said something out loud about Kade, and it was a blatant lie. Kade’s not her boyfriend anymore, not after what she did.

Trenton senses her unease and quickly changes the subject.

“Do you know who I can talk to about joining up?”

Jinx nods her head, trying to force the image of Kade’s coldstone expression out of her memory. “You can talk to Maxine.”

Trenton tilts his head, suggesting the name doesn’t ring a bell.

“Margret’s sister. Looks just like her but smaller.”

Trenton’s mouth opens in understanding and he nods curtly.

“I’ll find her.”

Sensing an end to the conversation, Jinx raises her eyebrows at Trenton and begins to turn away. Just before Jinx does, she

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asks a question plaguing her since Trenton stopped her. “Hey, how did you know I met with them last night anyway?”

Trenton shrugs and Jinx knows instantly she will not get the whole truth out of him. “I have a friend who keeps pretty close tabs on you.”

The words send shivers down Jinx’s spine. Someone has been monitoring her, watching her every move? She makes a quiet promise to herself to be more vigilant, hoping to catch this stalker in the act.

“Listen, Jinx,” Trenton’s last few words stop her progress back to her room. “I don’t know much about this rebellion, but I do know we need you. Reconsider.”

119

14 “Hey, I think we’re here!” Felix calls from the front of Ruthie, looking out the windows at the massive sports stadium looming ahead of them. Bleachers rise toward the sky, alternating in colors of royal blue and burnt orange, nearly red. Massive lights, each containing more than a hundred bulbs, line the stadium’s edges. Meanwhile, the red and orange setting sun turns the green grass outside the stadium to a faint yellow.

In bronze font, a small sign in front of the stadium reads The Wyler Ward Training Complex. Felix points to the sign, leading Desdemona to follow his line of sight.

“Then this is it!” Desdemona grabs her backpack, which contains her bow and arrow in case of an emergency, slinging it over her shoulder. She runs back to the bedroom and yells, “Jason, Kade, I won’t tell you again. We’re burning daylight!”

It’s only been a day since Mrs. Tary gave them her warning, and each of them has returned with renewed vigor to the task at hand. They need to do this quickly, yet respectfully. No more emotional breakdowns or blow-ups.

Bronze gates block entry to the stadium. Felix glances around, searching for a buzzer system or something of the sort.

“How do we get in?” Jason wonders aloud. “Should we knock?”

“Yeah, because knocking always works,” Kade sneers sarcastically in a low tone. Desdemona whips her head around him, glaring. She has half a mind to shush him but decides against it. There’s no need to light a powder keg.

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Felix shrugs. “I don’t see a better idea.” He raises his knuckle to knock, but just before his skin touches the metal doorknob, an elderly, yet muscular, man with slightly greying hair approaches.

“Name and purpose,” the man demands in a monotone voice.

He brushes off the shoulder of his vest, with cloth so thick and shiny it could easily be mistaken for armor.

Felix clears his throat, taking the lead as he does with almost all diplomatic interactions. “Felix Anchor and this is my sister, Desdemona. We are here to speak to your headmaster.”

“We have no headmaster.” The man responds. Felix feels a wave of frustration. How are they supposed to ask for help from the Wyler Ward if they have no leader? “You may, however, speak with our Darian.”

Felix’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, but quickly regains his composure. “We would greatly appreciate speaking to whoever is in charge.”

The man asks no further questions and instead reaches behind him to flip a switch on the stadium wall. The gates swing open so quickly that Jason has to quickly jump out of the way. Much to his dismay, his steps are a second too late and he is knocked on the ground, his rear end colliding with the pavement.

Desdemona giggles. “Nice reflexes.”

Jason scrambles to his feet, brushing off his jeans and running a hand through his hair. He laughs along with Desdemona, knowing there’s no saving his pride here. “The speed of those gates defies the laws of physics,” he whispers to her as they enter the arena.

“Sure they do,” Desdemona teases. The stadium walls seem even larger inside. As a high school cheerleader, Desdemona never missed a football or basketball game. She is no stranger to stadiums, but this one trumps each one she’s been in by a long shot.

Curious, Felix quickens his pace to match the elderly man’s stride. “How do you hide this from humans?”

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major league soccer team, plays here. We own the team and we furnished the place with fitness facilities, including plenty of room for training.”

Hiding in plain sight, Felix thinks to himself. Smart.

A thousand more questions run through Felix’s mind. How often are humans there? Have they ever had a human stumble onto their Asterian activities? Felix doesn’t dare ask, as the man seemed frustrated with the previous question.

The man offers them no additional greeting or further information as they follow him into the basement of the stadium.

They descend at least three sets of stairs, each bringing them farther away from the setting sun, until they come to a dead end.

A bronze door, made of the same material as the entrance gate, seals the rest of the walkway off.

The man reaches his bony fingers around the corner of the door and scoots it across the floor with very little effort. The opening reveals a dimly lit office, much like the one Mr. Belton uses at the House, except that weapons, medals, and plaques, some of which say “Darian,” occupy nearly every inch of the wall space.

Desdemona thinks back to what Kade told them of Strength Facilities, about how they place physical brawn above all else.

Suddenly, the awards commemorating the Darian don’t seem quite as out of place.

A very young man stands by the desk, motionless and silent.

Based on his height and underdeveloped frame, Desdemona guesses he is no more than fourteen or fifteen years of age.

“Darian, you have visitors from the House - Felix and Desdemona Anchor,” the older man announces. Almost immediately after the words leave his mouth, the man exits and closes the bronze door behind them.

Felix feels an unusual prodding in his mind, causing him to turn his attention to his powers. Although he can hear thousands of thoughts from Asterians throughout the Wyler Ward, some quieter than others, he focuses in on a voice he doesn’t normally hear.

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Kade? Felix pokes slightly at Kade’s thoughts. Kade almost always closes his mind off to Felix. This time Kade has purposefully opened his thoughts.

We didn’t ever say we were from the House. Kade’s thoughts are mixed with a twinge of worry. Ice runs through Felix’s brain.

He’s right.

Felix quickly pushes into Jason and Desdemona’s minds, telling each of them in turn what Kade pointed out. Neither has an explanation.

“Felix and Desdemona Anchor.” Staring blankly at awards behind his desk, the boy lets their names roll off his tongue.

His red cape rises slightly off the ground, showing black combat boots underneath. Shivers run up and down Felix’s back while the boy shifts his weight from side to side. Something seems off.

Finally deciding to give them the time of day, the boy turns to face his visitors. “As Darian of the Wyler Ward, I, Theodore Farly, greet you.” He dips his head in respect and each of his visitors return the gesture. That is, each of them except Desdemona, who can’t avert her gaze from the word on his forehead. SECRETIVE. Darian Farly’s forehead displays the word in bold, black letters without his knowledge. Desdemona narrows her eyes at him, but instantly wipes the inquisitive expression off her face when his expectant gaze meets hers. At first, she isn’t sure what to do next, but then she follows her brother’s action and bows her eyes to the ground.

Darian Farly, now apparently satisfied with her greeting, moves to sit behind his desk. Facing them, he now looks older.

Although perhaps eighteen, his cheeks lack a rosy red blush. His wrinkle-free skin appears sickly and pale.

“To what do I owe this … pleasure?” Darian Farly’s words seem tense and calculating. He weighs the effect of every word as they leave his lips.

The corner of Felix’s mouth twitches, but Felix regains his composure instantly and begins telling their story. He starts from the beginning, detailing every instance of their encounter with Jane on Truchas Peak. Desdemona shivers when Felix recollects 123

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how Jane captured and tortured her. Hearing this part of the story always hits Mona hard.

Felix quickly moves on to their interactions with Jane in Las Vegas, finally getting to the meat of the story. With palpable urgency in his voice, Felix sums up, “Jane’s vision of the future includes enslaved humans and worshipped Asterians. We need the Wyler Ward’s help to prevent this from becoming a reality.”

Through the entire story, Darian Farly’s face remains stoic, his fingers rapping the desk in a slow rhythm. Finally, his lips part in a smile, revealing too-white teeth. “The Wyler Ward shares your concern about the future. If an opportunity to finish Jane arises, we will assist.”

Desdemona and Felix turn to each other at the same time, both having to resist hugging each other in celebration. After the mess in Kentucky, they’ve finally secured an ally against Jane! Felix reaches into his pocket, digging for the bag full of Eclogites.

But before they can grow too excited, Kade holds his hand up in warning. He senses a string attached to this deal.

Darian Farly speaks up and continues, proving Kade’s hunch to be correct. “Before we make a final agreement, you must pass a test, a tradition at the Wyler Ward.”

Desdemona feels her heart sink as Darian Farly’s words knock her off her pedestal. A test? Desdemona didn’t expect to have a pop-quiz today.

Darian Farly rises from behind his desk and moves toward the door, gesturing for them to follow. He walks up the narrow staircase, pausing for a moment to gesture at a row of paintings.

The portraits depict men, each of varying age, in the same red cape Darian Farly currently sports. Similarly, they each have the same stormy grey eyes. Farly stops his ascent near the top of the staircase, pointing to the last portrait in the row. The man in the photo looks to be no older than forty, and the plaque under it reads Theodore Farly IV. “This was my father,” he announces in a solemn tone. His choice of words goes unnoticed by no one. Was. “He died just two years ago. Lung cancer. As is tradition, I, his first-born son, took over his role as Darian at the Wyler Ward.”

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“We’re so sorry to hear that,” Felix offers his sincere condolences for the young boy. To be so young and to already have lost your father? Felix shivers at the thought of Marcus dying and pushes the idea out of his mind before he can dwell on it.

Darian Farly’s gaze lingers on his late father’s portrait before he turns to climb the few remaining stairs. From the top of the staircase, Desdemona hears excited shouting and yelling in the main arena area. Looking, she sees the source of the commotion.

Students dressed in light armor move briskly from side to side, smiling excitedly and rushing toward an object outside her line of sight. In stark contrast to earlier serenity at the Wyler Ward, something has moved the students to action.

The Darian takes one step into the light of the corridor and all movement instantly stops. The students turn to face the Darian and clasp their hands behind their backs. The Darian weaves his way through the mass of students, with his four guests following close behind. Meanwhile, the students’ eyes never leave their leader.

I don’t have a good feeling about this, Felix, Desdemona thinks to her brother. Something about the way the students submit so willing and rigidly to this boy, a boy practically their age, makes her skin crawl.

Kade once mentioned the discipline of Strength Facilities, but this seems like a cult. No, it seems like fear. Fear of what, Desdemona doesn’t know.

Felix gives a slight nod to Desdemona. Something seems weird to me. But if we pass this test, the Wyler Ward will help us.

And we need all the help we can get.

“What is this test anyway?” Desdemona asks aloud, breaking the silence as they continue to weave through the motionless students.

The Darian glances over his shoulder at Desdemona and grins. The look sends shivers down her spine. “It is a battle of strength, Miss Anchor. To prove you are a worthy cause, you must first distinguish yourselves in the arena.” He gestures to the middle of the stadium.

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Desdemona gulps and feels Felix tense up beside her, remembering the arena battle with Jane on Truchas Peak. A strength facility like the Wyler Ward places emphasis on physical fitness; they believe in powers of one’s physique or strength above all. Both Felix and Desdemona have been gifted mainly with mental abilities, as have Kade and Jason. How can they prove themselves to be worthy with brute strength when they don’t have any?

Desdemona feels a familiar gnawing sensation in her stomach, letting her know she has an opportunity to see a vision.

She wants to be mentally present given the imminent threat at the Wyler Ward. Just as she is about to force her vision away, she remembers the Embellishment she received in Las Vegas.

She can see the past side-by-side with the present, enabling her to speak and interact with Darian Farly while seeing her vision.

Relaxing, she allows the past to overcome her left visual field, while keeping the right focused on their stadium trek.

Desdemona finds herself in Darian Farly’s office - only this time it’s decorated quite differently. Although weapons and awards still adorn the walls, several photographs rest neatly on the desk. Desdemona takes a closer look, instantly recognizing the rosy red cheeks of a slightly younger Farly. She also recognizes the grey eyes of an older man in the photograph.

Farly’s father.

Desdemona quickly deduces that the office is no longer Darian Farly’s, but rather it belongs to his father.

A tall, commanding figure enters. “Son, what are you doing in my office without my permission?” The man scolds Desdemona in a deep, booming voice.

Desdemona feels herself shift weight and words begin tumbling out of her mouth in the sickeningly arrogant tone of Darian Farly. “I had a question for you, Father. I couldn’t find you elsewhere, so I decided to wait here.”

His father sighs heavily and closes the gap between them. He places his strong hand on Desdemona’s shoulder, but the touch lacks emotion. Full, red blood runs through the hearty veins in 126

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his hand. Vibrant and robust, he doesn’t have the physique of a man afflicted with lung cancer.

“You know what your mother and I have said about loitering in our offices without an escort, and you deliberately disobeyed us,” his father reprimands, using his free hand to point a finger at his son.

Desdemona shakes his hand off her shoulder. “I’m not a child anymore. I grew up in this facility and I don’t need a bodyguard. Any student who crosses me will find their head on the floor before the fight even begins.”

His father shakes his head solemnly. “Theodore, your training for Darian will begin in the next few months when you turn sixteen. Just be patient until then.”

Her legs, acting of their own accord, turn her around to face the award in the exact same pose Darian Farly struck just an hour ago.

“I’m tired of being patient, Father,” Desdemona growls in a voice so low she’s not sure he can hear her. “My time is now.”

Her hand wanders to a belt hung low at her waist. The palm of her hand wraps around the hilt of a thin, pointy sword dangling from the brown leather.

Suddenly, the awards gracing the walls become blurry. In a split second, she moves across the office to his father’s side.

Super speed, Desdemona thinks to herself, noting Darian Farly’s powers.

Before she comprehends her objective, her hand whips the sword from her belt and touches the skin of his father’s back.

She feels nothing but delight as the sharp metal breaks through tissue, muscle, ligaments and skin, until it comes out through his chest.

Theodore IV slumps against Desdemona, the hole in his chest so tiny that only a trickle of blood oozes from the wound. Her hands sure and sturdy, she unclips the fiery red cape from his back and lets his father fall to the floor. Dead. Without a single ounce of sympathy, she clips the cape onto her own shoulders, marking her as the official Darian of the Wyler Ward.

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At once, Desdemona understands the meaning behind the word on Darian Farly’s forehead.

SECRETIVE. He has a secret, for sure.

But no secret is free from the prying eyes of the past.

Desdemona’s left visual field returns to the present, matching the right. Desdemona realizes she only has a few seconds to relay the information to Kade, Jason, and Felix.

Felix, she thinks his name, knowing that he listens for anything out of the ordinary. She feels a familiar push in her mind, announcing his presence. We have to get out of here.

I think you’re just being paranoid, Mon- Felix tries to rationalize the uncomfortable and ominous feeling created by the Wyler Ward.

No, Desdemona stops him before he can finish. Darian Farly killed his father for power over the Wyler Ward.

Felix feels his heart beating under the skin of his neck as he comprehends Desdemona’s message. He doesn’t know all the details, but he doesn’t need to. Unlike the future, the past can’t change. It hides and haunts until someone pulls it to the surface.

Stall while we figure out how to get out of here, Felix orders Desdemona. He directs his thoughts at Kade and Jason, relaying the same information to each of them and asking - begging - for one of them to have a plan.

Leaving them to their silent discussion, Desdemona pulls her shoulders back and straightens her spine, making herself appear taller. She pulls her hair out of its tight ponytail, the blonde locks flowing far past her shoulders. Thankful for the bit of makeup she applied this morning, Desdemona blinks her long, dark lashes at Darian Farly.

For the first time since they’ve been in his presence, Darian Farly’s brooding stare falters and he stumbles. “The … the competition you are about … to compete in is ….” He clears his throat and tears his eyes away from Desdemona. Instead, he focuses on Felix, whose attention has been diverted entirely to internal planning.

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“The competition you are about to engage in is a long-time Wyler Ward tradition. You will face five of the strongest students the Ward has to offer. If you succeed in subduing them, you are worthy of our time and efforts.” He gestures down the staircase, silently ordering them to descend into the arena.

Desdemona takes a few steps toward the stairs, without any intention of going into the arena. She stops several feet from Darian Farly, running her fingernails against the skin of her arm.

“Darian, we are oh-so excited to participate and win your favor.

I do have a question before we begin, however.” Desdemona pauses, racking her brain. She hoped that by this point in time a question would have come to her. She looks around desperately, searching for any source of inspiration.

Finally, she notices two swords, each with golden hilts, suspended above the arena in mid-air. The pale light of dusk glints off the crisscrossing blades. The one on the left has crimson red spots.

“But before we participate in such an important part of history, I would like to know a little more about this incredible school.” Desdemona begins, her tone dripping with honey. She notices Darian Farly straighten up proudly as she fawns over the power and prestige of the Wyler Ward. Desdemona points a painted fingernail toward the two swords. “Can you tell me a little about those?”

Darian Farly follows her finger, his gaze trailing over her to the swords. He smiles, apparently reminiscing on the story behind the swords. “Ah, everyone asks about those. You see, my great, great grandfather, Theodore Farly I, and his close friend, Hanover Jerico, founded and created the Wyler Ward.”

Desdemona casts a glance back to Felix, who remains deep in thought. His eyes glaze over as his brain searches for a plan.

“Hanover’s Asterian gifts included a perfect, photographic memory. Hanover and Theodore were like brothers…until they started having disagreements about the Wyler Ward philosophy.

My ancestor wanted a strength facility, while Hanover wanted a Freedom Former. Knowing they couldn’t settle their disagreement with words, they dueled. They used these swords 129

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in the battle.” He glances almost lovingly at the crossed metal.

“And, well, you’re smart, Desdemona. I’ll let you figure out who won.”

Desdemona shivers and clears her throat, urging Felix to hurry. His story ended and Darian Farly doesn’t seem like one for lengthy conversation. Suddenly, Felix’s eyes come back into focus and land on Desdemona’s face. He gives her the smallest nod.

Desdemona pulls her hair back into its ponytail, readying herself for an escape. She looks him straight in the eyes and she doesn’t mince words, “I think it’s about time we showed you what mental abilities can do, Theodore.”

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15 Jane clinches her fist and rests it on her throne. Its golden metal reminds her of the supreme power she holds over these Asterians. Eyes unblinking and expression empty, Jinx sits to her right. To her left, Margret lackadaisically files her nails and waits for the rest of Jane’s followers to join them. It isn’t long before Asterians fill the large dining hall, willing and eager to help Jane create a better future.

All but a select few. Jinx’s eyes scan the audience for members of the Scattered. Maxine’s red hair sticks out like a sore thumb; Harvey’s burly physique makes him easy to spot, while Lance stands close to his side; Trenton’s tall and lanky figure causes his head to rise far above everyone else’s. His eyes meet hers and he winks, playing along with their cover-up relationship. She lets out a puff of air and waves him off with a slight twitch of her hand.

Silently, Jinx wonders if Trenton ever contacted Maxine. If he did, he no doubt pledged his allegiance to the Scattered by this point. She searches his expression for any sign of disloyalty but finds none. Just like many of Jane’s Gathered, his expertise includes hiding true emotion.

Jane raises her thin hand. This simple motion silences the entire audience. Although being in Jane’s presence can rob some Asterians of all hope, Jane has no way to force them to act like puppies being scolded by their owner. Most of these followers have adopted blind obedience all on their own.

“My people!” Jane’s voice booms, sounding triumphant and excited. “I met with the Gathered earlier today and we have 131

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finalized a new location!” Jane’s sycophant followers erupt in thunderous applause. Jinx plasters a wicked smile onto her face, knowing any sign of disinterest or infidelity will put her next in line for Jane’s chopping block.

When Jane announces they will be relocating to California tomorrow, she hears nothing but uncontested excitement. Jane’s followers don’t have the right to offer their suggestions; that is what the Gathered does.

After basking in the glow for a few moments, Jane raises her hand once more. The room silences instantly. “Now, I hate to put a damper on the celebration, but I do have one more thing to discuss.” Jinx gulps.

“It has come to my attention that we have several traitors in our midst. We have a group trying to destroy everything we have built. This group is trying to ruin our plan for the future,” Jane’s words ooze with anger and power. The crowd whispers to one another. Several Asterians cast sideways, skeptical glances at their neighbors, as if each hides a secret. Clearly, Jane does not fear the rebel alliance.

A glint of frustration in her eyes, Jane quiets them once more. “When I expressed this to the Gathered earlier today, I said that anyone with information about these traitors will be rewarded greatly. One, who wishes to remain anonymous, stepped forward.”

Instantly, Jinx feels her breath catch in her throat. Someone from the Gathered knew about the Scattered and told Jane?

Who? And what if they told them about her? She flicks her eyes across the crowd to find the snitch. Her gaze meets Trenton’s and ice fills her veins as she begins to piece together the puzzle.

Several hours ago, she told Trenton about the Scattered. She gave him Maxine’s name and sent him on his jolly old way. For all she knows, instead of going to talk to Maxine about joining, he went straight to Jane with the information.

“Maxine!” Jane gestures to the crowd with a pointed fingernail and beckons her forward. Bile rises in Jinx’s throat as Maxine starts to weave her way through the crowd, her blue

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eyes lit with fire.

Maxine climbs the few steps up to the platform and rights herself, feet together, directly in front of Jane. She presents no perceptible fear, only determination. Jane rises from her throne and clenches her fist at her side. Maxine lets out a squelch when the air sucks from her throat as Jane uses one of her many powers to bring Maxine to her knees.

Jane takes several steps forward. “Such a shame you didn’t turn out like your sister,” she laments, squeezing her fist even tighter. As all oxygen leaves her system, Maxine never falters.

Entirely dedicated to her cause, she stares straight at Jane.

“You will never win, Jane,” Maxine manages to wheeze out. The phrase is so quiet that only Jinx, Jane, and Margret can hear. Jinx turns her head over to Margret, silently begging her to stop Jane from torturing her sister. But family means nothing to Margret, just as it means nothing to Jane.

Only two things matter to them: loyalty and power.

Jane keeps her hold on Maxine’s throat and tilts her chin toward the audience. “Let this be a message to each of you.

Remain with the cause or …,” Jane pauses. She takes one more good stare at the audience, her stormy eyes seeming to burn into everyone’s souls. “Lose your powers.”

Jane pauses again while she wraps her hand around Maxine’s forearm, stealing Maxine’s power of persuasion. “Remain with the cause or….”

“Die.” Jane twists the fist at her side and Maxine’s neck snaps with a deafening, sickening crack. Her petite form slumps to the floor. Her weight hits the dirt with a thud, filling the cavernous space. Several Asterians in the audience shield their eyes, but Trenton’s steady stare affixes on Maxine the whole time.

Good. Let him see the consequences of his actions, Jinx thinks to herself as she attempts to look anywhere but Maxine’s lifeless form.

No, they were my actions too, Jinx adds, a pang of guilt flooding her system. If she hadn’t stupidly trusted a boy she hardly knew, Maxine would still be alive. What made her trust him? He already created a facade of weakness and fragility in the Gathered meetings. He expressed a fake desire to help, while 133

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planning all along to double-cross Jinx.

Jinx forces herself to look at Maxine’s blank, blue stare.

Her reckless trust of Trenton cost the Scattered their leader. Her foolishness cost a fifteen-year old girl her life.

She won’t let it happen again.

“Take her body away,” Jane gestures to one of the men Jinx recognizes as a guard in the Gathered meetings. They move quickly, emotionless, fulfilling their daily duty of cleaning up dead bodies. Maxine’s limp body dangles in their arms and they lift her like she has no weight at all.

As Jinx’s eyes scan the crowd once more, she sees many faces that mirror the guards. Detached. Vacant. Cold.

How did these Asterians become so blind to taking a life from this world?

As Jinx wrenches her gaze toward Jane, she remembers exactly why they’ve become so passive to Jane’s horrors. That what she does to Asterians. She steals their hopes. Their dreams.

Their future.

And Jinx isn’t going to let that happen to the world. Not while she’s still breathing.

Jane wets her lips with a flick of her tongue. “Go. Gather your things. Teleportation Asterians will be taking people in shifts starting tomorrow.”

Jinx watches as Trenton moves into the residential hallway.

She rises slowly, methodically, from her seat beside Jane’s throne and follows. She lingers several feet behind him, never getting too close and always keeping other Asterians between them.

She peeks around a corner, watching him open his room.

Once he moves inside, Jinx marches up to the door, mustering every ounce of courage. She will make Trenton pay for giving Maxine up to Jane. Her hand lingers on the knives tucked in her belt, but she pulls it away. Killing Trenton right now would make her just as detached from death as everyone else.

Jinx is a lot of things, but she isn’t a hypocrite.

Instead, she settles for banging forcefully on the door with the knife-throwing hand and then shoves the knife into her pocket, twiddling with a piece of loose thread there. Better to keep her hand occupied before it gets a mind of its own.

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Trenton answers the door in milliseconds, as if he had been expecting her. The minute he does, she barges past him, slamming the door not-so-discreetly behind her. Her pocket hand rips itself free from its confines and makes instant contact with the skin of his jaw.

She can’t kill him, but she can make him hurt.

“What the heck, Jinx?” Trenton exclaims. He rubs his jaw with his bony fingers, his mouth open in surprise and his eyes bulging with counterfeit confusion.

Jinx scoffs. Before she knows it, her hand is free again, punching the other side of his jaw to match. “Don’t you ‘what the heck’ me. You are the reason Maxine is dead and you know it.”

Genuine concern crosses Trenton’s face, as his hand drops from his cheek. Instantly, a look of pure shame overtakes his posture. If it weren’t a blatant lie, Jinx would almost feel badly for the guy. “I went to see her last night after we talked. It was late and I didn’t think anyone was around, but I guess someone noticed….”

Jinx sneers, momentarily considering punching him again for lying once more, but she forces her hand into her pocket again. She grits her teeth. “Yeah, you went to see her. And then five minutes later you went to see Jane.”

“What?” Trenton’s voice practically goes up eight octaves, but Jinx won’t be tricked by this fraud again.

A clear water glass sits on Trenton’s bedside table. With actions no longer her own, Jinx grabs the glass from the wood and throws the liquid in his face, drenching his t-shirt and hair, then smashes the glass on the dirt floor. Tiny shards of crystal explode, several of which scrape Jinx’s ankles and bring droplets of blood to the surface.

“A fifteen-year old Asterian is dead because of your spineless greed and you have the audacity to play dumb right now?” Jinx fights to keep her voice low, still not wanting to attract too much outside attention.

When Trenton fully processes Jinx’s accusation, he understands her rage, understands her grief. “Jinx, I didn’t tell Jane about Maxine.”

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Jinx crosses her arms over her chest and turns to face the wall, hardly able to look at him. However, knowing his history of how he offered his family land to Jane, she doesn’t dare turn her back entirely. “You have no reason to lie to me. I don’t have any authority over whether you live or die at the end of this mess.

But I do know you’re the only one I told about the Scattered, and I do know you could benefit from being in Jane’s good graces.”

“Jinx, I didn’t.” Trenton begins. Jinx’s knife touches his throat, cutting his words short.

“You know what, Trenton. I’m joining the Scattered too. And I dare you to tell Jane. I dare you,” Jinx’s words seep through her gritted teeth like water on rocks. Trenton blinks, his expression unfazed by the knife pointed at this throat. He knows that Jinx won’t kill him, at least not now; it would be too obvious.

Frustrated by his lack of appropriate reaction and apology, Jinx brushes past him, making sure to knock his shoulder hard with hers. She lets herself out, slamming the door shut behind her.

Taking a deep breath, Jinx lets her back press against the rough wood of the door and tries to gain her composure. Lucky for her, the hallway has mostly cleared out by this time. Followers frantically pack in their respective rooms for the journey to their new headquarters.

She tries to focus on breathing, a technique Kade raved about during their training sessions. He said that slowing your thoughts and focusing on life-giving air brings Asterians closer to their powers. At the time, she loved the exercises. She could pause, hone, and feel the future running past her eyelids.

This time, she sees no vision of the years to come. No little hint from their Creator that everything will be okay, that she and her siblings will make it out of this alive. That Kade will make it out of this alive. That the world will make it out of this alive.

Tears wet her pale skin. Normally, she would scold herself for crying, especially in a public place like the hallway. Anyone can see her tears and run to tell Jane that Jinx grieves the traitor.

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for the life lost oh-too soon, she can’t reign in her emotions. For just once in her life, she allows herself to feel.

Lost in a grief-filled abyss, she doesn’t even hear light footsteps approaching until she feels a dainty hand on her shoulder. She doesn’t even flinch under the unfamiliar touch.

“Trouble in paradise?” Jansen motions with a tilt of her head toward Trenton’s door, still pressed against Jinx’s back. Jinx feels her stomach turn at the idea of people thinking she’s dating Trenton, the man indirectly responsible for Maxine’s murder, but she cannot let Jansen know the true origin of her despondence.

Jinx lets her head nod slowly, tears still staining her cheeks.

“Walk with me back to our rooms,” Jansen offers, linking her arm with Jinx’s. Normally, Jinx would pull away. This time, she cannot pass up the comfort of human contact, whether under truthful circumstances or not. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Jinx considers just brushing her off but decides against it.

Having another friend close to Jane can be nothing but beneficial to the Scattered. “I told Trenton I wanted to go public with our relationship,” Jinx begins, thinking quickly on her feet. “But he said he wasn’t ready …. He He said our relationship embarrassed him.” Jinx sniffles, a genuine reaction. It would be great if a simple boy problem caused the tears instead of a friend’s death.

The look of utter shock and disbelief on Jansen’s face lets Jinx know that Jansen is soaking up every word of this fake story. “Oh my gosh, what a jerk! Any guy would be lucky to have a girl as powerful and strong as you on his arm!”

Even though Jinx has based this entire conversation on a fake fight in a fake relationship, Jansen’s words somehow make Jinx feel a little better. She didn’t quite realize how lonely she had become in Jane’s world until Jansen reminded her how it feels to have the support of a friend.

When they reach Jinx’s room, just a few doors away from Jansen’s, Jansen turns to Jinx. “Listen, Jinx, if the two of you are meant to be, you will work it out. But if he’s not proud to have you, he doesn’t deserve you.”

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Jinx sniffles again, her tears dried on her cheeks at this point.

“Thanks, Jansen,” Jinx says. She means it. Gesturing to the door behind her, she goes to open it. “I’m going to pack now.”

Jansen nods, ignoring Jinx’s awkwardness. “If you want a travel buddy, just let me know.”

“That would be nice,” Jinx half-whispers, but she knows that Jansen can hear her. She slips into her room and lets her thoughts drift to Kade. Jansen’s words run though her mind.

If the two of you are meant to be, you will work it out.

We will work it out, Jinx thinks to herself. She repeats the words over again, trying to stick them into her brain. Jane makes her followers hopeless, and Jinx refuses to bend to depression.

The Scattered keep going every day, despite the odds, based on hope. If she’s going to fight with them, she’s going to need to tap into it.

Feeling the weight of the day on her shoulders, Jinx retreats to her bunk. There will be plenty of time to pack tomorrow before they leave. Despite the scratchy material of the blanket, sleep draws her near, pulling her in, urging her to forget what happened today. Although she won’t ever forget Maxine, she allows her eyes to fall and her brain to wander into darkness.

Despite her fatigue, Jinx’s thoughts refuse to turn themselves off.

Jinx has returned once again to the same extravagant city from the previous night.

The stone of the bridge feels slightly shaky underneath her boots. It’s somehow less solid than before. Sun rays glint less brightly off the golden palace, yet the palace seems more radiant than last night. Someone has recently polished it, making it as pristine and ornate as possible.

Puffy, white clouds have turned to thin, greying wisps of precipitation. Rain isn’t quite knocking at the door, but it’s drizzling somewhere on the distant horizon. Thinking back to the tension between the market salesmen, Jinx can’t help but wonder what’s happening between them now. Has their feud settled?

Has it escalated further?

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Tracing her steps from the previous vision, Jinx wanders down the large staircase. The shiny handrail feels cold under Jinx’s hot skin. She welcomes the chill as she descends, again noticing the hustle and bustle of the city below her. Feeling the same sense of wonder at the apparent peace and joviality of the city, but this time she pauses. The citizens move slower.

Their time is less precious. Imperfections, some subtle and some not-so-subtle, revealed themselves last night. Jinx suspects the imperfections have become fractures now.

Although Jinx feels the pull of the market once more, she makes a left down the staircase to trace the winding streets to the park. The light breeze blows droplets of water from slightly moldy fountains, dampening the concrete beneath her feet.

Water shoots from small openings in the ground, creating almost a makeshift water play area in the middle of the park. Asterians manipulated the fountains to entertain human children yesterday.

Laughter and cheer filled the air. Not today.

Only two children jump in the play area. A purple patch over their right shoulder adorns their cotton shirts. Their parents sit on a nearby, slightly rusted bench, watching the children closely.

Although this should be cheerful and relaxing, their expressions show no sign of tranquility. Their eyebrows furrow and their noses scrunch as they whisper softly to one another. About what, Jinx isn’t sure.

Feeling unease by the unenthused family, Jinx continues onward through the park. Only an occasional owner walks his dog. No parents push their children on the rickety swing. She looks a little bit closer, noticing that all people sport the same purple patches as the two children. The patches have a bit of silver stitching on the front, creating a letter or symbol that Jinx cannot decipher from a distance.

Deciding to take a leap of faith, Jinx approaches a couple having a small picnic on the grass. Although she can’t talk to others in her visions, this isn’t a normal vision for Jinx. As she nears, she notices their fraying red blanket and banged up picnic basket, tattered around the corners. Despite the sunny day and delicious food teeming from their basket, this pair lacks all happy-go-lucky couple romance.

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They turn their heads toward her as she approaches. Jinx clears her throat. “Umm… can one of you tell me what city we are in?”

The girl tilts her head at Jinx, obviously confused by her question. However, the look of confusion seems to go deeper as the girl’s gaze shifts to Jinx’s unmarked shoulder.

“Ummm … we’re in Arcata.” the girl answers, moving a grape around on her paper plate.

Now it’s Jinx’s turn to be confused. “Arcata? Like California?” The girl nods. Hilga had taken Jinx to California when she was much younger, maybe ten or eleven, on a summer vacation. They took a day trip to Arcata, but the town feels markedly different. It had no palace when Jinx last visited in person.

The guy, seemingly annoyed with Jinx’s questions, waves her off with a half sneer. “Look, we shouldn’t be talking to you. Just go on over to your side of the park, why don’t you?”

Taken aback by their rudeness, Jinx begins to return to the main walkway. She sneaks a quick glance at their armband once more, only to discover the silver thread creates a gleaming capital letter “H.” An H? Why would these people wear a patch that has an H on it? Why was everyone else wearing it beside her? And why did the couple tell her to go to “her side of the park?”

Confused and on the brink of demanding more answers, Jinx picks up the pace heading down the path. Soon, she stumbles upon a not-so-subtle sign nailed to one of the tallest trees in the park. In neatly printed red letters, the sign reads: Attention! You are entering a restricted park. Asterians only past this point.

Jinx squints, trying to make sense of the clear, yet puzzling sign. The message was clear enough, but the rule makes no sense. She continues searching for answers, stepping confidently past the sign and into the “restricted park.”

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Jinx allows herself to wander in. Asterians and their families fill this park. Only two minutes after crossing the arbitrary park dividing line, the differences become as clear as night and day.

Both parks have fountains, yet the Asterian fountains have no visible cracks. Both parks have swing sets, yet the Asterian playgrounds have monkey bars and merry-go-rounds to boot.

Both parks have benches, yet the Asterian benches have recently been painted a beautiful, shiny white.

Both parks have guests, yet the Asterians smile. And laugh.

And enjoy one another.

The purple patch still stands as the most obvious variance between the two parks. Each person before the sign chose to wear the patch, while none did on this side.

Chose?

Or were forced?

As she watches the families on this side of the line live an entirely different life than the others, familiar words pop into her head from high school history, before she came to the House.

Segregation. Jewish holocaust badges.

The purpose of the patches finally dawns on Jinx. H can only stand for one thing: Human.

141

16 A split second separates a serene conversation from absolute chaos. One second, Desdemona carries on a simple discussion with the Darian, and the next second turns into a panicked, confused shouting match with all weapons drawn at the ready.

Kade, concentrating with every inch of his ability, blocks out as many Asterian senses as he can. He focuses on the Darian. Even if every other Asterian escapes the darkness of his ability, Kade will not, cannot, let the Darian slip through his fingers.

“STOP THEM!” Darian Farly screams, yet no one within 100 feet can hear him. Each of them see and hear only what Kade allows. Desdemona shivers, remembering how Kade’s invisible snakes nipped at her ankles during their first day of training at the House.

At the time, their greatest worry was learning how to control their powers. Now, they must use those powers to survive.

Jason flickers in and out of sight, using his power of invisibility to move skillfully through the blind, deaf crowd.

Desdemona and Felix follow closely behind, ready to use their weapons if someone escapes Kade’s grasp.

“So, what’s the plan when we get too far from this crazy murderer and Kade can’t hold him anymore?” Desdemona whispers, even though no one can hear her. She loads a silver arrow into her bow for good measure.

Felix shrugs, much too nonchalant for the current severity of their situation. Knowing him better than anyone, Desdemona can see right through his relaxed demeanor. His hands shake 142

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slightly as they hold his sword. “The door we came in through is just five minutes down the hall. We can make it in two if we move fast.”

“Guys!” Kade shouts. A bead of sweat drips from his forehead, his skin red with exertion. “I can’t hold this many people much longer!” He closes his eyes, concentrating, but feels a particularly strong mind slipping out of his grasp. Kade reaches for more but has nothing left in his tank.

A single student breaks entirely free, gasping for air. The boy’s sandy, disheveled hair and his bruising blue eyes run wild as he scans his surroundings. Before the Anchors can stop him, his gaze falls on Kade and he leaps forward to attack.

Remarkably, the heavy armor covering his body has no adverse effect on his speed.

The boy’s outstretched hands touch Kade’s shoulder, knocking Kade abruptly to the ground. Kade’s concentration shatters as he meets the cold ground, and he feels hundreds of minds slip through the grasp of his ability.

Even the Darian’s.

Most of the dazed students begin to regain their senses, taking a moment or two to make sense of what just happened.

Darian Farly, on the other hand, is not fazed. In an instant, he sprints, seemingly at light speed, across the crowded hallway.

His figure appears as a slight blur, obscuring the glint of a knife at his side.

Just as it did with his father.

The clashes seem to happen all at once. Darian Farly appears just inches in front of Desdemona, his knife now reared skillfully toward the chest of the blonde girl. His mouth turns up in an ugly sneer. Desdemona knows the boy-king feels no remorse for the death of his father, and her death will be no different.

She attempts to raise her bow and arrow, but knows she will not have it aimed before the Darian’s knife pierces her skin. She tries to twist away but feels the metal of the knife meet her skin.

