Nathaniel continued to curse her under his breath as he was led to the central building, the one where The Assembled regularly gathered. Though he’d been there before, he’d never been to this particular area. Past the main office, down a dark hall, into an elevator, and finally to what he could only assume was a basement, was a prison of sorts. The guards confined Nathaniel to a small room that held a cot, a desk, and a chair. “You can’t leave me in here!” he yelled as the door was closed.
But apparently, they could leave him in there because that’s exactly what they did. Days, perhaps even weeks, went by before the door opened again. And when it did, it was not whom he expected.
“Ariana. What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, of course.”
“Took you long enough,” he huffed.
“I had to wait until it was safe.” Ariana pulled out the chair and sat. “I’ve been under surveillance since your arrest.”
“What do you know?”
“That there will be a trial of sorts, but mostly it’s just a sentencing. They know you’re guilty.”
“Guilty of what?”
“Don’t be a fool! You had contact with a human, developed a relationship with her. None of that is allowed.”
“The distain in your voice reeks with hypocrisy.”
“You won’t be so flippant about this when you’re sentenced, Nathaniel.”
“What can they possibly do?”
“The Assembled have the ultimate authority. Do not underestimate them,” Ariana warned.
“I exercised my free will, nothing more.”
“You’re being arrogant and stubborn as usual!” Ariana’s cheeks flushed with anger.
“What would you have me do? Throw myself on their mercy? Beg like a dog?”
“That’s exactly what I’m asking you to do. Save yourself before it’s too late.”
Nathaniel lowered his gaze to the floor. “I love her, Ariana. I won’t make apologies for that.”
“You risked so much for her.” Ariana shook her head. “Was it worth it?”
A wistful look passed over Nathaniel’s face. “Every second.”
Chapter Twelve
Mercy
On the first day of school, my mom, my dad, and I sit around the table eating breakfast like a normal family. It reminds me of before all this started, back when I was nine and my mom was just my mom, my dad was still a college professor, and my greatest worry was the Friday spelling test. What I wouldn’t give to go back to before everything got so complicated.
On my tenth birthday, when my mom disappeared and was presumed dead, I thought that life couldn’t get any worse. I thought I’d been dealt the worst hand, and that there was nothing to do but fold. I was wrong, so very, very wrong. I would gladly change places with ten-year-old me. What lies ahead now is so daunting I can barely cope.
Since the incident with Nathaniel, I am hyperaware of every single thought I have. It’s a relentless effort to guard my thoughts, so I find myself very often wanting to be alone. This, of course, sucks because I just got my family back. I would love to spend quality time with my mom and dad or with Jay and Lyla, but I can’t until I learn to control what’s going on in my head.
I am beyond paranoid about going back to school. I will have to become a complete loner in order to function. Of course, in general, it seems kind of stupid to be heading off to school when I have the task of killing The Assembled. And now that I’m all but certain Isadora knows I’m capable, I am stuck carrying out her task. I can’t fake inability or she’ll kill everyone I love.
Rock. Me. Hard place.
My mom covers my hand with hers. “You’re a million miles away.”
“Just thinking.” I try to smile.
“Want to share some of those thoughts?” my dad asks.
“I was just thinking I hope I make it to prom.” I can’t believe I let those words slip out.
“Mercy,” my dad says sympathetically, “you’re going to have a long and wonderful life. You’ll see.”
The sound of Jay’s truck honking brings us all back to reality. Today, at least, I’m going to pretend to be a normal high school junior.
“Have a good day, sweetie.” My mom stands and hugs me good-bye.
“I’ll try.”
I yank my backpack onto my shoulders and jog down the walk to Jay’s truck. Lyla lowers the window and waves. “Mercy Claire, look at you! Is that a skirt you’re wearing?”
I climb into the truck beside her. “Shut up, Ly.”
“You look hot.”
“Then all is right with the world,” I say sarcastically.
