Nerve

by Kirsten Krueger

  “He certainly likes to intimidate,” Maddy commented under her breath.

  Zach snorted. “He acquired that suit the day our father died.”

  It shouldn’t have been a question, but the way he said acquired caused her to ask, “He…bought it?”

  “He blew up the cashier and then he took it,” he responded flatly, remorsefully. The suit’s devilish quality elevated with that. Stepping out of the elevator felt like stepping into the lair of a monster.

  The cafeteria, which Maddy hadn’t entered before now, was twice as grand as Danny’s office. Round tables littered the floor, but instead of the vibrant hues that characterized Periculand’s, this cafeteria’s color scheme didn’t expand past the gray-scale; the tables were black, the walls gray, and the chairs a pristine white. Along the left and right walls were two kitchens where a few Affinities prepared food while another—a man likely in his thirties with sea foam green hair—levitated plates to each of the tables until every Wacko seated had a platter of various meats.

  “We used to eat a lot of fruit when my father was in charge,” Zach muttered to her as they wove through the cafeteria, dodging tables, chairs, and flying plates, “but I think Danny’s trying to turn us all into carnivores.”

  “Why fruit?”

  He coughed with an actual hint of humor. “It was his Affinity.”

  “His…what?” Maddy spluttered, but Zach’s wariness of their surroundings had already resumed, leaving her to wonder how a man with an Affinity for fruit could have founded a terrorist organization.

  Since she hadn’t been allowed to interact with anyone until now, the only familiar faces in this sea of gathered Wackos were the girl with the bumblebee-yellow hair who’d guarded her door and Josh, finally free from his cell. With his dark suit and freshly-cut mohawk, she barely recognized him where he sat at a small rectangular table to the right of Danny’s…throne.

  It must have been a new addition to the cafeteria, because the black metal was shiny and polished without wear. Towering at least eight feet tall, the back of the throne was designed like a nuclear explosion—a mushroom plume of smoke and fire. Behind it, painted on the wall, was a mural of Danny walking out of a similar explosion, though this one popped with blinding color that matched his hair. His expression in the painting was as manic as his expression in this moment: that demonic grin accompanied by those feverish eyes. When his gaze landed on Maddy and Zach, who had almost reached the front of the room, his eyebrows jumped in a way that made her wish she could flatten to the floor and disappear under a table.

  “The mural is really over the top,” Zach muttered as they approached a second rectangular table at Danny’s left. “My brother forced Josh to paint it while the poor kid was in chains—part of his punishment for leaving Naretha behind.”

  As Zach assumed the seat closest to the throne and Maddy hesitantly sat beside him, she wanted to ask which person Naretha was, but her question was satisfied a moment later when the elevator doors glided open and the hall fell to a hush.

  “My beloved,” Danny greeted from his throne, placing a hand over his heart. Naretha’s lips formed a strained smile as everyone slowly stood and clapped, some looking genuinely pleased and others looking subtly terrified of what Danny might do if they didn’t participate.

  Based on the dark makeup and scornful eye rolls, Danny’s girlfriend was just as nasty and daunting as Maddy had expected. Instead of wearing gothic attire, Naretha was adorned in a tight, sequined dress which matched her eyes perfectly with its pale pink pigment. Though Maddy assumed her hair would have been pink as well, Naretha was nearly completely bald, only a stubby layer of fuzz coating her scalp.

  “This is new,” Naretha observed, eyeing Danny’s throne and mural appreciatively. “It suits you.”

  “As it suits you,” Danny cooed, patting one of his thighs.

  A naughty grin consumed Naretha’s lips, but Maddy swore that, just before, she’d seen the woman’s nose twitch. Whether she wanted to or not, Danny’s girlfriend took her appointed seat on his lap, crossing her lengthy legs and facing the crowd like a queen. The instant her eyes landed upon the table to her left, where Maddy and Zach sat, all dignity and propriety fizzled into a black rage.