As she faces death, a prayer for Jinx’s safe return flashes through her mind. Felix shouldn’t have to lose both of his sisters.

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Just as she silently says goodbye, blood spurts from the Darian’s mouth, staining the sleeves of her pink t-shirt with dark crimson spots. His metal knife clanks to the ground just as the tip of another weapon appears through the front of his chest.

The wound immediately swells, the blood making his black shirt appear even darker. His eyes just as cold and empty as they were in life, Darian Farly collapses to the floor.

The Darian’s collapse reveals the identity of Desdemona’s savior - a familiar face she knows all too well. Felix’s expression lacks any glimmer of his previous anxiety as he yanks his broad sword out of the Darian’s back. His shaking hands become steady as he grabs Desdemona’s hand and yanks her in the direction of the exit.

“Run.” Felix voice is low, but clear. Even if he had anything more to say, the blaring sound of an alarm overtakes all noise.

Felix can only assume the alarm means one thing: an order to fight. An order to capture the murderers. An order to kill them, if they must.

Students all around, each easily double the size of Desdemona, begin to draw their weapons. Jason, realizing they cannot escape through the main exit, turns down a side hallway. Desdemona and Felix follow blindly, with Kade breathing heavily behind them.

Jason leads them through a thin, boxed in, labyrinth of hallways, turns, and staircases. Desdemona feels her heartbeat behind her temples, fighting - failing - to pump blood to her rapidly fatiguing legs. The lower levels of the Wyler Ward have the feel of the prison that sucked them in during the Vegas contest.

The stampeding sound of footsteps behind them fades.

“Wait,” Desdemona puffs out in between breaths. The others slow their pace in front of her, Felix places his hand on her back as her wheezing calms. “We’ve - we’ve lost them. Let me catch…my breath, so I can - I can find a map from the…past to get us out of here.”

“Ey, is someone ‘ere?” A raspy voice croaks from nearby.

Jason, Felix, and Desdemona practically jump out of their skin, 144

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but Kade instantly focuses his eyes on the source of the sound in the cell next to them. Powers at the ready, he takes hesitant steps toward the single-cell window.

“Yeah, we’re looking for a way out,” Kade glances over his shoulder. The footsteps come faintly into earshot. “And fast. Do you know the way out?”

“I can do ya one bettah,” the man presses his face up against the window as he speaks. The end of his black, curly beard can’t be seen past the edge of the glass, and Felix wonders just how long he’s been in captivity.

The footsteps grow louder and louder from behind them, just like the beating of Desdemona’s pounding heart.

“We need to get out of here. Now.” Felix steps toward the man. Normally, he wouldn’t trust a prisoner, but they have no better option right now.

“I’m goin’, I’m movin’. All ya gotta do is open the window,” the man explains, rapping on the glass. Kade opens it without hesitation.

The man sticks his arm out of the narrow opening. “Grab on, kiddos,” he orders. Wondering how in the world this is going to solve their problem, Felix shares a look with Desdemona.

Desdemona, however, is too busy staring. Staring down the hallway as an army of footsteps grow louder and nearer, their roar bouncing off the wooden walls. Suddenly, Darian Farly’s burly assistant, the one who let them into the office, rounds the corner, eyes ablaze.

“Here they are!” He calls to the students, all of whom stampede down the hallway behind him.

“Desdemona, Felix!” Kade calls, snapping them out of their trance. Jason and Kade have already grabbed onto the mysterious man. Desdemona and Felix know they must do the same, unless they wish to suffer the same, or worse, fate as this man.

Putting suspicions aside, Felix wraps his fingers around the man’s bony wrist. Desdemona follows suit just as Farly’s assistant charges toward them. He’s 100 feet away.

“Where do you want to go?” The gruffy man asks Kade.

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“To the RV! In the parking lot out front!” Kade screams back. If they can just make it to the RV, they can drive away before anyone realizes where they’ve gone.

50 feet.

20 feet.

10 feet.

5 feet.

Desdemona squeezes her eyes shut, not wanting to see the man’s face as he tears them to shreds. But instead of instant, blazing pain, Desdemona feels a stomach-turning shifting and stretching. It’s a sensation she’s only felt once before, when they were leaving Truchas Peak; it’s a vomitous feeling she’ll never forget. After all, the sensation of teleportation is like no other.

Desdemona’s stomach catches in her throat when they land in Ruthie’s living room. She desperately tries to steady herself on a nearby couch. Instead, she misses the arm of the couch and topples right onto Jason.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Desdemona apologizes profusely and tries to untangle herself from his limbs. Jason laughs under his breath. His hands finding her hips, he hoists her onto her feet. His fingertips seem to burn on her waist, lingering just one moment longer than they should. Desdemona feels blood rise to her cheeks.

“Hey!” Kade snaps his fingers by Desdemona and Jason’s ears, effectively killing the moment. Felix, in the front of the RV, sets it to navigate to who knows where. Honestly, it doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s far away from the Wyler Ward.

Ruthie’s wheels kick into gear, and the vehicle pulls itself out of the parking lot with a screech of rubber on the pavement.

The man who saved their lives relaxes on the main couch, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and moving his jaw as if he’s chewing on something. Felix notices a shorter beard than expected, dangling only to his shoulders. Despite being frail, excitement and youth light up his eyes.

“Aren’t ya’ gonna ask who I am?” The man teases, his thick eyebrows raised. Felix can’t quite place his strange accent. It’s unlike any he’s ever heard before.

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“Well, we figured you would introduce yourself now that we’re not running for our lives,” Kade retorts with dark humor as he stares blankly at the man.

“My name is Tolem,” the man starts. The four others gather around in the living room, waiting for him to continue.

Desdemona continues searching his face, noting the single word appearing on his forehead.

DUTIFUL. When the man doesn’t continue, Kade gives him an angry glare, his patience running thin with the man’s lack of information. “Okay, Tolem, how did you end up in the Wyler Ward prison?”

“Darian Farly said the Wyler Ward was gunna turn their backs on the Council and work with someone. I can’t ‘member their names, but they wanted us to be more powerful than ‘da humans.” Tolem’s words are few, but their meaning is entirely understood. Darian Farly, and in turn, the entire Wyler Ward, was pledged to the one woman.

Jane.

Realizing they might be able to gather insider knowledge about how Jane works with the other training facilities, Desdemona presses on. “When did this all happen?”

Tolem contorts his mouth up to the side as if he’s just tasted something sour, thinking. “Ya know, it all started about a month er two ago, I would reckon. I was workin’ in the Ward when I heard they were goin’ against the Council. I said no, and they threw me in the cell.”

Remembering the sheer size and weight of most students at Wyler Ward, Felix narrows his eyes at Tolem. “What was a teleporter like you doing at a Strength Facility, where they frown on mental abilities?”

“Not when they gotta use for ‘em,” Tolem replies. He removes his feet from the table, sits up, and lets his elbows rest on his knees. “I got in some trouble a few yers back after I came to Chicago. Thieving and stuff. The Council said that if I worked for them for five years, they wouldn’t put me in jail.”

“Why didn’t you just teleport yourself out of the cell?” Jason asks.

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Tolem shrugs, letting out a heavy breath of air through his nose. “Ever’ power has a weakness, am I right? I can’t teleport unless I’m touchin’ someone else.”

“Now, if ya don’t mind, I’ll be on my way back to the Council right about now.” Tolem stands from his seated position, brushing off his dusty, torn jail pants. He holds his hand out to Jason, but instead of returning the gesture, Jason stares blankly at the man, confused.

“Take my hand, man,” Tolem orders. He shakes his hand briskly, tilting his head toward the limb.

“No, I don’t think any of us want to go back to the Council right now,” Jason says, gesturing to Felix, Desdemona, and Kade.

Tolem shakes his head. “I don’t need to take ya with me. I just need ya to touch me so I can teleport.” Jason’s mouth forms in an ‘o’ of understanding and he nods briskly. He reaches out his hand, but Desdemona stops him suddenly.

“Wait, just one more thing.” She puts her hand on Jason’s, trying to ignore the burning sensation in her fingers as she feels her skin on his. She drops her hand quickly. “Jane. Did she come to Wyler Ward herself?”

Tolem shakes his head. “No, she sent someone. Short, red hair. Really gorgeous.”

Tolem doesn’t need to say anything more for Desdemona to understand. Desdemona nods, a silent gesture to let Tolem know he’s free to go.

Before he lets Jason touch his hand, he pauses. “From what I heard the guards sayin’, they were expectin’ someone else in a few days. Golly, what was the name? Somethin’ weird. I think it started with a J or somethin’. Jinx, maybe? Oh well, but I imagine whoever it was isn’t comin’ anymore.”

With that, Tolem grabs Jason’s hand and disappears into thin air. For a moment, nobody dares to speak, each of them feeling the weight of Tolem’s words. Desdemona turns to Felix, tears brimming. Although the information does them no good, it’s torturous all the same. Jinx is alive, well, and working for Jane.

Not that they expected anything different.

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Jason nods quickly, sensing the tension in the room. “I’ll see you in the morning.” His gaze lingers on Desdemona for a second. An invitation.

I’m here.

Desdemona gives him as much of a smile as she can muster, yet she fails miserably. Jason and Kade shuffle to their bedrooms, although there’s no way either of them will be falling asleep anytime soon. Not after today’s events.

Now alone, Felix and Desdemona stand in silence.

Desdemona’s bottom lip quivers, and Felix raises his palms to chest height. Only then does he realize this skin is stained in dried crimson, the blood having leaked into the creases of his palms. There’s no question whose blood it is.

“You killed him.” Desdemona’s voice is barely even a whisper.

The weight of his actions washes over Felix, his mind replaying Farly’s death. He can practically feel his sword sinking through the thin jacket into the flesh of Farly’s back, a squelched yelp erupting from his mouth. He can see the blood rushing from the wound, his life force spilling out onto Felix’s hand.

Felix expects to feel regret, repentance, anguish, wretchedness.

He expects to be sick to his stomach at the thought of taking a life. But a single emotion overwhelms Felix’s thoughts: relief.

“I would do it again,” Felix’s quiet voice matches Desdemona’s. He pulls his sister into a tight hug, his arms wrapping around her as he lets his face fall into her lavenderscented hair. She’s breathing. She’s whole. She’s alive. All because of him. “His life for yours, Mona? It’s a trade I would make any day.”

Desdemona’s chest rises and falls rapidly as she finally lets the tears spill, wetting the soft fabric of Felix’s shirt. Felix gives her a squeeze before letting her go, his hands remaining on her shoulders. The whites of her bright blue eyes are tinged with red.

“I’ve already lost one sister. I wasn’t about to lose another,” Felix consoles. “You deserve some rest, Mona.” His eyes travel to the pale scar marring her eye. Her puffy eyes and red nose make the battle wound seem more pink than usual.

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Just another reason Jane deserves what’s coming to her.

Desdemona nods, knowing that he’s right. No doubt, Kade has planned another training facility for them to hit tomorrow.

She can only hope and pray one finally goes their way. She gives Felix one last squeeze before heading off to bed. Felix sighs heavily as he watches his sister go. Away from everyone, he lets his shoulders feel the weight of the day. The weight of the past year.

Sometimes, it’s hard for Felix to believe it’s been nearly a year since the Asterian World turned their normal teenage lives upside down. Although their sixteenth birthday is only a week away, Felix can’t bring himself to feel any sort of excitement for the day. Not when one triplet won’t be there to share it with them.

A small noise from the hallway causes Felix to turn his head.

He finds Jason, sketchbook shoved under his arm, tiptoeing down the hallway toward the living area. When Jason sees him sitting on the couch, he jumps slightly, a motion so subtle Felix wonders if he imagined it.

“Sorry,” Jason whispers, mumbling slightly. “I thought you had gone to bed. I’ll leave you be.” His cheeks flush a pale pink in the moonlight as he turns back to his bedroom.

“Wait,” Felix whisper-yells to catch his attention. “You’re welcome to stay. You’re not bothering me.”

Nodding slightly, Jason reroutes his course. Although there are many open chairs, Jason decides to prop himself up against the reclining chair, angling his leather-bound book on his bent knees. He turns to his nearly completed drawing of Desdemona.

He considers working on it but flips to a blank page instead. It’s hard to sketch a portrait when the muse isn’t present.

“You know I want to tell Desdemona how I feel,” Jason blurts out before he can stop himself. He pushes his slightly shaggy hair away from his forehead, noting he’s in desperate need of a cut.

Startled by the sudden change in subject, Felix narrows his eyes at Jason. Jason puts his sketchbook down on the floor beside him, sighing.

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“Then why don’t you?”

Jason shakes his head. “There are a hundred reasons I shouldn’t.” Felix remains silent in response, waiting for Jason to continue. “To start, I’m on the Council. After we defeat Jane, I’ll have to be with the Council. I can’t just follow her around.”

Felix stifles a laugh. “You and I both know Desdemona isn’t the kind to want a boyfriend following her around everywhere.

She has plenty of jerks who want to do that already.”

Jason tips his head to the side, conceding on that end.

Desdemona is nothing if not independent. “Second, we’re too different. She’s determined, sometimes a little headstrong, and passionate. I’m quieter, more calculating.”

“You fill in all of her weak spots,” Felix replies quickly.

“When she can’t be patient, you can. When she can’t be analytical, you can.”

Jason opens his mouth to respond, but snaps it shut soon after, realizing Felix is right yet again. But there is still one big, glaring roadblock. His voice quiets slightly. “What if Jane wins?

What if she captures or kills either me or Desdemona and leaves the other in pieces?”

“I think about what Jane might do every day,” Felix admits.

“But fear isn’t a reason not to love someone.”

“She’s lucky, you know,” Jason whispers. His eyes travel to the window where the stars dot the deep navy sky. “To have a brother like you. You’re the brother I always wanted to be.”

“Thanks Jason, but you know, you should have this conversation with her, not me.”

Jason continues to look out at the sky as if God has something to say that will guide him. When no miraculous sign comes his way, Jason sighs heavily. “I know. I plan on it.” They let the heavy silence hang for a moment before Jason grabs his sketchpad from the floor and heads for his bedroom.

“Hey Jason,” Felix calls. Jason turns around to face him, the moonlight bouncing off his blue-grey eyes. “Tell her sooner rather than later. There’s no guarantee we will leave Jane’s headquarters alive again.”

151

17 The soles of Jinx’s boots hit solid ground with a thud. Most of the Asterians around her keel over, sicker than dogs. Those not ready to puke their guts out quickly sit down, dizzy at best.

Only two Asterians don’t seem affected by the teleportation: the teleporter herself and Trenton.

Of course, they place him in my transport, Jinx thought to herself just before they left Las Vegas. She knew the placement had been Elizabeth’s doing. No doubt Jansen told Elizabeth about Jinx’s and Trenton’s “fight,” and Elizabeth placed them together in hopes of letting them work it out.

Well, too bad. It’s impossible to work out the kinks in a fake relationship when your fake boyfriend indirectly murdered your friend.

Jinx refuses to cast a second glance at Trenton as she walks to Jane’s new headquarters. After the sweltering Las Vegas heat, Jinx basks in the cool, refreshing Northern California air. Jinx takes a deep breath through her nose, mentally leaving Las Vegas behind. Between Jane’s manic threats, Maxine’s death, and losing her only real family, that place carries nothing but sadness and despair.

Jinx and the rest of her transport enter the city, attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible, a difficult task in such a small town. The town square, a hub of excitement for the population, features a large, traditional Christian church, an open-air market, and a few home-grown shops. Adorable cookie-cutter homes bounce off the square like spokes on a wheel.

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Why Jane picked one of the smallest cities in California, Jinx doesn’t know. It seems nearly impossible to hide in a city where Jane’s followers will outnumber the city’s population.

Unless Jane doesn’t intend to hide.

The thought repeats itself in Jinx’s mind, and she squirms under its weight. If Jane isn’t planning to hide from the humans, that could only mean one other thing. She’s planning to conquer.

Sunlight bounces off water droplets that spray from a small, yet intricate fountain in the middle of the city. Jinx imagines kids running around the fountain, tossing a Frisbee to one another through the water. At the base of the fountain is the little town’s name carved into the marble.

Arcata.

Instantly, the events of last night’s dreams come rushing into perspective. Jinx falters in her step slightly, stumbling over the perfectly smooth pavement. Knowing she can show no weakness around Jane’s followers, she recovers quickly. But Jinx’s steady head can’t slow her racing heart.

The spray of the fountain, the half-smiles of the kids, the hustle and bustle of the marketplace…pictures flash through Jinx’s mind, each a little snippet of the dreams - no, nightmares - haunting her for the last two nights.

The sun peeks out from over the horizon, casting an orange and red glow on the square. To their left, the intricately carved church rises toward the shining sun, a bronze bell dotting the top of the structure. Closer now, Jinx sees boarded-up doors, with rotting wood. The location of Jane’s new headquarters becomes clear.

“She’s got to be kidding,” Jinx whispers in disbelief to nobody but herself. To set up camp in a church, of all places?

Jinx has never been particularly religious, mostly because Hilga never took her to church during her childhood. But this? This is a whole new low for Jane. Jane wants to use God’s house to enslave the people He created Asterians to protect.

With a small swooshing sound carried to them by the morning breeze, Jane, Elizabeth, Jansen, and Margret appear with their teleporter. Any true follower of Jane would feel a weird 153

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pang of frustration and jealousy that Jane picked those three to accompany her in her transport, but Jinx only feels gratitude.

The less time she spends around Jane, the better.

But as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Jinx slinks over to Jane, a scowl plastered on every inch of her face. Jane, of course, beams at her daughter as she approaches.

“You picked a church?” Jinx’s words seep through her gritted, grinding teeth.

Jane seems unbothered by her daughter’s disapproval, which is understandable considering she seeks the approval of no one.

Jane reaches up to pinch Jinx’s cheek with her hand. “Of course!

No one can distrust a group wanting to make an old church new again.”

Jinx resists the urge to slap away her mother’s hand. She settles for tilting her head to the side, inching just far enough away for Jane to let go of her cheek. She has a new reason for hating Jane. Jane is right - no one would suspect a world takeover from a church group in Arcata.

Instead of going off on Jane, Jinx takes a deep breath like the ones Kade taught her about and smiles. “You’re so right, Mom. Shall we go in?”

Jane links her arm through Jinx’s, and Jinx tries not to flinch at the sudden contact. Every time they touch, Jane’s skin feels cold and hardened, like porcelain. When the blood bond mended Jane’s body, it must have toughened her skin in the process.

At the door to the church, Jane summons one of her many powers. When she touches the boarded-up entrance, its wooden planks fall to the ground, as if kneeling in reverence to Jane’s strength.

Dust stirs from the floorboards in the abandoned church.

Despite years of vacancy, the sanctuary’s original beauty practically takes Jinx’s breath away. The sun reflects through the four stained glass windows, casting rays of green, pink, purple, and blue onto a slightly crooked cross hung above the pulpit.

Rows upon rows of pews stretch to the front of the church. It’s not hard for Jinx to imagine a day, just a few years ago, when 154

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Sunday morning churchgoers filled these seats and sang praises to their Creator.

“It’s perfect!” Jane announces as they continue to take in the sight. “Just how I imagined it.” With a deep sigh of satisfaction, Jane takes a right and continues down the hallway of the church.

The hallway seems small, cramped, and uninviting compared to the open hopefulness of the sanctuary.

“How are we supposed to fit everyone in here?” Trenton asks aloud. His voice quivers slightly, but Jinx knows not to buy the weakness he projects for Jane. A ruthless, effective leader lives behind Trenton’s meek façade.

Jane lets out a bark of a laugh. “You’ll see.” She continues guiding them without casting so much a glance at Trenton. Jinx narrows her eyes, trying to read the interaction. If Jane rewarded Trenton like she said she would for those who provided information on the Scattered, shouldn’t she be paying him more attention? Shouldn’t he be her new right-hand man?

Soon, the hallway comes to an end as a single door comes into view. Jane puts her hand on the faded green paint and whispers her last name. Slowly, the door begins to slide sideways.

Jinx takes a deep breath, but feels it catch in her throat as she gazes upon the new headquarters. A staircase created from vines, flowers, and moss leads down to what looks like a forest floor. Tall kapok trees rise to the ceiling, seemingly as tall as the Heavens themselves, casting a shadow on the floor. Birds chirp from their branches, filling the air with songs of all types.

Flowers grow from the railing of the stairs, reminding Jinx of George and Jackie French back at the House. Jinx feels her breathing hitch as she glances over the flowery railing to find a black abyss – one that seems to stretch on forever below the headquarters.

As they descend the grassy staircase, Jinx can’t help but be confused. This place seems much bigger than a church, far too big to be in a public square. In the past eight months, Jane has had two different headquarters: the arena on Truchas Peak and the underground lair of Treasure Island. What made her choose a church with lush greenery, a place of remarkable beauty?

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Silently, Jinx tries to make sense of the spectacle before her.

She wonders if Jane has stolen a power like the French’s power - one that would allow her to control every plant in this strange place. Maybe Jane has harnessed the ability to bend space, much like Asterians have done at various training facilities.

Meanwhile, to her right, Trenton enters through the breathtaking foliage. His eyes follow a particularly colorful parrot as it flies to the group. Jinx ducks as it sails over their heads and lands gracefully on Jane’s shoulder. The parrot’s beak leans down to her ear as if to whisper something. Jinx hides a scoff, knowing Jane doesn’t have a newfound love for animals.

No doubt, she stole an Asterian’s affinity for birds.

As she watches Jane speak with the bird, the reasoning behind the design of this headquarters becomes painfully clear.

Between the tall trees, warped vines, black abyss, and intelligent animals, every single part of this headquarters can become a weapon with a single word from Jane. If the Scattered come at Jane hard, she will have what she needs to crush the rebellion.

Finally, they reach the bottom of the staircase. Leaves crunch satisfyingly under Jinx’s boots as she steps onto the forest floor.

Several subterranean passageways extend from the center, each creating a bridge over the abyss below. One passageway most likely leads to the living corners, one to the training facilities, one to the dining hall, and the other to meeting rooms. Moss hangs over the entrance to each wing.

Another defense mechanism, Jinx thinks to herself. Anyone who finds the headquarters will have a hard time locating Jane with four identical pathways from which to choose.

Jinx pauses, taking in the towering trees, when she feels a sudden bump against her back. She whips around to find Marie, Jane’s teleporter, with a scared expression.

“I’m so sorry, Jinx. I wasn’t paying attention,” Marie apologizes profusely, waving her hands in front of her face.

Marie must be several years older than Jinx, maybe three years her senior, but Jane has put a healthy fear into the hearts of her followers; don’t cross any members of the Gathered or else, she told them. Jinx straightens her back, maintaining an air of authority over the petite girl.

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“Don’t let it happen again,” Jinx speaks clearly because she knows Jane is watching the interaction. Jane’s supervision makes every moment a test. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees her mother smirk with approval.

Several more transports have entered through the opening and begin to descend through the foliage. Jane turns to address the ever-growing crowd. It won’t be long before followers will fill the forest.

“You may settle into whichever room you choose,” Jane begins. Jinx breathes a sigh of relief. If the Gathered don’t have rooms in the same wing, it will be easier to avoid Trenton. But just as quickly as Jane gave her hope, she tears it away. She turns her attention to Jinx, Trenton, Elizabeth, and Jansen.

“Your wing is through this door on the left,” Jane gestures toward one of the spokes. Jinx stops herself from groaning like a child as she follows Elizabeth and Jansen through the opening.

She pushes the moss to the side, the felt texture soft under her fingertips, only to find herself traveling deeper into the jungle.

Vines creep upward, forming a makeshift ceiling that traps in heat. Uncomfortable in the humidity, Jinx tugs the fabric of her shirt away from her sweaty collarbone.

“If it makes you feel better, I don’t think I like this place either,” Elizabeth notes to Jinx. Jinx narrows her eyes at Elizabeth, trying to guess the game Elizabeth wants to play before it even begins.

Finding nothing of interest in her expression, Jinx shrugs. “I would have preferred a place with fewer… living things.” Jinx gestures to the plants, animals, and - surely - insects surrounding them.

Elizabeth lets out an uncharacteristic snicker of agreement.

“Yeah, I’ll say.”

A comfortable silence falls over them until they notice a set of doors slightly ahead. Jinx lets Elizabeth, Jansen, and Trenton choose their rooms first, leaving hers for last. It’s not like she will be here long anyway. Much to her relief, real doors, as opposed to mossy curtains, separate their rooms from the hallway.

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last time she entered a room like this was just before they left for Las Vegas to compete in the Asterian Council competition. Only a few weeks ago.

How things have changed in such a short time, Jinx thinks to herself as the door swings open. The room is comfortable, yet bland with pale yellow walls and a rickety bed frame. Jinx heaves her backpack onto the floor, bending down to unpack.

As she does, she hears a slight crinkle come from her back pocket. Confused, Jinx digs her hand into her blue jeans, her skin quickly touching the corner of a crumpled piece of paper. It slices her finger shallowly, just enough for a droplet of blood to seep into the white note.

Jinx glances over her shoulder out of habit, making sure no one happens to be secretly watching her. She quickly unfolds the piece of paper. A simple message appears in scrawled writing.

Tonight. Midnight. Beneath the center of the wheel.

Her wooden door creaks eerily as Jinx pulls it shut behind her. She carefully closes it all the way to secure some muchneeded privacy from Jane’s loyal followers.

It has been nearly fifteen hours since she first opened the vague, confusing note. Jinx spent most of that time slowly unpacking her things, while also attempting to unpack the meaning behind the note. Clearly, the note came from a member of the Scattered, but how did it get into her pocket? And where exactly is “beneath the center of the wheel?”

Although Jinx can’t answer these two questions, she ventures out just before midnight anyway. She walks alone. Teleportation travel has exhausted or sickened most of Jane’s followers, many of whom have retired to their rooms for the night.

The Gathered wing also houses the facility’s meeting rooms, which means that any emergency meeting of the Gathered would be an easy secret to keep. Jinx passes by several of the meeting rooms, noting that the doors have been bolted shut. The sight unnerves Jinx slightly.

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Apparently Jane’s preparing for something, Jinx thinks to herself as she exits this wing of the headquarters. She comes back to the center rotunda where they arrived not long ago. The bird noises have almost entirely ceased as the animals catch some sleep of their own. Several Asterians Jinx doesn’t recognize pass through the wings and Jinx holds her breath. Being one of Jane’s closest advisors has its cons; it’s nearly impossible to hide in a place where everyone knows your face.

Jinx looks at the four remaining hallways. One of them must lead to where she needs to go. She spins in a slow circle, trying to decide which to choose. Just as she is about to resort to eeniemeenie-miney-moe, a familiar brown leather jacket emerges from the regular residential wing.

“Lance,” Jinx greets him, trying to steady her voice. Her rapidly beating heart slows.

“Looking for the center of the wheel?” Lance asks with a raised eyebrow.

Jinx nods, the weight of his words dawning on her. “It was you.” She states. It’s not a question, but Lance nods in confirmation. Jinx opens her mouth, planning on asking how he got the note to her, but she becomes hyperactively aware they can be seen by anyone. Any passerby can hear and relay their conversation to Jane.

Understanding her forced silence, Lance waves his hand slyly by his side, signaling for Jinx to follow his lead. He moves toward the staircase of foliage they descended just hours ago, vines crackling under his feet. She follows at a safe distance, watching in confusion as he stops halfway up the staircase.

Pausing to make sure the coast is clear, he bends down to climb under the vegetated railing, leaving several inches of foliage between him and never-ending, total darkness below.

Jinx feels her jaw drop to the ground. Her fear of heights kicks in, just like it did when Felix dangled her over the railing during the “O” performance in Las Vegas. But that fall was nothing compared to the black abyss daring to swallow them whole. Lance motions for Jinx to follow him under the railing.

He can’t be serious.

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She shakes her head, trying to hide her complete and utter terror. “I’m not doing this.” Jinx states.

Although Jinx knows Lance heard her, he extends his calloused hand to her anyway. Jinx’s hands remain at her side, gripping her pants. “You know I wouldn’t let you do this if it weren’t safe.”

No matter how “safe” Lance claims this death trap of a drop will be, Jinx continues to refuse. There must be another way down there. There must be.

As she thinks, a more rational corner of her mind becomes increasingly aware of footsteps nearing the entryway.

Lance hears it too. His eyes flash with momentary fear before pushing his hand further toward Jinx. “We have to go now,” the sound grows louder. “Or not at all.”

Jinx almost says no. She almost turns around and goes back to her room. But then she remembers why she is here, who she is fighting for: Desdemona, Felix, and Kade.

Not allowing herself another second of fear, she grabs Lance’s hand and climbs under the railing. Just milliseconds before Jane herself enters the rotunda, Jinx hurls herself into the abyss.

Lance’s hand slaps itself over Jinx’s mouth, muffling any scream threatening to escape from her throat. The air whizzes around them, blowing faster and faster as they pick up speed.

Jinx’s limbs feel weightless as she falls. After several seconds, a foliage-covered floor spins into view. Jinx closes her eyes tightly so as not to see them rapidly approaching the ground. Just when she begins to make peace that this is the end, the falling stops.

Jinx peels one eye open at a time, finding her feet just inches above the rainforest floor. Lanterns hung from various tree branches dimly light the cavity underneath the headquarters, shining on the face of a tall, dark woman.

“Jerica, you can let us down now,” Lance orders. The woman waggles her pointed finger and slowly, Jinx’s weight shifts and her toes meet the ground. That very second, Jinx lets her face fall into her hands.

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“I told you I wouldn’t let you do it if it wasn’t safe. Jerica can control gravity,” Lance attempts to calm Jinx down as she tries to slow her anxiety-ridden heart. She raises her head just high enough to glare at him, but instead, her eyes meet many others in a gathering of the Scattered, several of whom she recognizes and several of whom she doesn’t.

Her eyes continue to scan the crowd until they find the one pair she thought for sure would be missing tonight. “What are you doing here?” Jinx snarls at Trenton, a low, animalistic growl rising in her throat. He must have kept his secret to himself, or he wouldn’t be allowed at this meeting. Not even for a second.

“Do you know what he did?” Jinx whips her head around, her short hair whipping against her neck. “He’s the reason Maxine is dead.”

Again, Trenton opens his mouth, but Jinx cuts him off with a deadly stare. “He told Jane that Maxine was leading the rebellion. He shouldn’t be allowed at these meetings. In fact, he should be severely punished.” Jinx pauses, lifting her chin. “An eye for an eye.”

No one speaks as Jinx’s proposal sinks in. Finally, after several seconds, Trenton finds the nerve to break the tense silence. “You’re starting to sound like your mom, J.” His words smack Jinx in the stomach, practically knocking the wind out of her with their force. She hides her distress well, except for the sharp intake of breath at his use of the nickname Jinx and Jane share. Despite the sickening realization, she doesn’t apologize. Lance puts his hand on her shoulder.

“It wasn’t Trenton who told Jane,” Lance begins.

Jinx shakes her head wildly. “You don’t understand. He told me he wanted to join and I told him to go see Maxine and-.”

Lance’s raised hand and booming voice cuts her off. “Would you just listen for a second, Jinx?”

Jinx closes her lips together tightly, realizing he is right this time. It couldn’t hurt her to listen instead of speaking for once.

“It wasn’t Trenton,” he repeats. Jinx keeps quiet, her breathing shallow as she wonders who else it would have been.

Lance brings in a heavy, pain-filled breath, and the realization dawns on Jinx. Harvey is missing from the Scattered.

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“Harvey?” Jinx whispers, only loud enough for Lance to hear. Lance nods and whispers back, “We think so. No one has seen him since Jane executed Maxine.”

“We should get started,” Lance raises his voice once again, addressing the large crowd. Jinx can’t help but notice their numbers have grown, possibly doubled, despite Jane’s warning and display of power. Jinx feels a surge of pride well up in her gut. Maybe they will be able to do this.

Lance glances at an Asterian standing several feet to the left of the group. His brown eyes blink slowly in concentration.

“Aaron, is the silence up?” Aaron nods in response. Her legs still a little shaky from the fall, Jinx finds a seat on the floor amidst the crowd. Despite her accusations, Trenton weaves through the crowd, moving to sit right next to Jinx.

Lance stands in front of the crowd, and Jinx realizes he must have taken over after Maxine’s death. His commanding presence and loud voice serve him well in the position. “We gather here outside of our normal meeting time not only to mourn the loss of a leader, but to prepare for the next steps. Maxine did not give her life in vain.”

Shouts of agreement rise from several members of the crowd, Jinx’s included. “For Maxine!” Lance’s voice travels through the crowd, rippling like water as each member of the Scattered repeats his words. If it weren’t for the silencing, every Asterian in the whole headquarters would hear them.

Let them, Jinx thinks to herself. They’ll know all our names soon enough.

162

18 The Environmental Plantation stretches as far as Felix’s eyes can see. For miles and miles, biomes of all types stretch far and wide, each representing a different habitat on Earth. Endless rows of farmland, each square growing a unique crop like corn, soybeans, potatoes, or pumpkins, span acreage to their left. An enormous deciduous forest to their right towers above, much like the one they ventured into back at Horizon Hill.

In the distance, a jungle reigns supreme as water from its own raincloud shrouds the vegetation below in a hazy mist. Walls of ice from massive glaciers creep toward the entrance of the rainforest, melting upon impact and contrasting with lush, green vegetation. Each biome has its own building full of classrooms designed to educate new Asterians.

Sand inches its way into Felix’s tennis shoes, threatening to infiltrate his socks if he stays in the desert biome for too long.

The main building that houses the headmaster’s office stands in the middle of a giant sandpit.

“Felix, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” Desdemona giggles as she references the age-old classic. Although they just crossed the Kansas border no less than an hour ago after more than a day of driving, Felix can’t help but agree with his sister.

Nothing about this environment remotely resembles the setting from The Wizard of Oz. “When you said their philosophy revolved around the environment, I didn’t think you meant every single type of environment on Earth,” Felix says to Kade, never taking his eyes off the myriad of ecosystems in front of them.

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Kade shakes his head, in awe of the changing landscapes.

For once, Kade finds no words. He learned all about different training facilities while studying at the House, but he never expected the Environmental Plantations to be places of such grandeur and beauty.

“Grand Ridge,” Jason reads the sign in front of the main building, a short, fat structure that seems far too small to be the welcome center of a place so diverse and unique.

“Did you tell them we were coming?” Felix asks. After showing up unannounced at two different training facilities and walking away empty-handed each time, Felix thought it would be best to give the Environmental Plantation a warning before their arrival. This time they will get things started off on the right foot.

Jason nods. “I sent an Asterian Rune to their Principal Environmentalist yesterday to let her know.”

Satisfied with their proper planning, Felix begins trudging through the sand to the welcome center. He looks over his shoulder at his sister, whose expression mimics exactly how he feels. Her white teeth glint as she chews on the corner of her lip.

They all know the implications of this visit. It’s only a matter of time before Jane makes her move, and they need allies before that moment comes.

They can’t afford to fail.

After only a few minutes, they stand clumped like cattle in front of the one-story building. Upon closer inspection, Felix notices chips in several places of the door’s brown paint. The building’s tan siding has cracked in several places. Apparently, Environmental Plantations focus almost exclusively on the natural elements rather than keeping up their manmade structures.

“Let me,” Jason says, meandering his way to the front. Felix steps to the side as Jason presses a call button to the right of the door. There’s no harm in letting Jason lead, particularly since he made the initial contact with the Principal Environmentalist.

A small buzzing noise travels with the slight desert breeze as they wait. Jason wipes the sweat, both from the heat and from

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nerves, off his brow. When no one answers after several seconds, he raises his finger to press again and the door swings open.

A middle-aged woman with tan skin and shoulder-length dirty blonde hair greets them in the doorway, her hand resting on the doorknob. Her slightly yellowing teeth reflect the sand as she smiles, sweat slightly dampening her high hairline.

“Jason Curb, it is so good to finally meet you,” the woman greets Jason with a firm handshake. Her voice is chipper with decades-old remnants of a southern twang.

“You as well, Mrs. Holmwood,” Jason responds, dipping his head with all the diplomatic grace of a Council member.

Mrs. Holmwood drops Jason’s hand and brings her long fingers to her chest. “Please, call me Wren.”

Nodding, Jason turns to the group with a look that screams please be civil. “Wren, these are my friends: Kade Defrates, Felix Anchor, and Desdemona Anchor.”

If it weren’t for Felix’s close observation, he would have missed the slight twitch of her pointer finger as she hears their last name. Their heritage goes unnoticed by no one, and their names are known around the Asterian World.

“The pleasure is mine,” Wren doesn’t miss a beat as she removes herself from the doorway and gestures them inside.

Kade follows eagerly, grateful for the escape from the desert heat. Much to his dismay, the sputtering air conditioner does little to cut through the stifling warmth. The inside of the minimalist welcome center matches the outside. It’s plain, painted mostly with muted browns and reds, and decorated like a western motel.

“Wren, if I may,” Kade begins, his deep voice dripping like honey. Desdemona shoots him a look of warning, but he ignores it. “Would it be possible to go somewhere a little cooler?”

Wren suddenly notices their flushed faces and pulls her hair away from her neck. “Of course, let me take you somewhere more accommodating for our conversation. I can give you a tour along the way.”

Felix feels a flutter of excitement in the pit of his stomach as they follow Wren out the back door of the welcome center.

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prospect of hearing more about the coexistence of these different environments in one location.

Wren raises her fingers to her lips and whistles out a shrill tune. After a few expectant moments, five burly camels come galloping up, seemingly out of nowhere. The sandy fur on top of their two humps blows in the breeze.

“Up we go,” Wren shouts out, hooking her foot on the saddle of the first animal. She swings her opposite leg over with ease as her four guests gawk at her grace.

Desdemona, having always told Stacy as a young girl she wanted to go on a camel trek through India, runs to the beast behind Wren’s. Despite her sudden movements, the camel does not flinch as she touches its muscular neck. She mimics Wren’s movements, pulling up and righting herself on the animal’s back.

“What are you three waiting for?” Desdemona says, laughing slightly at their understandable reluctance. Felix and Kade inspect the animals closely before pulling themselves up.

Jason takes up the rear as he struggles to get his foot in the hold.

After several moments of embarrassing frustration, he settles in between the pale humps.

Wren gives her camel a little pat and it begins trotting forward. The four others follow closely behind.

Wren leans over her shoulder, raising her voice just slightly above the sound of the hoofbeats. “Grand Ridge is among the most advanced Environmental Plantations in all the Asterian World. We have 7 distinct biomes stretching over 100 miles.”

Felix squints toward the horizon, trying to identify any new environments past the jungle and the tundra, but fails.

“How do humans not find out about this place?” Felix asks Wren. “I find it hard to believe they can overlook this many miles of changing ecosystem.” Having grown up around humans, Felix knows, if revealed, this would be one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions.

