“I take it your leg feels better,” Alina said.
He grunted affirmatively through his full mouth, then gulped the eggs down. “I put more medicine on it this morning. It works fast.”
Alina watched with envy as he gobbled his bacon. She nibbled a piece of toast and swallowed some juice. It seemed pointless to eat. She put the toast back on her plate.
“Rex, I looked in the mirror last night. Why didn’t you tell me how much I’d changed?”
He studied her, as if seeing her for the first time. “I guess you do look a little different.”
“A little? I hardly recognized myself!”
Rex rolled his eyes. “You girls are all the same. You think one blemish or bad hair day will be noticed by everyone you meet. No one really pays attention.” He paused to swallow another bite of eggs. “I suppose I’m not the one to ask, though. Growing up around beautiful women has made me blind to them. I like to look past that. But the truth is, I haven’t noticed anyone except Jade for years.”
Alina smiled. She liked that about Rex. He saw her as Alina, not as beautiful or ugly.
“Let’s go see Jade,” she said.
“Sure—just let me finish eating.” He scraped his plate, drained his juice and wiped his mouth. Then he leaned back and let out a loud belch.
“Whoa, excuse me,” he said. “Man, these mortal bodies are disgusting!” He kept a tally on his fingertips. “They smell, they leak, they itch—”
“Rex,” Alina interrupted, “I’d rather not hear it. Let’s go.”
“Oh, okay.”
They left Alina’s room and started down the hall to the elevator. Rex took his time, but Alina barely noticed his limp.
“Do you know what this building is?” she asked.
“I don’t, but I wonder if Lance works here.” He dropped his voice. “I’m interested to meet him. I’m wary of any of Sampson’s former allies. I don’t know which ones truly want to help the resistance. Some only wish for power themselves. Many of his highest in command are simply waiting for the right moment to take his place.”
Alina raised her eyebrows. “But Baylor speaks highly of him.”
“Yes, well—I’d like to get Camden’s opinion. I don’t trust people easily.” He muttered under his breath, “I’m not like Jade.”
They took the elevator down to the lobby, where a gray-haired woman sat behind a counter. “Good morning,” she said, showing unnaturally straight teeth. “I’m Eleanor, the receptionist here.” Alina’s jaw dropped as she viewed the woman’s small, shriveled body.
“Are you okay, dear?” Eleanor asked.
“I-I’m fine. Excuse me,” Alina stammered, mortified by her rudeness. She tried to look at Eleanor’s eyes, rather than the wrinkled skin sagging from her bones.
“We’d like to visit Jade if we can,” Rex said.
“Of course. She’s in room 127. Let me call Dr. Scott first and see if she can have visitors right now.” Eleanor picked up a device on her desk.
While they waited, Alina walked to the double doors and took in the outside view. Stormport had the raw, imperfect beauty she loved about Carthem.
A child was running on the pavement, matching the energy of the dog racing alongside her. Alina saw her young self in her. The girl had scrapes and bruises on her legs and hair flying in knotted tangles. An older woman called after her to slow down and watch for cars.
Others bustled along the street: some short and overweight, others tall and lank, or, like Eleanor, wrinkled and gray haired. Alina glanced back at Eleanor and noticed her pleated skin jiggling as she laughed with Rex. How grotesque that people lived long enough to look like that! But Eleanor seemed cheerful and happy in a way Alina hadn’t seen in Pria.
“Good morning,” a man called into the foyer, addressing Rex. “I’m Dr. Scott, if you remember from yesterday. You look better. How’s your leg?” Alina left the window to join them.
“It’s much better, thank you. The medicine works great. I’m Rex, and this is Alin—Ali,” he shortened.
“Yes, I talked with her yesterday—nice to see you again, Ali. Will you both come into my office for a moment?”
“Certainly.”
They followed him down the hall and into a room, where he motioned for them to sit down. He closed the door and took a seat behind a desk. A framed photo of himself with a woman and two young boys hung on the wall.