Lyla fiddles with the stereo until she settles on a song. I keep the window down, feeling the cold breeze against my face. Everything about the ride to school is the same as it was before. We drive down the same streets. We pass the same houses. There’s the street sign on the corner that’s tilted slightly from where a car crashed into it last year. There’s the one hideously painted house on the corner that looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream.
We stop for coffee, like we always do, so Lyla can load up on caffeine. Not being a fan of coffee, I wait in the truck while she and Jay go inside. I check my reflection in the mirror on the sun visor. Same wavy brown hair; same brown eyes. My outsides look the same, but I’m not the same girl I was before. I am a Breacher. No matter how hard I try, there’s no denying who I’ve become.
Across the parking lot strides a girl who looks just like me. She flips her auburn hair over her shoulder and peers right at me, catching me gawking. To my horror, she bounces right up to the truck.
“Hey, sis.” She rocks back and forth on her heels.
I sneer at her. “Don’t call me that. I’m not your sister.”
“Whatever you say,” she winks, “sis.”
“I realize this is super fun for you, but I have to get to school. Maybe you can come by and taunt me later.”
“School?” She taps her lip with her finger. “Education is important, isn’t it? And I certainly have some catching up to do. I guess I better hurry or I’ll be late.”
“No!” I open the door, forcing her back. Hopping out, I say, “You are not coming to my school.” How had I not noticed her backpack? “This is too far.”
“This is Isadora.”
“Isadora planned this? Why?”
Justice shrugs her shoulders. “She thinks sisters should stick together.”
Anger, red and hot, flushes my cheeks. “Like she stuck with my mother?”
“Ancient history.”
“Like hell.”
“Look, that’s between them.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”
“I didn’t come here to fight.”
“What do you want then?”
“Just to tell you that I’m not the enemy. And that I was hoping we could be friends.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“I’m sure you’ll change your mind eventually,” Justice says confidently. “See you at school, sis.” She saunters off, leaving me stunned and slack-jawed.
Defeated, my shoulders slumping, I get back into the truck and wait for Lyla and Jay to return. When they do, I don’t mention my little encounter. I know I can’t hold off for long, but I decide to give them a few more minutes of ignorant bliss.
As soon as we pull into campus, I see the tribute that’s been erected in honor of Mr. Andreas, and I’m instantly swept back to the moment in the alley when he put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. Of course, it wasn’t actually him—it was Nathaniel in his body. Regardless, the image of the back of his head exploding, the lumpy, gooey strawberry jam-like substance that scattered the sidewalk—it’s all seared in my memory forever.
I hadn’t even thought about the impact Mr. Andreas’s death might have on the school. I missed the end of the school year and wasn’t around for the aftermath. But I can picture it. I’m sure there was a memorial, counselors available to talk t
o grieving students, maybe even some sports team wore a black band on their jersey in honor of him.
Jay parks in the back lot. We hop out and head toward the quad. Nathaniel and Gage are waiting for us. They aren’t even trying to be inconspicuous. Girls are staring—more like gawking. There are practically trails of drool all over the quad. Here I was hoping they would go unnoticed, but nothing is more newsworthy on a high-school campus than two new hot guys.
As I get closer to them, I see that Nathaniel is wearing a knowing grin, and immediately my cheeks flush with the memory of the last time he and I were together. I had hoped we could skip over it, pretend it didn’t happen, but I can see now that it’s impossible to keep my thoughts clear around him.
Nathaniel wriggles his eyebrows. “Hot guys?”
“Shut up.”
Nathaniel’s smile widens. Gage’s expression is one of great displeasure.
Turning to Lyla and Jay, I say, “There’s no way I can do this. I’m going home.”
Lyla catches me by the elbow. “Hold up.” She pulls me away from the group, leaving Jay, Gage, and Nathaniel awkwardly huddled together.
“What?” I whine.