Behind him, Kade scoffs, as if he already knows the answer to Felix’s question. Felix ignores him and leans forward on his camel to listen to Wren. “Because of their size, Environmental

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Plantations must be hidden entirely from the human world. The Asterian Council often sends one of their members to place an invisibility enchantment on the plantation.”

Desdemona furrows her brow as she learns yet another Council power. What can’t the twelve of them do? The knowledge weighs on Desdemona, reminding her just how badly they need the Council’s help.

After a few more minutes, they reach the edge of the desert biome and enter the farmland. Dry heat disappears instantly, replaced by heavy humidity. The minute the ground below them changes, Desdemona feels the camel beneath her start to quiver and shake. Panic begins to stir within her as she remembers what happened at the Wyler Ward. This could be another trap!

Suddenly, a slight popping noise rings through the air and the camels disappear underneath them. In front of her, Wren begins to drop toward the ground, but seems entirely unbothered.

“Wh-.” Desdemona begins, but the sound cuts off as she begins to fall. Quickly, a new animal catches her weight. Its dark brown fur is softer than the camel’s and its horns stick straight up toward the blue sky.

“Oxen,” Wren’s voice is light, yet slightly apologetic. “I’m sorry, I should have warned you. Our animals change with the ecosystems. A camel in the desert, an ox in the farms, a polar bear in the tundra, a leopard in the jungle, a deer in the forest.”

Felix’s eyes go wide in amazement. If Desdemona could see his expression, she would get quite a kick out of his excitement.

“We’re going to my office in the deciduous forest. It’s only an ecosystem away and we’ll be there in no time!” Wren announces from the front.

Jason clears his throat from the back, trying to keep the conversation going to win Grand Ridge’s favor. “Wren, can you tell us a little more about the Environmental Plantations’ belief system?”

“Of course!” Wren’s tone is filled with excitement and Jason mentally gives himself a pat on the back. “Unlike Faith Centers, we don’t focus on whether God gave Asterians their powers. We

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focus on how nature fuels our powers. God created nature, but all of us have a duty to care for this Earth. Think of us as Faith Centers with a nature focus.”

Desdemona and Felix both cast a sideways glance at Kade a warning. The last time a training facility talked about Asterian origins, Kade lost them a potential ally. Learning from his mistake, he keeps his lips sewn tightly together.

“All that nature asks for in return is that we treat it with respect and care. Here at Grand Ridge, we teach all of our students how to care for every ecosystem on the planet in the hopes that nature will continue to support Asterian powers.”

“Do you believe Asterians were designed to protect and save humans?” Desdemona asks as she ties her hair back in a loose braid. Although the heat of the desert was nearly unbearable, she almost prefers it to the sticky humidity of the farmland.

Wren nods from atop her ox. “Nature created Asterians to guide humans down the right path, to help them flourish alongside this Earth.”

Desdemona doesn’t even try to hide her smile. If Wren agrees that Asterians were created to help humans, there’s no way she would stand for a leader wanting to enslave humans.

Traveling through the farming ecosystem takes longer than through the desert, yet they soon crawl under the forest’s cool tree cover. Their oxen disappear, replaced by graceful deer.

Several yards ahead, a small clearing nestles a boxy building.

Wren stops her deer with a pat on its side and dismounts easily. The rest follow suit, albeit less gracefully. Desdemona stumbles slightly, getting the toe of her shoe caught in the leather of the foothold.

Jason chuckles lightly as she struggles. “Not so funny now, is it?”

Desdemona shoots him a teasing glare as she finally frees herself from the saddle. Jason falls in step with her and she bumps his shoulder with hers. Felix watches the interaction from behind, hoping Jason took their conversation about Desdemona to heart.

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Sooner rather than later, Felix thinks to himself. He considers pushing into Jason’s thoughts to remind him but thinks better of it. This isn’t the time or place to be worrying about romance.

Wren holds the door open to the boxy building as they pass through, moving from the forest’s leafy ground to the classroom building’s hardwood floors. The inside looks like Felix’s high school, with analog clocks hung tightly against white-painted concrete walls. Water fountains dot the halls as they enter the heart of the building.

Wren leads them to an office with one chair sitting behind the birchwood desk and two in front of it. Wren moves to the chair behind her nameplate, while Kade and Jason let Felix and Desdemona take the two remaining seats.

“Could the two of you wait outside?” Wren gestures to Jason and Kade. Kade narrows his eyes at the Principal Environmentalist, sniffing for another trap.

After several seconds, they oblige, but Kade tensely adds, “We’ll be right outside in case ….” He doesn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning hits home. In case something happens.

Wren smiles sweetly at the group, a grin that seems genuine and hopeful, but her words don’t seem to reflect the same optimistic outlook. “I know why you two are here.”

Felix bumps Desdemona’s leg subtly with his, his nerves getting the better of him. Desdemona’s hand involuntarily raises itself to trace the length of her scar. That was not the conversation starter they expected.

Felix takes a moment to slow his beating heart before responding. “Then I am assuming you know our mother, Jane Anchor?”

At the mention of her name, Wren’s smile turns sour, but something else hides within - a twinge of sadness. “Yeah, I knew her alright.”

Her wording slips by no one. “Knew?” Felix repeats.

Wren doesn’t answer him immediately. Instead, she opens one of her desk drawers and rummages through its contents.

Her hand reappears with a crinkled photograph held delicately between her fingers. She slides it across the desk to Felix and Desdemona.

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Two young girls stand in front of a crowd, posing closely and smiling brightly for a photo. Mona easily recognizes Wren in the photo, despite Wren’s younger age, longer hair, and chubbier cheeks. Her eyes have a similar mischievous glow to them. But it is not teenage Wren that grabs their attention; it is the girl who has her arm flung around Wren’s shoulder. With her short, choppy hair, the girl looks so much like Jinx that Desdemona picks it up and brings it closer to her face. Upon inspection, she notices the nose angles more downward and the ears knit closer to her face.

But even with the differences, only one person looks this much like their sister: Jane.

Desdemona places the photograph back on the desk, her hand trembling slightly. “What?” Desdemona asks simply. She has about a thousand questions for Wren, but she doesn’t know how to phrase even one.

Fortunately, Wren understands the layers of her question and begins to explain. “The Asterian Council celebrated an anniversary around the time I turned sixteen. They threw a huge party and invited all the training facilities to their Las Vegas headquarters. I received my training at Grand Ridge and had never met anyone from another type of facility before, much less a Freedom-Former. I bumped into Jane on the first day of the celebration, and we became inseparable for the next seven days.

The picture ….” Wren hesitates and gestures to the photograph that now lies on the desk. “It was taken just before we left. We promised to stay in touch.”

“And did you?” Felix asks, leaning his elbows on his knees.

Wren nods, “Yes.” There is no twinge of bitterness in her voice as she says this. Her tone lacks emotion, as if she were talking about the weather. “It became pretty easy to stay in touch when I found out she fell in love with my brother.”

Felix and Desdemona don’t try to stifle their gasps. Felix sucks in his breath sharply. Desdemona eyes dart around the room to her scuffed tennis shoes, to the desk, to the photograph, to Wren, and finally, to Felix.

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Felix gulps, breaking the heavy silence. “Who was your brother?”

“Is he …?” Desdemona doesn’t need to finish her sentence.

Everyone knows where it leads.

Wren looks from Desdemona to Felix and back again as she nods slowly. For all this time, they’ve never known anything about their father beyond what little Mr. Belton told them after they moved into the House. They haven’t tried to find out more, partly because they are afraid of what they would hear and partly because it seemed no one really knew the details of what happened.

But now someone does. Wren, their aunt, holds all the answers to their father’s life.

“What …, what was he like?” Practically breathless, Desdemona awaits Wren’s answer. To finally know something about their father - their real father - both terrifies and exhilarates Desdemona.

Wren reaches under her desk and rummages through the same drawer. After a few, heavy moments, she places another photograph on the shiny finish of the wood. Jane’s face beams back at them once more, but this time a sandy-haired boy has tucked Jane under his arm. The boy has Felix’s strong build, but Desdemona’s soft, blue eyes.

“I don’t understand …,” Felix manages, his fingers nervously picking at a loose string on his jeans. “Mr. Belton said our father went to school with Jane, but you said you went to Grand Ridge?” Typically, Asterian siblings go to the same school to develop their powers together. As Mr. Belton always said, Asterian family powers are stronger together than apart.

“I did go to Grand Ridge, and so did Alexander for most of his schooling. But after he met Jane at the celebration, he decided to do an exchange program with a free-forming training facility - the House. It was only supposed to be a year-long program. He was set to return here by age seventeen to finish training. He said he wanted to stay and that he didn’t like having to conform to the Environmental Plantation’s strict curriculum, but I knew he just wanted to be with Jane ….”

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“What happened when Jane ran away from the House?”

Felix asks.

Felix senses sadness behind Wren’s blue-grey eyes. He anticipates her next answer. “Alexander went with her. He became Jane’s first follower. Together, he said they would give Asterians the power and prestige they deserve, while still putting human safety first. Jane had no intent of focusing on humans, but Alexander couldn’t see that. Love is blind.”

“Did you ever see them together again after that?”

Desdemona asks, as her cheeks flush rosy red despite the cool air conditioning.

Wren nods, her expression lightening just a tiny bit. “Just one other time. Alexander and Jane got married a few years later.

It was only a small ceremony in a courthouse, but Alexander wanted me there.”

Both Felix and Desdemona’s jaw drops to the floor. Jane Anchor? Married?

“He must have been crazy,” Desdemona halfway snorts, brushing her hair off her shoulder. “Anyone who can put up with her needs help.”

Despite Desdemona’s insult of Wren’s only brother, Wren continues. “Jane wasn’t always crazy, you know. She was very smart, witty, and fiercely competitive. She wouldn’t take no for an answer ….” Wren’s voice trails off as she remembers her friend.

Desdemona nods. “I know. I saw it in visions of her in the past. Visions of her when she was our age.” And I saw it in Jinx every day, Desdemona thinks to herself. She doesn’t dare say it aloud, but it stings just the same.

“And boy, did she love Alexander.” Wren’s eyes travel to the photo of the two of them together, happy, smiling, in love. “She was short with others, but never with him.” For a moment, it reminds Desdemona of Jinx and Kade.

Felix clears his throat and finally musters up the courage to ask the question gnawing at him since the start of their conversation. “Is Alexander … is he alive?” He fully expects

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her to say no. He fully expects her to say that Jane murdered him in cold blood, perhaps for interfering with her quest for power.

“Yes.” The single word hangs, tempting everyone to latch onto it.

Desdemona turns to Felix with a hopeful look in her eyes only to find the same optimism in his. They both desperately want their father to be different from Jane, but they have too many questions to answer. They force their hope to stay in the corner for now.

“Yes, he’s alive and well,” Wren repeats. “A few months after they learned of Jane’s pregnancy, they had a … disagreement.”

Her hesitation implies more than a simple argument.

“Jane’s power and prestige grew each day as she took more and more powers for herself. Jane knew the three of you would be powerful and Alexander said she wanted to use you, raise you as weapons. Alexander refused to let her do that. She started blaming him for her lack of progress in seizing power, saying that he was nothing but a distraction and a hindrance to her ascension. She took his powers and easily could have killed him, but she left him alive. It was Jane’s final display of mercy before she put her hunger for power above everything else.”

“And then Alexander came to Stacy, Hilga, and Marcus to save us,” Felix says, connecting the dots in his mind.

“But why didn’t Alexander raise us together? He is our dad, after all,” Desdemona asks. Images of her, Felix, and Jinx growing up together dance through her head. Oh, how she wishes that could have been true. If they had walked through every step of life together, maybe Jinx would have made the right decision….

“He knew it wasn’t safe,” Wren explains. “The best way to keep each of you safe was to try to keep your heritage hidden for as long as possible. He gave you to Stacy, Hilga, and Marcus.

With some help from the Asterian Council, they kept your whereabouts a secret.”

“But…,” Desdemona’s voice lingers as she decides how to phrase her question. “I don’t understand. Jane had a husband

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who loved her and three kids on the way …. Why would she throw that away just for more power?”

Jinx threw away a boyfriend and a family who loved her for power, Felix says in Desdemona’s mind. It doesn’t feel right to say it out loud, like saying it out loud would make it more real. Desdemona’s shoulders sag and her head suddenly feels too heavy for her neck.

“Only one thing besides love makes people do the most unreasonable things: power. Even with Jane’s ego and independence, I still couldn’t believe she chose power over love,” Wren’s eyes glance at the smiling girl in the photograph again. “Sometimes I wonder if there’s even a glimmer of that girl left.”

Desdemona’s touches the faded, pink scar on her cheekbone and shakes her head. “If there was, she wouldn’t have done this.”

Wren’s gaze travels from the top of her scar to the bottom, then back again. Thankfully, she doesn’t ask Desdemona to explain any further.

Felix’s fingers return to the thread on his jeans and he breathes deeply, a silent way of calming himself. “Wren, you seem to understand Jane better than any of us, and that’s another good reason why we need your help. We’re here to recruit Asterians to fight Jane.”

Felix launches into their usual story, finally getting to the conversation they intended to have. Thinking Wren deserves to hear everything, he doesn’t leave a single part out. He even mentions Jinx’s betrayal and their heartache. By the time he finishes, the knot in his throat loosens.

Wren reaches for a Kleenex on her desk and dabs it on her slightly damp cheeks. The story of how far her friend has fallen brings back a flood of long-buried memories. Desdemona takes one as well; no matter how many times she hears Jinx’s story, she always seems to cry.

“Desdemona, Felix,” Wren addresses each of them in a gentle, motherly tone that seems to smooth out the tension in the air. “Grand Ridge is at your service. We already have several

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spies in Jane’s headquarters, and we are more than willing to fight when the time comes.”

Desdemona turns to Felix in excitement, her blue eyes alight with possibilities and optimism. She fights the urge to hop over the desk and throw her arms around Wren’s neck. Felix, finding a better alternative, stands and extends his hand to Wren. She clasps his fingers with hers and shakes firmly.

“I will do what I can to recruit the other Environmental Plantations as well,” Wren offers. Felix thanks her quickly before digging in his pocket. His fingers meet the soft felt of the bag as he drags the Eclogites from their hiding spot. He pulls one out and places it on Wren’s desk, the rocky texture thudding on the wood.

“This will glow when we need you to come,” Felix explains didactically. Wren picks up the stone from the desk, its smooth surface feeling cool against her hot skin. Felix looks back at Desdemona. “I don’t expect it to be too long now.”

Desdemona nods as Felix pulls out several more Eclogites from the bag and hands them to Wren. “Just in case you can recruit more Environmental Plantations,” he notes.

Seeing as they’ve spent far too much time talking already today, Felix knows he must move on to the next step in their preparation for what he hopes will be the last battle they will need to fight. The Tech Estates of California beckon, and Jane’s time bomb constantly ticks.

“We should be going,” Felix says to Wren with a steady, yet emotional tone. “Thank you.” Although his words are few, it’s obvious that he’s thanking her for much more than their alliance.

Desdemona, not able to contain herself any longer, rushes to the other side of the desk and clasps her frail arms around Wren’s neck. “Welcome to the family,” Desdemona whispers, so quietly that only Wren can hear. She feels the warm skin of Wren’s cheek turn up as she smiles, a silent acceptance of her invitation to the small Anchor family.

Desdemona pulls away, turning to follow Felix. Before they can leave, Wren stops Desdemona with a hand on her shoulder.

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“Wait, I want you to have this.” Wren reaches for the photo of Alexander and Jane. She hands it to Felix, who gingerly places it in his pocket.

“Thank you,” Desdemona says. Felix opens the door to reveal Jason and Kade in the hallway. But before Desdemona follows, she turns back to Wren. “Just one more question before we go. Where is our dad now?”

Wren’s eyes twinkle mischievously, as if she’s about to tell them a wonderful secret. “He lives in Beacon Hill. Only about a two-minute walk from the House.”

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19 Jinx’s feet drag along the squishy floor, the edges of her boots catching on a vine every few steps. After stomping on them furiously in a futile attempt to push them back into seclusion, she yawns. Ever since her late-night meeting with the Scattered, Jinx’s tank has been running on empty.

Maybe if Jane didn’t want to meet at the crack of dawn, we wouldn’t have this problem, Jinx groans to herself. When Jane sent Margret to tell Jinx they would meet at 6:00 a.m. sharp, Jinx considered sending Margret away. She considered telling Jane she would come to her little tea party whenever she felt like it.

But her brother and sister’s faces, ever-present in the back of her mind, snapped her smart mouth shut. If she wanted to save them, if she wanted to put an end to Jane’s tyranny, she can’t risk any bit of suspicion. For now, that means being the model member of the Gathered.

After several more steps, Jinx finds herself just outside of Jane’s quarters. She has several entry doors, all of which occupy the same wing as the Gathered, marked with a golden “J.” It reminds Jinx grimly of the “H” each human was forced to wear in her latest dream - at least, she hopes they are only dreams.

Her stomach twists at the idea that these visions will become the future.

Jinx takes a deep breath, preparing to shove her emotions far into the depths of her consciousness. What she thinks doesn’t matter right now. She raps quickly on the wood of the door before she can second guess herself. She expects to see 177

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Margret’s devilishly beautiful eyes behind the door, but to her surprise, Jane herself stands in the doorway.

Despite being a couple of inches shorter than Jinx, Jane raises her chin, an air of supremacy hailed in a single movement.

Jane has transformed from a quivering, uncontrolled shell of a woman to a commanding presence.

When she speaks, her voice is steady, yet calm. It is everything the tone of a leader should be. “Jinx, thank you for agreeing to meet with me.” Jane seems to have taken Jinx’s advice about controlling her temper (and not murdering her followers) to heart.

Like I had a choice, Jinx almost says.

But she stops herself. Instead, Jinx slumps her shoulders just slightly, enough to give an aura of submission. “I appreciate you calling me to your service, Mother.”

Jane leads Jinx into her quarters, drawing her into a pleasantly decorated living area. The room is spotless, as if no one lives there at all. Beneath its plush couch cushions and feathered rugs lies a cold and calculating space. Jane takes a seat on the edge of one of the armchairs and Jinx follows, ensuring Jane settles before taking her own seat.

“I would like to take a minute to discuss your capabilities,” Jane begins. Jinx’s eyebrow raises just a centimeter. Her capabilities? With her powers? Couldn’t this have waited until a reasonable hour in the day?

When Jinx doesn’t respond, Jane continues. “I know your … trainer …,” The word is sour in Jane’s mouth, and Jinx winces at the mention of Kade. “Worked on your powers at the House, but I know you can do much more. I know you can see much more.”

Jinx narrows her eyes at Jane. “What do you mean?”

“Imagine,” Jane begins, her eyes alight with bloodthirsty possibilities. “If you were able to see every possible futuristic path. If you were able to sense every outcome, you could tell me exactly what I need to do to bring Asterians to their rightful place.”

Jinx shakes her head. “I can’t will the visions to come to me.

I only see what they want me to see.”

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Jane scoffs, her noise of disgust sounding so much like Jinx’s.

“And who is they? The Asterian Council? God? Who are they to say what you can and can’t see? You’ve got to stop waiting and start taking, Jinx!” Jane’s hands tighten themselves into fists, her fingernails digging into her palm as her knuckles turn white.

Her outburst is a small, but significant symbol that Jane doesn’t have complete control of her emotions. Jinx pins this information in the back of her mind, thinking it may be something useful to exploit later.

“I can’t take what doesn’t exist, Mom,” Jinx tries to keep her voice relaxed. “I can’t just conjure up visions years into the future out of thin air.”

“And yet,” Jane clicks her tongue against her white teeth.

“I think you can. We will begin training tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. sharp.” Her words have an undeniable sense of formality. This isn’t a suggestion; it’s an order.

With that, Jane stands from her plush cushion and places her hand on Jinx’s arm. Her skin burns, yet freezes, all at once.

Jinx rises, attempting to free herself from the sizzling of Jane’s skin, but instead finds herself pulled into her mother’s hug. Jinx forces her muscles to relax, forces herself not to let Jane know how much she despises every interaction with her mother.

“We can do this together, my sweet J,” Jane’s breath is silky smooth against her ear. Jinx resists the urge to cringe.

She knows she must respond. She knows her mother expects her to show some positive enthusiasm, excitement, or eagerness.

As much as Jinx wants to spit on her mother, she pictures Felix and Desdemona’s face. Their lives rest on her cooperation.

“We will do this together, Mom.” The wicked smile on Jane’s face makes Jinx’s small breakfast come to the base of her throat. She forces it down, keeping her composure. As Jane rises from her seated position, apparently satisfied with their conversation, Jane gestures for her daughter to leave. Jinx exits, feeling the wisp of fingertips on her bare shoulder.

A reminder to obey her. A warning of what will happen if she does not.

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The sound of the door clasping shut sends shivers of relief down her spine. Checking her watch, Jinx notes that it’s just a little after 6:00. There’s no point in going back to sleep, not that she could even if she wanted to now. Jane’s words echo through her mind as she paces down the hall, not sure of her destination.

You’ve got to stop waiting and start taking, her mother said.

Jinx scoffs at the irony of the situation. Jane has done nothing but take her entire life; that’s exactly what her power is designed to do. She has taken the powers of anyone who disagreed with her, killing everyone who dared to rebel. Now she wants to take freedom from the entire human race.

Lost in her thoughts, Jinx didn’t even realize she made it to the leafy staircase in the entryway until her shoe taps the first stair. The door looms at the top of the steps, beckoning her.

She feels its tug and realizes that she hasn’t been out of this headquarters since they arrived. Suddenly, she itches to be free of this place, even if for a few minutes. No one else will wake up until after 7:00, which leaves her liberated for nearly an hour to explore and wander as she sees fit.

Jinx climbs the staircase and exits into the old church, its wooden floorboards creaking under her weight. Although Jane told the townspeople she intends to build the church back to its former glory, not a single change has been made thus far. Dust covers every windowsill. Jinx runs her hand across a particularly dirty one, sending the powder flying into the air. Beams of morning sun pass through, slightly distorted by the particles.

After a few minutes, Jinx wanders into the sanctuary. Light streams through the windows onto a large cross, front and center in the room. Her gaze travels from the cross to the pews, where she notices a shadowy figure seated on the cushioned wood.

Jinx begins to tip-toe back to the headquarters, not wanting to disturb the individual, but a voice stops her.

“You know, you don’t have to run away from me anymore,” Trenton’s voice wraps around the pillars of the sanctuary. He turns his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye. His jawline practically cuts the orange light, and the point of his nose tilts downwards.

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Jinx considers leaving anyway. Although Trenton isn’t responsible for Maxine’s death, he still kissed Jinx without her permission and then claimed they were in a relationship. Yet, something she can’t deny pulls her toward him.

The splintering wood of Trenton’s pew meets Jinx’s hand.

She yanks it away, not wanting to cut her skin. Trenton scoots slightly on the cushion and pats the spot next to him. Jinx has never sat in a pew before, but she sits down next to Trenton anyway.

“You know I didn’t do it,” Trenton begins. “Yet you’re still cold to me.”

Jinx tucks her tongue into the corner of her mouth, biting it softly. She knows he’s right.

“Why?” Trenton presses on, his large hand curling into a fist in his lap.

Jinx ignores his question and instead asks one of her own.

“What’s your story? How did you end up in this hell hole?” The irony of her statement doesn’t go unnoticed by either of them.

Trenton whispers softly, lowering his voice because they are still in a public area. “I’m actually here on orders from my Environmental Plantation.”

“What?” Jinx asks. She has no idea what an Environmental Plantation is or why they would send Trenton here.

Either they must really hate Trenton.

Or they have a hidden agenda.

“I come from an Environmental Plantation,” Trenton explains, but Jinx’s face remains twisted in confusion. “Didn’t you learn about them in school?”

Jinx shakes her head no. “I was at the House for less than a year before I came here.”

Understanding now, Trenton didactically explains the different types of training facilities. When he finishes, he asks, “Which type did you go to?”

“I guess I was a freedom-former,” Jinx answers. She turns the word over on her tongue; it feels foreign in her mouth. “They never placed an emphasis on anything specific.”

“But if you came here as a spy, how did you pass Jane’s loyalty test?” Jinx asks. With every new follower that joins, Jane 181

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makes sure to test their loyalties and ensure they do not plan to destroy her from the inside.

“It’s pretty easy to lie on the loyalty test when the Asterian running the test isn’t loyal herself,” Trenton answers. Instantly, Jinx’s mind recalls her first meeting with the Scattered where Lance told her that Jane used a girl named Katee for the loyalty test.

An easy silence falls over Trenton and Jinx. In the quiet, Jinx becomes increasingly aware of the small distance between their hands, each relaxed on the cushion of the pew, but she forces the thought away. She can’t think of things like that. When she comes out of this, Kade will be there. Kade will be waiting.

But what if he’s not? The devil on her shoulder whispers.

As her conflicting feelings push against one another, her gaze sweeps over the crooked, tattered cross hanging in the front of the sanctuary.

“So, you think that our powers came from God?” The words tumble out of Jinx’s mouth before she can stop them. Questions of that sort have been prodding at the back of her mind since they left the House and Jane’s promise of further training to hone and control her visions only made the questions burn hotter.

Trenton nods slowly. “I don’t know where else they would have come from. They couldn’t have just appeared,” Trenton pauses, contemplating. “And besides, most of us believe in the Asterian purpose of trying to protect humans. It makes sense to me that this kind of higher purpose would come from God.” Deciphering his words, Jinx pulls her hand to rest comfortably in her lap. She never thought of it that way. Whoever or whatever created them obviously had enough power to bestow those powers on others. They could have given Asterians a selfish purpose - one that would expand their own potential - but they didn’t.

“Do you have any siblings?” Again, the words fall out of Jinx’s mouth before she can stop them. Siblings tend to be a taboo topic at Jane’s headquarters. If a sibling hasn’t chosen to follow Jane, it can only mean one of two things. Either the Asterian betrayed their siblings to join Jane, or the siblings are dead.

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But Trenton doesn’t seem at all bothered by the question.

Instead, he begins fishing in his back pocket for his wallet. After several seconds, he pulls a well-worn, tattered photograph from one of its folds.

“These are my little sisters,” Trenton points to two toddlers sitting side by side in the photo. With their pudgy cheeks and little fingers, they can’t be older than four. Tufts of brown hair stick up from the top of their heads, looped haphazardly with a hair tie. Their hazel eyes spark with mischief, making them look so much like their older brother.

“Iris and Arabella,” Trenton explains, pointing to each of the girls in turn. Jinx can’t help but smile at the obvious adoration coating his tone.

“You miss them,” Jinx intends for her words to come out as a question, but instead, she states it as fact.

Trenton nods, taking one last glance at the photograph before folding it back into his wallet. “Every day. Our center sent me on this mission nearly six months ago, and I haven’t seen them since. I’m sure they’ve grown quite a bit since then.”

Not knowing how to respond, Jinx rubs her eyes with the tips of her fingers, causing colors of red and green and yellow to splash across the darkness. The yellow painfully reminds her of Desdemona’s hair. She drops her hands and sighs.

“They were the reason I agreed to do this, you know,” Trenton continues. Although he turns his head to look at Jinx, his eyes have a glassy, far-away look - as if he’s with his little sisters right now.

“What do you mean?” Jinx asks, but the question seems redundant. She sees the answer reflected in her every thought.

Trenton’s voice is a whisper once more. “I wanted better for them, better than Jane. By the time they turn fifteen and get their powers, Jane will either be the leader of our world or a distant memory. I decided I would do everything I could to make it the latter. I want them to use their powers for good, to know they’re making a difference in this world.”

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time she’s said it out loud. It’s the first time she’s mentioned them out loud since she told her story to the Scattered. It hurts, like always, but she also feels a twinge of relief.

“I know. I was there the day you brought Jane back to her full strength. Watching from the crowd.”

Jinx gulps as she pictures Trenton’s face somewhere in that crowd, examining her every move. How horrified he must have been. How horrible he must have thought her to have been.

“But I know exactly why you did it,” Trenton continues, snapping Jinx back to the moment. “You’re trying to save them and that’s admirable.”

Jinx’s lower lip starts to quiver, and tears begin to pool. “It doesn’t feel very admirable when all I can think about is how they must hate me….” She tries to force her emotions back, willing herself not to cry in front of Trenton. Despite her efforts, several salty tears spill over anyway.

“But it’s not always going to be like that,” Trenton reassures Jinx. He closes the few inches between their bodies, placing his arm around her shoulders. His deft touch reminds her of Kade.

Under any other circumstances, she would shove him away, but right now, she needs the comfort more than anything.

Jinx raises her head as the tears and words flow freely. “What if it is always like this though? What if Jane wins and Felix and Desdemona spend the rest of their lives thinking I’m a traitor?

Or worse, what if Jane wins and they die…?”

Trenton opens his mouth to respond, to assure Jinx that they are going to make it through this, but the loud pattering of footsteps puts their conversation to a halt. Jinx wipes her tears, a frantic expression in her eyes. If Jane finds out she has been crying, Jane will surely question her. Jinx can ruin the Scattered’s revolution before it even begins.

“Who’s there?” A familiar, high-pitched voice sounds from the back of the sanctuary. Trenton tucks Jinx further under his arm, turning his head toward Elizabeth. As he does, Jinx feels his soft lips against her temple. Resisting the urge to shove him away, she reminds herself it’s all part of an act.

“It’s just us,” Trenton calls back to her.

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Jinx expects Elizabeth to smile and fawn over their repaired “relationship,” but instead, her expression projects worry. And a pinch of exhilaration. “As good as it is to see that you two have made up, you better get back inside.”

Trenton stands up from the pew, making a big motion of pulling Jinx up with him and wrapping his arms around her waist. Jinx blinks several times quickly to ensure any remnants of her tears have disappeared.

“What’s going on?” Jinx asks. She met with Jane less than an hour ago, and everything seemed perfectly normal.

“Jane wants everyone to do double training today, both power manipulation and physical combat,” Elizabeth explains.

Flames flicker from the tips of her fingers as she says the words.

Obviously, she is eager to release some pent-up energy. Having delivered the message, Elizabeth struts back to the entrance of the headquarters.

“Sounds to me like she’s preparing for battle,” Trenton gulps beside Jinx as they follow a safe distance behind Elizabeth.

Jinx nods, thinking back to her earlier conversation with Jane.

You could tell me exactly what I need to do to bring Asterians to their rightful place. One roadblock stands between Jane and ultimate supremacy. To overcome that roadblock, they will need everyone’s powers to be at full capacity.

Jinx can’t ignore the weight sitting in her stomach as she realizes Jane’s true intentions. “Sounds to me like she’s preparing to overthrow the Asterian Council.”

185

20 “It’s good to hear that you four are finally making some headway. It’s about time,” Mrs. Tary’s air of superiority is unmistakable, even via hologram.

“Thank you. After what happened at Wyler Ward, we wanted to make sure that Grand Ridge becomes a trusted ally,” Jason explains. The Asterian Rune he created on the table for Mrs. Tary has almost entirely faded below his folded hands.

“They have been nothing but gracious and generous to the Asterian Council for many years!” Mrs. Tary says. “You will not be disappointed by their service.”

Desdemona, tired of the pleasantries, dives right into the bush Mrs. Tary has been trying to beat around. “When we gain the trust of this Tech Estate, will you help us?”

Mrs. Tary doesn’t even hesitate. She has been expecting this question. “If that happens, I will take the matter back to the Council with my recommendation.”

“When they become our allies, what’s your recommendation going to be?” Desdemona asks, pressing the issue further.

“The report I receive from the Tech Estate will decide that,” Mrs. Tary says with finality. Her statement leaves no room for argument, but Kade still lowers his eyes at her before she flickers out of existence.

“It’s SO like the Asterian Council to be noncommittal,” Desdemona groans, flopping onto the plush couch cushions with her arms spread out to the side. It’s been nearly seven hours since they left the Environmental Plantation. Each of them tired 186

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and exhausted, but they have a full evening of relaxation with travel in Ruthie to the California Tech Estate.

Desdemona’s stomach grumbles angrily. Their wonderment led to skipped meals at the Environmental Plantation. The beginning of a starry night sky lets Desdemona know it can’t be later than 9:30 p.m.

“Can we stop for food?” Desdemona asks, speaking more with her stomach than her head.

Kade checks his watch, ensuring they remain on track to arrive on time in southern California, before shrugging. “We are a little ahead of schedule. And besides, I could really go for a hamburger right about now.”

Kade heads to the front driving compartment to change the RV navigation. In a matter of minutes, Ruthie curves, exiting the freeway. They take another quick left, sending Desdemona and Felix flying off the couch and onto the floor, before coming to a slow halt.

Desdemona throws open the door to the RV, shoving Felix out playfully in front of her. The large, luminescent In ’N Out sign dimly lights the dark blacktop, glinting off the chipped paint jobs of the few cars parked in the lot.

“What are you waiting for?” Desdemona yells back to Jason and Kade. “We’ve got some burgers to eat!”

By the time Jason and Kade reach the door, Desdemona and Felix have already surveyed the menu, eyes alit. The red and white checkered walls wink in the white lighting.

After Desdemona orders, Felix places his hands on the fake marble of the countertop. “Can I get a number one with a coke?”

The girl simply punches the order into her computer in response, and Felix takes a glance at her name tag. “Thanks, Anna.”

Soon after he mentions her name, Felix hears one thought loud and clear. The voice is mousey, fitting for the petite girl in front of him.

Anna’s not my name, the girl thinks to herself. Felix narrows his eyes at her, considering asking her what her real name is, but decides against it. Doing so would hint at his powers.

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trays of burgers and fries in just two hands. She sets them down one by one, announcing their orders as she places food in front of each of them.

“Y’all enjoy,” Not Anna says as she sets the four drink cups down.

Felix, still thinking about the thought he heard earlier, cocks his head to the side as he begins to unwrap his burger. “Anna,” he calls after her. She turns around, answering to the name that’s not her own. “Where are you from? Y’all isn’t usually a California term.”

“Florida,” Not Anna answers simply. She offers no further explanation.

Jason’s eyes light up at her answer, as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. “That’s where I recognize you! You went to Gregoria, right?”

Not Anna’s rounded jaw drops slightly as she studies Jason closely, her face twisted slightly in confusion. Obviously, she doesn’t recognize him as he does her.

“My name is Jason,” he offers, extending his hand. “I would have graduated next year, but I became a member of the Asterian Council.” Not Anna shakes his hand hesitantly, suddenly wary.

“What a coincidence!” Jason enthuses as he launches into a thousand questions about the poor girl, while Kade, Felix, and Desdemona share a look. They’ve been at this long enough to know that nothing happens around them by coincidence.

Felix sifts through Not Anna’s thoughts, noticing a slight twitch in her fingers.

“You’re a teleporter?” Felix asks, repeating what he just learned. Not Anna doesn’t respond, but her thoughts keep flowing. “And a powerful one at that. No distance limitations whatsoever.”

Desdemona looks at her brother with slight shock. He’s never used his powers for an interrogation like this one, but it is proving very effective. By mentioning one of Not Anna’s thoughts, she will have no choice but to think further about that topic, thus allowing Felix to dig and dig and dig.

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“So, tell me, Anna,” Felix emphasizes her name, the word sizzling off his tongue. The mention of her fake name does the trick, and her real name slips through her thoughts.

“Or should I say, Marie.”

As her name rolls off his tongue, Marie’s body begins to dissolve, letting beams of light pass through the forming holes in her torso. Just when her figure becomes more holes than actual skin, she disappears entirely. Despite her disappearance, nobody relaxes.

“Let’s get out of here before she comes back,” Kade barks out, an edge to his voice. Despite their near-death experience at Wyler Ward, this trip has been relatively free from encounters with Jane’s followers. Kade hoped they could keep it that way, but that must have just been wishful thinking.

After bagging up their burgers, they scurry out of the nowempty In ’N Out into the parking lot, watching over their shoulders for any sign of Marie’s return. When Ruthie turns back onto the interstate, they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“How did they find us?” Desdemona asks, although the question seems stupid at this point. With Jane’s many powers and many followers, she should have no trouble at all locating her children, especially while they travel across the country to form an army against her.

Kade’s hunches his shoulders over in distress and exhaustion.

His hallowed eyes mimic his posture. “We should have been expecting this after what happened at the Wyler Ward. I bet one of those punks ran straight to Jane to tip her off. We should ditch Ruthie,” he suggests. “We could blend in better without her.”

Desdemona cocks her head to the side, her eyes bulging as if Kade had suddenly grown horns. “And how do you suggest we get to California?”

“How about we steal another car?” Felix halfway jokes.

“Another??” Jason exclaims incredulously. Desdemona and Kade both smile and chuckle, remembering the wild goose chase nearly a year ago that led them to steal a car from an airport in New Mexico. Suddenly, Desdemona’s laugh cuts off and her smile fades. Her serious, blue eyes reflect a tumultuous 189

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sea instead of a shimmering pond. “Hilga gave us Ruthie to help us and guard us. I won’t just ditch her on the side of the road.”

“It’s risky to stay with Ruthie, but it’s even riskier to go on without any set mode of transportation,” Jason adds logically.

Kade, having shoved the last of his huge burger into his mouth, sighs and picks himself up from his seated position. “We should have one person awake at all times, just in case Jane decides to send someone else to bother us.”

“I can take first shift,” Desdemona offers. “I’m too antsy to sleep right now anyway.”

“Second,” Jason calls quickly - almost too quickly.

Felix, noticing his eagerness, winks at Jason. “I’ll take the morning shift. I always get up early anyway.”

Felix and Kade quietly go off to their rooms, leaving Desdemona and Jason alone for the first time since that first night in the RV. Desdemona shifts awkwardly on the couch, suddenly not sure what to do with her hands, while Jason reaches for his sketchbook. The leather slips between his slightly sweaty fingers, falling toward the hardwood floor. In a failed attempt to catch it, he accidentally forces the pages open. When it falls to the ground, face-up with a smack, a strikingly accurate portrait fills the white space.

Desdemona studies the picture a little more closely. The portrait presents beautifully pronounced cheekbones; long, lightly colored hair; and a unique, light scar along the almondshaped eyes belonging to only one person.

Just as Jason tries to close the leather binding, Desdemona sticks her hand in between the pages, effectively keeping it open and giving it a tug. Jason concedes the book to her. “Is that…?”

She doesn’t finish her sentence, but she doesn’t have to.

Jason rubs his forehead with his fingertips in utter embarrassment as he nods slightly. “Mona, I’m really sorry.

I was just watching you from across the room one day and I thought you would be the perfect…. “ The crashing of Desdemona’s soft, pink lips on his cuts him off. He sucks in a breath of shock before letting his hand snake around her waist. She moves against him, her kiss eager 190

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and confident, yet compassionate and soothing. After several seconds, she breaks the kiss, leaving her forehead pressed against his. They both try to steady their breathing, hearts competing to see which one can beat faster.