He peered at them over rectangular spectacles. “I’m afraid you can’t visit Jade at this time. She’s ill, and we won’t perform the surgery until she is well.”
“Ill?” they said at the same time. “From the black mist?” Alina asked.
“No. She had the same infection on her leg as you, Rex, but that is all. You must not have been exposed to the mist for long. But she’s caught a virus, and it’s made her very weak.”
Rex and Alina exchanged stunned glances. From what they knew, mortal illnesses were serious and often fatal.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Dr. Scott said, “it’s nothing serious. Many newcomers from Pria pick up viruses, fresh hosts as they are. I’m surprised you are both looking so well, actually.”
“She’ll recover, then?” Alina asked.
“Of course. She’s a little miserable, but we’ve given her medicine, and if she shows improvement in the next twenty-four hours, we’ll begin the surgery.”
“Is the surgery dangerous?” Rex asked.
Dr. Scott leaned forward, clasping his hands under his chin. “Yes and no. Our medical care is exceptional, thanks to Lance. This particular procedure has caused death in some instances, which makes it one of the riskier ones, but that happens rarely.” His mechanical approach bothered Alina, but he seemed confident in his knowledge, so she put her mind at ease.
“How long will she stay in the hospital wing?” she asked.
“She can be released after a week, if all is well. You two can stay upstairs in our guest apartments and ask Eleanor how to work for your stay.”
“Of course, thank you,” Rex said, as someone knocked at the door.
“Come in,” Dr. Scott called.
Baylor poked his head in. “Eleanor said you were here,” he said to Rex and Alina. “I need to speak with both of you right away.”
Rex looked back at Dr. Scott, who nodded. “We’re finished. I’ll keep you updated on Jade’s condition.”
Baylor looked nervous. He led them to the same room where they met the day before. “Have a seat,” he said as they entered.
Rex and Alina sat down. Baylor pulled up a chair close to them and dropped his voice.
“You mentioned yesterday there was someone in your group who disappeared. Who was he, and what happened?”
Rex’s eyes narrowed. “His name is Stan. He was part of the resistance in Pria. I thought I could trust him, but he led us to Sampson in Gordian Palace, then claimed he didn’t mean to do it.”
“Do you still suspect him?” Baylor asked.
Rex thought for a moment. “I do. The resistance has traitors who have complicated things in the past. There is fierce loyalty among the true members, who would give themselves up before betraying another. Something about his story doesn’t seem right.”
“When did he disappear?” Baylor asked.
“At night,” Alina said. “He went behind a tree, then vanished. I never heard a sound.”
“What does he look like?”
Rex wrinkled his eyebrows. “He has black hair and greenish, hazel eyes. His ears are big for his face. He’s short and scrawny, too.” Rex chuckled. “He sure didn’t keep his looks.”
Baylor stood up and started pacing the room, his hand stroking his chin. “I think we’ve spied him.”
“What?” Alina exclaimed.
“Our security guards have spotted a man on our northern border with dark hair and a smaller build, like you described. He came through the security shield and set off the alarm, then ran back into the wilderness.”
“What’s he trying to do?” Rex
asked.
“We’re pretty sure he’s testing the system. Sampson frequently sends spies to do just that. What’s disturbing about this, though, is he wasn’t stunned.”
“But Rex and I weren’t stunned, either,” Alina pointed out.
“True, but Rex carries nothing from Pria in him. You have the serum, which is why the alarm went off, but since you’re immortal it probably felt like a small buzz. Jade was stunned because she carries a surveillance chip. We monitor everyone who crosses our borders, but the high-pitched alarm only goes off when something Prian-made is entering. That in turn activates the stunning mechanism. One shouldn’t happen without the other.”
“So, you’re saying Stan might have a surveillance device, like Jade?”
“Most likely, yes. But his seems to be more advanced.”
Rex cursed Stan under his breath. “He is a traitor! Sampson sent him in to follow us!”
