“I’m just… I don’t know what to say, or think, or feel. I keep thinking this can’t be real, that it is just one of those strange dreams,” I say finally.
“Not me. I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” he replies. I squint my eyes.
“You’ve been waiting to hang out with a Hunter?” I say skeptically. Asher looks over at me, smiling.
“I’ve been waiting to meet someone like you. Someone to confirm that this is possible. That peace is possible,” he answers.
“You’re something else, you know that? Is that why you went missing? Because you want to change the world?”
“Absolutely. I mean, I’m not really missing, my mother knows where I am. I don’t want to rule like my father. I want us all to co-habitate, for fear on every side to disappear. Obviously many of my family members think I’m insane. So I left. I’m out here searching, trying to find others to join me, to fight for a new world,” he says.
So much passion fills his voice, and his eyes light up as he appears to envision his future. Maybe he is insane. As much as that future would be great, I don’t think it will ever happen. Too many are involved in this situation. Hate does not become tolerance easily, if at all.
“And what if you fail?” I ask quietly.
“You can never fail when you’re trying to change things. Even if everything I do amounts to nothing, the idea I’ve created will remain in people’s minds. If it grows, then it will take hold,” he replies.
An idea of peace in this crazy world. It seems so ridiculously optimistic to me.
“There’s something in the Corp that we never say, but always think. War. War is coming. Peace is a long way away,” I say. Asher sobers, processing this.
“Sometimes war is necessary to obtain peace. Maybe if everyone just got over their prejudices, it wouldn’t have to be.”
“But that won’t happen,” I finish for him. “Is it worth it to risk the lives of thousands?” I ask. He looks me straight in the eye, and staring into his, I feel like I could get so lost in them, in his infinite mind.
“I know this may sound bizarre to you, but my people are dying. Anyone not living in the cities are at risk. Elder Corp is relentless. Even those trying to live peacefully are at risk. I can’t let my people live in fear. But I will do anything it takes to try to make this possible,” he says. His voice is so sure, so confidant. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone so passionate, so willing to die for his beliefs. He may not be a ruler yet, but he’ll be a damn good one among the murderers and crooks that have dominated history.
It also hits me that maybe things aren’t one-sided. A pang in my chest hits me as I think about the Harpy family I killed. The Harpy children I killed. Were they just trying to live a peaceful life?
Am I a monster, too?
My arm cuff buzzes, bringing me back to cold, hard reality. It’s Rupert. For the first time the sight of his face on my comm sends shivers down my spine. I motion to Asher to keep quiet.
“Pleasha Pleasha,” I answer, using our usual greeting. Guilt crawls through my veins like a thousand black spiders.
“We’ve got a situation. Report to HQ,” he says, then severs the connection. I look at Asher, at his wise eyes, his scruffy hair, his beautiful and terrifying ebony wings. In such a short time, everything has changed, down to my bones, down to my heart.
“I need to go,” I whisper.
“I will see you again,” he replies, eyes twinkling.
“Yeah,” I say, nodding my head. He flourishes his wings as he stands, but before he soars off, he says one last thing.
“I’m glad I’ve found you, Piper Madden.
8
Breakfast is oatmeal and orange juice. The sludge in my bowl is nowhere near edible-looking, and I load it with crystallized sugar. I can’t look up at my friends at the table. I can’t bear to see their faces.
Last night I wiped the computer and hid the flash drive, even though I know they all have copies. Somehow in their searches they didn’t come across what I’d found buried deep in those files. I keep hoping last night was a dream, wishing I hadn’t read those words.
Asher once told me that Corp held more secrets than I could ever imagine, and he was right. If I didn’t read it with my own eyes, I don’t think I would have believed it.
This changes everything.
“Sorry for the lackluster meal. We have to keep everything low-key while we’re in Central,” Shelley apologizes. I shake my head, forcing a little smile to my lips.
“Trust me, compared to what they were feeding me before, this is luxury.” We all giggle, but there’s an edge to it. Grier’s the one who finally speaks up.