“That’s…,” Jason breathes out through his smile. “Not the reaction I expected.”

Desdemona laughs, a beautiful, gentle tone. “Well, I wasn’t expecting a portrait of myself to fall out of your sketchbook.”

Although her words could be perceived as sarcastic or snide, her tone is softhearted, grateful, even.

Jason pulls his face away from hers, looking into her pale blue eyes glinting in the reflection of the passing streetlights. “I still should’ve asked your permission. I am sorry about that.”

Desdemona brushes it off with a wave of her hand. How could she be mad at Jason for thinking of her as being beautiful and interesting enough to draw? After years of high school boys whistling and hollering as she rushed down the hallway, it feels like the best compliment of all.

Taking the conversation’s lead, Jason sits down on the couch, patting the cushion next to him. Desdemona sits, resting her hand on her thigh. Jason lays his palm on top of her hand, his pale skin a comfortably warm contrast to the blowing air conditioning.

“Why are we doing this to ourselves?” Jason asks. When Desdemona tilts her head in confusion, Jason continues. “I mean, why aren’t we letting ourselves be together? It’s no secret that we like each other. Everyone can see it. There’s nothing not even Felix - standing in our way.”

Desdemona sighs audibly, pulling her hand out from under his. As much as she wants to be with him, as much as she wants to let herself have that… “Jason, our happiness is not the only thing that hangs in the balance here. What we are doing here is bigger than us.”

“And?” Jason says, his voice gentle. As much as he wants to take her hand again, he knows to respect her space at this moment. “Will us being together change anything about that?”

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Desdemona thinks for a moment, fighting with herself. A distraction like a relationship might shift focus away from their ultimate goal, but it could also serve as a welcome escape.

Desdemona’s mind wanders right into an all-too-familiar subject, and she drops her voice to a faint whisper. “How did you feel? After you lost your sister.”

If the sudden change in conversation topic surprises Jason, he doesn’t show it. Instead, the cotton of his shirt rises as his chest heaves in a deep breath. “I didn’t talk to anyone for what felt like years. I was so torn up, so upset. That’s when I started drawing. I would draw her face again and again, forcing myself not to forget what she looked like.”

Images of Jason furiously bent over his sketchbook, tears dripping onto the paper, run through Desdemona’s mind. “Did you know I have hardly slept since she left? I just go back there and stare at the ceiling, thinking about how we weren’t enough to make her stay.”

“My identity for the past year has been this family, our powers, and our purpose. Jinx tore every bit of that apart when she left,” Desdemona admits, the words practically falling off her tongue without her permission. She hadn’t realized how true they were until she said them out loud.

Jason stays quiet, letting Desdemona explain further. “I just don’t think I can dedicate myself to someone else when I don’t even know who I am. I’m not in the right place to be in a relationship right now.”

Jason gulps, his jaw set in a straight line. The words tear through his chest like a knife, and he hides it horribly. “I understand, Mona,” His voice shakes. “And I’m not just saying that. I mean it. I know what it’s like to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild.”

Desdemona’s eyes seem as big as the moon, her lip quivering.

“You don’t have to wait for me.”

He gives her a sincere half-smile. “I know, but I am going to be here for you.”

Suddenly, Desdemona pulls him into a bone-crushing hug. He can feel practically every emotion in the movement: 192

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depression, anger, fear, anxiety, and hopefulness. He wraps his arms around her small frame, pushing his face into her shoulder and breathing in the aroma of her strawberry shampoo.

“Will you stay?” Desdemona whispers in his ear, her voice almost cracking despite the low volume.

Jason nods into her hair, knowing he will stay a million times over if it means he can help her through this. Jason pulls away, settling back onto the couch. Finally feeling drowsy for the first time since Jinx left, Desdemona leans her head on his broad shoulder. Although this physicality makes Jason’s heartache, he doesn’t dare push her away. If she needs a shoulder to lean on, a friend to confide in, a partner to laugh with, she will have him for as long as she needs him.

Because he knows, deep down, he will wait for her forever if that’s what it takes.

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21 “This is YOUR power! Control it!” Jane’s voice booms, reverberating off the walls. Jane’s private quarters disappear as Jinx squeezes her eyes closed. She attempts to do as Jane asks, focusing all her attention on the source of her visions. She tries to summon the heavy, familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach the one that always lets her know she’s getting a vision - but her stomach simply growls with hunger. In this, their second private training session since Jane instructed Jinx to force her visions, Jinx has made no progress at all.

Her eyes flicker open in frustration, and she shakes her head.

“I can’t. I can use my Embellishment whenever I want to see thirty seconds into the future, but not any further than that.”

Jane practically growls at Jinx, reaching out as if to slap her.

Although Jane’s eyes are ablaze with blue fire, Jinx doesn’t so much as flinch. Seeing that her predatory movements do not have the desired effect on Jinx, Jane flips around and perches on the edge of her cushioned chair. Even when the dim lighting makes it difficult to see her expression, Jinx can guess it’s not pretty.

“You’ve manipulated my visions before,” Jinx mentions, remembering how Jane showed her Felix murdering Desdemona before killing himself. In that moment, Jinx’s visions were not her own. Jane created them and placed them in the confines of Jinx’s powers. “Why don’t you just do it again to see what you want to see?”

“I made those, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be true,” Jane says bluntly. Jinx narrows her eyes, wondering if that 194

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means the vision wasn’t true at all. If so, maybe she didn’t need to pledge herself to Jane in the first place. She shakes off the thought, knowing there’s no turning back on a decision she’s already made.

“You know what I bet it is?” Jane begins, not even looking at Jinx. “That stupid mentor of yours poisoned your mind. He hindered your abilities.”

Jinx fights the urge to wrap her hands around Jane’s pale neck and squeeze until she breathes her last breath. Jane knows Jinx loved Kade; that is exactly why Jane makes Kade her favorite subject of ridicule and insult.

Jinx, an expert at concealing her anger at this point, keeps her voice unwaveringly steady. “What do you mean, Mother?”

“That idiot always told you to concentrate on clearing your mind, that your visions would only present themselves if you freed yourself from any sort of feeling or thought,” Jane sneers, picturing Kade’s face in her mind. Jinx wants to scream.

But her words suddenly remind Jinx of the only time she forced a vision further than thirty seconds into the future. It happened just after Kade, Desdemona, Felix, and Jinx landed at the Santa Fe Airport; they thought they were on their way to rescue Margret from Jane. Jinx saw a vision several minutes after they got off the plane, showing her that their taxi driver worked for Jane, all of which led to them hijacking a car to escape. With adrenaline rushing through her veins and her heart beating fast within her chest, Jinx looked several hours into the future to see if this car would get them to the bottom of Truchas Peak.

Her mind was far from clear at that moment.

As much as Jinx hates to admit it, her demented mother might be onto something here.

Jane notices Jinx’s pensiveness and snaps her bony fingers in front of Jinx’s nose. “Pay attention! Gosh, my witch of a mother did a horrible job raising you. You have no respect for your superiors.”

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insult Hilga - a passionate, strong, humble woman - makes Jinx want to put an end to Jane’s reign right here, right now.

But Jane knows exactly the effect of her words.

Jinx bares her teeth at her mother, but Jane continues egging her on. “And it’s easy to see you’re so much stronger than your weakling siblings. They’re as good as dead once I get my hands on them.”

Instantly, Jinx jumps up from her seated position, arms thrown out to the side and eyes locked on Jane. “YOU PROMISED THEY WOULD BE SAFE!” Jinx screeches.

Her thoughts run at a million miles an hour, picturing a hundred different fates for her brother and sister. She imagines them rotting away in Jane’s dungeon, going insane because of Jane’s powers of mind manipulation, drowning, burning, or being buried alive under the elements. In each nightmare, Jane looms over them, a crooked, sadistic smile plastered on her face.

Jane senses the turmoil inside her daughter. “Don’t push away your emotion, Jinx. Use it for strength.”

Jinx knows she shouldn’t listen to her mother. She knows she needs to calm down before she does something that will get her or her siblings killed, but she can’t. She can’t calm the storm brewing within her.

Suddenly, the wind whooshes from Jinx’s lungs, as if someone just punched her in the stomach. She falls back onto the chair in shock, looking accusatorially at Jane, but her mother holds the same confused expression. Jinx feels another sickening punch in her stomach and the sides of her vision begin to spot.

For a second, Jinx believes she will pass out. The room begins to spin, and she hears Jane’s mockingly sweet voice in the back of her mind, miles and miles away.

“I want you to see the fate of your sweet, sweet Kade.”

Jinx’s body feels weightless as she looks upon the quaint town square of Arcata. Angry, grey clouds hide the city, casting a shadow of despondency. Jinx turns to the church only to find scaffolding rising all the way to its steeple. Asterians hammer away at the surface, chipping off the old bricks on the walls and 196

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replacing them with a metal so shiny it gleams even without the sun’s help. Jinx’s head spins as she recognizes the beautiful gold - the same gold used to construct the giant Arcata castle she has seen in her dreams.

Jane’s order drifts back into her consciousness. Find your sweet, sweet Kade. Instantly, the black-haired boy consumes her mind. She hasn’t seen Kade since she pledged herself to Jane. A tug in her stomach leads her toward the church. She ducks under the scaffolding, clips an edge with her shoulder, and barely even hears several explicit remarks from the workers above. She has eyes and ears for only one person: Kade.

Following her gut, she enters the church, now entirely overrun with construction. What used to be the sanctuary has been completely transformed; the cross up front has been removed - probably thrown away. The stained-glass windows have been smashed and will be replaced with floor to ceiling mirrors. Asterians hurry by, carrying paint, nails, brushes, and other tools. Jinx dodges the workers and drifts toward the front of the sanctuary. Jinx sees a small, seemingly insignificant door with a bronze handle near the far wall that she never noticed before.

Turning the handle, Jinx pulls the door open to find complete darkness. She hesitates for a moment, wondering if she should turn around, but she knows she must go in. Faithfully, she begins to put one foot in front of the other. The ground squishes under her boots, just like the floor of the headquarters.

After what feels like a mile of walking, a faint light glows near the end of the hallway. She picks up the pace, her heart racing from the running and at the prospect of seeing Kade. Her excitement wanes when she realizes the back wall of the hallway is not a wall at all.

Rather, it is a cell.

A thin form is curled up on the floor of the cell, his eyes staring blankly. His bones threaten to protrude from his skin and his foot twitches sporadically; nothing about him resembles the muscular, determined, stubborn man she loves.

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Jinx falls to her knees, her clammy hands gripping the cold metal bars until her knuckles turn white. Red hot tears stream down her cheeks of their own accord. She calls out to him, screaming his name, but she knows it’s futile. No one can ever see or hear her in her visions.

After several moments of pure pain and agony, Kade begins to mutter. Jinx strains to listen to his croaking tone.

“No more… Please… I just want to see… Hear… Feel,” Kade whispers to no one. Jinx feels her heart break into two as she realizes exactly what his words mean.

Jane has stolen his powers and is using them against him.

Jinx gasps out of the vision and immediately doubles over, hurling all over Jane’s floor. Normally, she would be embarrassed about this, but she cannot focus on anything except the horrible, aching pain in her stomach. Her head spins, and she sees three Janes sitting in front of her.

Great, more Janes, Jinx thinks to herself. Just what I need.

“Tell me, sweetheart, what did you see?” Jane’s tone is soft and sympathetic, like comforting an ill child. She rubs Jinx’s back with the palm of her hand. If Jinx didn’t know it to be a ruse, she might even feel comforted.

Jinx chokes back another bout of bile, squeezes her eyes shut, and begs the nausea to pass. As she waits, she considers her options: tell Jane what she saw or lie and risk Jane using her powers to pull the truth out. Both roads lead to the same end; Jinx will become nothing more than a pawn used to see the future.

The turmoil of nausea recedes, leaving a stone feeling in Jinx’s stomach. Her brain remains fuzzy and her body feels like Jell-O, but she manages to briefly tell Jane what she saw. She leaves out the part where she wailed and screamed over her exboyfriend’s body, knowing Jane will only find weakness in her emotions.

When she finishes, Jane smiles wickedly. “Being my daughter, I knew you were powerful, but I had no idea just how powerful you could become. Soon, there will be no limits on 198

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what you can see. Together, we will make this Earth our own.”

Jinx doesn’t even have the energy to fake enthusiastic agreement. Instead, she nods feebly, feeling weaker and more tired than ever before. She wants nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep until this whole revolution ends.

Jane, sensing Jinx’s exhaustion, eyes Jinx with mock understanding and compassion. “Was that too tiring for you?”

Her tone drips with sarcasm and for a moment, Jinx fears Jane will force her to see something else. But at least a little part of Jane’s sympathy must be real, for she waves Jinx off with her hand. “Rest up, sweetheart. We will meet again tomorrow to hone your skills.”

As much as Jinx wants to fall asleep in the reclining chair, she knows she must, for her own safety, return to her room. There’s no telling what Jane might try to do to an asleep, vulnerable Jinx. Legs shaky and barely able to support her weight, Jinx rises from the chair. She hardly remembers the short walk back to her own room, only recalling how nice the normally scratchy blanket feels against her skin as she falls into bed.

Her body needs peaceful rest, but sleep does not deliver.

Despite being exhausted from the forced vision, Jinx tosses and turns, kicking the covers away. She dreams once more of Arcata’s future.

Once again, Jinx finds herself on the massive bridge next to the golden castle. This time the glimmering yellow has lost its beauty. It has become a monstrosity. The once awe-inspiring, towering spires now suffocate. Instead of being inviting, the massive double doors now threaten.

The contrast between the castle and the crumbling city below presents the worst of the scene. Smokes rises from the marketplace, flames licking at the wooden stalls. Buildings fall under the weight of the flames, crushing their inhabitants. Even from this distance, human screams cannot be muffled. Humans, marked by purple patches, attempt to run away from the fire.

A sickening gut instinct tells Jinx that an Asterian conjured up these flames.

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The park Jinx visited last time appears absolutely deserted, both in the human and Asterian sectors. The eerie sight of the empty playground makes Jinx wonder what drove the fun-loving patrons away.

In the distance, Jinx notices manufacturing district smokestacks puffing at an intense speed, grey tufts of fog spewing from the barrels in a continuous stream. Jinx takes a deep breath, wondering how long it will be before pollution blackens the clean, crisp air.

She squints, focusing on the ground in front of the largest smokestack. On the gravel road, a sweaty, dirty man lifts what appears to be nearly fifty pounds of black coal on his back. At first, Jinx pays no mind to this, brushing it off as another hard day’s work. But as her gaze lingers, she notices another man standing, hands folded across his broad chest, barking orders at the man. This man’s skin is a pearly white with no soot marks whatsoever. The worker lifts his basket of coal higher, picking up his feet to increase his pace.

Still not satisfied with the worker’s speed, the supervisor reaches for something on his belt that makes Jinx want to hurl.

A thin, snake-like rope slithers into view, creeping up behind the worker. The supervisor cracks the whip on the worker’s leg and red blood begins to ooze from a re-opened wound. Jinx can’t hear the scream that most assuredly comes from the worker’s wide-open mouth.

This is what Jane’s Asterian world will become, Jinx thinks to herself. Cities burning, humans enslaved – blood on Asterian hands.

Jinx looks out upon the tumultuous city, her hands gripping the railing of the bridge. If they let it get to this point, if they let Jane rise any higher, there will be no turning back. There will be no saving the humans. If she lets her powers be manipulated

by Jane, she will be assisting in Jane’s ascension to power. She might even be causing it.

As she takes one last glance at the burning marketplace, one thought consumes her mind.

I will not be a pawn.

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Jinx awakes with a gasp, the same sentence playing again in her head like a broken record. Something inside her has snapped.

I will not be a pawn.

I will not be a pawn.

I will not be a pawn.

Jinx mentally slaps herself across the head for her own stupidity. Her series of dreams, combined with Jane’s brutal training, has opened her eyes when nothing else would. She throws the burlap blanket off, letting her feet hit the ground with a thud. The revelation having revived her strength, she darts out the door without even bothering to put her boots on. Her socks, worn on the soles, cause her to almost lose her footing as she screeches to a stop outside of Trenton’s door.

Jinx shuffles behind the closed door and Trenton creaks it open. When Jinx pushes through the opening, Trenton holds his hands in front of his face, mocking Jinx for having hit him the previous time she came to his room. Jinx mimics his actions, waving the white flag to let him know she comes in peace.

“If you’re not angry, then why did you just bust in here?”

Trenton asks, closing the door behind them.

Jinx’s eyes are wild like a lioness, unpredictable. “I have to get out of here.”

“What?” Trenton questions. “But Jane will kill your brother and sister.” It isn’t a question; it’s a fact.

Jinx shakes her head, her split ends flailing wildly around her shoulders. “She’s going to try to do that whether I am here or there. I was stupid to believe she would keep her promise in the first place.”

“Yes, you were, but you had to figure that out for yourself.”

Jinx ignores his slight jab at her and continues putting together pieces of the puzzle. “Jane manipulated my powers to get me to follow her in the first place. And now she’s training me to force my visions, so she can see the outcomes of her actions before they happen. At first, I didn’t think I could do it. My visions aren’t supposed to work like that; it drains nearly the last bit of energy I have.”

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Jinx pauses, looking up to meet Trenton’s gaze. “Because of her powers, she would know if I lied about what I saw in a vision. If I stay, she will know exactly what she needs to do to…”

Trenton’s finishes the end of her sentence. “Win. If you stay, she will win.”

“If I stay, if I let her use me like this, there’s no way she can lose.”

Trenton gulps audibly, running his hand through his hair.

After several seconds of processing, he looks back at Jinx. “Why are you telling me this? If Jane finds out I know anything about you leaving, she’ll kill me if I don’t tell her the truth.”

“Exactly,” Jinx takes a step toward him confidently. “You’re coming with me.”

Trenton shakes his head. “I can’t, Jinx. My Center expects me to be here. I can’t just abandon my mission like that.”

Jinx mentally slaps herself for not considering this before.

Unlike others, Trenton isn’t here of his own accord; he is here with specific orders from a superior. Thinking quickly, she resorts to the only argument she can make at this point.

“Well you’re not going to be much good to your Center if you’re dead, right?”

Trenton opens his mouth to argue, but then snaps it shut.

Jinx’s departure will cause a stir. Now that he knows something about her plan, he may have no choice but to go if he wants to live. The choice isn’t a hard one.

“Where will we go?” Trenton asks.

Jinx beams at him, beyond happy that she will have a travel buddy. Her skills with a knife are sublime but having an Asterian with impenetrable skin and strength won’t hurt. “We’re going to find my brother and sister.” And Kade. Jinx leaves that part out of it.

Trenton looks at Jinx like she’s crazy. “J, I can think of a hundred reasons why this is not a good idea.”

“I know, I know, you’re worried about them not trusting me, but once I tell them everything that’s happened, they’ll have to

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believe in me again. They’ll have to,” Jinx repeats, more for herself than him. The more she says it, the more she thinks it might come true.

“Okay, but how are we going to find them in the first place?”

Jinx answers quickly, having thought about this on her way over. “Did you hear about how the Wyler Ward’s leader was killed?” Jinx hardly knew any details about his death, but she did know that Jane became livid when she found out. After all, Jane counted on the Wyler Ward to be one of her biggest supporters.

Trenton nods. Jane announced it at their last Gathered meeting. “And she sent Marie to check on them.”

“I may have asked Marie to do me a favor while she was on her way back.” The look in Jinx’s round eyes is guilty, yet mischievous. “I asked her to find Felix and Desdemona for me and make sure they were okay. It was a selfish, stupid act, but she agreed, thinking they could be of use to the Scattered at some point in time.”

“But how did she find-?” Trenton begins to ask, but Jinx cuts him off, shrugging.

“I don’t know. I left that part up to her, but she didn’t let me down. I know exactly where they were last night and where they’re going tomorrow.”

Trenton takes a gulp, looking aimlessly around the room.

“Why me?” He asks before he can stop himself.

“What?” Jinx questions, impatiently tapping her foot anxiously on the ground. They must leave sooner rather than later if they want to beat her siblings to the Tech Estate.

Instead of answering, she shrugs and pushes the question to the side. “We need to leave in the next half hour. Meet me by the entrance to the Headquarters, at the top of the staircase.”

“And what will our excuse be for leaving the Headquarters when Jane is cracking the whip on training?” Trenton asks, making sure they’re both on the same page.

Jinx smiles nearly-bashfully, blood threatening to rush to her cheeks. She forces the uncomfortable and unwelcome feeling away. “We have permission from Jane to take a break. A nice

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lunch date out on the town. After all, we’ll be long gone before anyone realizes it’s a big, fat lie.”

Trenton nods curtly. If there’s one thing they’ve all become accustomed to since they began to serve under Jane, it’s lying.

After a while, it becomes second nature - almost as easy as telling the truth.

204

22 Desdemona raps her fingers against the side of Ruthie, her skin sweltering in the hot sun. Felix and Jason both find shade under a small tree, while Kade lifts Ruthie’s front panels on the side of the road. It seems that even enchanted RVs can break down.

“It’s just our luck that this would happen less than an hour away from The Institute,” Desdemona complains, looking wistfully off in the direction of the Tech Estate. Since they left the beauty of Grand Ridge, she has been excited about seeing if Tech Estates are just as modern as Environmental Plantations are wild. They placed bets on how The Institute will look, and Desdemona wants to test the accuracy of her “Apple store wannabe” prediction.

Kade emerges from examining the RV’s coolant system, his hair messy, and he wipes his grimy face with a white towel, leaving black streak marks on the cloth. “I don’t know what happened,” Kade admits. “The smoke is still coming out and it’s overheated.”

“I would bet it’s another one of Jane’s tricks,” Felix looks up from his book and calls from the comfort of the shade. “Just like that teleporter from last night.”

If Jane sent followers their way one night and wrecked their RV the next, it can mean only one of two things. Either she is planning an attack soon, or they are getting closer to her new headquarters. For all Desdemona knows, it could be both.

“Or it could just be that the RV is old anyway,” Jason suggests, glancing up from his sketchbook.

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“Well, there’s no point in crying over spilled milk,” Felix says. Desdemona chuckles at his strange saying, but she knows it’s true.

“We’re going to have to call a tow truck,” Desdemona says.

“And which of us has the money to pay for a truck to tow a small RV?” Kade scoffs, glancing at his empty pockets.

“Oh!” Felix shouts. “Wait here!” He runs into the RV, which swelters without AC. Pushing through the door to his room, he opens the cabinet of his bedside drawer and reaches for the blue plastic card Desdemona gave him for safekeeping. Securing it between his fingers, he runs back out to meet the other three.

Kade quickly looks around for a mile marker on the interstate before pulling out his phone and searching for a local towing company.

“Thirty minutes?” Kade exclaims in frustration, the phone pressed up against his ear.

Desdemona shoots him a look of warning and whispers, “Be nice. Beggars can’t be choosers.”

Seeing her expression, Kade sighs. “See you in thirty minutes, then. It’s not like we can go anywhere else anyway.”

To take the sting off his words, he quickly adds, “Thank you for your help.”

Hitting end on the call, Kade plops himself down under the shade tree. Desdemona takes one last look at the useless RV, frustrated, before moving back to join them.

Just as the tow truck arrives to do its job, a small, grey Camry whizzes by, slowing down slightly to ensure they don’t hit the RV pulled to the side of the road. The two people in the front seat - a girl and a boy - both turn their heads to get a better look at the oversized vehicle. Just as they do, Desdemona’s dips her head slightly to wipe the sweat off her forehead. When she looks up, she can hardly contain her gasp. In the passenger seat of the Camry, staring up at the top of the RV, is a girl with unmistakable black hair similar to her traitorous sister. The Camry speeds by too quickly for Desdemona to decide whether it was Jinx or a figment of her imagination.

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A thousand emotions slash Desdemona in two as she watches the taillights of the Camry fade down the interstate. At first, she feels relief that if it was Jinx, her sister didn’t notice her standing there, but then her curiosity peaks, wondering what would’ve happened if Jinx had seen her.

Next comes the anger, red hot and boiling. At that moment, she knows she would slap Jinx across the face a million times over if given the chance.

Ultimately, confusion overtakes her mind as she asks question after question.

Was it Jinx?

Who is the boy she was with?

Where is she going?

Is she on an official mission from Jane?

Is she looking for us?

Without being sure whether it was her sister in the first place, Desdemona keeps the incident to herself for now. A few minutes later, the tow truck finally lugs their RV to the repair shop. The shop resembles a packed parking lot with a tiny, dimly lit lobby.

The manager runs diagnostics on the RV and identifies a clogged radiator as the root of the problem.

The manager’s full mustache moves as he speaks to Felix.

“We’ve just got several other jobs in line ahead of yours, so it could be a few hours before it’s completely ready.”

“Sir, I appreciate your help, but we have an emergency to attend to today,” Felix gestures back to Jason, Desdemona, and Kade, who sit in the lobby. It is so cramped they take up most of the entryway.

Yeah, and I’m kind of in a hurry to eat my cheesesteak for lunch. We all got problems, the manager rudely thinks. Felix opens his mouth, considering calling the worker out for his illmannered and ungracious thoughts, but thinks better of it. His powers should help humans, not call them out for unpleasant behavior. Behind him, he can practically feel Desdemona bristling with impatience.

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safe spot. He waggles it slyly in front of the worker and speaks in a low tone, “Money is no object here. Is there any way I can convince you to push our car to the front of the line so we could have it sooner? Maybe say… a half-hour?”

“You know, on second thought, I think we could make that happen,” the manager agrees, never taking his eyes off the credit card. He clicks away at his keyboard for just a few more seconds.

“Oh, look at that! Your vehicle is next in line.”

Felix shakes the manager’s greasy hand quickly, wiping it against the side of his shorts as he struts back to the group, feeling proud of himself. After crossing the tiny lobby, he finds Desdemona looking over her shoulder longingly at the Shell gas station next to the body shop.

“Since we have some time to kill, let’s go get some slushies at the Shell station.” She points to the red and yellow sign, her face nearly pressed up against the smudged window panes. The group agrees, just wanting to get out of the cramped shop.

As they make the short walk over to the gas station, Desdemona tries to push the image of the Jinx look-alike in the passing car out of her mind. It’s practically all she’s been able to think about since that moment, but she hasn’t found a good time to tell Felix about it yet. She knows it could be dangerous to delay telling the group, but she can hardly bring herself to say it out loud.

Jinx could be alive, well, and on the move - probably on Jane’s orders… And probably coming after them.

Inside the gas station, the fluorescent white lights illuminate the rainbow of slushy flavors, offering everything from cherry to Mountain Dew to orange Fanta. Desdemona places a straw through the opening of the lid and as she turns around, she notices a grey Camry pull into the Shell station parking lot.

At the first sight of Jinx’s signature boots hitting the blacktop, Desdemona grabs Felix by the shirt and yanks him down to duck behind the tall shelf housing the snack foods. She points furiously to the window where Jinx and a mystery boy approach the door. Felix peers quickly over the top of the shelf, a mixture of fear and anger overtaking his calm facade.

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“What are you guys doing down there?” Kade asks, laughing at what he thinks is just another sibling game. Desdemona tilts her head toward the door just as Jinx’s hand reaches for the handle. When Kade looks in her direction, his expression changes with the setting of his lips in a thin, tight line.

As the door begins to open, Desdemona suddenly wishes she brought her bow and arrow from the RV. If Jinx plans an attack, she would like to have something to defend herself from deadly knives.

But when Jinx’s genuine, jubilant laughter flows through the tense air, it becomes obvious that Jinx has no immediate plan to attack them. Or if she is planning something, Jinx has become a better actress since she joined Jane.

“Trenton, I was just sitting in the cafeteria with pudding practically dripping out of my nose,” Jinx laughs. Trenton joins in, the cute dimple in his cheek stealing the show. Although he may be tall and lanky, there’s no denying the winning appearance of his sharp jawline and thin nose.

Desdemona looks back and forth between Jinx and Kade.

Jinx still hasn’t noticed them. Kade’s feet stay rooted in their spot, and his eyes follow Jinx’s every move. Jason shifts uncomfortably in his shoes, obviously not knowing how he fits into this situation.

Jinx and Trenton stay near the front of the store, both lingering by the candy aisle. As Jinx reaches for a Heath bar, Trenton’s hand hovers over her lower back for just a millisecond.

But the contact is enough to break Kade.

Kade doesn’t say a word as he takes away Trenton’s senses, sending him into total darkness.

Trenton instantly collapses to the floor, his hand reaching out blindly for Jinx. “What’s happening? Someone help me!”

Trenton yells, his voice suddenly going up two octaves. The cashier, a teenage boy no older than the Anchors, reaches for the telephone plastered on the wall, no doubt preparing to dial 911.

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symptoms of Kade’s powers and she quickly scans the store.

Desdemona and Felix, who now realize there’s no hiding from their sister, rise from behind the shelves.

For a split second, Jinx’s face lights up when her eyes land on them, but the excitement doesn’t last long as Trenton writhes on the gas station floor and lets out another cry of terror. Jinx looks at Trenton, pity written all over her face, before turning to Kade.

Her bottom lip quivers so slightly that it’s nearly impossible to notice.

“Kade, stop.” Although it is an order, her tone is soft, careful, as if she is tiptoeing around a minefield. Trenton’s yells turn to desperate whimpers and he begins to murmur unintelligible pleading.

“Who are you to tell me what to do, traitor?” Kade’s words hang onto each last bit of fury he’s felt since she left. Trenton, now trying to move, calls for Jinx once more Jinx looks like she’s just been punched in the face as she reaches down to settle her friend. Kade still hasn’t released his hold, but he must have backed off enough to quiet Trenton.

“I still can’t see or hear,” Trenton’s voice quivers as his hand reaches Jinx’s. She props him up against the refrigerator containing the drinks, whispering for him to stay right there.

Jinx stands, now looking directly at Felix and Desdemona.

“Please.” Her voice drips with honey as she begs, but Desdemona doesn’t believe one bit of it. “Let me explain. I’m not with her anymore.”

Desdemona scoffs. When Felix puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder, Desdemona realizes she’s shaking, her pulse rushing faster than ever. “Yeah, as if we’re supposed to believe that.

What do you think we are? Five-years-old?”

Jinx puts her hands in the air, giving Desdemona and Felix a good look at her belt where she usually keeps her knives. It is empty except for one small blade. It may be comforting to know Jinx has not come with her full arsenal, but she can still take a life with one precise throw.

“Search me,” Jinx practically pleads. “Felix, search my thoughts and you will know that I am telling the truth. Mona, search the past few days and you’ll know exactly why I am here.”

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Felix’s hand gives Desdemona’s shoulder a squeeze. He doesn’t take his eyes off Jinx, but pushes into Mona’s mind, who welcomes the familiar presence.

I think she might be telling the truth, Felix admits.

The incredulous look on Desdemona’s face tells Felix she strongly disagrees. Jane probably found a way to trick us, to make us hear fake thoughts and fake visions. I don’t trust her.

“If you guys are having a secret conversation about whether or not to trust me,” Jinx interrupts. “Let me make it easy for you.

I joined Jane because I thought she was going to kill both of you if I didn’t.”

Felix, not able to resist the pull of the truth any longer, squeezes himself into Jinx’s mind, trying to be gentle enough to where she wouldn’t feel him. Her mind doesn’t resist; instead, it is all too willing.

I knew this would be difficult, Jinx thinks. I just need to be persistent. Careful, too. Don’t want to scare them off.

Felix bites his lip, trying to pick through her words. He does so with a fine-tooth comb, knowing that every thought in there could be tainted and manipulated by Jane. Instead, he turns his attention to the now-quiet boy propped up on the tile floor.

Although his thoughts may be poisoned as well, Felix enters his mind, hoping to find something of use there.

All I wanted was a sweet tea. The boy’s thoughts are distraught and tired. We weren’t supposed to meet Jinx’s brother and sister until we got to the Institute!

“You were following us to the Institute?” Felix says in disbelief. His brain spins, trying to piece together the events of the last two hours. “And you probably caused the RV to break down. What a smart way to slow us down so you could get there first.”

“What?” Jinx’s sudden surprise causes Felix to believe it is real. “No, I-.”

“You were following us?” Desdemona repeats, her voice seething with audible pain. She looks at Jason and Kade, both of whom stare back at Jinx with sharp eyes. Desdemona gestures to the door with a wave of her hand. “You know, I’m sick of her 211

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lies. She’s done nothing but lie to us for the past month. Let’s go.”

On the way out, Desdemona drops a $20 bill at the front desk, paying the cashier a little extra for the trouble they caused inside of the store. She doesn’t cast Jinx or her new friend so much as a second glance, strutting out the door with her boys in tow.

As they pass Jinx, Felix considers warning her not to follow them to the Institute but decides that the message will be inferred based on their rejection of any explanation Jinx had to offer.

Jason musters his best sneer to throw at Jinx, watching her every move just in case she decides to attack after all.

Kade continues to affix his gaze on the boy still at Jinx’s feet.

He considers blacking him out once more just because he can, but instead pushes his strange bout of wicked envy aside. Jinx isn’t his girlfriend anymore, which means he can’t be jealous anymore.

Other than Jinx’s grey Camry, the parking lot is completely empty. Trenton parked it haphazardly in front of the farthest gas pump, and Desdemona stomps over there before she can think better of it. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she races to the driver’s side and rears her fist back.

She pulls the trigger, completely prepared to try and shatter the tinted window, but a firm hand catches her fist before it can collide with the glass. Furious, she flips around to the owner of the hand. She tries to shake her fist out of the tight grasp.

Jason is nothing but steady as he places her hand gently by her side. “A broken wrist isn’t worth a moment of useless revenge.”

Desdemona huffs, knowing he is right but not having the humility to admit it. She lets Jason lead her back to the body shop where Felix and Kade have already retrieved the keys from the worker, having received a report that the RV is now as good as new. Nobody dares glance back at the gas station, each having their own reasons not to give Jinx and her new boy a second look. Instead, they start the engine in silence and begin to close the short distance between them and the Institute.

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“You know I saw her drive past us while we were broken down by the side of the road,” Desdemona admits quietly, making sure only Felix can hear. She feels guilty for not telling him earlier, but the timing hadn’t been right. She never dreamed it would have become this big a problem less than an hour later.

Knowing she doesn’t want to press the issue any further, Felix only nods. He gnaws on his lower lip, still considering Jinx’s words.

I joined Jane because I thought she was going to kill both of you if I didn’t. Felix knows Desdemona doesn’t believe a word Jinx says, but he isn’t exactly sure how he feels.

After a short drive with heavy silence, the RV comes to a rigid halt outside of what must be the entrance to the Institute.

Brilliant silver gates guard a winding, concrete pathway slightly beyond them. A white, sheen structure labeled “Institutional Tech Support” stands at the end of the pathway. This must be the Institute’s way of presenting a legitimate front for humans.

The doors to the RV open to the silver entryway. Felix presses the intercom located to the left of the gate. “Institutional Tech Support,” a voice buzzes through. Felix opens his mouth to explain their presence, but a pre-recorded message cuts him off. “We are sorry, but we are not accepting new customers at this time. Please contact our New York headquarters with further questions.”

Felix looks around, confused, slapping his hands against his cargo shorts. “How are we supposed to get in if we can’t even talk to a real person for Asterian’s sake?” Frustrated, Felix pushes his powers out into the distance, sifting through the thousands of thoughts from inside the Institute. It’s obviously a busy school with students running from class to training and back again. He listens closer, noting that some voices are quieter than others, meaning they are further away. Judging from the sheer number of minds there, the Institute must be much bigger than its lone white building suggests.

He blocks out seemingly useless thoughts and focuses in on one voice. I think someone is in front of the gates, an Asterian thinks. Probably just another human looking to have their iPhone fixed.

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Just before Felix pushes into the Asterian’s mind and asks him to let them in, the intercom buzzes once more and a real person’s voice, deep and hollow, blares through. “Did you say Asterian?”

Felix lets go of the Asterian’s thoughts and gives Desdemona a strange look. “Um… Yes. We are Asterians… and… um, we would like to speak with your headmaster.”

There is some shuffling and static behind the intercom before the voice answers nearly a minute later. “I am sorry, but Dr. Tiller isn’t taking any visitors at this moment.”

Felix looks shaken as he turns to Desdemona, Jason, and Kade. Not sure how to respond, he hurriedly mouths help!

Jason brushes off some imaginary dust from his t-shirt and swaggers up to the intercom. He presses the grey button, leaning down close to the microphone. “Please tell Dr. Tiller that Jason Curb from the Asterian Council has come to see him on official business.”

More shuffling. This time the pause on the other end lasts no longer than five seconds. The voice returns, seemingly shaky and startled. “Enter through the gates and come around to the front desk. Dr. Tiller will see you soon.”

As they walk through the now-wide open gates, Desdemona elbows Jason in the ribs, a sly grin inching onto her face. “I’m here with Jason Curb on official business,” she teases.

Jason raises his shoulders and hands, laughing. “Hey, I might as well make my title worth something! I worked hard for it!”

“Hard as in the other two parties in the finals of the Asterian Council competition basically forfeited!” Desdemona snorts.

Before Jason can come up with a retort, they push through the double doors of the building and enter the Tech Estate. Instantly, Desdemona realizes its features bend space like the House, with vaulted ceilings seemingly a mile high and hallways stretching a mile long. A clean shade of white covers every surface, made to practically sparkle in the natural light that floods through floor to ceiling windows.

The training facility bustles with life, both real and artificial.

Asterians, most of whom carry laptops tucked closely under 214

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their arms, jostle their way down crowded hallways, speaking in quick, jilted sentences to one another. Robots fly around the open space above, delivering messages from one area of the Institute to the other.

“What, no hovercrafts to take us where we need to go?

Practically unforgivable,” Kade looks jokingly dismayed at his feet, still firmly planted on the white laminate floor. Desdemona and Felix both smile, snickering. Jason leads the group to the front desk but finds no one stationed behind the ivory wood. He looks around, confused.

“I can’t woo anyone with my Asterian Council spot if there’s no one here to impress,” Jason jokes, shrugging at his friends.

Desdemona shakes her head in disbelief but smiles softly. It seems that the Institute’s bustle and organization has put them all at ease.

An Asterian taps Jason on the shoulder, gesturing for them to follow with his dark, sculpted hand. “My name is Xavier, and I’m the Assistant Director of the Institute,” the Asterian informs them. Felix instantly recognizes his burly, deep voice as the man behind the speaker. “Dr. Tiller is currently meeting with someone, but he will put them on hold to speak with a Council member.”

Understanding her urgency, Jason simply thanks Xavier for the hospitality and follows him down the nearest blindingly white hallway. Felix suddenly realizes the Institute lacks something important: doors. The hallways seem to extend beyond eternity, without a single door or handle to litter the blank walls.

