Thankfully, Ashna seemed too preoccupied with observing the town to notice. Still, her attention remained partially on him, one hand splayed and slightly inclined in his direction to keep his wrist from aching. Part of him wanted to reach out and hold that hand…but that was silly—stupid. He’d just met this girl, and though he’d been piqued with Adara upon their parting, she’d been right: They had to be cautious of these three.
“Don’t get too comfortable here,” Fraco snipped at Naira, his suspicion unrestrained. “The Rosses have not yet decided if they wish for you to stay.”
The girl ignored him as she ogled the hospital, heightening Fraco’s displeasure. At the Reggs’ command, the vice principal had retrieved the girls from the police station, but he obviously was not pleased to have been woken up at this hour of night. Ackerly wasn’t even sure what time it was; all perception had escaped him in that bathroom. He shuddered at the thought of the vomit.
“Are you in pain?” Ashna whispered, noticing his tremble. “Should we stop here, at the hospital?”
“Uh—no, no…I’m fine.” Lamely, he displayed his limp wrist, which didn’t help his claim of being fine. “The nurse’s office is on campus. He can heal anything quick… You’re—um, doing a good job of reducing the pain… Thanks.”
She smiled faintly, drawing his gaze to her face, which was marred with a few scrapes he hadn’t noticed before. Now that they walked beside each other, he realized she wasn’t as young as he’d first perceived. Between Cath and Naira, she’d appeared childishly small, but she was only a few inches shorter than Ackerly, certainly at least in her teens. He wanted to ask her about her age, but Fraco spoke before he could open his mouth.
“There is one vacant room on the first floor of the tower,” he announced, referencing his clipboard. “There are only two beds, but…you may break one, anyway.” His shiny eyes slivered at Cath, who appeared undisturbed by his comment.
“I don’t like beds,” she said with a shrug. “Too small.”
“What floor are you on?” Ashna asked Ackerly.
With her inquisitive eyes trained on him, he could barely manage to say, “Three.”
“I want to be on his floor,” she told Fraco, who bristled at the demand in her tone. “We don’t know anyone else here. We don’t want to sleep among strangers.”
“I realize you must be accustomed to hostility amongst Affinities, but here in Periculand, everyone is perfectly—”
“I want to be near…” She paused, looking to Ackerly. His jaw dropped in momentary bafflement, but then he understood she wanted his name.
“A-A-Ackerly.”
“Ackerly,” she repeated, nodding at him before turning her requesting eyes to Fraco. “Are there any vacant rooms on the third floor?”
“Well,” the man began in defeat, “with Miss Stromer’s absence and Miss Belven’s relocation, there is a vacant spot in Lavisa Dispus’s room… And with…the recent loss, there is a vacant spot in Seth Stark’s room—but we do not permit co-ed rooming!”
“Who’s Seth Stark?” Naira asked, still glancing back at the hospital.
“The—uh…drunk one,” Ackerly informed her awkwardly.
This knowledge amplified Fraco’s alarm, but he barely spluttered a sound before Naira said, “Ooh, I’ll take that room! He seems entertaining.”
“We do not permit co-ed rooming—”
“Do you have a roommate?” Ashna asked Ackerly, pointedly disregarding the greasy man.
“I, er—yeah. Tray…Seth’s twin—the…temperamental twin.”
Ashna’s lips quirked in understanding. “Ah… Well, if he doesn’t care, I wouldn’t mind joining the two of you…until we trust more people here, at least. I can take the mattress from the room Cath’s in, since she won’t need it.”
“If you didn’t hear me, girl, I said no co-ed rooming—”
“I don’t think Tray will mind,” Ackerly assured Ashna, whose shy smile brought heat to his cheeks. Though his words were true, what he neglected to say was that Tray would probably approve of this arrangement solely because he would want to keep an eye on these new arrivals.
“Yes, well, I mind, and I am vice principal—”
“How far are we from the nurse’s office?” Ashna questioned, squinting at the campus buildings. Regg guards were positioned around the perimeter, all wearing those Affinity-proof suits. Ackerly was disheartened to see Tray’s device had worn off and left the guards acting as if nothing had transpired.