“What did they do to you in there?” My foot twitches as the memories flash back: pure white, needles, pain, euphoria. Asher. Io.
“Rupert told me they were running experiments on me to make me stronger,” is all I can muster. Grier’s face immediately shifts to stone-cold and angry, while the rest just look at me with a mixture of shock and apprehension. They have the right to be fearful though, after all not even I know what they put in my body. Knowing Rupert, it could have been anything.
“I can run some blood work through some of my programs if you want,” Sandy offers meekly, but I shake my head no. I don’t want to know what’s in me. I’m too scared to find out. If it’s Harpy blood, it could very well kill me, but if it was something else, something only kept within the Corp’s vaults…
I picture Io. I know that the Corp created her. She has abilities I’ve never seen before. Abilities I thought existed only in fairy tales.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine, and since I’ve been out I’ve been training hard. I’m ready to get back—”
I can’t finish the sentence. Immediately every fiber of my body is filled with intense, white-hot pain. It spreads from my brain to my fingertips, through every bone and muscle and ligament. My eyes remain open, even though I can’t move them. I see myself falling from my seat, my friends surrounding me, worry and concern on their faces.
Rupert. This is Rupert trying to get me back. I wish I could tell Sandy about the bots in my blood, and that they need to get the hell out of here if they want to stay alive. I was careless. I didn’t remove my tracker. Now he knows exactly where to find me.
“Get her into the lab!” Sandy shouts. The rest comes in flashes of pain. Dodge lifts me over his head, rushing me to a corner where some computers and chem equipment sit. I end up lying on the floor, my paralyzed body in rigor mortis.
“Just hang on, Piper,” Sandy shouts. Shelley holds me while Grier stands as sentry. A tear drips from my eye, blurring everything. Everyone’s going to die because of me. They all die because of me.
I wait in agonizing panic as Sandy pokes and prods at me, sticking thick needles into my veins. This time the formulas inside don’t send me into ecstacy. They slow everything down, so I can experience each pang harder, endure each moment longer.
I don’t know how much time has passed before they all just wait around me. No one shows up from the Corp. Slowly, my fingers and toes tingle, and then scream as my nerve endings wake up. I wiggle them as much as I can.
“It’s working!” Shelley exclaims. Bit by bit my body comes back to me, and as soon as I can, I shoot up to a seated position, trying to ignore the black spots speckling my vision.
“We need to get out of here,” I sputter, my tongue not quite mobile yet. Sandy looks around, waiting for Shelley’s nod before proceeding.
“We’re safe. Don’t worry. I… ran a sample on your blood while you were sleeping and targeted the bots that caused your paralysis. I’ve seen them a few times before, luckily, so I had an antidote formulated.”
I stare at him, wide-eyed, and flex my muscles.
“So they’re gone? He can’t activate them again?” I ask. Sandy smiles.
“They’re deactivated indefinitely, and they should completely clear your bloodstream in a few days,” he answers.
“But
my tracker!” I exclaim, holding out my wrists. But as I do, I notice a half-healed scar running jaggedly across my skin. “How?” I begin.
“I took it out and dropped it into the sewers uptown. No one’s going to find us any time soon,” Grier announces. Her voice is stoic, her eyes gazing far off into her own mind. But it doesn’t make sense. How could they have done all this? I didn’t go to sleep until early morning.
“Eh… I hope you don’t hate us… but we knocked you out for the day yesterday morning so we could examine you for bugs. You’ve been asleep for the last twenty-four hours,” Sandy says sheepishly, running a hand through his shortly cropped hair.
I should be so, so angry. But I’m not. I’m grateful. They saved my life—and they saved theirs.
“We knew you wouldn’t give it freely,” Shelley begins to explain, but I wave her off.
“Don’t worry about it. You did the right thing,” I say.
Grier is still looking off. I wonder what’s wrong with her now. The last time I saw her we were friends, but I’ve noticed more than a few resentful glances from her.