Just before Felix asks Xavier about the strangely empty hallways, Xavier turns to a section of the wall and blinks in rapid, random succession. Immediately after, the wall slides open, revealing a doorway.

“Retinal detection,” Xavier explains quickly, not giving the group a chance to ask questions. The doorway leads into what could be described as a minimalist space - if it weren’t for the thousands of TV screens covering nearly every inch of the wall.

Each computer screen shows a different area of the Institute.

Three white, high-backed chairs form a circle in the center of 215

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the room. The chair facing them hosts a tall man with a closely shaven haircut.

“Jason Curb, your presence honors us at the Institute. I am Dr. Tiller,” the man extends his hand to Jason, who shakes it firmly. Dr. Tiller notices Jason examining the many screens on the walls and explains. “The robots are my eyes in the sky here. Makes it really easy to run and discipline the school when nothing goes unnoticed.”

Although this makes Jason feel a bit uneasy, he shows discomfort for only a split second. “Dr. Tiller,” Jason gestures behind him. “These are the Anchor siblings, Desdemona and Felix, and their mentor, Kade.”

“The Anchor siblings?” Dr. Tiller repeats, looking over Jason’s shoulder at Desdemona and Felix. “What an interesting turn of events. I’ve got your sister here as well!”

Before anyone can say anything, Dr. Tiller calls to the door, where Xavier still lingers. “Xavier, go get Jinx and Trenton from tech room 255. I’m sure she’d love to talk to her brother and sister!”

“Wait,” Desdemona jumps in before she can stop herself.

She can hardly keep the disgust and dismay from her tone. “Jinx and that guy are your other visitors?”

Dr. Tiller’s expression goes from overzealous to slightly confused in a split second. Felix and Desdemona share a knowing, yet uneasy glance. Dr. Tiller has no knowledge of the rift between the Anchor siblings.

The doorway to the hall appears once more. Jinx and Trenton walk right through before anything else can be said. The door disappears immediately, locking Jinx, Felix, and Desdemona in the same room with no obvious escape.

“Jinx, what are you doing here?” Felix’s tone is calm, but his eyes slit like a snake.

“So, you did follow us?” Desdemona says nearly at the same time as Felix speaks.

Jinx’s words have an edge despite her attempt to remain pragmatic. “Well, I knew you weren’t going to listen to me in that gas station.”

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“Yeah, because we’re totally going to listen to you now!”

Desdemona waves her hands in the air, her tone rich with as much sarcasm as she can muster.

Dr. Tiller clears his throat, calling attention to where he stands, alone, in the corner of the room. “My apologies, Anchor family, but it appears I am not aware of the situation here.”

“Well, our sister is a murderous, traitorous witch,” Desdemona states it clearly, as if her statement is fact. “What else would you like to know?”

“But you haven’t heard my side of the story. I didn’t just go behind Felix and Desdemona’s backs for my own selfish reasons.”

Dr. Tiller stands, silent, looking back and forward between the two parties. He takes several steps toward where the doorway disappeared, blinking his eyes and making it appear once more.

“I have several things I need to take care of before I can fully hear your requests. Besides, it seems like the five of you could use some time to work some things out as well.”

Before anyone can protest, the doctor steps out of the doorway. The wall consumes the opening and locks them inside, leaving them to the sound of buzzing TV screens. Felix rubs his temples, willing the noise to quiet and give him a moment to think.

Desdemona, on the other hand, doesn’t need a moment to think. She whips her bow from around her waist, locking an arrow in its clasp, and points it directly at her sister’s chest. Jason gasps, but doesn’t move to stop her this time. In fact, nobody dares to shift even a millimeter.

“I could do it, you know,” Desdemona says through gritted teeth.

The life-threatening arrow just two feet away from piercing her heart does not faze Jinx. “But you won’t.”

“Give me one reason not to end this now.”

“Because I’m your sister.” Jinx responds. Desdemona, not hearing a satisfactory answer, draws the string on her bow tighter. “And you’ll never give up thinking that there’s hope for my redemption.”

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Desdemona staggers back slightly. Recovering, she pulls the string as taut as it can go and takes a deep, steadying breath.

Her mind crystal clear, she feels the rope release between her fingers and hears the whoosh of the arrow as it sails toward her treasonous sister.

Archery was always her best subject at the House. She was top of her class.

She never misses her target.

Time moves in slow motion as the pointed arrow nears its target. Trenton moves toward Jinx, prepared to throw his body in front of hers, but Jinx stops him with a slight touch of her hand on his arm. Otherwise, she does not move.

The arrow sinks with a smack into the white, plexiglass wall, so close to Jinx’s right ear that it captures a strand of her hair in its metal tip.

“You’re not going to fight back, huh?” Desdemona taunts, daring Jinx to remove one of the knives from her now-full belt.

Desdemona pulls another arrow and lets it fly toward Jinx’s other ear. It sticks perfectly symmetrical to the one on its right.

“You’re just going to let me kill you without so much as a word?”

She fires yet another arrow, this one landing right above the crown of Jinx’s head. “What happened to you, dear sister?”

Desdemona asks, her mind swirling. “You used to be so fiery, so quick-witted, so ferocious. Have you grown-up?” Another arrow - just below Jinx’s arm. “Or did our mother break you?” A pointed tip pins Jinx’s shirt to the wall behind her.

Felix’s hand on the top of her bow breaks Desdemona’s razorsharp focus. She practically growls in her brother’s direction, fully prepared to scream on him again for being practical and reasonable in such an emotionally charged situation. The look on Felix’s face stops her short.

Felix’s expression shows no tinge of judgment whatsoever.

In fact, every part of his expression conveys understanding. He feels every bit of the fury, the sadness, the fear, and the anxiety that she feels, yet he has not fired arrow after arrow at his own sister.

Kade, who has not said a word since Jinx walked in the room, steps forward. His hand lingers at the axe tucked toward his side.

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“I, for one, would like to hear Jinx’s pitiful explanation. At least then we can have a good laugh before we kill her.”

Jinx gulps, feeling real fear for the first time since she came face to face with her siblings and Kade. While she knows Kade would never kill her in cold blood, she also knows Kade will have no problem killing someone who supports Jane. Her life depends on whether her siblings believe her explanation. She turns to Trenton, searching for some sort of support, but finds nothing in his rigid frame. He has no idea how to help.

She is alone in this endeavor.

Felix hones his powers into Jinx’s thoughts as she begins to speak, searching for any slip-up, any moment of uncertainty.

Chasing her sentences as they leave her mouth, he feels no pushback from her mind as he weaves his way in and through.

“It started in Las Vegas, but I imagine Jane had been dreaming this up ever since we got our powers…” Jinx tells her story much like she did when she presented it to the Gathered.

Although this is her second recollection, this one feels much harder; maybe it feels less convincing without the old woman projecting her words as a painting on the wall. Or maybe she knows she has a tougher audience this time around.

Jinx’s breathing becomes staggered and jagged as she remembers the pain and fear enveloping her vision of Felix murdering Desdemona. Hot tears spill down her cheeks before she can even stop them; she wonders if she will ever be able to tell this story without her emotions betraying her.

“She promised your lives, and better lives, at that, if I went with her. She said you would be able to continue using your powers for good.” Jinx’s voice gets caught in her throat just as she looks at her brother and sister, simultaneously hopeful and fearful. Desdemona’s hand has not left her bow since she shot her last arrow, and Jinx has no doubt that Kade, if need be, could blind them with his powers in an instant.

But it is Felix, tears pooling in his irises, who speaks first. “If you’re lying, that was the best- rehearsed story I’ve ever heard.”

He turns his head to Desdemona, Kade, and Jason. “I didn’t catch a single contradiction in her thoughts.”

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Jinx feels her heart soar at his assessment, yet Desdemona still isn’t convinced. “But that doesn’t mean Jane hasn’t found a way to trick your powers into hearing only the thoughts she wants you to hear.”

“But how would she do that from this distance?” Jason asks, raising a valid point.

“Maybe she doesn’t need to do it from so far away,” Kade tilts his head to Trenton, his eyes narrowed at the mystery boy traveling with Jinx. “Maybe his powers mess with yours, Felix.

Why would she have brought him along if not to trick us into believing whatever she wants?”

Jinx shakes her head fervently, desperately trying to make them see the truth. “Trenton is all muscle.” The disgusted look of jealousy on Kade’s face makes her backpedal. “No, that’s not what I meant. I meant… he has impenetrable skin. And super strength. I brought him along for protection.”

Desdemona snorts, a startling, ugly noise from such a pretty girl. “Yeah, you expect us to believe that someone as scrawny and lanky as this twig has super strength? Try again.”

Trenton jumps in, speaking for the first time since they entered the room. In fact, it’s the first time they’ve heard his voice in anything besides a painful cry for help. “No, I can prove it to you. Just give me a second.” Trenton looks desperately around the room for something to lift, something that will allow him to show off his gift, but the room is so minimalist that there’s no furniture besides the three white chairs in the middle of the room.

Desperately, he runs to the chairs, stacking them one atop of each other the best he can despite their cushioned arms banging angrily against one another. Trenton then reaches down with only his left hand, securing the chair leg under his palm, and lifts the stack with unquestionable ease high above his head.

Nobody oohs or aahs, not like they used to at the Environmental Plantation. Instead, they stare at his performance, lips pressed in a thin line.

“Tough crowd,” Trenton laughs uncomfortably as he sets the chairs calmly back onto the reflective ground.

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Not acknowledging Trenton’s attempt to diffuse the tension, Felix turns back to Jinx, where she now stands alone by the far wall. He shakes his head oh-so subtly. “But I don’t understand.

You are so smart, Jinx. A lot smarter than you let on in class. You had to have known Jane did not intend to keep her promise.”

Jinx sniffles, her bottom lip jutting out past her upper. “I was afraid. So afraid of losing you. I couldn’t stop reliving it - the vision. I didn’t think I had any other choice.”

Jinx’s emotional words stir a pressure in Desdemona’s stomach, a welcomed, friendly squeeze. She lets the vision overtake her left eye, keeping her right eye in the present, just in case Jinx decides to make a move with her knives.

Jane’s unmistakable shrill, furious tone practically makes Desdemona’s ears ring. Desdemona’s red hair flows long over her shoulder as the fair skin of her fingers brushes it to the side. It isn’t easy to guess who she is embodying in this vision: Margret, their old friend turned traitor.

“Where has she gone then?” Jane shrieks, throwing her hands up in a rage. If she weren’t so powerful, Desdemona would laugh at how much she looks like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

Desdemona’s mouth moves of its own accord. “We don’t know. The last one who saw her was a guard by the church gates.

He told me she was leaving with Trenton and said she had your special permission to take an extended break.”

Jane’s bony fingers clench and unclench into a fist again and again, her nails digging into her skin. “Find that guard and bring him to me. He is to be executed. Publicly. I will do it myself.” Desdemona moves to the exit of the small room.

“Oh, and Margret, find Jinx. Or you might just find yourself in a similar position as your sister.”

Desdemona’s left visual field opens to the stark room once more, where Kade and Jason are grilling Jinx with a thousand questions about her whereabouts over the past weeks.

“Jane doesn’t know she’s here!” Desdemona blurts out, taking a jolting step forward.

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“What?” Jason asks, concern written all over his face as he notices Desdemona’s wild stance. Offering his assistance as always, he dares to step closer to her.

Desdemona explains further, “I saw it. Jane didn’t send her to find us. She doesn’t even know where she is.”

“Are you sure?” Felix asks. “What if it’s just Jane messing with your visions, like you said?”

Desdemona shakes her head adamantly, her stomach light and airy now that she has returned to the present. There’s no way Jane could so perfectly imitate the pressure in her abdomen that precedes her vision. It was too exact. “No, it’s real. I’m sure.”

“Then…” Felix’s voice fades away as he turns to Jinx, whose expression approaches hopefulness at this point.

Desdemona senses a knocking in her mind, and she opens the door wide for Felix. Everything checks out, he begins simply.

Her story, her thoughts, her answers, your vision…

Desdemona nods. I know. I think…

She’s telling the truth, Felix finishes his sister’s sentence.

Kade gives them just the slightest nod, the tiniest tilt of his chin, but it’s all Felix needs.

Desdemona and Felix cross the luminescent floor tiles, closing the gap between them and Jinx. Felix is at a loss. He never thought this moment would come.

Beside him, Desdemona seems confused as well. She extends her hand formally out to Jinx, her chipped, pink nail polish glinting against the light. Jinx brings her hand to meet Desdemona’s, her smile tinged with elation. Desdemona shakes Jinx’s hand briefly before breaking the contact.

Felix repeats the action, giving Jinx a genuine, warm smile.

The first he’s given since she left. “Welcome back to the team, J.” “It’s good to be back,” Jinx says, meaning every word.

Over Felix’s shoulder, Jinx notices Kade shift uncomfortably, still holding his ground on the other side of the room. Between whatever is going on with Trenton and whatever remains of her relationship with Kade, her love life is a disaster.

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Now is not the time to worry about boy troubles. She’ll have plenty of time for that once they put Jane in her place once and for all.

Together.

223

23 “Jason, you have to call Mrs. Tary,” Desdemona practically bounces out of the Institute toward the RV, tugging on the sleeve of Jason’s shirt like a toddler asking for an ice cream cone. “We have the proof through Jinx, plus others are on our side. She’ll be so excited to hear that we did what she wanted! She won’t have a choice but to say yes!”

“We have the assistance of all Tech Estates across the country,” Kade enthuses, looking more alive than he has since they began this journey.

Dr. Tiller proved easy to convince. Although he didn’t know as much about Jane’s rise to power as Wren did, he had heard about Jane’s ruthless, malicious ability to take others’ gifts. After hearing Jinx’s first-hand report, Dr. Tiller made an electronic broadcast to all the other Tech Estates and asked for their promise to help! The bag of Eclogites in Felix’s pocket is once again empty.

“I hoped it would go well, but I never dreamt it would go that well!” Jason exclaims as he yanks open Ruthie’s door.

Desdemona, Felix, and Kade climb on, with Jinx and Trenton hesitantly bringing up the rear. Despite Felix’s invitation for them to travel with the group, the tension between the two parties is palpable. Desdemona and Kade still haven’t exactly welcomed Jinx with open arms and, in turn, Jason walks on eggshells with the whole situation.

Felix sticks his head out the RV window, waving for Jinx and Trenton to climb inside. “I think you might be surprised when you two get in here!”

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Intrigued, Jinx and Trenton ascend the stairs one after another. Jinx has her hands shoved in her pants pocket, keeping her arms tight to her body. When they enter the fully furnished living room and kitchen, her hands fall along with her jaw.

“Oh my gosh, this is that old RV from back home! Hilga called it “Ruthie,” but now it’s nicer than the house I grew up in. What happened to this thing?” Jinx asks. Trenton raises his eyebrows approvingly as he eyes the functioning coffee maker on the countertop. Although he is a coffee fanatic, he rarely got to brew a cup when he served under Jane.

“Hilga let us borrow it. She said it’s enchanted. We got over there one day and it was just sitting in the driveway,” Felix explains.

Jinx blinks quickly. “Wait, what? You saw Hilga? What about Stacy and Marcus?”

Desdemona perks up at the mention of her mother. “Yeah, just a week ago, soon after we snuck out of the House.”

“Wait, WHAT?” Jinx’s voice goes up two octaves. “You snuck out of the House? But there’s just no way you could’ve gotten past the all-powerful Mr. Belton!” Desdemona and Kade can’t help but smile. With her voice coated in thick sarcasm, Jinx almost sounds like her old self.

“We’re not going to lie; it wasn’t easy,” Felix laughs along, enjoying the easy conversation that follows the tense walk. “You know, it’s a lot harder to sneak around when you don’t have an Asterian who can see thirty seconds into the future.”

Jinx shrugs, as if her Embellishment is no big deal, but a faint blush creeps to her pale cheeks. She’s always been proud of her powers, especially her prized Embellishment.

To their right, Jason squeezes his eyes shut in concentration, envisioning the coffee table in Mrs. Tary’s office and carefully transcribing the proper message in his mind. Jinx and Trenton watch, a little confused, but Felix explains the scene quickly.

When Jason opens his eyes after several seconds, he finds Jinx staring with a playful smirk.

“How does it feel to be a big-shot Council member?”

At this, Jason can’t help but laugh. “I was only officially with the Council for a day before they sent me with Felix and 225

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Desdemona. And besides, during that time I mostly did Mrs. Tary’s chores and dirty work. Just paying my dues, I guess.”

“So, Trenton,” Desdemona asks, turning her attention to their quiet guest. “What’s your story?”

Trenton seems startled, meek even, when Desdemona addresses him. He clears his throat. “Um… I came from an Environmental Plantation to spy on Jane and her followers.”

“An Environmental Plantation? Which one?” Felix jumps in, his ears perking up at the mention of his favorite type of training facility.

“Grand Ridge.” After seeing the excited looks on Desdemona and Felix’s faces, Trenton adds. “Do you know it?”

“You know Wren then? The Principal Environmentalist?”

Felix asks, thinking of the photo Wren gave them and how it practically burns a hole in his pocket.

Trenton can’t help but smile at the mention of Wren. It seems everyone has a soft spot for the Southern belle. “Know her? She practically raised me.”

“What do you mean?” Jinx asks. He never mentioned anything about how close he was to the Principal Environmentalist who sent him to Jane.

Trenton’s eyes fall to his hands, which rest awkwardly on his lap. He twiddles his fingers. “Wren was a family friend. When my parents weren’t available for me, she always was.” From his longing tone of adoration, it seems as if there is more to the story than just that, but nobody presses him.

“She was the first training facility to agree to help us fight Jane. I didn’t know she had already taken the measure of sending you,” Felix says.

A small etching noise on the center kitchen table interrupts the conversation. Jason runs to the table, Felix at his side, to read the forming rune. Although Felix has always had a knack for interpreting Asterian runes, he cannot match Jason’s proficiency.

“Mrs. Tary wants us to meet with the Council in person tomorrow. They’ll meet us in San Francisco at 8:00 a.m.”

Caught up in the flurry of the moment, nearly everyone misses the concerned glance between Jinx and Trenton.

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Nearly everyone.

Kade, ever observant, would never miss such a charged exchange. He’s not ready to fully trust Jinx yet, and he knows next to nothing about her traveling partner.

“What are you not telling us?” Kade wags his finger between the two of them with a cock of his eyebrow, a scowl set on his hard features.

Jinx nearly shrinks back from his accusatory expression but, instead, tilts her chin slightly and holds her ground. “Jane’s new headquarters is in Arcata, California. About five hours away from San Francisco.”

“Five hours?” Desdemona repeats. “I think that will be a good enough buffer for us to talk to the Asterian Council for a few hours.”

Jason nods in agreement. “And besides, I would like to see them try to hurt us with twelve of the most powerful Asterians watching guard.”

When he finishes, Desdemona bursts out laughing, hands on her stomach. “So- So now you’re calling yourself one of the twelve most powerful Asterians? I’m not so sure about that one!”

The others join in, and a red blush finds its way to Jason’s cheeks. He sticks his tongue out at Desdemona, the warmth in his sweet, blue eyes unmistakable, and gives her a shove on the arm.

Kade moves to the front of Ruthie, programming the old girl to take them to San Francisco. The arrival time will be a little under ten hours, meaning they may get there before midnight without any stops. With that timing, they may have to wait until their designated 8:00 a.m. time the next morning to seek an audience with the Council.

“So…” Jinx begins, looking around Ruthie. “What do you guys usually do for fun on this thing?”

Felix taps his newest book, 1984, on the coffee table, while Jason reaches for his sketchbook.

Desdemona, not in the mood to flip through one of the magazines she’s read a billion times already, grabs the remote from in between the leather couch cushions. “I’m going to watch 227

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a movie.” She extends the remote to Trenton - a peace offering of sorts. “Would you like to choose?”

The morning sun awakens Felix, casting a warm glow on his comforter. It’s obvious he’s first up; not even a creak drifts from the kitchen or living area. Enjoying the calm, quiet of Ruthie at this time of day, he rolls over on his mattress. As he does, his eyes land on the faint red glow of his bedside clock. The red of the numbers fade toward the sides, blurry without his contacts or glasses, but they’re not so indistinct that he can’t make them out.

“7:43? We’re going to be late!” Felix shouts and throws his comforter off his bare torso. He wrenches a blue button-down over his head and hobbles out of the room as he swaps his pajama pants for khakis.

He pounds on Desdemona’s door with the side of his fist.

“Mona! We overslept! Get up!” Without waiting for an answer from his sister, he makes his way from room to room, practically banging down the doors. The sight of two extra rooms in the hall startles him before he remembers that Jinx and Trenton joined them yesterday. As soon as the pair stepped into Ruthie yesterday, their rooms simply appeared, decorated exactly like their bedrooms at their training facilities.

“Why didn’t anyone set an alarm?” Felix shouts as everyone begins rushing out of their rooms, their bare feet a stampede on the hardwood floors.

Jinx stumbles through the doorway, her eyes tired and crusted with sleep. “I set one, but I slept through it.” She stretches her arms over her head and a cooing noise escapes her closed mouth.

“That was the best sleep I’ve had since we left the House.”

“Well youf can sleeps mor after we’v won da’ suppor’ of da’ Council!” Felix shouts through the toothbrush hanging from the corner of his mouth. Some of the paste dribbles from his chin onto his shirt, staining it white.

After a few more minutes of near mass-hysteria, everyone has become at least semi-presentable for the Council. Desdemona sprints down the stairs into the open air, only to stop herself in her tracks as she finds water lapping at the mesh ends of her tennis shoes.

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“What the heck!” Desdemona exclaims as Felix nearly runs into her back. The early morning sun Felix appreciated has now been blocked by something above them, making chill bumps appears on everyone’s arms. They find the source of the shadow: a monstrous red metal structure hundreds of feet above them.

Ruthie parked herself on the banks of the San Francisco Bay. “Wow… I’ve never seen the Golden Gate Bridge before,” Kade says in an airy tone. Staring up at the support beams, even Kade finds himself in awe of the bridge’s sheer size and beauty.

“How did we get under the bridge anyway?” Jinx asks practically. She turns on her heels in all directions.

“There aren’t any roads leading here,” Trenton adds.

Felix shrugs. “Ruthie is a magical RV. That’s all I can say.

She takes us where we need to go.”

Jason is the only one not taken aback by the beauty of the bridge. Instead, he studies the rocky ground closely, searching for something. Feeling their eyes on him, he explains. “Mrs. Tary told me how to get into this headquarters. I just have to find the right rock.” His search lasts a few additional seconds before he reaches down to find a pale, flat stone with AC etched into its surface. Without hesitation, he chucks the rock as far and as fast as he can into the Bay water.

Water droplets fly into the air as the small rock makes a surprisingly large splash. Everyone holds their breath, waiting for something miraculous to happen.

When nothing changes, Desdemona leans over to Jason and whispers out of the corner of her mouth. “Are you sure you did it right?”

Just as the words leave her tongue, the calm water of the Golden Gate begins to part. It instantly reminds Felix of the story he heard in church of Jesus parting the Red Sea for the Israelites. Felix’s eyes glance skyward in silent thanks.

The water continues to move, forming a dark cavern, a mouth, almost big enough for them to enter single file. They all stare at the black opening, urging someone else to go first.

Finally, Desdemona nudges Jason with her shoulder.

“You’re the Council member, so it would be best if you went first,” Desdemona says. Jason looks just as afraid as they do, but 229

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he can’t argue with her logic. He takes one step into the water, marveling at how his shoe appears to hover even though the water laps around his ankles. Suddenly, the cavern floor begins to dip, and Jason lets out a yelp as he falls onto his butt and begins sliding downward. Within seconds, the water swallows him whole.

Desdemona jumps in after Jason, desperate to make sure he’s safe. Always watching after his sister, Felix is next. Kade, not wanting to be left alone with Jinx and Trenton, steps in quickly after him. The water envelops each of them with a belch.

“Well, it’s not like we have anywhere else to go,” Trenton shrugs to Jinx. Jinx nods, realizing that he’s right.

“Besides, we have to go in if we want them to trust us again,” Jinx points out before stepping hesitantly into the cavern. The sound of whooshing water fills her ears as she begins her descent.

The slide feels wet to the touch, but her clothes don’t appear to have so much as a drop on them. After a minute of falling at this high speed, Jinx wonders how far under the surface of the Golden Gate she has gone. 500 feet? 1000 feet? For a moment, she worries the oxygen levels will drop, and she greedily gulps at the damp, humid air.

Suddenly, the water slide disappears underneath Jinx and she free-falls through the air. Panic grips her as a faint light glows from below, and she realizes that any second now, she will smack into rapidly approaching ground. Her breathing becomes shallow and ragged with fear. Just as she closes her eyes and prepares to be flattened against the ground, her speed slows, and she tumbles onto the floor, palms and bony knees smacking into stone-cold clay.

Instantly, she feels a strong hand grab her forearm and drag her out of the way. Her instinct favors pushing him away and reaching for her knives, but she soon sees Felix’s face above hers.

He yanks her onto her feet and drops her arm quickly. “Sorry, I had to get you out of the way before Trenton lands on you.

We learned that one the hard way.” He gestures back to Jason, who rubs the crown of his head with his palm while Desdemona 230

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apologizes profusely. Trenton tumbles down next, landing right where Jinx would have been collecting herself.

Jinx wipes some dust off her black pants and rubs her midriff to calm her churning stomach. Once she no longer feels like puking, she glances up, not knowing what to expect now that they have entered an Asterian Council Headquarters. What she finds practically takes her breath away. The bland, stone floor contrasts with wondrous glass walls in perfect harmony.

Through clear material, a variety of aquatic life swims around in the green water of the Bay. Tiny anchovies travel in schools, moving rapidly as if running from the larger, pink-tinted salmon.

“Guys, I hope you’re ready,” Desdemona says anxiously, interrupting their marvel at the room. “Because it seems they’re ready for us.”

Directly in front of Desdemona stands a small door with none of the grandeur of the Hartford Council headquarters. The mundane sliding plastic entrance almost makes Desdemona nervous as she reads aloud the handwritten note posted to the side.

“Anchors and friends,” she begins. “Please enter whenever you arrive. We’re looking forward to catching up.”

Felix checks the watch on his wrist quickly. “Seeing that we are nearly ten minutes late, I say it’s best not to keep them waiting.”

Everyone nods in agreement as Felix pushes the door to the side, leading the group into the Council chambers.

“Anchors, welcome, welcome, welcome,” Mrs. Tary’s shrill voice reaches them before they can even see her. A long overhang blocks their view, and they pick up their pace until the twelve Council seats come into view. One - the smallest one on the very end - sits empty. Jason’s seat.

As she notices the empty chair, one thought overcomes Desdemona.

After this meeting, Jason goes back to being one of them.

Once they gain the Council’s support, Jason completes his work as their liaison. He will go back to serving under Mrs. Tary, and they may never see him again.

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The sound of Mrs. Tary’s commanding tone pulls Desdemona out of her own head. “And it seems you have made amends with your sister.”

Felix nods, the picture of a diplomat in front of the Council.

“Our sister is likely the reason we are standing here, alive, today.

She only joined Jane to save our lives.”

Jinx smiles at Felix’s sincere explanation. “I have returned because I realized I cannot be another tool for Jane to use. Jane has clear intentions. She has clear strength, a new headquarters, and new supporters pouring in each day. I have to fight alongside my brother and sister for the good of the human race.”

Mrs. Tary shifts her palms on the side of her chair uneasily.

The action is subtle, but each of the Anchors notices it. “If you claim you will fight back, tell us how you intend to do so.”

Felix tries to ignore Mrs. Tary’s tense movements, brushing it off as nerves over her upcoming decision. “Council members, we have gained the support from three different training facilities: Grand Ridge, The Institute, and students of the House. Dr. Tiller from the Institute also garnered support from other Tech Estates, while Wren Holmwood from Grand Ridge promised she would reach out to other Environmental Plantations. Are these allies and Jinx’s evidence enough for you to support our cause?”

Henrietta, the nubby Councilwoman who spoke against them last time, responds first. “And yet, you insulted Horizon Hill and killed the Wyler Ward’s Darian. What do you have to say to that?”

Kade, despite Desdemona’s silent protests, steps forward.

“These three,” he gestures to Desdemona, Felix, and Jason.

“Cannot be blamed for the incident at Horizon Hill. Do not fault them for my actions.”

Jinx feels her heartstrings tug as she notices the subtle pain and anxiety behind his tone. She doesn’t know much about what happened at Horizon Hill besides Felix’s brief explanation yesterday. Something about Kade blowing up about one of their beliefs and getting them kicked out.

“And as for the death of the Darian,” Jason’s voice carries throughout the hall. “The Darian had every intention of turning 232

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us over to Jane. Allowing him to do so would mean certain death. It was only self-defense. You cannot fault the Anchors for standing up to a traitor.”

Mrs. Tary peers at them through slit snake eyes, silently scolding Jason for speaking out on their behalf, but she could not have expected him to remain entirely neutral throughout his partnership with the Anchors.

Desdemona feels a slight fire begin in her gut. She tries - and fails - to bite her tongue. “I mean no disrespect, Mrs. Tary, but we did as you asked. I am sure that Dr. Tiller gave you a great recommendation and summary of our visit. We have proved the importance and validity of our cause, and we want your support.”

Desdemona scans the Council members, looking for a motion of support - an affirmation, a raised hand, even a tiny nod.

“But I think I can speak for my brother and sister when I say that we are prepared to do this without you,” Jinx adds.

Desdemona and Felix nod quickly in agreement. “We will not sit by and allow Jane to rise, and neither should you.”

Nobody on the Council responds. Instead, a harsh-looking middle-aged man with thin eyebrows, seated next to Mrs. Tary, tilts awkwardly on his pointy elbow. Jason recalls his name quickly: Samael. He leans over and whispers something incomprehensible to their leader.

Henrietta’s fingers tap against the stilted arm of her chair, rapping in an incomprehensible pattern. Suddenly, she stops, and silence fills the room. After several seconds, the tapping begins again. Jinx watches her chubby fingers tap and feels a slight pinch in her stomach. She prepares quickly to use her Embellishment.

Mrs. Tary rises from her chair, her robes sweeping around her ankles, which breaks Jinx’s concentration. Jinx pushes her Embellishment to the side, planning to press play on the future after hearing Mrs. Tary’s announcement.

“Let’s vote.” Mrs. Tary looks down the line of her fellow Council members. Henrietta’s tapping stops on a dime, and Jason moves toward the empty chair, preparing to take his vote as an official member. Excited to take his first vote of his Council term, pride wells up in his chest as he reaches the wooden perch.

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Before Jason can sit down, he feels a brutal thump from behind. The sound seems so far away that he doesn’t even realize someone hit him until he crumples to the floor, crimson blood seeping from a head wound. Before Jason loses consciousness, he hears Desdemona’s horrifying shriek, followed by the footsteps of her running toward the Council bench.

Felix restrains his sister with one hand, drawing his sword with the other. Kade pushes his power toward all twelve members of the Council. He aims particularly at Samael, who now stands over Jason’s lifeless body. Despite Kade’s efforts, his normally crippling powers do not affect even a single Council member.

Jinx launches one of her knives in Samael’s direction, knowing the instant it leaves her fingers that it will hit its mark perfectly, but someone’s power knocks it roughly to the side.

Trenton readies himself to launch his axe.

“Henrietta, make them sleep,” Mrs. Tary’s voice is cold, bored almost, as she gives the order. Before they can make another move, Henrietta pulls a curtain of drowsiness over their consciousness. Each crumple to the floor, falling one by one to the Council’s deception.

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24 A deafening ringing pulls Jinx from her groggy state, but the cold concrete soothes her cheek to the point that she considers letting sleep overtake her once again. She opens her eyes mere millimeters, hoping to find the source of the ringing, before realizing it’s coming from her own ears. Her head pounds worse than it has in her entire life, but her eyes shoot open as she sees the unmistakable stark, rusting metal of prison cell bars.

Panicking, she rises from the concrete, brushing dust off her pants as she racks her brain to figure out how they got here.

Their damp, murky holding cell has only a small sliver of light coming from a distant gas lamp. The air feels strangely familiar, but she can’t quite put her finger on it.

Kade’s unconscious figure looks undisturbed just inches away from her. If it weren’t for the dark, moist cell wall behind him, Jinx could convince herself he’s just peacefully sleeping.

She falls to her knees, ignoring the shooting pain when kneecaps collide with the hard floor, and shakes Kade vigorously.

He mutters incomprehensible syllables as he comes to; Jinx can only make out a few words, but she understands enough to know he’s complaining about the same ringing headache. She grabs his hand, ignoring the familiar excitement from his skin on hers, and tugs him upwards. He stumbles and almost falls back to the ground before catching his shaky footing.

“I feel like death,” Kade rasps, his voice breathy and hoarse.

“You sound like it too.”

Kade ignores Jinx’s jab and massages his temples with his forefingers. “Where are we?”

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“We’re in some pretty deep trouble; that’s where we are,” Jinx answers snidely before gesturing to their damp surroundings.

Kade halfway smiles at her quick thinking, but even that tiny movement causes shooting pain in his head. He drops his grin.

“It’s obviously a prison cell, but where?”

As Jinx begins to consider an answer to his question, she realizes she and Kade are alone in the cell. But… didn’t they walk into the Council chambers with Desdemona, Felix, Jason, and Trenton?

“Wait, where is everyone else?” Jinx blurts out, feeling panic rise to the surface. She clamps her hands around the cold metal bars, trying to stick her nose out of the openings and see through her periphery.

When she notices nothing besides a torch-lit hallway, she yells, “Mona! Felix! Are you guys there?” When nobody responds, she continues. “Jason, Trenton?” As she yells, her head pounds so terribly that she grows dizzy. Worried her legs will give out from under her, she sits on the concrete floor.

Through shooting pain, she hears a small scuffling noise from their left, the undeniable shuffling of feet on the ground.

Her head perks up as she hears a dainty cough.

“Jinx?” Desdemona’s voice cracks just from the single word, but it is unmistakably her. She sounds as weak as Jinx and Kade feel.

Rejuvenated, Jinx jumps to her feet and grabs the bars once more. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Desdemona’s chipped pink nail polish pass through the opening to grip the metal.

“Who’s in there with you?” Jinx asks.

“Just Felix. I don’t know where Trenton and Jason are. Oh gosh, I do hope Jason is okay.” Worry taints her voice as she recalls the way Samael knocked Jason out cold with the hilt of his sword. His blood - so much blood - pooled behind his blonde hair onto the marble floor.

Desdemona forces the haunting image out of her mind and focuses on the task at hand. “How did we get here?”

“The Asterian Council tricked us. It was an ambush,” Trenton’s deep voice travels through the stone from Jinx’s right.

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“Trenton!” Jinx shouts so loudly her headache makes her dizzy once more, but she ignores the pain. She hears a grunt of disapproval from Kade behind her as he notes the irrefutable excitement in her greeting.

Trenton’s voice sounds further away, as if he turned to face the opposite direction. “I’ve got Council boy in here with me too.”

“Oh! How does he look?” Desdemona frets, desperately trying to stick her nose out through the bars to get a look in their direction.

“I’m not going to lie to you. He doesn’t look great,” Trenton admits. He pauses, surveying the sleeping boy. He checks his pulse quickly, finding the rhythmic beat on the inside of his wrist.

“But his head has been wrapped and the blood isn’t seeping through. His breathing is steady.”

Desdemona lets out a breath and Felix awakes from his slumber behind her. He shuts his eyes, obviously overwhelmed by his head’s ringing and pounding.

“But I don’t understand,” Desdemona begins. “Why would the Asterian Council ambush us? Even if they didn’t want to help us, I thought they would at least stay out of our way…”

The sound of several pairs of footsteps and hushed voices cuts their conversation short. Everyone listens closely, trying to identify voices from the whispers as the steps get closer and closer.

The shadows of two women, one much taller than the other, slink across the concrete floor. As the women pass a lit torch, their faces become visible. Everyone besides Jinx and Trenton gasp.

“I thought this place felt familiar,” Jinx sneers at Jane, wanting nothing more than to pull her hair until it tears from her scalp.

“We’re in Arcata, aren’t we? Underneath your headquarters?”

Jane shares a wicked look with her companion, Mrs. Tary.

“You always were the smart one, my sweet J. But even still, tricking you was all too easy with the Council on my side.”

“We were on the Gathered, and you never told us that you formed an alliance with the Asterian Council?” Trenton spits at Jane’s feet. “So much for being your ‘most trusted advisors.’”

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Jane’s laughter bounces off the suffocating walls, traveling villainously down the cells. “You act like I didn’t know my daughter’s true allegiances. Maxine wasn’t the only name Harvey mentioned. And after Maxine’s execution, it was all too easy to see the hate in Jinx’s every action, every conversation.”

“Maxine’s execution?” Felix’s furious voice sounds octaves deeper than normal as he stands, having forgotten all about the pain in his head. “You wicked witch! She was only a child!”

Jane snorts. “A child who created a rebellion within my own walls, as if she really thought that would go unnoticed. At least they all have been taken care of at this point.”

“No,” Jinx’s voice is barely more than a whimper. “You didn’t.” The faces of the Scattered flash through her mind one by one. Jerica, with her ability to defy gravity. Aaron, with his silencing techniques. The comforting, older lady who turned her story into a painting. Katee, with her eerily accurate loyalty detectors. Lance, with his ability to freeze Asterians into place.

Jane’s only response is a tilt of her fingers. It’s a subtle movement, but it’s enough to cause Jinx’s feet to lift a few inches off the ground. With a quick point, Jane sends Jinx flying into the concrete cell wall on her side. A deafening snap echoes through the room, and Jinx loses all feeling in her arm as she moans in pain. Jinx knows that Jane likely stole her gravitydefying ability from Jerica.

Desdemona winces in sympathy and silently worries Jane will do the same to her. She speaks up anyway. “And you,” Desdemona points her finger accusatorially at Mrs. Tary, whose cheeky smile only grows at the younger girl’s obvious fury.

“You’ve done nothing but lie to us since we met. At the Council competition, you seemed so sweet, so genuine, so real. But I know you never had any intention of helping us, so what was all of this business about finding evidence and gaining support against Jane?”

“A mere ploy,” Mrs. Tary answers, her Council robes pooling around her ankles. “A distraction. The longer you traveled, the more our forces grew. I will admit, Darian Farly was supposed to keep you trapped at the Wyler Ward. You walked right into that one based on my suggestion that you go out there and 238

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get support. You even ended up gathering intelligence for us, including who would be willing to fight us. But I was still very disappointed when I found you escaped alive.”

“And what about Jason? Why would you send him with us and waste a perfectly good Council member?” Felix asks, rising to meet his sister at the cell bars.

Jane smacks at Felix’s fingers as they wrap around the metal.