“Yes, that’s the only explanation,” Baylor said. “Lance is extremely concerned by this incident. He believes Sampson may have found a way to penetrate our security. You’ll be meeting with Lance soon—he wants all the information you can give him about Stan.”
Rex nodded. Baylor stroked his chin for a moment then said, “That’s all for now. I’ll let you know when Lance wants to see you.”
“Is there any way I can speak to Camden?” Rex asked.
Baylor nodded and pulled a small device from his pocket. “Here’s a phone you can use. I’ll write down the number for you.”
Rex eyed the device curiously. “A what?”
“A phone,” Baylor repeated. “I forget you’re not familiar with our technology. This is what we use to communicate. You dial a number, put this part against your ear and speak. Its range is limited, but it reaches Jaden. You can take it back to your room. Hit this button and type in this number, and Camden should answer.” He scribbled a chain of numbers on a piece of paper and handed it to Rex.
“Thank you,” Rex said, taking the phone and paper from him. “Let us know what else we can do to help.”
Baylor nodded. Rex and Alina followed him out of the hallway. They waved goodbye to him and Eleanor in the foyer, then headed to the elevator.
“Wow,” Alina said. “My mind is racing, trying to remember everything Stan learned about us that Sampson now knows. What should we do?”
“We wait for Jade to recover and learn as much as we can from Baylor. I’ll ask Camden’s advice too.” Rex fingered the phone in his hands.
Alina smiled. “How long has it been since you’ve spoken to him?”
“Since the day of your birth. Almost eighteen years.”
Several minutes later, in Alina’s room, Rex trembled as he waited for someone to pick up at Camden’s apartment in Jaden. Within moments, Camden and Rex were enjoying a tearful reunion over the phone.
“We’re here, we all made it!” Rex exclaimed. “Yes, Jade and Alina are with me. Jade is waiting for surgery. Sampson put a surveillance chip in her when she became Alina’s caretaker.” He paused. “I agree. It couldn’t have turned out better.”
Except for Zaiden, thought Alina.
“Yes, she’s in the room with me. She’s doing great,” Rex glanced at her and cleared his throat. “She’s immortal now. The dagger changed her somehow…yes, I think he knows by now. What does it mean for us?” He paused. “I suppose that’s good news…no, it’ll be at least a week, when Jade gets well. How dangerous is the road? Yes—let’s hope so. I’ll send word as soon as we know. In the meantime, the ball can start rolling. Can we trust Lance?” Rex smiled at Camden’s answer. “Good, I’m glad to hear.”
He glanced at Alina again. “Of course, I will respect his wishes.” The room went quiet, and Rex scrunched up his face and covered his eyes with his hand. Alina turned her attention to her fingernails.
“I’ve missed you, too.” He could barely speak. “See you soon.”
He tried a few buttons on the phone until it turned off. Alina waited for him to talk first. She jumped when he blew his nose.
“They’re ready for us whenever we can get there.” He gave a stuffy laugh. “They’ve been ready for years.”
“Ready for what?”
“For you. For the overthrow of Sampson. Everyone wants him gone. He has a lot of power here—you saw what we encountered in the forest.” Rex released a shaky breath. “Camden said the journey to Jaden is very dangerous.”
“Then how can someone like him, with so much power, be overthrown?” Alina asked.
“When you meet Camden and J’koby, your doubts will go. They’ve been conspiring for centuries. They planned you—and look at what a success you have been.”
Alina looked at the ground. “I’m nothing special. I get nervous when you say that. What does everyone expect from me?”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You are special, Alina. And you’re the best hope Carthem has.”
She wanted a new subject. “Tell me about my mother. How did she die?”
Rex frowned. “I knew you would ask about her. But J’koby wants to explain everything to you about your birth and your mother. It’s his wish, and his place. Plus, he’ll do a better job. I don’t know the whole story. I was only thirteen.”
“What can you tell me, then?”