“It’s right over here.” He pointed to the Physicals Building with his uninjured hand.
Fraco continued spluttering about the impropriety of co-ed rooming, but Ashna gave him an airy wave before cutting away from the group with a vague, “See you later.” Ackerly had to skip to catch up with her, carefully avoiding a glance back in the direction of the fuming vice principal. “That man is obnoxious,” she muttered as they followed the path toward the Physicals Building. “Is he always like that, or only because he thinks we’re Wackos?”
“Always,” Ackerly confirmed, peeking over his shoulder to see Fraco ranting to Naira and Cath, all bound for the Residence Tower.
“Hm. So…” Licking her lips, she stared up at the cloudy night. “Why’s your girlfriend in jail?”
“G-girlfriend? Adara? No—no, she’s not…we’re not—”
Ashna’s eyebrows perked. “Why else would she be so defensive at the thought of us walking to the nurse’s office together? If you’re not dating, she must have a crush on you.”
“Adara? No—she…” Ackerly paused. Adara’s crush on Seth was blaringly obvious, but he still felt it wasn’t his secret to tell. “She thinks of me as a brother, I think…a little brother, probably. Or a pet.”
“A pet?” Ashna repeated with a laugh. “That’s quite a romance you have going on.”
“Adara’s not the romantic type—especially not toward me. It’s more like…she feels the need to protect me.”
“Do you need protecting?”
Ackerly winced, his lips shifting as he contemplated. “Probably, yeah.”
Instead of pitying him like he’d expected, her lips broke into an exuberant grin. “You acknowledge your weaknesses—I like that. Most people don’t. The first step to improvement is acknowledging the problem.”
Ackerly tried to smile, but he didn’t feel quite as optimistic. “I don’t really think it’s a problem I can fix. Most people here have…combative Affinities—Affinities they can use to defend themselves. I’m just good with plants.”
“Don’t say it like it’s a bad thing. I—” She halted her words, and while it might have been a sign of awkwardness for Ackerly, he’d picked up on her speech patterns enough to know this was a unintentional pause, as if she had to rework the sentence she’d hastily started. “I like plants. If you’re willing to practice, they can be used as a defense.”
“I…well…it probably sounds lame, but…I don’t know if I’d want to use my plants as a defense. I’d feel guilty if…if a plant died to protect me.”
They slowed as they approached the double doors of the Physicals Building, and when they did reach it, Ashna placed her hand on one of the handles, blocking Ackerly from immediately entering. He nearly bumped into her, but she met his eyes, unflinching, despite their proximity.
“I don’t think it’s lame. I think it’s humane—compassionate—and I haven’t seen much of that in a long time.”
Ackerly swallowed, eyeing the bruise that ringed her throat. It wasn’t the type of wound that could have been inflicted on their journey here to verify their claims of imprisonment; it was damage that had been forged over time—weeks, months, or possibly years. A scar that might never heal. Ackerly had never been tortured; the worst he had suffered was the near drowning experience Calder had inflicted. For him, it was impossible to fathom such prolonged pain. Did she even feel it anymore? Had her Affinity formed because of her time with the Wackos? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Luckily, the opportunity
to inquire fled as she opened the door, gesturing for him to enter.
“Thanks,” he mumbled as he scurried in. The white-walled corridor was dimly lit at night, but he could see the door to the nurse’s office to the right, light streaming through the cracks. “This is…um—where we do our training—in this building, I mean.” He nodded jerkily toward the left hall, where the gymnasium loomed. “Hopefully they’ll let you stick around long enough to join.”
“The two people who run this school…” Ashna started as she followed Ackerly. “They’re not Affinities?”
“No…uh, Angor, the guy with the pink hair in jail—he used to run this school, and he built this town, but he was involved with a…scandal a few weeks ago.”
“A murder?” Ashna clarified with a knowing twitch of her lips. “I heard things at the Wacko hideout about Hastings’s death… But it was Angor?”
“So everyone thinks… We’re investigating.”
“You are?”