“Piper, can you move? It’s time for us to switch bases,” she says. I nod, hopping up from the cold ground to prove it.
“Where are we going?” I ask as everyone starts canvassing the warehouse like it’s second nature, combing for discs and medications and food. Sandy and Dodge hop on to each computer, wiping the data. I just stand in place, feeling lost in the whirlwind of activity.
“We don’t stay in one place for more than thirty-six hours if we can. This is the longest we’ve stayed somewhere, and probably the most dangerous,” Grier quips. There’s that old anger again, that resentment. Like risking lives for me isn’t worth it. I don’t have the energy to confront her. Or the time.
I run to the room I was staying in and grab any stray belongings. I throw on my Corp jacket, realising how ridiculously conspicuous it makes me, when my fingers brush the folded note from Asher. And nothing else matters.
I need to get my strength and help the resistance as much as I can. That’s the only way to get back to him. The only way we can ever be together again and change it all.
Rupert Elder is going down.
“Cake coming through!” my mother shouts. Someone turns off the living room light; the only thing left visible being my mom’s excited face lit by dim flames. The room is packed with people; friends and relatives, co-workers and neighbours. I grin widely as the cake is placed on the table before David. Tor squeezes my hand as we sing Happy Birthday.
David blows out his candles with one breath, and we all cheer as the lights flash back on. His smile infects the room.
“To my wonderful son, and everything he does!” Mom toasts. She looks so happy, her hair modestly tied back and her face creased by smile lines. I squeeze through the crowd, Tor in tow, to reach my brother. I wrap my arms around him tightly and he lifts me off the ground, swishing me back and forth.
“Put me down!” I squeal, but David, of course, doesn’t listen.
“It’s my birthday, so I get to torture you all I want,” he growls. Everyone laughs. Finally he puts me down and pats me on the head as I throw him a mock glare. The little blonde beside him stares off, annoyed. He’s been bringing her around for the last few weeks, but she doesn’t seem to get our relationship.
This has proved problematic in the past, on both sides. Tor’s presence behind me only reminds me of this. But David and I will always be each other’s number one. We’re blood. He’s my best friend, and nothing will ever change that. I’d die for him a thousand times, and I know he’d die for me.
David turns to pay attention to his date, and I drag Tor through the crowd, stopping only to wrap my mother in an embrace.
“You throw an awesome party,” I whisper in her ear.
“Hey! What about me?” Shelley appears from the kitchen, camera in hand. She’s back in town for the party, and I’ve been begging her, trying to convince her to stay. Just having her around this morning has made everything better. Her bubbly light is hard to ignore.
“I’ll be back for you later,” I tease. I wink as Tor and I move upstairs to my room, and she flashes a picture while my mom just sighs, exasperated. She gave up trying to ignore innuendo years ago when she realized me and David wanted to stay with her to help the bills.
As soon as we’re in my ridiculously cute and purple room, Tor shuts the door behind us and pulls me into his arms. He runs his hands down my back as he kisses my neck, sending shivers through my body. I feel his hard muscles, exploring his defined back and shoulders. He pushes me forward until we reach my bed, then gently lowers me down as he moves his lips just under my ears, his hot breath echoing in my mind.
I wrap my hand around his neck, bringing his face to mind. I admire his long lashes and strong features before I kiss him, hard. He holds himself on top of me, tossing pillows off the bed as we creep to the top. I can feel his raw strength as he hovers over me, and I reach my hands under his shirt, running my fingers from the top of his solid abs to the hem of his boxers. He groans and traces his finger from my earlobe, down my neck and chest.
I gasp, but I’m distracted by the noise downstairs. As he kisses me I think about what it would be like to live away from here, with him. It would be the next big step of my life, but with Tor there, I’m not so afraid. I break our kiss, ignoring my panting breath.
“I want to move in with you,” I say. His lips turn upward in a grin, his eyes sparkling.
“You mean it?” he asks. I rub my lips together, containing the smile forcing itself out.