“Mercy Rose Claire. Listen to me. I have been your best friend since third grade. I know you, and I know what you’ve been through. And I know you can do this.”
“Lyla, you don’t understand.” I gesture toward the buildings. “This is pointless.”
“No. This is everything. This is your life. You’re not what they say you are. You’re whatever you say you are. Live your life. Go to school. Do your homework.”
“What if I can’t?”
“You took that binding agent stuff, right? So you won’t breach?”
“Yes, but it’s not just that.”
“Then what is it?”
Where do I even start?
“Mercy,” Lyla stares deeply into my eyes, “you’ve got this. Just be the girl I know and love.”
My heart sinks. “I love you too, Lyla. So much. But I’m not that girl anymore.”
“Maybe not,” she nods, and then she grips my shoulders, “but you’re going in anyway.”
“Lyla!” I protest.
It’s no use. She drags me back to the group. Nathaniel’s smirk is gone. Gage still looks serious, maybe even a little more serious than he had before. Jay’s face is full of sympathy. His mouth is smushed up, and he’s trying not to stare at me.
“The bell is going to ring,” Lyla announces. “Everyone have their schedules?” We all nod. “Good.” She turns to me. “I’ll see you at lunch.”
Lyla and Jay walk off together.
“Try to behave yourself,” Gage says to Nathaniel.
“I’ll be a perfect angel,” Nathaniel answers with heavy sarcasm.
Gage gives Nathaniel one last look of warning before stalking off.
Nathaniel extends his elbow as if to escort me. “Shall we?”
Shaking my head, I say, “Why are you enjoying this so much?”
He takes a deep breath and exhales. “I’m living. You should give it a try sometime.”
The bell rings. Nathaniel waits for me to make my move. Rolling my eyes, I slide my arm through his. Turns out, Nathaniel and I have most of the same classes. Apparently, my leash doesn’t go very far.
As we stroll through the halls, there are looks and even whispers. Nathaniel either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. I’m guessing it’s the latter. But I figure, if he can do it, I can do it. Let them stare. Let them talk about me behind my back. Whatever. It doesn’t matter anyway. What’s a little gossip compared to what I’ve been through already?
Our first class of the day is literature, which is usually my favorite, but today, I’m not feeling it. Bored, I tap my pen against the desk while the teacher, Mrs. Clark, drones on about all the great authors we’ll be reading this school year. The other me, the old me, would’ve been taking copious notes and hanging on every word, but the new me, the Breacher me, hopes she’ll stop talking and let us off without any homework.
“I think I’ve said enough for today,” Mrs. Clark says suddenly. “You can hang out for the rest of the class period. Oh, and no homework tonight. Enjoy the first day of school!”
The class sits in stunned silence for a few seconds, waiting for the punch line, perhaps, but then Mrs. Clark settles at her desk and fires up her laptop. The chatter starts up immediately.
Nathaniel swivels in my direction. He cocks his eyebrow. “Do we have you to thank for this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Our teacher’s sudden brain hemorrhage.”
“Please, like I could ever really—” No!
“Don’t panic. We don’t know for sure this was you.” He looks around the room. “But there’s one way to find out.”
He yanks me from my seat and leads me down the aisle.
“What are you doing?” I ask, knowing all eyes are on us.
“Testing a theory.” A few steps before we reach her desk, Nathaniel puts his hands on my shoulders. “Whatever I say, just agree with me. Push your thoughts to her. Got it?”
He pulls my arm, but I don’t budge. “I don’t think we should be doing this.”
“Mercy, trust me. The sooner we find out how far your little gift goes, the better.”
I know what we’re about to do is irrefutably asinine, and yet, I plod ahead.
“Mrs. Clark?” She barely looks up from her computer when Nathaniel speaks. “Mercy and I are going to go to make-out, okay?”
“What?” I blurt.
Mrs. Clark glances up from her computer. “Mercy?”