He laughed. “Not much. I wish I’d paid more attention. Camden tried to teach me things, but it’s hard to care when you’re young.”
“But you know some things about my mother, right?”
“I remember her, yes. She came to our house for rebel meetings, held under the guise of poker nights. We set up the table and held cards and everything. Moved chips around as we discussed top secret things.”
“You participated?”
“Yes, when I was old enough to understand what was going on. On one of these nights, Jade and I decided she’d send you to me if you discovered your mortality too early. You’re lucky I remembered anything we talked about. I had a huge crush on her.” He laughed.
They heard a knock on the door and Alina slid off the bed to answer it. Dr. Scott stood in the hallway in his white scrubs, his spectacles perched on his nose.
“Hello, Doctor,” she said. “Come in. Rex is with me.”
“Oh, good. I tried his room first with no answer. I have some good news. Jade’s symptoms have improved enough for us to operate. The surgery is scheduled for this evening.”
“Can we see her before the operation to wish her well?” Alina asked.
“No. I’m sorry. We can’t risk exposing her to any new viruses you might be carrying.”
“But I don’t—” Alina started, but Rex hushed her with a glance.
“Her recovery should take about a week, then?” asked Rex.
“At least. Longer if there are complications. The healing of the brain is a critical process. Problems can arise without warning.”
Alina and Rex exchanged worried looks.
“Feel free to come down in the morning to ask about her progress. We’ll keep you informed as best we can and let you visit as soon as she’s ready.”
“Thank you,” they answered. Dr. Scott nodded, then left the room.
Alina looked at Rex. “At least things are moving quickly.”
“I’m scared,” he said.
“Me too.”
“The thought that someone you love could die is a scary thing. How do mortals deal with it? I suppose that’s why Sampson’s ideology is so persuasive,” Rex said.
“Yes. In Pria there is no death, but ironically, there isn’t enough love to make it scary.”
“That reminds me of something Camden used to say,” Rex mused. “He said in order for love to exist, there must be death.”
“What did he mean?”
“The possibility of death increases love, and love makes death devastating. They are interdependent. He even went further and claimed that without death, people don’t truly love.”
“But don’t you think some people in Pria love? What about your feelin
gs for Jade?”
“I thought I loved her there, but now that I’m faced with the possibility of losing her to death, I have a better understanding of what love is. But yes, I believe immortals can love. In Pria, loss comes through banishment. I was devastated when Camden was sent away. I suppose he meant that the finality of death makes love more poignant and real.”
They were silent for a moment until Rex spoke again. “I meant to ask you—how did you overcome Sampson in the dungeon? Why were your hands free?”
“Oh! One of the guards, Crome, helped me. Sampson ordered him to tie my wrists. The knot felt tight, but when I moved my hands, it came loose.”
Rex beamed. “Crome, huh? He’s one of the best—Sampson never suspected him. He made a big sacrifice for you. His cover is ruined now, and that’s a big blow to the resistance. But I know he believes getting you into Carthem was worth it.”
“Do you think Sampson knows he helped me?”
Rex pressed his lips together and nodded. “It’s obvious. He was ordered to tie your hands, and they went free. He’s in the dungeons as we speak, I’m sure of it.”
Alina sighed. “I hate to think people are in that awful place because of me.”
Rex touched her arm. “Don’t think of it like that. Think how happy they are that you are in this wonderful place because of them.”
For five agonizing days, Rex and Alina fretted as Jade’s condition fluctuated. One hour she moved her body and tried to speak, the next she lay still and unresponsive. Dr. Scott frowned and shook his head when he examined her, and this put them in a near state of panic. Jade needed her rest, but each time her eyes closed, Alina worried they wouldn’t open again.
She and Rex kept themselves occupied by completing jobs for their room and board. They stripped beds and washed windows throughout the building and cleaned the public bathrooms. Before long, Alina couldn’t decide which was worse—scrubbing the smelly toilets or having Rex as her cleaning partner.
The Perfect Outcast Page 12