  “As you all know,” Danny began before Naretha’s fury could physically manifest, “we’ve gathered here today to celebrate the return of my lovely girlfriend. Tortured by Angor Periculy for an entire month, she survived and prevailed, maintaining Wacko secrets and protecting this organization over her life.” A few people hollered and clapped, but Zach frowned with disapproval. “Tortured by Reggs for weeks afterward, Naretha managed to escape a research facility and destroy it with the sheer power of her Affinity. She is an inspiration to—”

  “Danny, dear,” she interjected through gritted teeth, and all rustling and applause silenced at her voice. Perhaps Maddy hadn’t been the only one in this room told to never interrupt Danny. Naretha must have known she treaded over unstable territory, because she plastered a loving smile that seemed foreign onto her face. “I believe you’re giving me too much credit. I never would have escaped Periculand if a few rogue students hadn’t freed me. I never would have escaped the Regg facility if those same kids hadn’t fought by my side, all so they could come here and save their precious friend.” Pausing, Naretha’s eyes slid toward Maddy, petrifying her. “If she weren’t so inherently skilled at being a damsel in distress, I wouldn’t be here. So, the one we should really praise is her, Faddy.”

  A few muffled snickers wove through the audience as all gazes spun toward “Faddy.” She wasn’t sure she would have been any less mortified if Naretha had pronounced her name correctly. The rest of the Wackos hung in an awkward limbo, unsure of whether to applaud Maddy or scorn her.

  “It’s refreshing to see you haven’t matured at all during this ordeal, Naretha,” Zach finally sneered, breaking the silence. Her placidity faded with his comment, her nostrils flaring with such intensity that Maddy curled away. Danny would definitely react poorly to criticism toward his girlfriend; a brawl between the brothers was about to break out because of a stupid comment.

  Feeling responsible, Maddy was about to speak up in a feeble attempt to alleviate the hostility, but then Danny chimed in, his words aimed at his girlfriend like a father scolding his child. “Now, Naretha, Madella is one of us—a Wacko. I assume that you’re mispronouncing her name affectionately, hm?” The tone was almost too reasonable and calm to have flowed from Danny’s mouth.

  Naretha seemed beyond bewildered, but she covered it up with another complacent smirk. “Of course—so much affection,” she crooned, shooting Maddy a glare that promised murder.

  “Good,” Danny said. “Now, let’s dig into the feast, shall we, while I make a few announcements?”

  Hesitantly, the Wackos nodded, gradually retrieving their forks. Judging by the way they eyed Danny with apprehension, none of them had a particularly large appetite, the reason for which was solidified when their leader continued his speech.

  “At this point, I assume it’s common knowledge that three very dangerous people have escaped this compound. Many of you knew of Naira and Cath, and I doubt any of you could forget Ashna… All three have evaded us and run off to an unknown location. This has sparked fear among many of you, but…how could you even begin to fear when I am your leader?” All eyes bored into their plates at the aggressive accusation. Maddy avoided the Wacko leader’s gaze as well, focusing intently on her mystery meat, until Danny’s voice finally boomed throughout the cafeteria once more.

  “The girls may divulge our location to the Reggs, but would the Reggs dare attack us? No, no, I don’t believe they would. Nevertheless, I have been working tirelessly to discover the girls’ whereabouts, and it’s only a matter of time before they will be eliminated. So, worry not. Focus on the tasks at hand—the missions I’ve entrusted to each of you—and allow me to handle this catastrophe like the capable leader I am.”

  Heads bobbed througho
ut the crowd, many honestly relieved while others were still quietly skeptical. Maddy wasn’t sure what opinion to have. The escape of these girls could mean the end of the Wackos, which would have been beneficial before, but now that she had tattoos like the rest of them, wouldn’t she be placed in jail—or killed—like any other Wacko? Though she hardly knew him, she also couldn’t help but wonder what might happen to Zach.

  As conversations blossomed throughout the room and Danny lifted his chin in satisfaction, Zach inclined his head toward her and murmured, “He’s not going to find them.”

  “Why do you think that?” she asked carefully, stabbing her fork into what appeared to be a piece of sausage.

  “Danny has no idea where they are—he’s bluffing. He put a tracking device in Ashna, but she managed to turn it off.”

  “The other two don’t have tracking devices?”