Ackerly blushed faintly as they reached the nurse’s door. “Yeah… Me and Tray and a few others… We’re not totally convinced it was Angor.”
“Who do you think it was?”
He bit his lip, recognizing the extent of her curiosity. This girl wasn’t dumb and certainly knew more than she let on. But how much did she know about Periculand—about Angor and the Reggs and everything that went on here? How much should she know? Tray would definitely not be pleased with Ackerly if he filled her in on the entirety of their investigation.
Lying did not come easily to him, but he played off his nervousness as innocent awkwardness and shrugged. “We’re…not sure yet.”
There was skepticism in her eyes—enough that he knew she didn’t believe him—but she didn’t press the issue before they entered the nurse’s office.
No injured students occupied the two beds tonight, but the nurse, Jason Pane, was awake, seated at his desk and rubbing his wrinkly forehead as he studied some files. Upon their arrival, the man’s head popped up and he forced a smile, his purple eyes weary. Although Ackerly had always linked the color of the nurse’s hair to that of clematis, now he could only think of the bruise on Ashna’s neck when he looked at it.
“Good evening, Ackerly,” the nurse exhaled, but as soon as his gaze locked onto Ashna, he stiffened. “I’ve certainly never seen you before… A new civilian?”
“Something like that,” she answered with a sheepish shrug. “Ackerly hurt his wrist—fractured it, I think. I’ve been blocking the pain, but that can only help for so long.”
“Blocking the pain?” Jason stood from his chair. “How?”
“It’s my Affinity,” she said, sounding almost reluctant.
“You can inhibit nociceptors?” the nurse clarified, but he seemed far too puzzled by his own words.
Ackerly couldn’t pinpoint why this ability baffled the man so greatly. “Um…yeah…we think so, anyway. It would make sense, wouldn’t it?”
Jason’s brow remained creased. “Yes, yes, it does… Shall I heal your wrist, Ackerly?”
“Oh, um…yes, please.”
Adara had cried out in pain when the nurse healed her nose a few months ago, but as he encased Ackerly’s hand in his now, the boy didn’t even feel the bones fuse back into their proper state. It wasn’t until Jason gently dropped his hand that any sensation returned, and even then it was an ache so dull it could have been general soreness.
“Thanks,” Ackerly said, eyes darting between both Jason and Ashna.
“Do you want me to heal your…injuries?” the nurse asked, carefully studying the cuts and bruises that stained the girl’s skin.
Her eyes bulged at the request, her demeanor shifting into that innocent terror that had characterized her in the jail cell. “No—no, thank you. I…can ward off the pain. I don’t mind; it’s good practice.”
The nurse seemed to accept her reason for trepidation as genuine, but Ackerly couldn’t. The way she’d said it was too inarticulate—too hasty and choppy—to be the truth.
“Thanks,” he repeated to the nurse, waving his newly mended hand before stumbling to the exit. Ashna followed, scratching at her knit hat with clear discomfort, though Ackerly doubted it was physical discomfort. Something about Jason’s request had unsettled her; once they departed the office, however, she dispelled the unease with a sigh.
“Sorry, I just…” She trailed off, wringing her hands before stealing a glance at him. “I don’t like to be touched. I haven’t retained many positive outcomes from physical contact in…a while.”
“Oh.” Having assumed more nefarious explanations, Ackerly’s gut swelled with guilt. “I’m…sorry. I don’t really know what that’s like…”
“It’s okay,” she assured him, and he knew the kindness in her tone was sincere. “I’m glad you don’t.”
“Periculand is a safe place,” he said, feeling almost like Fraco as the words spewed from his mouth. “We’ll make sure you can stay. We’ll make sure the Wackos never get you again.” The guilt in his gut was assuaged with a flutter of lightness when Ashna’s pale lips curved with appreciation.
“Thank you.”
19
Escapees
Zeela knew why Naretha had wanted her to flee the scene rather than become a captive: so she would find a way to rescue them. It was what she should have done when the Reggs stormed Jamad’s house, and the regret she harbored from that incident was the only reason she’d agreed to abandoning them this time. But, even though she’d been confident she would be able to track them with her restored eyesight, she had failed—again.