“Yes. I don’t know when, but I want to live with you,” I whisper back. With an aggressive grunt he grabs my torso and flips me around so I’m straddling him. I’ve never seen him look so happy.
“Piper, I love the hell out of you,” he says. I giggle a little at his puppy dog eyes.
“I love you too,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss him.
But before I can, a loud knocking sounds on the door.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Pie, you need to get out here.” David. He sounds serious. I leap from the bed, checking to make sure my clothes look proper and my hair isn’t too mussed. When I open the door, David’s face is overcome by a deep frown.
“What’s going on?” I ask. The party seems to be still going on just fine.
“Rupert called. There’s been a breach,” he reports. Shit. Tor grabs my waist from behind and I glance back, mouthing, I’m sorry.
“Can I help?” Tor asks David, voice stern. David actually looks remorseful as he replies,
“I appreciate it, dude, but the boss wants task force only. You want to keep an eye on Stacy for me?” I slap David on the chest, but he just forces a grin out of that grimace. Tor and David do some kind of bro handshake.
“I’ll tell her some kick-ass stories about you,” Tor replies. He kisses my cheek and trundles down the stairs.
I look at David.
“How serious?” I ask.
“Serious.”
“I’ll suit up.”
We meet Rassler and Essa at what used to be the Sunhill Metro station. Back in the early days after the war, subway tunnels were used to create the main tunnel structures, but now most of them lie outside the city centers, in the dead towns.
Essa rubs her hands together nervously as we reach her. Rupert rarely comes on field missions anymore, but considering the severity of this, I was hoping he’d be here to lead the charge.
“Anything?” David asks.
“Nothing yet,” Rassler replies. “Alarms were tripped about an hour ago. An old security cam recorded four or five of them. The techs couldn’t get a read on any of their faces.”
My heart thumps in my chest. What if Asher is one of them? Will I be able to kill him?
“Let’s go,” I say, checking my weapons. I shoot a soothing look at Essa. “We’ll get this done and over with. Be strong,” I tell her. But inside I’m not so sure. Everything in me has been changing. I
can’t even trust myself anymore.
Essa sticks with me as we take the upper end of the station. Old escalators lie broken and dusty, and half-ripped posters pull from the walls.
“Fuck, Piper. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t feel right about this. It’s too close to the city. It has to be a trap,” she whispers. I motion for her to hush. My ears pick up the echoes of voices down the train tunnels.
“Come on,” I order, and jump down onto the abandoned tracks. It isn’t long before we reach the voices. We hide around a bend in the track. Thump. Why are they being so careless? Thump. What if this is a trap?
I peek around the corner. Four Harpies, none of them high-profile, though one does stand out. His hair is scruffy and flaxen, and his wings match—like those of an eagle. After whispering among themselves, he leaves the group and heads off down another tunnel—alone.
“Call David and Rassler in. Don’t make any noise.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Essa whispers, but I ignore her. I head back the way I came, finding the nearest exit to upstairs. It’s a rickety gate, with a faded sign claiming Do Not Enter. How fitting.
Making sure my rad-mask is in place, I sprint up the stairs. It’s dark and windy outside, but this end of town is still the semi-intact. I find the nearest sturdy building and climb up the fire escape for a better view.
Sure enough, I see the lone Harpy skulking through the streets. His wings follow him elegantly. He has to be looking for something, or maybe someone. I follow him, using the decrepit buildings to shield myself, and then, all of a sudden, he’s gone. What the hell? I think to myself. I barely took my eyes off him for a second. But then I hear the slightest whomp of flapping wings.
I spring around, cracking his chest with the heel of my hand just before he lands on me. He flies backward. Closer now, I can see that is face is handsome, and he wears a lopsided grin with a smidge of blood on his lips.
“Please do keep it up,” he taunts, then lunges toward me. I try to strike him, but he blocks my punch and tries to pull my arm into a hold. I squirm through him, seizing back my arm and tripping him at the same time.
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