The touch sends a jolt of electricity through his body, just enough to make him cry out and jerk away from the front of the cell.

“That was for being an imbecile,” Jane scolds. “Jason was loyal to Desdemona from the beginning. Keeping him on the Council while they worked alongside me would have been a nuisance. This is why I gave him the extra special job of being a liaison, as if the Council would actually need someone to help them communicate across the Asterian world.”

“You’re just going to let her ruin our world?” Kade questions Mrs. Tary from his seated position. “You have influence over every Asterian, and you choose to ruin them? Figures.”

“You’re going against your Council oath,” Jason’s croaking voice rises from Trenton’s cell.

In response, Mrs. Tary closes the small gap between her and the cell bars. She stares down at Jason, whose face fills with obvious pain. With his wound, Jason’s headache is worse than anyone else’s. She purses her lips through the gate and spits onto his forearm. “You don’t know anything about the meaning of the Council oath, boy.”

Jason wipes his arm on the ground, his eyes flaring with rage as he meets Mrs. Tary’s steady gaze. “I know more than you.”

Just as the words leave his mouth, the ringing in his ears grows louder. He clamps his palm over his left ear, his sweaty palm feeling cool against his hot face.

“Not feeling your best, huh?” Mrs. Tary looks only at Jason, but she directs the question to all of them. “That is the one downside to Henrietta’s sleeping power. We never can seem to relieve the victims’ headaches. If you find a way, please do let us know.”

Mrs. Tary allows for no further conversation as she turns and follows Jane back up the staircase, dragging her hand idly along 239

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the wall as she goes. This gesture makes it seem like Mrs. Tary just had a conversation about brunch instead of announcing her intention to destroy the world as they know it.

With their footsteps far out of earshot, Felix lets out a groan and sinks against the wall, not even paying attention to the way his shoulder blades scratch uncomfortably across the concrete.

“I feel so stupid,” Jinx halfway whispers to no one besides herself.

“How could you have missed this, Jinx?” Desdemona suddenly accuses her sister. “I thought you joined Jane to help us.”

“How could I have missed this?” Jinx repeats incredulously.

“How could you have missed this?”

Desdemona stands quickly, the blood rush making her head spin. “Me? I wasn’t the one living with Jane!”

“I wasn’t the one living with someone on the Council for Asterian’s sake!” Jinx raises her voice, pointing through the wall at Jason.

“Maybe if you’d been a better actress,” Desdemona nearly screams at this point. “Jane would’ve trusted you enough to tell you about the Council!”

Jinx fires back. “Well maybe if you wouldn’t have been so obsessed with yourself, you would’ve realized this whole trip was just a scam!”

Desdemona and Jinx begin yelling over one another, throwing insults left and right, placing blame on one another.

“HEY!” Felix slaps his hand over Desdemona’s mouth and holds on tight despite the way she licks his palm in protest. “I cannot believe you two are fighting right now!”

Kade smirks. “I can. They’re more alike than they think.

Both hotheaded and bad-tempered.”

“I’m not bad-tempered!” Desdemona pushes Felix’s hand away and shrieks, but the shrill crack of her voice makes her seem that way. When she hears her own tone, she quiets, her heart rate slowing. “I am just passionate.”

“If this is anyone’s fault,” Jason’s weak rasp comes from the right. “It’s mine. I am on the Council, after all. I was naive.”

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“Look, this is no one’s fault! We all missed the signs. And we never could have predicted that the Asterian Council would go against their oaths,” Felix explains calmly, taking a step away from Desdemona.

On their side of the cell, Jinx bares her teeth in Felix and Desdemona’s direction. As she does, Kade slaps her arm. Hard.

The smack reverberates through the cells.

“What was that for?” Jinx exclaims.

“I am sick and tired of whatever stupid grudge the two of you hold!” Kade gestures between the two sisters. “Desdemona, I know you haven’t forgiven Jinx for leaving. For what it’s worth, neither have I. Jinx, I know you’re hurt that Desdemona is blaming you and doesn’t forgive you for leaving. But whatever stupid family problems you have right now are just that: stupid problems! Our world is collapsing right above us, and we have to find a way to hold it up.” He takes a deep breath. “We can’t do that if we are divided like this.”

The words suck the rage out of both Desdemona and Jinx. He is right; fighting is doing nothing but weakening their resolve.

Jinx turns away from her siblings’ cell. After several seconds of silent agreement, Felix speaks.

“How long do you think we’ve been down here?”

“Based off the stubble on this one, several days,” Jinx tips her head toward Kade, whose black hair has spread across his chin and lower cheeks. He rubs his knuckles over his face, as if he is just now realizing how much it has grown.

“Does anyone else’s head feel like it’s trying to commit suicide?” Trenton changes the subject, rubbing the back of his neck in a last-ditch attempt to relieve the pain.

“The worst headache I’ve ever had in my life,” Felix agrees.

“Well, at least you all weren’t clubbed over the head and then put to sleep!” Jason tries to manage a laugh, but it comes out as a painful, pitiful wheeze.

Kade rises to peek through the bars, hoping to gather some helpful information from the long hallway. He finds nothing.

“So how are we getting out of here, then?”

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Nobody answers. Jane has locked them in a cell with no help in sight. The keys could be anywhere in Jane’s headquarters. No one dares say it, but it seems truly hopeless.

Finally, Felix’s eyes light up. “I know just how to get us out of here! If I can call our allies, they will come get us out and we can all take on Jane together.” He searches his pockets, fumbling around for the bag of Eclogites that Hilga gave them at the beginning of their journey, but his hands come up empty.

“Ugh! They must have searched us while we were asleep. We need to find the Eclogites before we can do anything. If there’s no one to help us when we escape, Jane will just recapture us before we even get past the cells,” Felix says desperately.

“Maybe there’s someone up there who can help us,” Desdemona points toward the earthy ceiling.

“Jinx and Trenton, you have to know someone in here who would be willing to help. You said yourself that there was a whole rebellion!” Felix urges.

“You heard what Jane said. All of the members of the Scattered are dead.” Jinx feels her stomach twist at the thought of the lifeless, pale bodies of her friends. People who were just trying to do right by their purpose.

“Unless they aren’t,” Trenton starts.

“What?”

Trenton snaps his fingers rhythmically, as if the motion makes his thoughts flow better. “Unless Jane didn’t kill them and only said so to make us think we’re alone.”

“Why would she do that?” Kade asks. “Jane has never been one to take mercy on others, especially not traitors.”

“Besides, you saw the way Jane used Jerica’s power to throw me. She probably killed her after taking her power, just like she did with Maxine,” Jinx mentions, still cradling her arm to the side.

“Maybe not all of them are dead. Maybe some of them are just locked up,” Trenton brainstorms.

“It might be worth some searching,” Felix shrugs. “If you can give me some names, I’ll try to comb through thoughts from upstairs.” Trenton and Jinx take turns shouting names to Felix, 242

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who tucks them away in his mind for safekeeping. “I’ll let you if I find anything. Just sit tight for now.”

After useless tossing and futile breathing techniques to clear the fog from his mind, Kade sits up. Light snoring drifts from Desdemona and Felix’s cell – an unmistakable Felix noise. Kade considers yelling for him and waking him up to remind him of the task at hand, but decides against it. He will have plenty of time to search following some good rest. After all, it’s not like they’ll have anything better to do. The full, sleep-ridden breaths from his right and left suggests that everyone else has achieved the sleep he so desperately needs.

Except for one.

The shallow, forced rise and fall of Jinx’s chest doesn’t fool Kade’s trained eyes. No matter how hard Jinx tries to succumb to sleep, it won’t take her. It won’t let her escape.

Kade kicks a rock toward the “sleeping” girl and hits her in the small of the back. Her minuscule flinch confirms his suspicions.

She doesn’t even turn toward Kade as she sneers. “Just because you can’t sleep doesn’t mean no one else can.”

“You and I both know you can’t sleep either. You’re a horrible actress.”

Jinx rolls over, leaning up on her elbow to face him. “Maybe I would be more believable if you stopped staring at me all the time.” Her words sounded like a joke, but her tone was entirely serious. Severe almost.

Rage boils from deep within Kade, an anger he has done his best to suppress since Jinx joined Jane. Every time someone mentioned her, every time he thought about her, he just wanted to slash his axe through a thousand of Jane’s followers.

He grits his teeth. “You know, Jinx, you really aren’t in a place to be rude to me. Not after what you did.”

The scowl falls from Jinx’s face the minute the words leave his mouth, replaced by pain and a glimmer of… annoyance?

“I’ve already told you why I did what I did. I thought I didn’t have a choice.”

“You might not have had a choice to go with her,” Kade whispers fast with malevolence, his lip curved up devilishly.

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“But you did have a choice on whether or not to let me in on your little plan.”

Jinx throws her good arm in the air, fighting the urge to raise her voice so as not to wake the others. “Oh, that sounds like a great idea! Tell you about why I was really joining Jane and then watch her kill you immediately! It’s nearly impossible to keep secrets from her. You know that.”

Kade sets his jaw in a straight line. “You join Jane to save your siblings. Great. Noble. Selfless. You don’t tell me for my own safety. Brilliant. But what about him over there?” Kade dips his head toward their right. Toward Trenton.

Jinx huffs incredulously. “I can’t believe you’re really playing the jealousy card right now! I save my siblings and you, and you just go back to your pushy, jealous self!”

The glint of one of Kade’s sharp teeth sneaks through his bared lips. “Get off your pedestal and answer my question.”

Jinx hesitates, not long, but just long enough for Kade to pick up on it. “He’s a friend. One of the only people I thought I could trust in there.”

“But what else? What else is he to you?”

Jinx shakes her head, standing strong against Kade’s guilt trip. “That’s none of your business, Kade. You and I are not together anymore.”

But Kade wasn’t letting Jinx off that easily. He knows better than anyone how to wear down her resolve, how to break through her stubbornness. “Did he trick you into believing he’s the one for you? Or was he just something for you to play with until you inevitably came running back to me?”

Jinx pushes herself off the concrete, standing now. Kade mimics her actions, towering over her small frame. She bares her teeth carnivorously. “I did NOT come running back to you!”

Kade evens his voice, pulling Jinx along with him on his mental rollercoaster. He doesn’t always need his powers to disorient other people. “Who is he, J?” Kade watches as Jinx nearly melts right in front of him, her shoulders drooping and her face flushing as he revives her old, dearly loved nickname. It sounds like sugar slipping from his 244

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lips. She steps back from him, taking a seat on the concrete floor once more.

“We kissed. Once.” Jinx pauses, rethinking. “Okay, no, a few times.” Another pause.

Inside, Kade seethes, his emotions an angry whirlpool.

Although Jinx has always been better than anyone at reading Kade, he currently hides his emotions behind a facade of indifference.

Jinx, desperate for some sign, continues. “But it didn’t mean anything. We were spending a lot of time together, between being on the Gathered and working with the Scattered. We didn’t want anyone getting suspicious, so we played it off like we were dating.”

Although Jinx hoped her explanation would make Kade feel better, he shows no sign of relief or joy when he says, “I thought you said you couldn’t hide anything from Jane. Did you conveniently think this was the one lie she would believe?”

Jinx cannot possibly hide the red blush that creeps to her cheeks. He’s completely right. She bluffs her way through an explanation anyway. “But we didn’t need to convince Jane. We just needed everyone else to believe us so they wouldn’t let Jane know how much time we had been spending together in the resistance.”

The end of her explanation sets Kade’s teeth on edge. “Yeah, and I’m sure you were spending so much time with him every day. And night too, probably.”

Jinx closes her eyes and tries to calm herself despite the way her throat feels like it’s collapsing in on itself. He’s only trying to egg her on, trying to get a rise out of her.

But based on the way water wells behind her eyelids, it just might be working.

“Tell me the truth, Jinx.” Her full name feels like a punch in the stomach. “Absolutely nothing between the two of you meant anything?”

At first, Jinx shakes her head vigorously, pleading for him to believe her, but then one moment slips into her recollection.

Just a few days ago after her training session with Jane, Jinx and 245

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Trenton had met in the Sanctuary of the church. She couldn’t stop thinking about how close his hand was to hers.

But none of that matters. Not anymore. Not when Kade is right in front of her.

She lets out a shaky breath. “Trenton was there for me when I felt all alone. I served a woman who threatened to kill my brother and sister; she manipulated my powers to the point of physical pain. I joined a doomed rebellion.”

“Wait, Jane did what?” Instantly, Kade’s voice hints at nothing but concern, dropping the facade he paraded earlier.

Jinx nods sadly. “My powers don’t work like Felix and Desdemona’s. It’s hard for me to force my visions because the future is always changing. I can only see what I am supposed to see, but Jane wouldn’t accept that. She pushed me to hone my powers, to use my emotions to fuel my visions as opposed to clearing my mind.”

Kade’s mouth opens in a small “o” as he listens. “I’ve never heard of Asterian powers running off emotions. Only from peace within a cleared mind. Did it work?”

“Yes, but it hurt so badly. I threw up. My knees wobbled. My head throbbed. Almost as bad as it does now. Every movement hurt for hours afterward.”

Despite his anger with Jinx for leaving, her haunted, hollow expression revives Kade’s sympathy. “So, what did you do?”

“That’s when I left. I knew I couldn’t let Jane see the future like that. And besides, it might’ve killed me if I stayed,” Jinx explains, rubbing her arms as chill bumps rise on her skin.

Kade’s legs move of their own accord. Before he knows it, he’s closing the space between him and Jinx with long, confident strides. Jinx instinctively flinches, a testament to Jane’s torturous training, but she relaxes quickly when his strong arms pull her to his chest. She fits perfectly against the wrinkled cotton of his black t-shirt and for a moment, her headache seems less all-consuming and her memories seem less haunting. After this emotional rollercoaster, his touch begins to heal her tired heart.

But just as fast as Kade’s warmth consoles her, he jerks away and the damp, cold air consumes her. She opens her mouth, 246

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wanting to ask him what all of this means, but he turns his back to her before she can speak. Staring at the wall, he sits with his back to her, effectively ending the conversation and killing the moment. Although she wishes the embrace could have lasted a lifetime and his jarring release hurt, she can’t help but smile. It’s not over. Not yet.

Boys, Jinx thinks to herself. Always so confusing.

Instantly, she can’t help but let out a huff of a laugh. In this obscure, scary mess, that thought seems so… normal. So high school. It makes Jinx long for a time when her biggest concerns centered around her grades and her friends.

She can only hope she returns to that place again soon.

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25 Jason sits up from his horizontal position, despite the constant pulsing in his head. Whatever sleep he managed to get helped clear the cloudiness of his thoughts only a little. Felix has yet to yell for them, leading Jason to believe that he hasn’t found anything.

Jason turns on his side, laying back down with the intention of sleeping more, but a gentle crunching sound grabs his attention.

He rolls again, and the crunching sound returns. After one more toss, he determines the origin of the noise: his pocket.

Confused, he digs into the back pocket of his jeans. A coarse material meets his fingers, but upon his touch, the object grows soft and tender. He pulls it from its confines and instantly smiles when he sees the beautiful dark purple of the hyacinth he picked from the field behind Horizon Hill. At first, the flower just serves as a simple reminder, one that tells him to relax every now and then.

It only takes him a few moments to realize that, right now, it’s more than that.

His first clue is the sheer silence of the cell around him.

The shrill ringing in his ears has disappeared. The throbbing along his temples and the pulsing behind his eyes has faded to nothingness.

He jumps to his feet, cradling the hyacinth in his cupped hands, and shouts with renewed vigor. In excitement, he accidentally kicks Trenton with the toe of his shoe a little too hard. Trenton rolls over, his eyes closed in immense pain.

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“What the heck, dude?” He mumbles. Jason thrusts the hyacinth out to him, offering no explanation, while Trenton looks at him like he’s grown three heads. “Where did you get a flower? Oh, wait, is your power a green thumb?”

Jason shakes his head. “No, I have invisibility, but that’s beside the point. I need you to hold this.” Jason thrusts his cupped hands in Trenton’s direction again.

Trenton raises a cocked eyebrow. “Why?” By now, their friends begin to stir in the neighboring cells, wondering the reason for the commotion.

“Just hold it!” Jason shouts a little too loud. Finally, Trenton sighs, holding out his hand, and Jason carefully places the rejuvenated purple blooms in his palms. Trenton stares blankly, still not understanding the seemingly unnecessary elation, until he feels it. Warmth spreads through his arms, up his shoulders, surrounding his throbbing head.

“What is this?” Trenton exclaims, incredulously.

“It’s a hyacinth,” Jason explains. “It’s said to provide peace of mind. Henrietta’s powers caused chaos in our minds and the hyacinth knows exactly how to fix it.”

Desdemona’s slightly worried, pain-filled groaning makes Jason’s heart ache. “What’s going on over there?”

“Mona!” Jason presses himself to the bars and looks to his left. “I found a way to stop the headaches!”

“But Mrs. Tary said they’ve never been able to find a cure before,” Desdemona reminds him skeptically, peeking her nose through the bars to look at Jason through her periphery.

Jason tilts his head a little higher, proudly. “Well I just did.

It’s the hyacinth!”

A laugh jumps from Kade’s lips, but he catches it quickly, remembering he’s learned to be respectful about these things.

What he wants to say is I can’t believe that stupid flower is actually useful, but he bites his tongue.

“Pass it here!” Desdemona shouts, sticking her hand through the bars. Jason looks from her to the flower and back to her, knowing that if he were to throw it to her, there’s no way it would make the jump. It would get stuck in between the cells for Jane or Mrs. Tary to effectively confiscate it if they found it.

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Trenton, sensing the dilemma, quickly takes his tennis shoe off his foot and shoves the flower in the toe, deep enough so it won’t fall out, but not so deep that it is crushed. He wriggles his malleable shoe through the unmoving bar and tosses it directly in front of Jinx and Kade’s cell, just within reach.

Sighs of relief and shouts of joy hop from their cell as Jinx and Kade experience the peaceful effects of the Hyacinth. They shove it back in the shoe and toss it to Felix and Desdemona, who grab it like starved lions. When they throw it back to Jason and Trenton, the shoe lands just outside Jason’s reach, but Trenton retrieves it easily with his long, slender limbs.

“So that’s one problem solved,” Desdemona smiles triumphantly as if the Hyacinth were all her doing. In a way, it was. If she had never run off into the woods after yelling at Felix, Jason never would have followed and found the glowing bed of flowers. “But now, we still have to figure out-.”

Felix’s triumphant shout startles Desdemona, interrupting her words before she can finish. “I found someone! I couldn’t think straight before the Hyacinth got rid of my headache, but now I picked up on the thoughts of one… Marie Brodeur.”

“Marie?” Desdemona repeated.

At the same time, Jinx shouts, “Marie!”

“Wait, no, there must be a mistake. Marie was that creepy teleporter that followed us to the In N’ Out on Jane’s orders,” Desdemona recalls. Felix’s face darkens in realization.

Jinx waves her hands in front of her face, explaining. “No, actually she was there on my orders. To find out where you guys were.”

“I can’t believe she’s still alive…” Trenton marvels, smiling broadly. “I knew she was sneaky, but I didn’t know just how sneaky she was.”

“Should I reach out to her?” Felix asks.

Jinx nods, although her brother cannot see her. “Yes. Marie’s a quiet fighter; she’ll make the perfect ally for our escape.”

Felix breathes deeply, grateful he can finally clear his mind.

It’s already hard enough to sift through a thousand thoughts, much less with a ringing weaving its way through his mind.

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Marie speaks in a loud whisper, signaling to Felix that some distance separates her from them. His Embellishment allows him to estimate a person’s distance based on the volume of their thoughts: far is a whisper, close is a scream.

Zip-a-dee-doo-ahh, zip-a-dee-ay, Marie sings in her thoughts aimlessly, a repetitive, mindless action.

Felix chuckles to himself before making his presence known.

A Disney fan, are you?

Marie shrieks wordlessly, startled at her uninvited visitor.

The intruder’s voice sounds strangely familiar; it doesn’t take her long to put her finger on it. Felix Anchor.

Doesn’t it feel good to be on the same side now? Felix says.

We were always on the same side, Marie reminds him. You just didn’t know it.

Yet you didn’t think to tell us? Felix’s thoughts question with a hint of humor and sarcasm.

Marie, hesitantly, quietly, misses his playful tone. It wouldn’t have been safe for me to let you know.

Marie has a valid point, so Felix decides to move on. We need your help.

Marie waits in silence - a signal for Felix to continue.

We’re locked in the cells underneath the headquarters, and we need one thing: a bag of Eclogites.

Eclogites? Marie communicates in an awestruck tone even through her thoughts. Where am I supposed to find a bag of those? I thought they were only available to Council members.

Felix smiles to himself as he pictures young Hilga, wiry and eclectic even at that age, stealing bits and pieces of the Council following her leadership. We’re looking for a specific bag. One from our grandmother.

And how do I tell that one apart from others?

Felix bites his lips, stumped. He knows his bag of Eclogites like the back of his hand, but he has never seen another one before. He doesn’t know if other bags are all itchy burlap or if others come in smooth velvet, pungent leather, or fragile paper.

Not knowing exactly what to say, he tells Marie only what he knows.

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I imagine our bag will be close to Jane. She wouldn’t have confiscated it from us only to let it out of her protection, Felix adds. For a moment, he worries Marie will shy away from the challenge of stealing something from under Jane’s nose, but he senses no loss of resolve in the girl.

Give me a few days and I’ll have the bag for you, Marie promises. She sounds supremely confident, a stark contrast from her shifty facade during their first encounter.

And Marie? Felix adds quickly.

Mhm? Be safe. We wouldn’t ask you to do this if it weren’t important.

Before Marie can respond, Felix extracts himself from the girl’s thoughts and returns to his own mind.

Desdemona senses Felix’s return and leans over, as if about to spill a juicy secret. “What did she say?”

Felix raises his voice, loud enough for it to travel to the other cells, but not so loud that it would alarm any out-of-sight guards.

“She’s working on it. There’s nothing we can do now besides wait.”

Days seem to pass like months as the Anchors and their traveling group twiddle their thumbs inside prison cells. No one has come to visit them since Jane and Mrs. Tary several days ago, but a guard slides food through their bars every five hours like clockwork. It’s the only way Desdemona has been able to keep track of the passing time.

Meal Fifteen… Desdemona stares down at the same old dinner food: a slab of mystery meat nearly as hard as the concrete of their cells; undercooked rice; and a cup of yellowing water that Desdemona wouldn’t have dreamed about drinking unless her life depended on it.

But in this case, it does.

Desdemona wonders how much longer it will be until Jane puts her plan fully into motion. She has the Asterian Council on her side. She has now locked away nearly all the people who stand between her and supremacy.

The light tapping of ballet flats on stone travel quickly toward 252

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their cells, and Desdemona strains to spot their visitor. The swish of red hair appears at the corner of the staircase, practically turning Desdemona’s stomach. Felix’s knuckles turn white as he clenches his fists, imagining them around their visitor’s neck.

“Are your accommodations to your liking, Anchors? I arranged them myself.” Margret’s sweet, alluring voice hasn’t changed a bit.

Jinx entirely ignores her question, resisting the urge to reach out and try to slap the lackadaisical smirk of her pretty face.

“How does it feel to know Jane killed your sister and you did nothing to stop it?”

Margret smiles, her ivory teeth glinting against the torch lit walls. The mention of her sister’s murder doesn’t faze Margret in the slightest. “My sister betrayed our leader, our future. She knew the price before she committed the act.”

How Trenton wishes he could reach through the bars and give Margret a piece of his mind. “Why are you here, Margret?”

Margret’s hand slinks into the pocket of her trendy, jean skirt. If the garment were on anyone else, Felix would no doubt pay more attention to her slender curves. “I am here to handdeliver a message from Jane. An invitation for her children and their favorite guests.”

Her unblemished hand emerges from her pocket with a small, black envelope with gold trim. Margret clears her throat, a dainty, girlish noise, before speaking.

“Jane Anchor is honored to host her beloved triplets and their guests at a banquet in the Arcata square, directly in front of the remodeled St. Harold’s Cathedral, on the 24th of August, one hour before dusk. It will be an event of long overdue recognition and groundbreaking steps to build a better future.”

Margret beams, as if she just presented them with the opportunity of a lifetime. “Don’t be late,” she adds before spinning on her pink ballet shoes and tapping up the stairs.

“Wouldn’t dream of it!” Kade calls after her sarcastically.

Lowering his voice, he adds, “as if we have a choice.”

“Groundbreaking steps to build a better future,” Jinx mocks in a high-pitched tone and waves her hands exaggeratedly.

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“More like groundbreaking steps to end the human race.”

“The 24th? That’s three days from now,” Jason worries, nervously pulling at a stray hangnail on his index finger.

Desdemona traces her finger from the top of her raised scar to the bottom and back again. “I do hope Marie hurries…”

254

26 Meal Nineteen… Desdemona makes the mental check mark in her head while pushing the cooked-in-bag eggs aimlessly from one edge of her plate to the other. Jane’s banquet is tomorrow evening and they have heard nothing from Marie.

“Are you sure you can’t ask her again?” Desdemona whines to Felix. He has been the only one able to get into touch with her, but their conversations have been short and stilted.

Felix shakes his head. “I already asked her last night for an update. She said she was still looking.”

“Well, she’s running out of time and so are we!” Desdemona pulls on the edges of her now-stringy hair so hard it sends a wave of shock through her scalp. Desdemona casts a longing glance toward the right wall of the cell, imagining she can see straight through it to Jason.

“You rejected him then,” Felix states. It is not a question, but Desdemona nods anyway.

“The timing wasn’t right,” Desdemona explains briefly. “But after all that’s happened… I’m wondering if timing doesn’t have to be right.”

Before Felix can ask his sister to elaborate, footsteps interrupt their conversation. Just one set of feet. The quick, quiet tapping can’t be the guards. Too light to be Jane, too heavy to be Margret, and too quick to be Mrs. Tary. Desdemona tries to keep her expectations low, but hope rises with each approaching step.

“What was that?” Trenton asks aloud.

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Jinx opens her mouth to answer, but the only noise that comes out is a startled gasp as a familiar, petite form appears in front of them.

“Marie!” Jinx calls, holding her hand over her rapidly beating heart. “You scared me half to death!”

“Were those your footsteps?” Trenton asks, but before she can respond, he adds. “Why didn’t you just teleport the whole way?”

The footsteps continue to grow louder, effectively answering Trenton’s question with only the pattering on the concrete stairs.

Marie’s mousey lips form a small “o” as she realizes that she is not the Anchors’ only visitor today. Although they have a thousand things to discuss, Marie shoves an object through the bars of Felix and Desdemona’s cell and disappears as quickly as she appeared.

Felix instantly recognizes the scratchy burlap of the Call to Action bag. He shoves it into his back pocket and out of their unwelcome visitor’s sight.

The firelight illuminates an oversized, menacing statue lumbering toward their cells with several black bags tucked close by his side. Jinx launches herself at the metal bars, reaching and clawing through the openings toward their visitor.

“What are you doing here, Harvey?” Trenton snarls from his cell.

“Who is this?” Kade huskily breathes into her ear.

Jinx raises her voice for the others to hear, her tone shaking and red hot, angry tears threatening to spill. “He is the one who turned Maxine into Jane. He’s the reason she’s dead.”

Trenton seems just as wrathful as he adds, “And he’s likely the reason others among the Scattered have been murdered.”

Although Felix has never even met this man, their descriptions nearly send him over the edge. Maxine received the fate Margret deserves. “What are you doing here?” He repeats.

Harvey grunts, pulling the black bags up from his side to his chest, ignoring their scowls of distaste. “These are the outfits you are to wear to the banquet tomorrow evening. Someone will come to collect you at a quarter ‘til 7:00.” Before turning away, Harvey hangs one black bag on the hook next to each cell.

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Jinx can’t help but laugh, pulling away from Kade. Before Harvey ascends the stairs, she calls after him. “This is the big prize Jane promised you for turning Maxine in? Being her own personal delivery boy? Her own personal wardrobe assistant? I hope it was worth it!”

Harvey doesn’t even give the prisoners a second glance.

Soon his footsteps fade from earshot and the wind falls out of Jinx’s sails. Quietly, just loud enough for Kade to hear, she adds, “I hope Maxine’s life was worth it.”

Just one cell over, Felix eagerly prepares to dig their treasure out. Eyes alight like they haven’t been since Jane locked him in his cell, his hands practically shake with excitement as he unties the burlap sack. Unlike the first time he held the Call to Action bag, it is not empty; instead, a grey stone covered in brown and green spots weighs down the itchy fabric. Although one of them barely covers the pad of his thumb, its power makes it feel heavier in his palm. “Should we do it?” Desdemona murmurs, staring at the Eclogite in her brother’s palm.

Felix closes his hand around the stone. He speaks loudly, just enough for his voice to travel to the remaining cells. “We only have a day and half until the ceremony, and we should give everyone as much time as possible to get here if we want to defeat her.”

Jinx sets her mouth in a straight, thin line. “We can’t wait any longer; we all know that. Jane will make her big move at this banquet and we need to be ready for it.”

“And we don’t really have a backup plan,” Jason reminds the group in a hushed, almost embarrassed, tone.

Desdemona steals the Eclogite from Felix’s closed fist and twirls it around her fingers before placing it in her palm. She grabs Felix’s wrist and lines his fingers up with hers, the stone squeezed in between their open hands.

“Should we say them together?” The corner of Desdemona’s mouth turns up in a wicked grin, as if she is about to spill the world’s best kept secret.

Felix smiles and they begin to speak softly in unison. “Et juste agere.”

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Instantly, a spark runs through their connected palms, causing Felix to jerk his hand away while Desdemona shrieks.

The Eclogite falls rapidly to the concrete floor, clanking softly in contrast with its boundless power. They stare at the fallen stone, shocked and shaking their electrified palms with vigor.

“Do you think we did it right?” Desdemona whispers to her brother.

Felix shakes his head, confused. “I don’t know. Hilga never said anything about what would happen when we used it.”

“Let’s try it one more time,” Desdemona suggests.

They repeat the action, their palms clasped together once more. Just after they enunciate every syllable, the shock runs even harder through their skin, hitting every nerve as it passes through their hands. The Eclogites seem to call louder and faster this time.

“Now we wait,” Felix announces as he picks the stone from the concrete and plops it back into the burlap sack. Instantly, the bag is weightless once more, the Eclogites having disappeared after fulfilling their purpose.

Kade devises their plan quietly, just loud enough for his voice to sneak around the concrete. For a split second, Desdemona allows herself to hope that this will work, to hope they will make it out of this alive and well. She imagines tucking herself under Jason’s arm, the timing finally perfect. Although their forces may be small and unpredictable, surely the Creator will be on their side. If He is for them, who can possibly stand against them?

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27 Desdemona paces as the tulle of her pale pink princess-cut gown catches on the rough ground. Next to her, Felix straightens the ridiculous blue bowtie adorning his black tuxedo and smooths out imaginary wrinkles on his white dress shirt.

“Have you heard from any of the allies?” Desdemona asks as she twirls her stringy hair into a long, fishtail braid, happy to use her hands for something.

Felix fiddles with the edge of his vest, shaking his head.

“No, but I’m trying not to be worried. If the Eclogites worked, they will be here.”

One cell over, Jinx and Kade act just as fidgety. Jinx tugs at the high, lace neckline of her floor-length charcoal dress, obviously uncomfortable in the formal attire. Despite the seemingly dull color, the silky material catches the light and the tight bodice hugs her frame in a way Kade can’t possibly ignore.

In turn, Jinx’s gaze wanders toward his obsidian tuxedo nearly just as often.

“When do you think they’ll be down here?” Jinx asks Kade, if only just to take her attention off the way his smolder makes her insides crumble like a loose hillside during a rainstorm.

Kade shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine. It’s got to be soon.”

Jason, adorned in a white tux with a black vest and a blush bowtie, shuffles back and forth, scratching the edge of his shiny dress shoes on the ground. He bites his lip, with hands itching to sketch something to ease the tension. Unlike the others, Trenton seems to be getting the best of his nerves. He slicks his short 259

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hair back and unbuttons the bottom button of his grey tux jacket.

He looks like he’s ready for a casual afterparty with a glass of bubbly perched between his fingers.

“You’re really not nervous at all?” Jason rolls and shakes his shoulders.

Trenton stands, the king of nonchalance. “We’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain, my friend.”

The jingling of keys turns everyone’s heads when guards begin to unlock the cell doors. Normally, they would have heard the armor clanking from miles away, but tonight their guards have dressed to the nines in civilian clothes like everyone else attending the banquet. They silently grab their prisoners roughly by the arms, yanking them out of the cells and digging thumbs into their skin.

Surprisingly, the guards do not restrain them. Perhaps Jane wants to bait them, encouraging defiance to provide Jane with another reason to kill them. More likely, she sees herself as being so strong that they have no real chance of escaping.

They march up the stairs and into the main level of the headquarters. Desdemona counts her steps as they climb, only to give her something to think about. One hundred one steps up.

“It looks just the same as when we left it,” Trenton mutters to Jinx out of the corner of his mouth.

Jinx nods in agreement, but notices one striking difference: it is completely empty. They do not see a single Asterian as they exit the headquarters and pass through the church.

When the guards push the doors open, it takes all of Desdemona’s restraint not to stop to bask in the beautiful, warm evening sun. Meanwhile, Jinx cannot avert her gaze from the terrifyingly familiar, town square several hundred feet in front of them.

Glistening black benches surround elegantly adorned round tables, topped with white table clothes and red roses in glass vases. Water jumps out of the intricate stone fountain, feeding off boundless energy from Asterians gathered around it. The magnificent setup puts Jinx into a state of deja vu. She’s been here before.

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She stands in front of the Asterian-only park in Arcata from her dreams.

Jinx glances over her shoulder, noting that the scaffoldfree structure glistens gorgeously, the remodel having worked wonders. Yellow spires reach to the sky and glass doors open like a hungry mouth. It reminds Jinx eerily of another place she’s seen before.

The Arcata Palace.

Jinx’s heart races as she remembers Jane’s world of segregation, the heartache of conflict, and the chaos of physical clashes.

Jinx sneaks a sideways glance at her sister, who looks right at home in her larger-than-life gown. The irony of Jane’s outfit choice for Desdemona does not go unnoticed; Jane paints her as a foolish, materialistic girl. She may have been at one point in time, but Jinx knows that girl is long gone. That Desdemona would shake in her heels as she stumbles toward Jane. This Desdemona, with her scarred face and boundless determination, looks like she can take on the world.

Jinx silently hopes she looks that ferocious but fears her flushed cheeks may reveal her nerves.

The exhilaration in the air is palpable, simultaneously heavy as a brick and light as a feather. Jane’s followers, hundreds of them, grab colorful hors d’oeuvres and glasses of bubbly liquid from waiters dressed like their guards.

Felix flickers his eyes through the crowd, looking for familiar faces, until his eyes land on Marie. Her four-inch heels make her usually short legs look miles long, and her robin’s egg blue dress has a high slit up the side that adds just a bit of sass to her modest ensemble. She catches him looking and winks slyly.

As Jane ascends the staircase to address the crowd, her slightly curled black hair perfectly matches the sleek steps.

Her dress cuts in a low v neckline, showing her milky skin. It conveniently exposes the perfect spot for Desdemona to land an arrow. Jane’s smile is soft - welcoming, almost. Her expression seems jovial and hospitable compared to the Asterian Council.

Once-mighty Council members say nothing as they flank Jane on all sides, having been reduced to Jane’s personal bodyguards.

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Jane stops directly in front of the edge of the town square platform, effectively commanding the attention of every person within view, including humans peering curiously from second story windows of their homes around the square. She sweeps her gloved hand over the crowd from right to left, letting it stop when it reaches the edge of the square. When it reaches her children.

“Trusted advisors, loyal followers,” Jane addresses her crowd, whose expressions indicate a false belief that Jane will fulfill their wildest desires. “Honored family members and guests.” Her sharp gaze falls directly on her children. “I am pleased to welcome you to the renovated St. Harold’s Cathedral for a night filled of good food, good company, and even better discussion. Now that our last few guests have arrived, let the festivities begin!”

At the tilt of Jane’s chin upward, a half crescent batch of colors feather across the cloudless blue sky. Guests gasp as the rainbow casts a glint of stunning hues of diamonds through the air; even the Anchors can’t help but stare at the splendid shades.

The guards give the captive Anchors a subtle tug, moving them to a center table decorated with a tall rose centerpiece that stretches toward the color-filled heavens. The flowers curl and twist around one another like wraps of a scepter.

“How fitting. A table made for a queen,” Jinx doesn’t even bother to whisper, her tone spiky with venom. The table is set for ten Asterians; the Anchors and their guests take six of the wrought-iron seats. The beautiful jet-colored ironwork digs into Felix’s back uncomfortably as he wonders who will fill the last four spots at their table.

Before Felix can figure it out, a thought enters the periphery of his powers. It sounds distinctly like Wren’s southern twang and it’s easy to focus on her chirpy tone.

Wren, Felix makes his presence known in her mind. Where are you guys?

Unlike most others, Wren doesn’t seem at all startled by his presence, like she expects it. We’re just outside of Arcata, waiting.

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How many of you are there? Felix holds his breath as he waits for an answer, not wanting to hear her confirm his deepest fears.

Wren mentally counts, taking a long time to answer. Instead of offering an estimate, all she says is, hopefully enough.

Do you know where the Tech Estates are? Or the students from the House? Felix asks.

In response, Wren finally tells Felix where she thinks they stand. I haven’t heard from them at all.

Felix wonders if their actions today will get them all killed.

He assumes they probably will, but he would rather die fighting than live to see Jane destroy their Asterian way of life.

We’ll let you know when we are ready, Felix tells Wren, feigning confidence. Felix has no idea when the best time would be to stage their rebellion, but he takes it upon himself to figure that out.

He extracts himself from Wren’s mind and opens his powers up even further, stretching them to their maximum distance, searching for Dr. Tiller’s thoughts or any mention of a Tech Estate at all. But before he can get too far, their table mates saunter up to the remaining open chairs.

Desdemona feels her skin prickle as Jason stiffens next to her. Jane pulls out the chair directly across from Jinx, making constant eye contact with her daughter. Mrs. Tary, Margret, and a scrawny boy Desdemona doesn’t recognize fill the last three spots. The boy seems oddly plain, with slightly freckled cheeks and unimpressionable brown eyes to match his chocolate hair.

The tension in the air is palpable as Margret situates herself next to Felix, her long red hair brushing against his arm.

“How nice it is to have everyone together again!” Margret squeals, sarcastically closing her hands over her heart.

Be diplomatic, Felix passes the message into his sisters’ minds.

Yeah, let’s just act like we’re not about to overthrow her regime. Jinx gives Felix a curt nod of affirmation.

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across the tablecloth. It’s an extravagant show with performers who appear to have practiced months for this day.