After catching up with Charlie in the woods and encouraging him to keep moving with the rest of the group, she’d sprinted back to where she’d left her friends, prepared to attack the Reggs with stealth—and a measly stick she’d picked up along the way. When she arrived, though, the Reggs had already hauled them off, Avner, Jamad, Naretha, and Meredith all captured and gone. She’d tracked their forms up the hill to the highway, but by the time she’d reached the road, the vehicle had disappeared even from her sight.
Frustrated and furious, she ran back down the hill, weaving through the trees, which she saw clearly with her altered Affinity. They probably still appeared different in her eyes than anyone else’s, but with the newfound ability to view organic matter with such clarity, trees and other vegetation were intricate and vibrant objects rather than the obscure blobs she was accustomed to. By the time she finally caught up with the group, they’d lagged to a dull trudge, hearts beating violently in their chests. A few screamed at the sight of her, perhaps fearful that she had been one of the Reggs, but after a moment the commotion died down.
It was impossible for her to discern which of this group might be the man with the magnetic Affinity, Charlie, given every human in her sight was merely a figure of heat, flesh, and bone with little to distinguish one from the other. With a sigh of defeat, she said to no one in particular, “The Reggs got away with four of our group members.”
Saddened gasps filled her ears. A few of the whispers sounded relieved, though, as if they were grateful her friends had been captured instead of themselves. If she could tell which ones reacted in such a manner, she would have gladly speared them with her stick.
“Your friends?” a voice asked, and judging by the vocals, it was Charlie. He must have been the figure sidling next to her, though it was impossible to tell what feelings he bore at this news.
“Yes. I couldn’t catch up in time. There’s no telling where they’ll take them.” The weight of her words sunk in, as painful as the resumed throbbing of her right arm. The bullet grazing her skin had been initially jarring, but the haze of pain had rapidly been replaced with panic when the reality of the situation settled. Now the leaking gash was nothing more than an aching nuisance, the loss of blood so trivial compared to the loss of her friends.
Charlie placed a hand on her left shoulder. She couldn’t see his aura, but she felt the soothing vibe he exuded. “I’m sorry. I’ll h
elp you look for them, but…we need to do something about these people first.”
Zeela rubbed her forehead, resisting the urge to glare at these random strangers for whom she was now responsible. Why was it her duty to help these people? Some of them were glad Avner and Jamad had been taken. Her focus should have been on saving her friends, not these heaps of flesh and bone that meant nothing to her. But…if Avner were here, he’d want to help them. That had been his desire before he’d been apprehended, and if Zeela couldn’t rescue him, she could at least do what he would have done.
“We’ll travel to Periculand,” she decided somewhat reluctantly. “Angor won’t refuse innocent Affinities. You’ll all be safe there.” Pausing, she pivoted her head to Charlie and spoke in a quieter tone. “If Angor Periculy imprisons me, I need you to do all that you can to save Avner… Please.”
His head bobbed in earnest agreement. “Of course. You and your friends are the only reason we made it out of that hellhole.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, returning his gesture of a pat on the shoulder. “We should get moving now, in case the Reggs come back. Plus, I want to make sure we have time to take a detour on the way.”
“This van is dope,” Jamad said, admiring the high-tech computers and gadgets that clung to the interior. There were no seats, so he, Avner, Naretha, and Meredith sat with their backs to the rear doors, Meredith gripping Jamad every time the van hit a pothole. Normally, such a clingy girl might have annoyed him, but there was something about the idea of Meredith thinking of him as her hero that Jamad was fond of.
“Much cooler than Periculand’s vans,” he continued, noting Naretha’s eye roll. “What, Salty? I’m appreciating your terrorist organization. You should be thrill—”
“Don’t call her that,” one of the Wackos snapped, glaring at Jamad with his tomato-red eyes. Seated cross-legged before one of the computer screens, he was the only one of the four who had opted to sit in the rear of the van with them, but Jamad doubted it was because he wanted to. There were only three spots on the front bench, after all, and this guy, with his pudgy fingers flying over the various keyboards, seemed to be the designated back-seater.
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