  “They didn’t seem…likely to escape. Ashna did. She’s…well, she’s definitely surpassed the intellectual capacity of a fifteen-year-old.” His smile was almost smug. Was it possible he’d helped her as a way to destroy his brother?

  This wasn’t a question Maddy could ask now—and she wasn’t sure it was one she should ask ever. Being in such close proximity to the family that ran this terrorist organization seemed dangerous enough. If anything, she should have focused on contriving a way to escape this place, not trying to uncover the social undercurrents that could possibly get her killed.

  “Well,” Maddy said, aware that Naretha’s venomous eyes lingered in her direction, “I hope everything works out for the best in the end.”

  Zach nodded stiffly, understanding her hidden meaning. Before his lips could part to comment, the elevator chimed open, admitting not a person but a falcon. On mauve wings, the falcon soared through the cafeteria, invoking yelps and screams of terror. Danny, however, was completely unfazed, and Naretha smirked brutishly, especially as the bird landed before the platform of the Wacko leader’s throne and then morphed into a man—a naked man.

  Maddy would have instinctively averted her eyes if not for the wounds marring his dark skin. None of them were particularly serious, but blood dripped down the muscles of his chest, and his hair, the same purple his feathers had been, was streaked red. Despite his injuries, Danny’s lips curled with devious delight as he raked his eyes over the man.

  “Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” Danny mused, though the man panted too hard to have heard. When someone handed him a towel, he barely breathed the word “thanks” before wrapping it around his hips. “I assume you came ahead of your friends to inform me that you’ve captured the Starks. Those two Reggs put up a fight, didn’t they?”

  “Not…the Starks,” the man breathed as the heaviness of his pants finally subsided. “We made it back to the research facility, but there was a group of hostile Affinities there. They ambushed us, making it possible for some of them to escape with the Starks.”

  Danny’s enthusiasm faded into a grotesque umbrage. Standing and causing Naretha to fumble off the throne, Danny towered above the man, who would have been taller than him without the platform, and quietly said, “You returned here empty-handed?”

  “We wanted to update you on our progress,” the man replied with growing unease.

  “The progress you haven’t made? Yes, I’m so grateful for the update.”

  Many of the Wackos chuckled, but Zach’s posture was rigid beside Maddy, and she squirmed at the way Danny’s bright eyes began to blaze.

  “Devika and Kevin are still out there,” the man said tightly. “We will find the Starks again. It’s just going to take us longer than we antici—”

  “The fact that two Reggs were able to escape you is pathetic in itself,” Danny drawled, as if the man hadn’t said a word. “If you can’t complete such menial tasks, you’re of no use to me.”

  Maddy expected the man to beg, but he kept his voice even as he said, “We won’t fail again. Devika’s on their trail, and once I get back to them—”

  “Get back to them?” Danny repeated with a cruel laugh. “How will you get back to them if you don’t have legs?”

  The man’s face slackened, as if his legs had already been dismembered, but as Danny stepped forward to exact what he perceived as justice, Naretha grabbed his arm and glared into his simmering eyes.

  “Don’t you think it’d be beneficial for Nate to keep his legs? How about, instead of ruining him, you save his punishment for the Starks when they arrive? Which they surely will,” she added with a pointed look at the man, who nodded profusely. “The Starks are just measly Reggs, after all. Nate, though pathetic, is an Affinity with skills that can help our cause. But, of course, the choice is yours.” This last addition to her speech seemed the most necessary part; Danny had looked thoroughly inclined to ignore her advice, until she gave him a choice in the matter.

  After a minute of contemplation, he plopped back into his throne and narrowed his eyes at Nate. “You have one week to capture them. If you are unsuccessful, you will no longer be welcome at this establishment, and if we find you after that, we won’t hesitate to hand you over to the Reggs. Be gone now, before I change my mind.”

  With a curt bow, Nate transformed back into a falcon, the process so swift that Maddy couldn’t comprehend how it was physically possible.

  “You make me so gracious, my love,” Danny droned as the bird disappeared through the elevator. Reaching up, he pulled Naretha into a passionate kiss that had all, except a few horny teenagers, staring down at their plates to avoid awkwardly watching.