Desdemona, having taken Felix’s suggestion to heart, beams wonderfully. “This is such a nice banquet you’ve prepared for the evening, Jane.” Even in her politeness, she cannot bear to call Jane her mother.

“I wanted only the best for my lovely triplets and their friends,” Jane mimics her daughter’s honey-sweet tone.

Kade rolls his eyes, barely catching Jinx’s glance as she fights the urge to do the same. They might be attempting to be diplomatic, but Jinx is done with simply nodding along to her mother’s blatant lies.

Jane turns her attention to Jinx, whose halfhearted smile is far less convincing than her sister’s. “How has your training been improving since you left, J? Have you been harnessing your emotions to strengthen your powers like I taught you?”

Kade nearly chokes on his sparkling water, but Jinx is unfazed. The lie falls easily from her lips. “Actually, I have, and I’ve seen how this dinner is going to end. With your severed head stuck on the edge of that platform.” Jinx points to a particularly pointy corner of the iron handrail.

“Liar,” Jane’s voice is steady, but a split-second flash of fear appears in her eyes. Although she can often use her powers to tell when someone is lying, it doesn’t stop her from imagining a catastrophic finale all the same.

“So much for being diplomatic,” Felix mutters under his breath loud enough for only himself to hear.

If circumstances were different, Jane would have met Jinx’s defiance with eternal punishment. Why bother with punishment now? By the end of the day, one of them will be dead.

The second course appears out of nowhere in the waiters’ hands. They manage to swipe up the empty soup bowls just in time to slap plates practically spilling over with delectable tartlets in their place. The puffs seem to melt in their mouths and dance on their tongues. It’s easy to be distracted by the banquet’s wonder.

It’s not as easy for Jason, who quietly observes from his seat next to Desdemona. While the triplets verbally spar, Jason has 264

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done nothing but watch the guests closely, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

The waiters skip between tables and Jason notices a small black tablet slip from a server’s hand onto the back of several guests’ chairs. The object blends so well into iron of the chairs that its nearly undetectable. Jason elbows Trenton, who sits just to his right, slyly under the table and gestures toward the tall, dark-skinned server. Trenton’s eyes follow the waiter closely as he places another tablet on another chair. He squints, trying to make out exactly what the object is, but he can’t identify the tablet’s technology.

“I just got finished reading The Great Gatsby, and I was really impressed with Fitzgerald’s writing style,” Margret continues the conversation as Jason and Trenton try not to stare too obviously.

Jinx snorts. “You can read? Who knew?” Margret doesn’t even cast a glance at Jinx after her jabbing comment.

“Well I’ve actually never read that, but I’m sure Felix has,” Desdemona knocks her shoulder playfully into her brother. “He reads anything and everything.”

Jane taps her fingers methodically on the table. “Have you read Planet of the Apes, Felix?”

Felix stiffens at the title. He must’ve been no older than eight or nine when he watched the movie, and it terrified him to the point where he refused to see the gorillas at the zoo for years.

He shakes his head in response. “No, but I’ve seen the movie.”

“That’s the one where the monkeys make humans their slaves.” Desdemona tries to suppress a shudder running through her body. Something about that film feels all-too close to Jane’s reality.

The main course, a neatly cut filet of lamb, comes during tense, stilted conversation. Desdemona and Margret do most of the talking, both highly skilled at aimless small talk, while Jane and Felix jump in every now and then. For the longest time, Jinx thought her sister’s ability to talk someone’s ear off could not compare to practical skills like knife-throwing or power-honing.

But now, she’s never been more thankful for Desdemona’s talents.

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As the waiters begin to gather plates from the main course, Jane stands suddenly from her chair. All around, members of the Asterian Council rise alongside her. Chatter quiets to nothing more than sporadic whispers. The silence grows eerie and the strange freckled boy accompanying Jane follows suit by standing, his shoulders hunched, uncomfortably still. The boy hasn’t said a single word throughout the dinner, nor has Jane introduced him to the table.

At first, Felix assumes the boy to be meek and mild, but the boy rises and voluntarily follows Jane. Caramel creme brulé goes entirely untouched by their middle table as they watch Jane ascend the black spiral staircase. Asterian Council robes billow over each stair like a flying flag around Jane’s ankle.

Power radiating from their united front sends shivers down the Anchors’ spines; the only thing out of place is the unnamed boy who gingerly holds Jane’s arm.

“Do you know him?” Jinx asks Trenton with a raised eyebrow.

Margret, still seated at the table, hears Jinx’s question and answers before Trenton can. “You wouldn’t. He’s not a part of Jane’s following.”

Before anyone can ponder what Margret means, Jane clears her voice loudly, silencing the already deadened crowd. The falling sun causes Jane’s cheeks to glow with an orange tint, making her face appear as if it could burst into flames of raw power at any moment. Jane’s arms sweep over her crowd of loyal followers, the only perceptible movement across the entire dinner. Even the waiters have stopped their normal hustle and bustle.

“Now that we have completed this lovely celebratory dinner, the night’s programming can officially begin. I would like to start by thanking my most trusted advisors, the ones that have been loyal to me since the beginning. If all members of the Gathered could please stand to be recognized.”

Jinx recognizes every face as they rise from their seats around the town square: Harvey, Elizabeth, Jansen, and about nine or so more. The crowd bursts into thunderous applause.

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As Jinx recalls all the hours she spent in the Gathered room. A wickedly defiant idea crosses her mind, and she rises with the other members of the Gathered.

The members of the Gathered sit awkwardly and Jinx sweeps her dress under her thighs as she makes a big show of returning to her seat. Trenton doesn’t even bother to hide his smirk when he catches sight of flabbergasted looks on several faces. Jane snaps her hand down on the staircase, a glimmer of her quick temper betraying her as she tries to regain the attention of her followers.

Mrs. Tary sweeps her robed hand and the crowd quiets instantly.

“As many of you know, this has been a long time in the making. Circumstances weakened me to the point of death roughly sixteen years ago, and then again just months ago. I can confidently say that despite setbacks, we are stronger than we have ever been. We are strong enough to finally raise Asterians to their rightful place.” Frighteningly, Jane turns her attention to the boy hanging loosely on her arm. He seems to stiffen under her gaze.

“This is Nicholas Giel, an Arcata native. He’s lived here since birth and loves his hometown more than any other city in the world, which is exactly why I hand-selected him for this role in our banquet today. Nicholas is a lot like you and me, but there is one glaring, unforgivable difference.”

No, Jinx thinks, already knowing how this story will end.

“He’s human.”

The minute the words leave Jane’s mouth, Felix knows they can’t wait any longer. He casts his powers to reach Wren and her team again. Wren, now. And hurry.

To his horror, Felix hears only silence, crickets. He focuses harder, clearing his mind and brushing away his emotions. But he hears only the furious beating of his own heart. He looks around frantically, eyes scanning from left to right, betraying the emotions he’s so desperately trying to hide.

Jane cocks her chin to the side just a few degrees, and Nicholas falls to his knees, his hands clasped around one another, tied by an invisible rope. At first, Nicholas’s face evinces fear, but then he gazes at the crowd with utter apathy.

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“After years and years of searching, I have created a perfect, invincible repertoire of powers. One that will allow me to deceive, for the benefit of the Asterian race, more deliciously than I could have ever imagined,” Jane explains. Desdemona thinks back to how Hazel described the sense of hopelessness and despondency as a follower of Jane back at Truchas Peak.

Heart pounding, Mona imagines what Jane can do now.

Apparently, they are about to find out.

Jane turns her head entirely to the right, staring directly at Nicholas. She smiles, sweetly at first, but then turns wicked and lustful. Her gaze flips a switch inside the human. Nicholas’ apathy disappears, replaced by overwhelming, all-consuming adoration in his wide, brown eyes.

“Nicholas, can you tell the crowd to whom you will always be loyal? Who you love?” The words slide off Jane’s tongue like a slithering, devilish snake, but her voice’s bite goes entirely unnoticed by her enchanted servant.

The eerily silent crowd waits intently for his response, holding their breaths in quiet judgment. “Jane, I love you. I am loyal to you and only to you,” At this, Desdemona imagines the crowd will break into applause, but Jane doesn’t appear to be finished. A ghost of a smirk pulls at her red lips.

“Prove it.”

Mrs. Tary reaches next to Jane and her hand emerges with a deathly beautiful ruby-encrusted dagger. The jagged edges make sharp waves into a white metal Desdemona doesn’t recognize.

Nicholas doesn’t hesitate, grabbing the dagger’s hilt with an eager, puppy-like look written all over his face. He glances to Jane for approval and raises the point of the dagger to his chest.

The Anchors each share the same terrified, urgent expression, looking around desperately for a way out, a way to save this poor human. Jason’s hand finds Desdemona’s underneath the table, interlocking his fingers with hers. The gesture calms Desdemona’s pounding heart. The pair sweeps their gaze down the table and, sensing their friends’ palpable desperation, silently agree.

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They are going to put a stop to this. With or without allies.

But just before they launch from their chairs, Jane holds her pointer finger up, signaling for Nicholas to wait. Jane closes her eyes, seeming nothing but serene on her perch. For a split second, Jinx wonders if she will be able to pierce Jane’s heart with one of her knives from this distance, but then she remembers Jane confiscated them.

Suddenly, the houses from around the square begin to shake with energy. Humans previously spying from their windows disappear. Before Jinx can wonder where they have gone, the doors to their quaint homes fly open and their inhabitants flood through the exits. Jane’s powers do not discriminate. Every citizen of Arcata - babies, toddlers, kids, teenagers, adults, elderly - comes flushing toward the edge of the square. Their clueless expressions of eagerness and adoration tell the crowd all they need to know.

They have submitted themselves to Jane.

Jane turns her attention back to Nicholas and gives him a smile so tantalizingly sweet that he doesn’t hesitate before plunging the dagger into his vulnerable chest. The wound seeps slow, angry crimson, staining his white shirt. Nicholas slumps to the ground instantaneously. Dead.

“NO!” Felix shouts. At the same time, a familiar voice shouts, “NOW!” The Anchors fling themselves from their chairs in protest as complete and utter chaos breaks out.

Explosions shake the Earth. Red and orange flames instantly lick around nearly half the iron welded seats, melting several of them toward the Earth. Asterians inhabiting chairs don’t even bleed as they explode. For some of Jane’s followers, if they hadn’t already been killed, the melting black metal would have seared them by now. Screams fill the air as the flames grow higher and higher, dancing up the ankles of all who try to flee.

“NOW!” The deep voice shouts again. More explosions engulf the previously flawless courtyard. The smoke thickens, making it nearly impossible to see five feet ahead.

Desdemona’s grip on Jason’s hand grows tighter, resolved not to lose him. Her heart pounds as she urgently searches for Felix, Jinx, Kade, and Trenton, having lost them in the smoke.

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The pointed edge of Desdemona’s heel catches on the mushy grass and she collapses to the ground. Jason’s strong hands tug her up under her shoulder, but when she rises, they are no longer alone. A tall, dark server Jason observed earlier stands in front of them, looking entirely unfazed by the death and chaos surrounding them.

“Xavier,” Desdemona’s voice is breathless as she recognizes Dr. Tiller’s assistant from the Institute. Jason mentally kicks himself for not recognizing the man earlier.

“You did this,” Jason states quickly. It isn’t a question.

Xavier raises one of the small black contraptions he had been placing on the backs of chairs earlier, and it doesn’t take long for Jason to piece together the puzzle. “Isn’t it a wonder what technology can do?”

Xavier pulls two purple bandanas from his pocket and hands them to Desdemona and Jason. “If you see others with these on their arms, they are on our side.”

His expression is almost triumphant as the pair fastens their bandanas, but suddenly, his face morphs and blood spatters from his open mouth onto Desdemona’s pink dress. The edge of a sword pokes through his now blood-stained tuxedo, pulled roughly from his chest. He falls to the Earth, revealing the angry, crazed face of a young Asterian girl behind him. Jason’s eyes fall to the Asterian’s forearm, bare of a bandana, just as she raises the sword once more - this time at Desdemona and Jason.

Jason squeezes Desdemona’s hand once more, and they both disappear. The Asterian stops swinging the sword and a confused look appears on her face. She doubles over, as if punched in the gut, then turns and runs.

“Invisibility,” Desdemona breathes. She looks at Jason like she could kiss him a million times over. “Since when can you turn other people invisible too?”

“I didn’t know that I could,” Jason’s breath is ragged with fear. “I guess my Embellishment came just in time.” As he speaks, Desdemona drops to her knees in front of their fallen ally. She searches his tuxedo, her hands now stained with scarlet blood, and comes out with a pair of knives.

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Not my speciality, but it will do, Desdemona thinks to herself.

She hands one knife to Jason before tugging him into the thick smoke.

Another explosion. This one from behind them.

Running through the smoke, a single thought races through Desdemona’s mind.

I have to find Felix and Jinx. She surprises even herself with how desperately she needs her sister. Faced with death, the grudge disappears.

Desdemona runs, smoke filling her lungs slowly, but thoroughly. She coughs and for a brief, shining moment, believes she can breathe clearly again. She fights to keep a knife up near her side. Jason feels the same strain on his chest, but he gives her an encouraging, strong nod that says we’re in this together.

An older Asterian without a purple bandana comes charging through the smoke, spraying water on the flames and thickening the gray fog. When he notices Desdemona and Jason, he flings his water toward them. The liquid drenches them instantly, and Desdemona feels hot liquid rush eagerly down her throat, threatening to drown her from the inside out. The water keeps rushing, never ceasing, and she begins to see spots at the edge of her vision.

Jason squeezes her hand once more and they disappear from the Asterian’s view, hidden by Jason’s cloak of invisibility.

Desdemona resists the urge to fall to her knees and cough up water for the rest of eternity. Instead, she follows Jason closely, sneaks up to the older Asterian, and drives the knife through his chest. Jason quickly removes the knife and they continue to move rapidly through the smoke.

Felix and Jinx. Felix and Jinx. Felix and Jinx.

Desdemona repeats the words to herself again and again, using them to ground and motivate her.

Felix and Jinx. Felix and Jinx. Felix and Jinx.

Finally, someone answers her silent prayers. She sees a flash of a blue bowtie and neatly kept hair. She dives through the smoke without a second thought, chasing after her brother.

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28 Jinx tries to ignore the hollow look of death on an unidentified fallen Asterian’s face. The blood previously spewing from her shoulder has slowed under the pressure of a makeshift bandage from the grey hem of her dress. An explosion right behind their table toppled Jinx out of her chair and the chair’s iron edge sliced the skin of her shoulder like a knife through butter. She then stumbled back to her feet only to be overcome by smoke.

Semi-alert now, Jinx quickly scans the area and realizes, amidst the chaos, she has lost the only people who mean anything to her. Her family and friends are nowhere to be found.

Scavenging the area, through clearing smoke and the clanking of hand-to-hand combat, Jinx finds a long sword strapped to the Asterian’s belt, with a clean, unused blade. Apparently the Asterian didn’t even get to draw his weapon before someone took his life. The broadsword feels awkward and heavy clasped between her small hands, but she moves forward, ignoring the fatigue in her arms and the searing pain in her shoulder.

Jinx feels a thud on her side as someone stumbles into her.

She whirls, sword raised, ready to strike, until she sees the hard, unmistakable lines of Kade’s jaw. His face morphs into unabated elation when he sees her. She feels so relieved that she could practically throw her arms around him, but that will have to wait.

Right now, they must run.

“Wren’s here!” Kade shouts over the clanking of battle.

“And the students from the House too!”

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reach the stairs of the cathedral, where the gray fog has thinned just enough for them to catch an overview of Arcata.

The sight will be brandished in Jinx’s mind forever.

Mouths of flames engulf the houses of Arcata as humans under Jane’s spell simply stand and watch. They do not reach for weapons; they do not even glance at the battle. When the flames reach their own two feet, they do not move. They do not writhe as it snakes up their legs.

They do not scream as the fire burns them to ash.

Meanwhile, the Asterian battle spills from the square to the streets. Some Asterians wield weapons, while others choose to use their powers to fight. Flashes of purple catch Jinx’s eye in between the smoke, a shade identically matching the new bandana on Kade’s arm. Noticing her stare, Kade reaches in his pocket and hands her a violet piece of cloth.

“Purple means they’re on our side,” he assures Jinx. She ties it quickly as a lightning strike reaches down to the Earth, followed by a clap of thunder filling the air. Jinx ignores the storm and focuses on searching for her siblings.

But Kade knows only one person can make a storm of that magnitude.

“Hazel!” Kade screams into the smoke. Without hesitation, he sprints down the stairs of the church toward the origin of the lightning strike. Jinx yells after him, but she knows her efforts will be futile. He won’t stay back, not when he wants to help his sister fighting down there. Jinx follows so quickly that her heels almost catch on the stairs, and she kicks them off so as not to trip again.

Jinx catches up to Kade just in time and grabs onto his wrist in case the smoke gets too thick. She uses her free hand to wield her sword, while Kade holds a slightly bent axe in front of him.

The lightning strikes again, breaking through the smoke and illuminating the space just long enough to reveal Hazel’s long, chestnut hair.

Jinx recognizes Hazel’s opponent from the Gathered, a very powerful Asterian named Brennan who can manipulate vegetation in a deadly way. Hazel operates on the defensive, 273

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shooting lightning bolt after lightning bolt to kill the plants springing from the seared ground.

Kade readies his powers, preparing to take away Brennan’s senses long enough for Hazel to strike, but there’s not enough time.

It happens so quickly that it seems like time slows down.

“Hazel, watch out!” The words stick to Jinx’s tongue, viscous as honey, as a deadly shoot appears from the ground in Hazel’s blind spot. She doesn’t notice the sprout, distracted by spiderlike moss crawling toward her ankles. Before Kade can react, the shoot bends and drives itself directly through Hazel’s heart.

Time speeds up.

“No!” Kade lunges and leans over his dead sister, wrapping his arms protectively over her. Kade turns on his powers, rendering Brennan senseless within milli-seconds. But instead of reaching for his axe to finish the job, he continues to stare at Brennan with a deadly glare. Brennan falls to his knees and clutches one hand over his head and the other over his chest. He seems to be gasping for air, sucking and panting like a dog in the middle of summer.

Suddenly, the sucking stops and he falls face-first into the Earth.

Jinx stares at Kade, awe-struck. She’s never seen him kill with his powers alone; she didn’t even know he could do that.

For a moment, she wonders if even he knew his powers could be used in that way. A low, desperate sobbing breaks her train of thought, and she turns her attention to Kade, who now has his head buried in the crook of Hazel’s neck. Blood seeps from her wound onto his cheek, but he doesn’t notice.

“I was only just beginning to know her again…” Kade laments so low that Jinx can barely hear him. She wraps her arm around his shoulder, pushing her head into his back. They sit there longer than they should, considering a battle wages on in the distance. Jinx can’t bear to tear Kade away from his sister’s body.

Another explosion erupts from the smoke. Close this time.

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toward Jinx and Kade. Now Jinx pulls at Kade’s arm, but he doesn’t even so much as lift his head.

Jinx yanks now, tugging with all her might. “Kade, we HAVE to go!” Kade sees the oncoming flames moving faster and faster.

His expression of pain doesn’t change in the slightest and, for a moment, Jinx worries he isn’t going to move.

Kade rises slowly to his feet, as if every movement pains him. He finally swings into action, shoving his hands under Hazel’s limp form and tearing her body free from the attack of the vine. Her head lolls to the side as Kade runs and Jinx can’t help but notice how much younger she looks in death.

But that doesn’t mean she’s gotten any lighter.

The smoke has weakened Kade’s body, and he stumbles terribly. Jinx reaches out to steady him but she’s a second too late. Kade falls to the ground on top of his sister’s cold, pale body.

The flames behind them persist, never-tiring in their pursuit of Jane’s followers and the Anchors’ allies alike. Jinx kneels next to Kade, who appears to have no intention of getting up again. She turns his face to hers while the flames grow nearer.

Jinx’s heart breaks when she sees his face. It is soaked in crimson blood, only clean in the areas washed by tears. His cold eyes fill with hot, raw emotion.

“We have to go!” She screams over the sound of another explosion in the distance.

Kade shakes his head. “I’m not leaving her!” He tosses himself over her body again to shield her from the oncoming fire, as if he could prevent her from dying again.

Jinx leans down and presses a wet, sticky kiss to the side of his head, leaving her lips at his ear. “Think about why we’re here, Kade. Think about Felix, about Desdemona, about us.

Hazel wouldn’t want you to die like this.” Her words grow more urgent as the seconds tick by, the flames now close enough to singe the train of her dress.

There’s one thing Jinx knows.

She will not leave without Kade.

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“Avenge her,” Jinx whispers. She feels Kade’s body shake with one last heave of a sob before he presses himself off Hazel.

Despite the urgency, he kisses Hazel on the cheek and takes two fingers to close her light brown eyes for the last time.

Noticing that oncoming flames have now caught onto Jinx’s dress, a determined expression returns to Kade’s blood-soaked face. He grabs Jinx’s hand with the grip of a cobra and pulls her through the smoke to the doors of the cathedral once more. As the flames begin to bite at Hazel’s body, no one looks back.

Felix immediately reached for Desdemona the moment the first explosion rocked the ground, but it blew him backwards and he couldn’t reach her. When the smoke obscured his vision, Felix grabbed the Asterian sitting closest to him - Trenton - desperate to have an ally by his side in battle. They ran into Nicole and Kat Popper in the smoke, who gave them both symbolic purple armbands to signify their part in the rebellion.

“We need to get out of the smoke,” Trenton shouts to Felix.

“We’re going to get killed in here!”

Felix knows he is right but is hesitant to leave the smoke so quickly. “But what if Desdemona and Jinx are still in here? What if they need our help?”

Trenton seems to pause when Felix mentions Jinx, but he doesn’t budge. “We can’t help them if we’re dead!”

To this, Felix nods curtly. He’s right, but it still didn’t solve the problem that the smoke makes it impossible to tell right from left, up from down, north from south. They begin running in one direction, hoping it leads them toward the steps of the cathedral instead of the burning civilian homes of Arcata.

“FELIX!” Desdemona’s faint, but audible voice travels through the heavy fog.

“MONA!” Felix shouts back, stopping in his tracks and turning around in circles. He takes several steps to where he thinks the voice is coming from, but Trenton halts him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait, it could be a trap. Jane has the power to imitate voices,” Trenton breathes low. Felix silently wonders about the 276

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poor Asterian from whom Jane stole this power and shakes his head in disbelief.

They wait several more seconds before Felix feels the shove of another body on his back. Slender, perfect arms wrap themselves around his waist and his sister lets out a squeal of triumph.

“You’re alive!” She shouts. Her princess dress has strings of tulle trailing behind her like streamers at a sad child’s birthday party. The blush pink is stained with mud, soot, and… blood.

The dried crimson runs down the bodice of her dress, and Desdemona notices Felix’s wary gaze. “It’s not mine,” she adds quickly, but offers no further explanation.

“We need to get out of this smoke,” Trenton shouts again.

“It’s too dangerous not being able to see!”

Nobody argues as they clasp hands, running through the smoke. When they encounter an opponent, Jason flickers out of view and renders their attacker defenseless. They eventually find their way to the steps of the cathedral, where Jinx and Kade stand back to back, outnumbered by six of Jane’s followers. Kade does his best to project his powers to each of them, but one of their opponents has a shield of some sort, preventing them from being affected.

The Asterian closest to Jinx takes a lunge at her, swiping his knife at the exposed skin of her arm. She seethes, half in pain half in anger, as it slices her skin and begins to ooze blood. The look on her face makes it obvious she would love nothing more than to launch one of her knives into his heart, but she settles for driving her awkward, heavy sword into his stomach instead.

When the Asterian falls dead, it spurs on more of Jane’s followers to attack, lunging toward Jinx and Kade. Desdemona, Jason, Trenton, and Felix spring into action, blindsiding them from behind. Desdemona plunges Xavier’s dagger into a middleaged woman’s shoulder, and the woman howls in pain. The furious Asterian rears upon Desdemona, bow and arrow raised, but she isn’t quick enough; Desdemona drives the knife into her chest, feeling bone and ligaments crunch on impact. She wastes no time stealing the bow from the woman’s hand and the sling of arrows from the woman’s back.

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They all breathe heavily, staring at their fallen opponents.

Felix quickly assesses injuries. Jinx, a cut on her arm. Jason, a slice on his back. Kade, an arrow in his leg that he proceeds to yank out without so much as a wince.

“I’ll finally say it. Thank you for all of those brutal combat lessons,” Desdemona half-smiles at Kade, who gives her nothing more than a nod. Assuming she would have at least gotten some chuckle out of him, she raises her eyebrow at the withdrawn boy, but the sullen look on Jinx’s face tells Desdemona the explanation will have to wait.

Another explosion behind them.

“We have to find Jane,” Felix announces. “It’s the only way we’ll end this.”

Suddenly, Desdemona feels a dull ache in her stomach, and her vision goes double-sided once more.

Desdemona instantly recognizes the pointy black heels clamping onto her feet as she runs, and she knows she embodies Jane. Explosions fill the air and smoke begins to thicken. The entire Asterian Council positions itself around her in a tight circle and they climb the stairs of the cathedral. Nobody winces when several of the Council members fall, arrows or knives sticking out of their skin. Council members simply close the gap and continue to blindly protect their new leader.

But by the time they finally enter through the large double doors of the church, only three Council members remain alive.

The Council, once great protectors of the Asterian way of life, has been practically wiped out.

“She’s inside,” Desdemona wheezes out as her vision returns entirely to the present. She points to the now-closed entrance doors to the cathedral. “The Council protected her, and she fled from the explosions.”

“Coward,” Jinx seethes through gritted teeth.

Felix runs to the cathedral doors and tugs, but they do not budge. “It’s locked.” Just as the words leave his mouth, an arrow falls from the sky and bounds off the stone steps directly next 278

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to Felix. When more arrows follow, Jinx turns around to find a line of Jane’s followers, all equipped with state-of-the-art bow and arrows.

“We’ll never get them from here!” Desdemona shouts. “We need to get inside!” Suddenly, an arrow catches her calf, and she screams as it lodges in her skin.

“Move!” Trenton shouts to Felix. Without hesitation, Felix throws himself out of the way. Trenton runs up the stairs as fast as he can and gives the handle on the door one massive pull. The wood seems to bend under his strength, snapping at the center and creating a small opening. He punches the wood near the opening and waves the Anchors, Jason, and Kade inside. They tumble in, eager to be out of the way of the arrows. Trenton lodges the broken wood back into the opening, hoping to deter others from trying to enter.

Desdemona tries to hold back winces of agony while Kade grips the end of the arrow. Her head feels much lighter than it had two minutes prior, but she squeezes Jason’s hand to her left and Felix’s to her right to ground herself. Pure agony overtakes Desdemona as Kade finally dislodges the arrow. He tears a strip of tulle from her gown, using the fabric to hastily dress the wound.

The dark sanctuary, smoke clouding its dim light, falls into an eerie silence with the deafening war raging on outside the church. “We should split up,” Jinx suggests. “Her headquarters is huge. We’ll never find Jane if we stay together.”

Desdemona shakes her head. “Three Council members still guard Jane. We need to stay together to have any chance of defeating her.”

“Jinx is right, but so is Mona,” Trenton says. “We should go in groups of three. Jinx and I will each go with a different group since we know our way around the headquarters. Kade and Jason, I’ll come with you. Felix and Mona, you go with Jinx.” Even Trenton knows the Anchors fight better together than apart.

The two groups move down the church hallway together, nearing the entrance to the headquarters with their weapons raised. They meet no opposition.

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“It’s too quiet in here…,” Felix whispers. The church seems to answer when the bang of another explosion filters through the thin walls.

“Jane boarded off the entrance to the church,” Kade reminds him. “But Trenton broke through it, so it won’t be long before others realize there’s an easy way in.”

“Do you think we’re winning out there?” Desdemona’s voice trembles slightly.

Nobody answers. Nobody knows the answer.

As if on cue, what sounds like a mob of people bang on the sanctuary door. Everyone wonders the same thing: will the intruder have a purple band? Nobody dares wait around to find out. Instead, Jinx and Trenton run through the sanctuary to the headquarters’ door, praying Jane hasn’t reprogrammed the entrance to keep them out. Jinx puts her hand on the mint green wall and whispers “Anchor.” To her joy, the wall slides slowly out of the way like a yawning mouth and reveals the flowery staircase.

Desdemona, Jason, Felix, and Kade nearly slip down the staircase, sprinting after Jinx and Trenton. If circumstances were different, Desdemona would pause to admire the hundreds of blooms adorning the railings. Instead, she settles to run her hand over the vines, wincing in pain while moving to the headquarters entrance at the center of the rotunda.

“Jane’s private quarters are down that way,” Jinx catches her breath and points down a right-hand spoke on the wheel. She turns, preparing to bound down the hallway.

Kade shakes his head and grabs her wrist with a rough grip.

“I don’t think she would be that obvious,” Kade adds with a hint of concern in his voice.

Another sound interrupts their conversation, but this time, it’s not an explosion. No, it’s the sound of Asterians stampeding in through pried open church doors. The wall that just closed, sealing the Anchors in, has opened once more.

Jane’s followers are coming.

Or are they retreating?

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The crowd descends the staircase and engulfs the headquarters in chaos. If they were retreating, the allied forces followed them in, making the flowery rotunda into a battle ground. Weapons cut through the stench of blood; powers fling across the room. For a moment, Desdemona thinks she catches a glimpse of Wren’s shoulder-length hair, but as quick as the blur came, it is gone.

Knowing there’s no time to wait, Trenton leads Kade and Jason down the left-most spoke, gesturing for Jinx to start at the other side. No one dares lower their weapons while sneaking through the dimly lit, subterranean hallways. Although the battle has yet to reach the wings, there is no telling what Jane has put in place to trick or trap her children.

They try door after door of the residential wing, but all are locked. If Jane is inside of one of these rooms, they see no signs of her arrival. “I just don’t feel like she’s down this way,” Felix whispers as they try yet another locked door.

“She’s a coward. She’s probably hiding somewhere the Council thinks she is safe,” Desdemona scoffs as she imagines their mother curled in a corner while her followers fight for her glory.

“There’s only one place that’s truly safe in this headquarters,” Jinx whispers, more so to herself than anyone else. She turns the idea over in her mind before doubling back in the direction of the battle.

“Wait, J, where are you going?” Felix picks up his pace and runs after his sister with Desdemona at his heels.

The growing noises of the battle muffle Jinx’s words and she raises her voice. Her tone is sharp, sure, and strong. It is everything a true leader’s voice should be. “We’re going to the safest spot in this hellish place. The dungeons.”

Now that Jinx said it, the answer seems completely obvious.

The dungeons were mostly deserted when the Anchors stayed down there, with lots of nooks and crannies between and inside of the cells. With only one way in and one way out, it’s an easy place to defend and an easy place to hide.

Desdemona notches another arrow as they near the center of the rotunda, preparing to sprint over to the next spoke and reach 281

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the entrance to the dungeons. Piercing blue eyes, ones similar to her own but lacking any sort of warmth, lock with Desdemona’s across the flowery floor. She raises her bow and aims it directly at Margret.

“Mona, wait,” Felix stops her before she can release the bow.

“It’s too crowded. You won’t hit her from here.”

For once, Jinx agrees with her brother. “We need to get to Jane. We can’t get distracted.”

This conversation distracts the Anchors just long enough for them to overlook an immediate threat. A small whirring noise fills the air, growing louder and louder, but only Jinx hears it.

Thinking quickly, she grabs the back of Desdemona’s neck and turns her head as far to the side as it will go just as a flying arrow grazes her sister’s cheek.

The superficial wound barely bleeds, but it stirs Felix into action. He turns his head in the direction of their attacker and finds Margret loading another arrow into the notch of her bow.

Felix sprints through the war raging on between them, slashing his sword at any attackers with unusual precision.

Desdemona and Jinx move around the outside of the battle after their brother, desperate to follow but equally desperate to stay alive.

The noise and clatter of the battle seems to fade from Felix’s mind as he nears Margret. Like Desdemona, the battle has torn Margret’s dress at the sides and her hair spills wildly from her updo. Margret’s terrifying beauty makes Felix remember the day they met, the day she had been their guide at the House. The day he thought he made his first friend there. The day he thought there might be something between them. But then she led them directly into the hands of the woman who wanted to see them dead.

Felix is no more than ten feet away from Margret. Her voice carries through the tainted air, a beautiful song amidst bloodshed.

“Felix, why don’t you wait a minute?” She calls to him, invoking her power of persuasion over boys. Felix’s feet halt instantly and his mind seals off everything except her. Suddenly, he wants nothing more than to please her, to do everything she says. He only desires to make Margret happy.

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Sensing his shift, she smiles softly. “Now walk over to your sisters,” she gestures to where Desdemona and Jinx snake around the spokes of the wheel, trying to keep a distance between them and the abyss below. They have made it nearly three quarters of the way around when Felix starts after them. Margret catches up, brushing her hand against Felix’s in a teasing, torturous sort of way. Felix knows he will do anything to feel more of her tantalizing touch.

In the back of his mind, he thinks he hears Desdemona and Jinx shouting at him. But what they say doesn’t matter. Nothing besides Margret matters.

Her hot breath tickles the back of his neck. “Kill her,” she commands, gesturing toward Desdemona.

Felix sets his sights on his blonde sister, so focused on her that her voice penetrates through the wall Margret created. “Felix, don’t do this! I’m your sister!” The voice is far away, unfamiliar, but just enough to make Felix pause. He glances at Jinx, who looks white as a ghost. She fears that an alternate version of Jane’s threatened fate for Desdemona, dying at Felix’s hand, is about to come true.

“Felix, you are stronger than this!” Desdemona yells. Finally, her voice flips on a light switch inside him, their bond stronger than anything Margret can twist in his mind. His pause makes Margret realize her powers may not have the desired effect. She notches an arrow.

“WATCH OUT!” Jinx screams. Felix spins around, completely free from Margret’s control, just in time to block her oncoming arrow with the blade of his sword. Margret seems startled by his speed and stumbles backward, tripping over the ripped hem of her dress. Felix leans over her frail form and presses the point of his sword just below her breastbone.

“This is your last chance, Margret. Renounce your alliance with Jane,” he presses the tip just hard enough to draw a drop of red blood. “Or die.”

Felix looks into her eyes and realizes she’s been crying. Tear stains have streaked the mud, coating her clear skin and making her look much younger. It’s too easy for Felix to wonder what it 283

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would have been like, what could’ve happened between the two of them, if she hadn’t sworn herself to Jane. What can happen between them if she renounces now?

But he knows thoughts like this can get him killed.

He grits his teeth, forcing himself to look into her blue eyes and see what he knows is behind them. Manipulation. Deception.

Ruthlessness.

“Answer me,” he seethes, pressing harder.

She closes her eyes to stop the tears from flowing, pain written all over her expression. “I renounce! I will fight alongside you!”

But before Felix releases Margret, he burrows himself into her thoughts.

I will fight alongside him until I get the chance to murder his sisters once and for all.

Every seething emotion he can imagine rises within him.

Anger. Rage. Fury. Wrath.

He eases his grip on Margret slightly, just enough for her to take a breath and relax. “You forgot something,” he whispers. A look of confusion crosses her face. “Thoughts don’t lie.”

Her expression of confusion turns to one of shock and pain as he drives his sword through her chest, feeling the bones break under his force. He stumbles back as he tears his sword free, her body crumbling to the ground in a heap.

When Felix feels his sisters’ hands pulling him up from the flowery floor, he realizes he is crying. Felix can’t stop his chest from shaking as his sisters pull him to the edge of one of the hallways, just out of sight from the battle. He slumps to the ground, back propped up against the wall.

“Shhh, shhh, shhh,” Desdemona coos, letting her hand rest comfortably on his shoulder. “There was no coming back for her.”

Felix knows she is right; he knows Margret was beyond his saving. If he hadn’t killed her there, she would have tried to murder them all.

“I made a vow to protect you with everything I am,” Felix mutters, salty tears wetting his lips. “That’s all I was doing. Just like when I killed the Darian to save you. So why does it feel so wrong?”

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Desdemona and Jinx share a knowing, sad look. They both knew Margret; they both knew how sweet she had been to them.

But they also both knew that she was a liar, a traitor, and a murderer. This was the only way.

They sit for far too long while the war continues just beyond their protective nook. Felix will never forget the crushing of Margret’s breastbone, the way the blood flowered on her gown.

But in the end, his choice was an easy one, one he would make again.

He will always pick his sisters.

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29 The battle floods into the spokes of the headquarters like a raging river, and the adrenaline courses through Jinx’s veins while they run to the dungeon entrance. Out of the corner of her eye, Jinx spots Trenton fighting the one Asterian he wanted dead more than anyone else: Harvey.

Harvey has Trenton beat in physical stature, but Trenton has superior battle powers. Trenton’s battle axe slices the air with twice the force, clashing with Harvey’s sword and effectively snapping the metal in half. Jinx will never forget the utter fear on Harvey’s face when the two halves of his sword clattered to the ground.

Trenton raises his axe for the final blow.

Before she can ponder the style of justice Trenton will bestow upon Harvey, Jinx’s shin catches on the body of a fallen Asterian. She topples over the limp form, eyes squeezed together, silently praying she will not be familiar with the face below hers.

When she finally glances at the form, panic seizes her. A purple armband adorns the Asterian’s forearm, and his unruly, shaggy black hair looks too much like Kade’s at first glance. She grabs his still-warm cheeks, turning the face to hers, and is met with unfamiliar brown eyes.

She lets out a gasp of relief.

But if Trenton is facing Harvey alone…

Where is Kade?

“Jinx, we need to go!” Desdemona’s voice breaks into Jinx’s consciousness. She feels a tight tug on her shoulder and Desdemona hoists Jinx to her now-bare feet. Jinx notices more 286

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and more bodies with purple bandanas, dead and lifeless on the foliage. One thought runs through Jinx’s mind as she takes toll of the losses.

So many dead. So many.

We’re outnumbered. We’re losing.

They tumble down the entrance to the dungeons. Every torch has been extinguished, making it nearly impossible to see the steep concrete stairs. The air feels colder, drier, holding its breath until the end of this battle. Jinx’s clammy hand clamps onto Desdemona’s shoulder, while Desdemona wraps her palm around Felix’s wrist. Jinx lets her powers skip thirty seconds into the future, trying to see how far they have until the end of the staircase, but she sees never-ending darkness.

“There’s fifty-five more steps,” Desdemona whispers, thankful that she counted on the way up. Felix and Jinx begin counting as well, their footsteps pattering down the concrete. The quiet, dark environment reminds Jinx of when they competed at the Hunt during their first year at the House. Not knowing what they would find, they crawled down a dark tunnel toward their goal.

The only difference is that this time, she’s not sure they will make it out.

15 more steps.