I try not to picture it, try not to envision Nathaniel and I together, but once the thought is in my head, it’s like I can’t think of anything else. His mouth. His hands. Shut up, brain!
“You two kids have fun,” Mrs. Clark says, and then she goes back to typing.
Nathaniel lets out a tiny laugh. “Thanks, Mrs. Clark. We will.” He takes my hand and guides me out of the classroom.
He is nearly giddy by the time we reach the quad.
“Why are you so happy?” I ask him.
Nathaniel wraps his arms around my waist. “Do you know what this means?”
“That I’ve reached a new level of creepy?”
His enthusiasm wanes. “Must you always go straight for the negative?”
“How in the world is this positive, Nathaniel? I can manipulate minds. This isn’t a good quality. This is a very, very bad thing.”
He steps back and folds his arms across his chest. “What if it works on Isadora?”
I hadn’t considered that.
Nathaniel rolls up on his toes and wiggles his eyebrows. “It’s good, isn’t it?”
“There’s no way it’ll work. Isadora isn’t human.”
“Well, Ms. Claire, it’s your lucky day because neither am I.” He holds his arms out wide, daring me.
“I’m not doing it.”
“You really don’t know how to have any fun, do you?”
“Fun? You think this is fun?”
“I’m offering you the chance to take full advantage of me. Something tells me any other girl would jump given the opportunity.”
“Wow,” I scoff. “How do you carry that big head of yours around? Your neck must be exhausted.” I pivot, facing away from him. “I mean, really, I don’t even know how you’re standing here right now, you know with the weight of your ego pressing down on you like that. It must feel like an elephant on your back.”
“Mercy.”
“Do you ever have back pain? Or feel like you just can’t hold yourself up anymore?”
“Mercy. Stop.”
Spinning around, I find him on all fours, gasping for breath. He’s trying to hold on, but I can see the effort is excruciating.
“Oh my God! What’s wrong?”
“I’m … being … crushed …”
“Holy shit! I was kidding.” Dropping to the ground, I cradle him against me. “I was kidding.
I was kidding,” I say over and over.
Nathaniel groans and rolls onto his side. His head lands in my lap.
I stroke his hair, which feels like feathers against my fingers. “You’re not being crushed. You’re fine. You’re fine.”
Nathaniel breathes heavily. He flops onto his back and stares up at me. “Yeah, it works.”
“I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”
He tenses and then sighs. “Just give me a sec.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know.”
“This was your idea.”
“I know that too.” He stretches.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
His head is still in my lap; thick, dark lashes shroud his eyes. His lips are parted slightly, and his breathing is slowing, evening out. His lips …
Shoving him off, I get to my feet. “We’re going back to class.”
Nathaniel stands and dusts himself off. “Whatever you say, boss.”
Chapter Thirteen
Gage
The bell rings, and class dismisses. According to my schedule, it’s lunchtime. As soon as I realize this, a rumble of hunger erupts in my stomach—yet another thing about being human that frustrates me. The human form is rather delicate and requires constant maintenance. There’s so much that needs to be clipped and trimmed and shaved, not to mention washed and groomed. It’s a wonder humans accomplish anything.
As I make my way to the cafeteria, I realize I need to take care of another human function. I find the nearest bathroom, push open the door, and step into a dimly lit, very smelly room. I make my way to the trough, and am about to unzip my jeans, when the door slams open behind me.
Nathaniel stumbles forward. He’s unbalanced, panting, and sweating.
Quickly, I zip up.
He crashes into me. “Can’t breathe,” he gasps.
I’ve never seen him like this before, so weak, so unstable. “What’s wrong?”
“Need … Body … Help …” Nathaniel wheezes.
It takes me a second, but then I register his words. Nathaniel is losing his grip on this world. And if he doesn’t find a body to breach soon …
“Use me,” I suggest, throwing out the first idea that comes to me.
In his weakened state, he still manages to shoot me an annoyed expression. “Kill … You … Idiot …”
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