  Maddy’s instinct was to do the same, but then she noticed Naretha’s eyes were open as she mashed her lips against Danny’s—and she stared in their direction. Though her gaze was as intense as before, the severe loathing had diminished, leaving only drained, weary relief.

  25

  The Art of Awkwardness

  Eliana had drawn the same image every day for the past week: Zeela surrounded by flames. Realistically, she wouldn’t have survived such an inferno, but the scene became clearer in her mind every time she depicted it, and her sister, with her white eyes and determined expression, looked so fierce that she couldn’t stop drawing it. The only strange part was that she couldn’t draw Zeela’s angelic hair. The pencil strokes never matched her memories, and for some reason it felt more natural to portray her sister with only short stubble atop her head.

  It was this image that Eliana sketched in the library that Tuesday afternoon, the day after the three new girls had assimilated into Periculand Training School—the day after Kiki had stormed out of training because of Ruse’s little prank.

  Alone in their dormitory last night, Kiki hadn’t verbally divulged any information about her encounter with Adara, but her thoughts had flowed freely, intentionally revealing her sentiments. As Eliana had anticipated, witnessing Adara in prison hadn’t livened her spirits; if anything, seeing her again after so many weeks had made Kiki feel guilty—not about Adara’s current situation but about how Kiki had treated her throughout their childhood. It was this budding remorse that Eliana’s roommate had fallen asleep to, her dreams drifting into a realm where she’d decided to befriend Adara rather than bully her.

  Now, in the library, with the pale afternoon light spilling onto the page before her, Kiki’s brain was too distant for Eliana to sense. There were plenty of other minds to fill the library’s silence, though—like Tray Stark’s. Nestled in a secluded corner, he studied a book about Mental Affinities for clues as to how they could stop Artemis’s mind controlling without the woman discovering they were aware of her abilities. Eliana should have been doing the same, but to consider there was a way to thwart Artemis—that there had been a way to prevent her from murdering Hastings but none of them had known… It was too much for her to handle. So instead, she drew abstract pictures of her sister amidst a world of flames to avoid the real world, which was likely to go down in flames around her.

  Another mind that had pressed on hers over the past hour wa
s that of one of the new girls, Cath. She sat at a table across the library, so far that Eliana barely distinguished her hulking form. Based on her thoughts, the girl was frustrated, but it was in such a pure, innocent way that Eliana was tempted to help her. A spike of alarm in the girl’s brain finally gave her the courage to do so.

  “You,” Eliana heard a nasty voice sneer through Cath’s auditory system. The girl didn’t fully recognize the speaker, but Eliana did. By his gruff tone and imposing structure as he towered over Cath’s table, it was Nero. “Finally caught you without your little friends,” he continued as Cath peered up at him timidly. Eliana had already picked up her papers and drawing utensils to pace across the library and intercept the conversation. “Not so tough without them, are you? Bet you never could’ve beaten me if you hadn’t had that skinny guy and that stupid, salt-spewing—”

  “Naretha isn’t stupid,” Cath defended, her voice nearly as deep as Nero’s. Her thoughts flashed images of the Wacko with the pale pink hair, all memories affectionate. If Cath had been forced to work for the Wackos, though, why would she be so fond of Naretha?

  “Regardless,” Nero drawled, his voice now penetrating Eliana’s own ears, “I think I owe you a few punches. I’d like to slam you into a metal door and see how you—”

  “Nero,” Eliana injected the moment she stopped beside him. She’d had more than a few insulting comebacks contrived, but now that his massive body loomed over her, all righteous rage fizzled.

  “Ah, Little Mensen,” he greeted as his gray eyes settled on her. “Should’ve known you’d be lurking around here with your…brain.” He scrunched his nose at her forehead, where her mind reading capabilities lay, and then glared at the drawings hugged to her chest. “What is that? We don’t have homework anymore.”

  “Oh—um—drawings.” She produced a weak smile, fully prepared for him to yank them out of her grasp and tear them to shreds, but then he cocked his head, studying her with intrigue.