10 more steps 5 more steps.

4 3 2 1 Felix isn’t sure what he expected at the bottom of the dungeon stairs, but simple darkness surely wasn’t it. He knows the ground is flat ahead, yet it seems like just an abandoned, damp hallway.

Or maybe that’s just what Jane wants them to think.

Jinx flickers her powers to the future, but her powers meet more darkness. They step side by side and Jinx runs her hand against the wall to follow the curves of the concrete. Suddenly, a 287

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thick, viscous liquid coats her fingers. She yanks her hand away from the wall, rubbing her digits against her palm, hoping that it is not what she thinks it is.

Suddenly, the torches spew forth flying, orange flames, illuminating their surroundings in a blinding haze. Jinx’s eyes never leave her fingers, her worst nightmares confirmed as a sticky, red liquid coats her skin.

Blood.

“Something isn’t right here,” Jinx struggles to keep her voice from shaking. “It’s a trap.”

Desdemona stifles a scream in response, but it takes Jinx a few seconds to realize her scream is about more than blood.

They’ve all seen blood before. They have never seen a mutilated corpse hanging from the wall, nailed to boards on concrete.

The image makes even Jinx want to wretch. Blood drips down the walls, making the body seem freshly killed. And yet the sickening stench suggests a body dead for days.

Jinx’s eyes travel up the body. The stab wounds covering the legs are not clean, as one would expect. Instead, the sword must have twisted into the skin, cutting the flesh in perfectly round circles. The arrows lodged in the Asterian’s chest have not been removed, and a knife sticks straight up from the dismembered skin of his neck.

There is only one part that has been left untouched.

His face.

“No…,” Jinx feels her voice catch in her throat as she meets Lance’s hollow, empty eyes. They lack all the excitement, all the hope, they had when he led their Scattered meetings. Jinx’s grief comes like a crashing wave. “No, no, no, no, no!” Jinx finds herself falling to her knees, weeping.

“There’s no need to cry, my sweet J,” Jane’s voice comes from behind them, interrupting their shock and heartache. She stands no more than ten feet away, flanked now by only two members of the Asterian Council: Henrietta and Mrs. Tary.

“After all,” Jane continues mockingly. “His death is your fault. Can’t you see the arrows? The knife? The sword wounds?”

Jinx’s blood turns to ice, freezing in her veins as she comprehends her mother’s words.

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Jane used the Anchors’ own weapons to murder Lance.

Her head blurs, a bundle of rage and furious images, all involving Jane’s head on a spike. She wants nothing more than to deliver to Jane the revenge she so deserves. Just as she is about to do something rash, something that will surely get her killed, and Felix’s cool, calming hand stops the pounding behind her ears.

“I swear, you will pay for this,” Desdemona speaks for her sister, the words seeping through her clenched teeth.

Jane laughs, a shrill, arrogant sound. “And how do you plan on making me pay? Haven’t you seen? You’re losing up there!

And it’s not like your useless powers are any match for the Asterian Council.” She gestures to Henrietta and Mrs. Tary, who slither around her shoulders like snakes preparing to snap.

We need to stall, Felix suggests in her sisters’ thoughts. She’s right; we can’t take them by ourselves.

He receives a subtle nod from Jinx and a quick glance from Desdemona in response. Seeing their agreement, Felix spreads his powers to the chaos still unfolding upstairs, trying to locate someone who can help. It’s hard to focus on thoughts when they are all so loud, so rambunctious, so tumultuous, but he clears his head and tries.

Desdemona, knowing Felix cannot be their diplomatic conversationalist right now, takes the lead. “What would Alexander think of the way you plan on using humans?”

A sliver of shock slips through Jane’s harsh demeanor, and Desdemona knows Jane wonders who told them that name. She takes it one step further. “And what about Wren? What would she think?”

In response, Jane follows a sneer with an audible growl.

“Wren and Alex were weak. Blind. They didn’t see Asterians’ true potential, and they didn’t see yours either. I could’ve made the three of you, together, unstoppable.”

“By forcing us to use our powers in a way they weren’t designed?” Jinx’s scowl mirrors their mother’s in an eerie way.

From attack mode to sugary sweet, passive-aggressive Jane continues, “Quite the contrary, actually. I am simply reimagining 289

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and improving their previous design. But since you refuse to do that for me, I will just have to take your powers and do it myself.”

At this, Jinx can’t help but laugh, imagining their mother trying to gain control over her unpredictable visions. Jane bristles, just the reaction they sought. They need Jane to be emotional and mistake-prone rather than cold and calculating.

Unless she keeps her temper in check, she comes undone. It’s their only chance to seize an advantage.

“Why did you push Alex away? And Wren? And Marcus and Stacy?” Desdemona continues. Jane clenches and unclenches her fist with each family member she mentions.

“They rejected me just as much as I rejected them,” Jane offers with a glimmer of what might resemble sadness hidden far behind her eyes. “Their disgust and dismay at my proposals for our race told me everything I needed to know. They proved to be perfectly ignorant, and they deserved more punishment than I gave them. I merely took their powers when I should have killed them for defiance.”

In response, the unmistakable anger on the Anchor kids’ expressions does not go unnoticed by Jane, making her smirk.

Her eyes seem to say, two can play at this game.

“I guess the three of you will have to make up for their lack of punishment. You can thank your sweet ‘parents’ when you rot in agony for the rest of your days,” Jane hisses, spitting on the dungeon floor as she mentions Stacy, Marcus, and Hilga. Jane takes a threatening step forward.

Felix, we need to hurry… Desdemona’s thoughts quiver as she awaits an update from her brother.

But the clear worry on his face answers Mona far better than words.

No one will be coming to help.

Jane takes another step. Mrs. Tary and Henrietta follow, still awaiting orders, their robes billowing against the concrete. The Anchors raise their weapons in defense, and Desdemona notches her sharpest arrow.

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Jane’s laugh rings through the hallway, echoing down past the cells. “You think you can hurt me with that? Go ahead, fire away, pretty Mona.”

Desdemona doesn’t move at all. She knows Jane can flick her arrow off course with a single glance. They will have to catch her off guard to have any hope of ending this once and for all.

Their mother takes another step.

“How shall I torture them?” She glances to the Council members, soliciting recommendations. “Burn their skin slowly, inch by inch? Whip their backs until they’re bare and bloody?

Drown them to the brink of death?”

Her suggestions only seem to excite her Council shadows, both of whom lick their lips eagerly.

“I will make a better world for our race, one where we are the leaders!” Jane continues triumphantly, as if she has already won. “Those who dare to defy me leave me no other choice. I cannot build this new era while being undermined, especially by my three ungrateful children.”

Jane takes another step. By now, she moves less than five feet from her children.

“Come closer and we’ll make you regret it,” Jinx threatens, her clammy hand clenched around the hilt of a knife. Her voice is steady, her face determined.

Jane entirely ignores her daughter’s empty threat. “Henrietta, can you stun them? I don’t want them asleep. Oh no, I want them to be able to feel everything I’m about to do to them.”

Henrietta nods, and the Anchors soon feel an uncomfortable pressure. Felix tries to push against the sensation while trying to keep his mind clear. His vision blurs near the edges, and the dungeon becomes fuzzy. He can feel his heart beating loudly in stark contrast to the lull in his brain. He fights, using his powers to push back, but feels himself losing. Quickly. Jane takes several steps closer to her stunned children, her hands rubbing together in excitement. Felix has one final coherent thought.

I failed my sisters.

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30 The humid air comes rushing back into their lungs. A fiery torch shines brightly. A sudden sputtering, the sound of someone choking on blood, imprints itself on their minds.

It only takes Felix a few seconds to remind himself where he is: the dungeons. Several feet in front of them, Henrietta’s crumpled body seems small under her pile of robes. But even under the mountain of fabric, they can see the blood spurting from a wound in her neck.

A figure stands several feet away, completely motionless, clothed in a familiar set of unadorned robes. His bald head and hooded green eyes make him unmistakable. It is a face Desdemona thought she would never see again.

“Brother Franc!” Desdemona shouts, a surge of hope and gratitude welling inside her. But before she even gets to say a proper thank you, Brother Franc begins clutching his throat and sputtering. His knees hit the concrete with a sickening clank, followed by wheezing that overtakes all other sounds.

Jane’s hands clench tightly, turning her knuckles stark white as she forces the air out of her victim’s throat. Without thinking, Desdemona lets her notched arrow loose. The arrow strikes directly at Jane’s fist, sinking into the skin and bone there. Jane howls and whirls on Desdemona, giving her just enough time to shoot Brother Franc a look that screams, Run! Get help!

Before Jane can come after her daughter, a battle brewing to her left catches her attention. Mrs. Tary, standing beside Henrietta’s body, doesn’t cast a second glance at her fallen comrade. Instead, her attention focuses on a figure that blinks 292

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in and out of focus. Desdemona feels a strike of simultaneous joy and terror as she recognizes his dirty blonde hair and goodhearted eyes.

Jason.

Mrs. Tary becomes visibly frustrated, striking only air at his disappearing form, trying to catch a limb just before he moves. She isn’t nearly quick enough. Jason uses his invisibility to pounce around to Mrs. Tary’s blind spot, driving his sword through her robes. She crumples, but Jason doesn’t even have time to celebrate his victory.

“Jason, watch out!” Felix screams. Jason yanks his chin upward and finds Jane’s hand outstretched, ready to take his powers with her deadly touch. He disappears, ducking under her arm and moving toward the Anchors. He reappears by Desdemona’s side, clutching onto her hand as his lifeline.

A poorly muffled cough catches everyone’s attention. Jane’s attack has left Brother Franc too weak to climb 101 stairs.

“Go and help him,” Desdemona whispers to Jason. “Make sure he gets back safely and then send for help. We’ve got this.”

Jason is gone in an instant, his only response to her order.

Desdemona breathes a sigh of relief; Jason is safer up there, especially if Horizon Hill has come to aid their rebellion.

With the final two Council members out of the way and their allies surging upstairs, the Anchor triplets find themselves alone with their mother.

For the first time in their entire lives.

“You’ll pay for what they did,” Jane spits, glancing at where Brother Franc and Jason fled. “Oh, you’ll pay for it again. And again. And again.”

Felix watches as Jane clenches her fist, a tell-tale sign she will unleash a power attack. Suddenly, he feels her punch through the barrier to his mind and splitting pain shoots from his left temple to the right. He knows he must act soon. No, not soon. Now. He cannot let Jane win this battle - not without fighting back.

Felix pushes against the pain and feels it push back with double the strength. He glances to his side to find Jinx and Desdemona wincing, no doubt experiencing the same physical 293

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agony. But something about the expression on Jinx’s face suggests more than just physical pain.

He follows her line of sight to where Lance hangs, pierced with their weapons.

Although Felix didn’t know Lance, Jinx did. And she must’ve thought the world of him.

If he can give his life for my sister, so can I. Felix musters every last ounce of strength to fight against Jane’s probing. Out of the corner of his mind, he notices Jane’s laughter fade as she feels his perseverance, his determination, outlasting her brute force. The pain begins to recede like pressure being relieved from a drain. For once in his life, he doesn’t let himself think.

Instead, he acts.

He rushes to Jane, his sword feeling more deadly in his grasp than it ever has. To his right, Jinx and Desdemona surge just a step behind him. This time, they have no Asterian Jewel to save them, no allies to help them, yet they are not alone. They are together - and stronger because of it.

Jane draws her knives, prepared to strike physically if she cannot get through to them mentally. She jabs at their limbs and at their sides, aiming to wound or maim. But not to kill. Not yet.

Felix swings his sword with all his force, knowing that a slice deep enough would knock Jane down long enough for them to prepare the final blow. Jane ducks skillfully, using her short stature. Desdemona readies an arrow, aiming it exactly where she thinks Jane will move next, but her mother cannot be predicted.

Jane tries to dodge one of Jinx’s knives and it catches the edge of her black dress, slicing through the silk-like water. Using the momentary distraction to her advantage, Desdemona aims her bow again, but catches her foot on a crack in the concrete floor, stumbling.

Now it is Jane’s turn to use distraction as a tactic.

Their mother wastes no time throwing a razor-sharp blade toward her blonde daughter, aiming for the inner part of her shoulder. Desdemona hardly notices the knife whizzing her way, but Jinx, who had seen this moment in a vision just seconds ago, 294

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dives in front of the blade.

The pain is excruciating, like fire rising from every hollow space in Jinx’s chest. The fire’s flames seem to rise toward the center, the exact location where the knife has punctured her heart.

Jinx breathing sputters, blood spattering from her raw throat and coating the concrete in crimson. After several moments of the worst pain she has ever experienced, Jinx’s head starts to feel lighter, airy. The flames of agony recede until they form ashes.

Jinx lets her head rest on the soft, comfortable floor. She hears screaming and shouting in the back of her mind, followed by nothing but blissful darkness and silence.

Desdemona and Felix endure the torture of watching the life drain from their sister’s eyes. Flames rise in their chests, in their hearts, but they are fires of determination, of vengeance.

Desdemona loads an arrow and launches without thought.

Jane flicks it off course and into the nearby cell wall with a twitch of her fingers.

Keep distracting her, Felix’s voice is gone from Desdemona’s thoughts before she can even respond. Everything becomes a blur of movement, her hands operating on autopilot as they load and launch. Load and launch. Load and launch. A bead of sweat drips from Jane’s forehead, the only sign of her fatigue as she combats Desdemona’s advances. Finally, one of Desdemona’s last arrows catches her shoulder and she howls, more so in anger than pain.

Jane flings her hands in front of her, and Desdemona hears an ear-splitting crash Mona’s head begins to pound and spin only then does she realize her own body was the source of the crash. The cold concrete feels rigid and unmovable behind the torn back of her dress. Her bow has been discarded, smashed in half by the force of the blow. She pushes her left palm to the back of her head, and it comes away bloody, her hair matted with the sticky substance. She tries to raise her right arm to hoist herself up, but it doesn’t respond to her commands. Confused, she turns to her useless limb. Although the bone is not visibly displaced, the dead weight of her arm suggests that she won’t be shooting arrows anytime soon.

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Tearing her eyes away, she sees Felix blocking spurts of green light from Jane’s hand with the blade of his sword. He moves and bends with inexplicable speed, avoiding the attacks with adrenaline-based skill. When one of the spurts falls at Felix’s feet, he jumps out of the way. He hesitates just long enough for Jane to close the gap between them, green sparks still flying.

Desperate to help her brother, Desdemona notices a snapped arrow on the ground next to her. She takes the arrow’s shaft with her good hand and tosses it toward the entrance to the stairs. It clatters on the bottom step, making Jane glance behind her in apprehension. She will not be blindsided again. During Jane’s hesitation, Desdemona finds time to grab the arrowhead, ignoring the way it slices her palm, and chucks it at Jane.

The metal tip lands nowhere near their enemy; instead, it clanks several feet in front of Desdemona.

But it’s enough to turn Jane’s attention on her.

Jane growls, white flames licking from her fingertips, and she approaches Desdemona. Soon, she is no more than a foot from her daughter. She reaches down to the train of her dress; a single spark is all she needs to catch the edge of the tulle. Flames engulf the end of Mona’s dress with frightening speed.

Jane leans so close that Desdemona can practically feel her hot breath on her neck. “I’m going to watch as this fire burns you alive,” Jane whispers.

Desdemona ignores the devil on her shoulder, telling her it would be easier to just give in to Jane, to let the flames engulf her. Instead, she thinks of her brother, of her now-deceased sister, and kicks her bare foot up toward Jane’s chest. When her heel smacks into Jane’s breastbone, Desdemona rolls out of the way, concrete smothering the fire consuming her dress. She rolls onto a discarded knife and tucks it into her good hand.

The breath taken from her lungs, Jane stumbles backward.

Her stumble gives Desdemona the split second she needs to launch herself onto her feet.

Her stumble gives Felix the courage he needs to make his final move.

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Jane doesn’t even realize she’s been outsmarted until Desdemona sinks the knife into her bruised chest. As a stunned, weakened Jane turns to Desdemona, Felix lunges his sword through her back to her stomach.

Jane’s face morphs with surprise as an impossible mixture of pain and numbness shoots through her abdomen. She gazes upon Desdemona’s scarred, yet stunning, features. Features that conceal just how cunning and dedicated Desdemona has become. She looks upon Jinx’s lifeless form. A form that should be smiling with shrewd satisfaction, her insatiable competitive spirit fulfilled. She imagines Felix’s expression of determination, mixed with relief. An expression that reveals his never-ending love and support for his sisters.

Her thoughts travel to Marcus. To Stacy. To Hilga. Her family only by blood, not by choice. The people who sheltered her children, raised them to value honesty and hard work over power and prestige.

Finally, she remembers Alexander - the man who always saw the good in her. The man she pushed away.

She feels the life trickling from her spirit, her soul. She sputters, blood clogging her throat. She coughs as her children yank their blades from her body. She crumbles.

“Go…” Jane manages to get out. Her voice seems so quiet, so distant. She’s not even sure she’s saying words out loud at all.

“Tell him…” But her head seems too light and her mind spins too fast for her to finish.

Sometimes, it’s just easier to let go.

Jane Anchor feels the last breath leave her body. She feels the weight of all the powers she’s stolen lifted from her shoulders.

Desdemona doesn’t realize tears are falling freely down her soot and mud-stained cheeks until they begin to blur her vision.

Her legs seem weak and wobbly, suddenly unable to support her body. Once she remembers Jinx’s crumpled, lifeless body just inches away, she lets herself fall over her sister’s form.

A strong, warm presence joins her, putting one hand over her shoulder and one hand on Jinx’s face. Felix feels his chest clench in pain as he closes Jinx’s hollow eyes, as if she were asleep instead of gone forever.

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Felix has no idea how long they sit there, how long they mourn over their sister. He has no idea who will win the battle upstairs, or even if it rages on. He spares no thought for Jane’s unfinished last words. He can’t bring himself to care. He can’t bring himself to think about anything besides Jinx, the girl she was, and the woman she would have been.

Footsteps interrupt their silence, tap, tap, tap down 101 concrete stairs. Felix strains to hear, concerned it may be Jane’s followers coming to tell them their rebellion has been defeated.

He tugs Desdemona closer, shielding her from view with his body.

Jason, Kade, and Trenton appear at the foot of the stairs, looking bewildered and battered, but victorious. Their faces shine with excitement and their toes bounce with adrenaline.

They notice Jane’s bloody form several feet away and begin to celebrate.

Until they see Felix and Desdemona draped over another unmoving body.

Kade’s face is the first to crumble, to breakdown. Trenton and Jason follow swiftly. A mixture of disbelief and despondency consumes Trenton’s face, yet he stays back. Instead, he concedes to Kade, whose heartbreak becomes visible with every move as he nearly stumbles toward Felix and Desdemona.

“Can I see her?” Kade’s voice cracks.

Felix pries his hand from its grip on Jinx’s wrist although his instincts tell him to continue to protect her. He moves Desdemona away from the body with him.

Desdemona’s eyes flicker with relief as she notices Jason.

He has several burn marks through his suit to his skin and quite a few scrapes marring his face, but he is otherwise unharmed.

Jason reaches for her, but Felix pulls his sister closer to him.

If he can no longer save Jinx, he will do anything to protect Desdemona.

Jason’s voice is calm and understanding as he extends his hand. “I’m not going to hurt her, Felix. You know that. I swore to protect her and help just like you did.” Desdemona doesn’t say anything, but she nods to her brother, who clings to her for one last moment before releasing his iron grip.

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Desdemona looks like she’s been through hell and back. Her hair is knotted with clotted blood; her right arm is lying entirely useless by her side; her dress is burnt halfway up the calf on the left side.

Jason pulls the shattered girl to his chest, relishing in the feeling of her head against his chest. “You’ve never been more beautiful,” he whispers just for her.

She doesn’t smile. She doesn’t nod. She doesn’t even move.

She offers no reaction at all to his sentiment, but she appreciates it all the same. It reminds her that although they have lost Jinx, there will be reasons to live and love.

Behind them, Kade shuffles to reach his arms under Jinx’s body. She’s always been a skinny girl, but she seems practically weightless as she hangs in Kade’s grip. “Let’s take her upstairs,” Kade offers, his voice hollow and empty.

“What happened up there?” Felix asks hollowly as he follows Kade up the entrance to the stairs. Felix is torn between staring at Jinx’s motionless, dangling feet and avoiding the sight of her body.

Trenton looks at Jinx, wanting to hold her, to say goodbye in some way, but he can only follow behind Felix. “Horizon Hill came to our rescue. We were losing. Every one of us was going to die. But then they came with reinforcements and, together, we subdued the rest of Jane’s forces.”

Desdemona silently wonders what changed. Brother Franc refused to help them because he didn’t believe in violence, but he killed Henrietta without hesitation. There’s no telling how many Asterians died at the hands of Horizon Hill students in the rotunda of Jane’s headquarters.

Felix squints at the intrusive, bright light as they exit the top of the dungeon staircase. Bodies - with and without purple bandanas - have been lined up and prepared for burial, eyes wide and unblinking. The approaching group keeps their heads down, looking at the bodies for any familiar, pale faces. Their hearts pound as they walk, skipping a beat with every Asterian they recognize.

Xavier and Dr. Tiller from The Institute.

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Elizabeth and Jansen from the Gathered.

Tolem, the teleporter who saved them at Wyler Ward.

Kat and Abbi Popper from the House.

Dozens in long, brown robes from Horizon Hill.

The list seems to go on and on.

Healers come around to those whose hearts continue to fight for life, mending them with a gentle touch. All eyes turn to their group as they near the center of the rotunda, momentarily interrupting the somber mood. Shouts of triumph and elation erupt as they notice Jane’s absence. With Felix and Desdemona still standing, Jane must be dead.

Shouts turn to gasps when Asterians notice Jinx’s limbs dangling motionlessly from Kade’s arms. A loud wail escapes to their left, and Felix instantly recognizes the grief-stricken face of Marie. He extends his hand to the girl, who accepts it without hesitation and falls into line beside the mourners. Even after she matches Felix’s pace, he does not drop her hand.

“Do you see Wren anywhere?” Felix whispers to Desdemona.

She shakes her head. He hasn’t seen her body in the line, but he hasn’t seen her among the living either. He won’t stop worrying until he sees her chest rising and falling with breath, her face moving and speaking with life.

“She’s over there,” Trenton tips his head toward the left, overhearing Felix’s question. They follow Trenton’s line of sight to find Wren, her battle gear tattered on the edges and her boots torn at the seams. The downward curve of her mouth and her desperate look reveal anguish. She meets Desdemona’s gaze, and Desdemona waves her over to their makeshift processional.

Finally, they reach the end of the line and Kade stops. Tears fall silently down his cheeks as he looks at the open lush area, the spot where he will lay Jinx down for the last time. He hesitates; he can hardly bear the thought of losing her forever. Not right after he got her back.

Felix puts his free hand on Kade’s shoulder, a gesture of encouragement. His arms shaking, Kade lowers Jinx to the ground, leaves crunching under her weight.

Marie and Trenton say goodbye first, both laying their hands on her arms, their tears washing dirt off her grimy skin.

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Wren and Jason are next. Although neither of them knew her well, they both heard enough stories to understand her bravery and wit.

Kade moves next to Jinx, leaving his heart with her. “I love you. I’ll always love you.” His words come out more as a breath.

He leans his forehead against hers and kisses her one final time, her lips cool against his warm skin. “You and Hazel take care of each other up there, okay?”

Finally, Desdemona and Felix kneel next to their sister, their sister they’ve only had for a year. Their sister who was taken far too soon. Just as they do, the large clock in the rotunda strikes midnight. Desdemona’s mouth twitches into a smile as she realizes what day it is. “Happy birthday, J. We hope He’s throwing you a big celebration.”

One year ago, to the exact minute, they received their first visions. One year ago, to the exact minute, they were thrown into this crazy Asterian World. One year ago, they found out they were not alone. One year ago, they became a family.

Felix tilts his head to give Jinx a kiss on the cheek when he notices a slight rise and fall. The torn material of Jinx’s ballgown stretches and contracts as her chest begins to move.

I must be seeing things, Felix tells himself. Her dress is stained with blood. Her blood. So much of it. There’s no way she could have survived a blow like that one.

Yet, soft breath trickles from her parted lips as she begins to breathe. Color spreads to her pale cheeks as what’s left of her blood begins to flow. Her eyelids twitch as she musters the strength to pull them open.

Noticing Desdemona and Felix’s confused expressions, Kade crouches by Jinx’s bare feet. Her toe shudders as she regains feeling in her limbs. His heart is about to beat from his chest in elation at the phenomenon he’s witnessing.

When her eyes finally flutter open, revealing a beautifully familiar blue, they begin to cry tears of overwhelming and allconsuming joy. Felix and Desdemona throw themselves over their sister gently, yet with unabated enthusiasm. She mumbles, disgruntled, under their weight, but doesn’t push away as she usually would. She needs this moment just as much as they do.

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Kade, always more subdued, grabs onto her hand, rubbing his thumb comfortingly over the back of her palm. She squeezes back and his heart skips a beat.

At that moment, he raises his eyes toward the sky. Kade forgives every grudge he’s held because no argument or disagreement matters in comparison to the girl breathing right in front of him. The girl he almost lost. The girl he loves so much.

Finally, he knows someone listens from above.

They bury their dead the following day. Felix, Desdemona, Jason, and Trenton attend, paying their respects to those who lost ones they love. Kade stays behind, saying he wishes to remain

by Jinx’s bedside until she is back to full strength.

What he doesn’t say is that he can’t muster the strength to attend a burial for a sister he couldn’t save.

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31 Over the next week, a flurry of productive activity overtakes Jane’s headquarters, with Asterians using their abilities to rebuild what war ruined. Tech Estate bombs burned more than a city block in Arcata, and while most humans fled, a few remained.

Several Asterians work to reach out to residents, encouraging them to return for a rebirth of their neighborhood.

An internal Asterian rebirth begins as well. With every Asterian Council member except for Jason gone, the rebellion creates a new government for their race. Wary of duplicating the Council because of its past mistakes, most Asterians push for the Anchors to lead, but they decline. Each of them has a lot of personal recovery and learning left ahead of them.

Because of her dedication and foresight, Felix suggested Wren lead the restructuring. Right now, she is hard at work gathering representatives from every training facility to decide the next steps. With the amount of destruction and activity surrounding Arcata, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hide from the humans. A few days ago, Felix heard Wren discussing the possibility of Asterians beginning to work alongside humans in the open. A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth at the thought of not having to hide or keep secrets any longer.

One thing preoccupies Felix, Desdemona, Kade, and Jason’s mind: Jinx. They huddle around Jinx’s small bedside, playing cards on top of the covers, laughter spilling from their mouths without worry or hesitation.

“Three sixes,” Desdemona announces aloud, laying down three mystery cards on the pile.

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“BS,” Jason calls toward Desdemona, his mouth twists in a knowing grin.

“I’m so horrible at this game!” Desdemona groans and retrieves the cards with her good hand.

Once Jinx woke up, Desdemona almost forgot about her mangled arm until a healer politely pointed it out. Desdemona nearly yowled in pain as the healer set the bone, tucking it away in a black sling. Based on the sheer amount of blood on her scorched dress, she knows it took more than Asterian powers to save her. Mona will thank Him every day for her life.

“Two threes,” Kade places the final two cards in his hand onto their makeshift table. “I win.”

Felix places the remaining cards in his hand onto the blanket with a sigh, and Jinx shifts her weight in the bed. “Alright, I need to go for a walk. I’m going to go crazy if I have to sit here for much longer.” The minute she moves, Felix and Kade reach to steady her.

“We’ll go with you,” the two boys demand at the same time.

Jinx swats away their reaching hands and shakes her head.

“You know, I’m not going to collapse the minute you two leave me alone.”

Desdemona laughs at the two boys, instinctively leaning her head against Jason’s shoulder. Jason’s hand travels up to brush her shoulder blades. “She’s right, guys. The blood bond made sure that Jane couldn’t do any real harm. We can’t keep her locked in this room for the rest of her life.”

After Jinx’s eyes fluttered open on the headquarters floor, Marie explained the limitations of the blood bond. Because Jinx shared part of herself to bring Jane back to health, they were connected internally. Jane could do temporary harm to her daughter, but she couldn’t kill her.

“Why don’t we all go check on Wren and the reconstruction?”

Desdemona suggests. “That’ll give us all something to do.”

Jinx’s ears perk up at Desdemona’s suggestion. For a girl who now wants to constantly move and improve, Jinx has hated knowing the reconstruction will happen without her. She eagerly presses herself up from her bed, trying to ignore the shaking in her arms.

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“You know, coming back from the dead sure does take a lot of out you,” she laughs with labored breathing. Finally, she stands, accepting Felix’s waiting hands and leans against him.

They shuffle toward the door of her room with Jinx’s excitement palpable in the air.

“I wonder if Marie will be there,” Felix allows himself to hope aloud as they exit.

Kade hesitates by the bed.

“Are you coming?” Desdemona asks.

Kade waves her forward. “Go on ahead. I’ll meet you later.”

Shrugging, Desdemona bounds after Jason, who waits with his hand extended. She takes it eagerly. She feels his warmth spread all the way to her heart, where it has effectively taken root in the past week.

After Jinx, Felix, Desdemona, and Jason disappear toward the center of the wheel, Kade exits Jinx’s room and turns in the opposite direction. In the now re-purposed recovery wing, each room has a makeshift name tag denoting the patient it holds.

Kade saunters downward until he reaches the room belonging to Horizon Hill’s head priest. Not allowing himself to hesitate for fear he will turn around, he knocks quickly.

Brother Franc’s faint voice. “Come in,” he croaks.

The priest looks small in the bed, his limbs tucked closely to his torso. Despite resting for several days now, his hollow face still has bags under his eyes. Brother Franc manages a smile when he sees Kade approach the doorway. His expression welcomes Kade; perhaps he had been expecting him all along.

“Come sit, Kade Defrates,” Brother Franc gestures feebly to a chair placed by his bedside. His heart beating loudly in his chest, Kade shuffles awkwardly. He sits but does not speak.

Brother Franc does not seem at all bothered by the silence; he simply lets his eyes trail over his visitor.

Kade, on the other hand, cannot stand the tension in the air.

“Why did you come here?” The words come out like a bite, much harsher than he intends, but Brother Franc does not seem offended. Kade rewinds, trying to rephrase. “I mean, why did you help us when you said violence was against your morals?

Or… something like that.”

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The priest sighs. “I prayed over the four of you after your visit. I prayed for God to watch over you; I prayed for a peaceful end to your rebellion; I prayed for the Asterian race to be saved.

But I had this sense that you needed our help. God called me to assist you in a way I normally would not.”

“You talked to God?” The words seem foreign and childish coming out of Kade’s mouth.

Brother Franc nods. “Have you never spoken to Him?” Every one of Kade’s instincts tells him to recoil in on himself, screaming at him to run from Brother Franc’s probing and judgmental question. But he forces himself to stay, to answer.

“My family and I went to church sometimes when I was little….

But after my sister left to join Jane, we all lost faith. I blamed Him for her disappearance, and even after she came back, I still never forgave Him.” “But now she’s gone, and you’re hoping she’s somewhere better,” Brother Franc states. It isn’t a question. Kade does not know how he knows this, because he didn’t witness Hazel’s murder, but he doesn’t question it. Instead, he simply nods.

Brother Franc reaches out to Kade, placing his thin fingers on Kade’s hand. His warm gaze comforts. “You and your sister will meet again one day, Kade Defrates.”

Kade’s mind seems utterly blank as he leaves Brother Franc’s bedside. Earlier, he had a million thoughts clouding his head; now he has a strange sense of serenity. Someone, or something, pushed pause on his life. He clings to Brother Franc’s words with each step.

You and your sister will meet again.

He will make those words his mantra. A phrase that will get him through the years until they do, in fact, meet again.

When he arrives outside Jinx’s room, he finds the group has already returned. They crowd back around her bed, Felix dealing from the deck of cards in between them. Their laughter comes to a sudden halt when they notice Kade’s serious expression.

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“Oh, I’ll come with you,” Felix quickly adds.

“Me too.” Jason gets up and follows the siblings, leaving Jinx and Kade alone.

When the door closes behind them, Jinx casts Kade a smirk.

A smile that reminds Kade of every smile that has mattered to him. “I know I just came back from the dead, but why do you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?”

Kade gingerly approaches Jinx’s bedside and takes Desdemona’s vacated seat, the one closest to Jinx. He takes her hand gently.

“You know, I’m not going to break,” Jinx teases.

“Forgive me for wanting to be gentle with you.” Kade squeezes her hand a little too hard.

“Ouch!” She yanks her hand out of his.

Kade expression falls and he begins to apologize profusely.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t think I would actually hurt you. I was just trying to-.”

Jinx interrupts him with a forceful smack on the top of the head.

“Ow!” He shouts, rubbing his temple.

Jinx’s stomach shakes with laughter. “I’m just kidding with you, Kade! You really think a little squeeze could hurt me? How weak do you think I am?”

Now it is Kade’s turn to laugh, more at himself than anything else. Jinx’s wonderful chuckle fills his ears and makes it easier to breathe. Easier to live.

When the laughter dies down, Jinx takes Kade’s hand in hers. “I heard you talking… when you thought I was dead.”

Jinx expects a blush to rise to Kade’s cheeks, but his gaze never falters as he looks into her eyes. “I meant every word of it, J. I loved you then; I love you now; I’ll love you always.”

A salty tear of joy wets Jinx’s upper lip. Sure, she’s heard Kade say that he loves her before, but he’s never said it like this.

So real. So passionate. “It’s been too long since I’ve heard those words, Kade.”

“It’s been too long since I’ve gotten to say them,” Kade admits. He leans toward her, hesitating just a few inches from her lips to gain her permission.

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Jinx doesn’t allow him to wait. She grabs his face in her hands and pulls it to hers, pressing her lips against his to make up for all their lost kisses. His surprise melts into passion, into love, as he brushes her hair away from her wet cheeks. When they part, she leans her forehead against his, breathless, finally.

“I love you too.”

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32 Desdemona, Felix, and Jinx try to shake their nerves while standing in front of a Beacon Hill flat just a few miles away from the House. It’s everything and nothing they expected it to be. Flower boxes hang from the windowsills like children on monkey bars during summer vacation. Leaves rain from a big ash tree in all shades of red, yellow, orange, and brown.

It took them nearly a month to gather the courage to come here. It’s been a month since the rebellion. A month since the reconstruction began. A month since their mother died.

Although the Anchors appreciate the support of their friends, they are alone now. This is something they need to do alone. As a family.

Felix leads his sisters up the pathway to the front porch where a single rocking chair sits. It still rocks slightly, perhaps abandoned only moments ago. The door to the flat is red like the mums dotting the wooden porch. Jinx bites her lip while Felix knocks.

They hold their breath and the golden handle turns. The door opens, revealing a middle-aged man with playful brown eyes.

The blonde stubble kissing his chin resembles Desdemona’s hair. The curve to the bridge of his nose mimics that of Felix, while the youthful turn of his lips is all Jinx.

The triplets find the resemblances obvious, and each of them feels a pull on their heartstrings as they finally meet the man they’ve always wondered about.

Jinx smirks, laughing about how he will surely comment on her endless troublemaking.

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Felix grins, imagining all the memories they will get to make with him.

Desdemona smiles, dreaming about how he will fit right into their messy family.

The name feels so wonderful, so hopeful, falling from her lips. “Hi, Dad.�

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Acknowledgments There are many supportive people in my life and I want to take this opportunity to thank them one last time. This book was much harder and more emotional than the first two, but I was able to persevere because of the endless support and graciousness of these people.

First and foremost, I would like to thank God for giving me my passion and drive. None of this would be possible without Him, and writing is so pivotal to the story He continues to create for me each day.

I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without my family, who has dealt with eight years of book craziness. To my brother, who served as inspiration for the beginning of this whole series. To my mom, who has always been on my side from the very beginning. To my dad, who is my shameless promoter and ruthless editor. To my extended family – Cheryl, Cindy, Wes, Granny, Grandpa, Grandmama, and Granddaddy – who all assisted in making this book what it is today.

A wonderful shout-out to my roommates and dearest friends: Lauren, Hanna, and Annie. Writing a book while going through college is stressful, so thank you for always reminding me to relax when things get a little too crazy.

To Kyle, for sympathizing with me when I Facetimed you crying after I finished the series. You’ve seen me feel every emotion throughout the creation of the Anchors’ story and you’ve been nothing but supportive. I love you.

Thank you to Headline Books, Inc. for making sure these books are accessible and available, and to Joseph Beth and 311

Barnes and Noble for hosting me for signing after signing. It has been a dream come true to meet other passionate readers and writers through these novels.

Thank you to the readers who have turned this story into a reality. I write for the sheer joy of writing, but I also write in hopes that someone else will feel that same joy. Seeing and hearing about the way these books have influenced you is my biggest motivator and one of my greatest achievements.

Lastly, thank you to Felix, Desdemona, and Jinx Anchor. It may seem silly to thank fictional characters, but there were times where I really felt like they were writing these books for me.

Four years and three novels later, your story is complete. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I have.

ALSO BY LAUREN HUDSON The Ascension Trilogy The Ascension The Deception The Redemption Students Leading America Series with Robert D. Hudson Our Best Tomorrow: Students Teaching Capitalism to America It Can Be Done: Students Leading an Exceptional America

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Praise for T he Ascension Series— “An engaging and captivating YA paranormal story you will want to read nonstop until the very last page […]. Fans of the genre, both young and old, will enjoy this incredible story of the Asterian race.”

—Faridah Nassozi, Readers’ Favorite

About the Author

Two-time Independent Author of the Year Lauren Hudson’s Ascension Series has garnered more than a dozen awards including Mom’s Choice Gold, Readers’ Favorite, and Book Festival wins in Hollywood, New York, Paris, and London.

Lauren is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Neuroscience and Biology as a Singletary Scholar. Her published works, which include books, articles, and columns, address a wide-range of subjects like medicine, fitness, ethics, and business.

Redemption

Lauren Hudson

“The whole book was nail-biting […]. The final few chapters were riveting with a superb twist that I never saw coming.

—Lesley Jones, Readers' Favorite

The Redemption

All the tears have dried. All the words have been spoken. All the feelings have gone numb. After their sister’s betrayal, Desdemona and Felix Anchor are left to pick up the pieces of their broken family.

With their evil mother, Jane, gaining power with each passing moment, time is of the essence if Felix and Desdemona want to save the world as they know it.

They must prove their cause worthy to not only other Asterians, but to the Asterian Council. Discovering how to rebuild their futures, their happiness, and their identities in the wake of Jinx’s deception and Jane’s destruction is a must. As they work to protect humans and Asterians alike, will they salvage their family, or will they fall to Jane’s reign once and for all?

The

Lauren Hudson 2018 Independent Author of the Year