“It’s my lucky day,” he says, his Australian accent weaving his words into a symphony. “Just the girl I’ve been looking for. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
My cheeks flush, and I say the first thing that comes to mind. “I wish I knew how to flirt so I could come up with something cute to say, but I don’t, so I’ll admit I’ve been thinking about you, too…”
He grins. “You’re perfect just the way you are, Ella. Don’t ever change.”
A thrill shoots through me, and, not wanting to let on how much he means to me, since I barely know him, I change the subject. “It seems like you’ve been busy surfing.”
“Yeah. Gotta keep my investors happy, and that’s what they buy into me for.” He shakes his head. “A clothing company just paid a lot of money to use my name for a line of surf T-shirts, and the whole deal depends on how much I can sell from my Network feed. It’s a lot of pressure. I’ve got to keep finding ways to get people’s attention—surf bigger waves, be a spectacle. I don’t know… It’s not really working, but I’ve got to come up with something. You know how it is.”
I nod. “I do. My numbers aren’t growing, and my parents are on my case to inject some drama into my feed before they have to find me some.” I roll my eyes. “But I don’t want to publicize the drama at Intersection. It’s too depressing.” Cocking my head, I glance toward Lil and the gang.
His eyes focus over my shoulder, and he frowns. “Those guys are dicks.”
At that moment, Lil looks up. I feel her eyes staring me down and I know I’ve got to end this.
“They—we—I—made her move…” I whisper, tears crowding my eyes.
He follows my gaze across the Boulevard to where the girl now sits in a corner, shoulders slumped.
“I hate myself for it…but I’m stuck…” I say. Sensing Lil’s impatience is intensifying, I take a step backward. “And I should probably go before Lil gets any more pissed.”
He reaches out to touch my arm but pauses in midair, seeming to think better of it. “I get it. Don’t worry, Ella. We’ll stay in touch. I’ll find a way. Be strong.”
With that, he brushes past me, leaving with an almost imperceptible wink.
I watch him walk over to the girl and ask to sit with her. My heart fills to bursting, and all I can think is, “Don’t ever change…”
Bang, bang, bang. Someone pounds on the door. Allard and I both jump.
“Who is that?” she wonders.
“Weiss,” I reply without thinking. He’s the first person that pops into my head.
“Wait here,” she says, standing.
I sink low on the couch as she opens the door.
“Weiss. What are you doing here?” she asks.
“I saw your light on. You know it’s candles only after seven.”
“Of course,” she says. “I was reading and must have lost track of time. Thank you for the heads-up.” She clicks off the light.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
She closes the door and turns to me. “You knew it was him. Instincts.”
“Instincts.”
“Remember how that felt,” she says.
I nod, memorizing the rush that sparked in my brain, the almost-audible burst of wind that accompanied the answer.
“I wonder…” She pauses, thinking out loud. “If you could hone your instincts so that when you think of someone, you get an impression of where they are and what they’re doing…”
“I don’t know… Is that even possible?”
“It might be. With practice. Are you willing to experiment?”
What events would I have to relive to get to that level? Exhaustion overtakes me, and I rub my eyes. “Yes. But not tonight. I should be going.”
“Of course. Another day.” She shows me to the door.
Before I go, I stop, not wanting to go outside if Weiss is lurking. “Does Weiss come by often?”
“No. It’s unlike him.”
“He’s super creepy. Do you think he knew I was here?”
“No… I actually have another theory.” She grips the doorknob but doesn’t open the door. “I’ve been experimenting with the idea that when people with higher brain function like yourself—and Garrett—are in a meditative state, you receive what you send out. Like if you send out fear, you receive fear. If you send out hate, you attract hate…”
Maybe that’s what happened in Tahoe. I sent out hate and brought the evil to us. My throat constricts at the notion. Rosy memories surface—me and Deena as little girls—sleepovers and secrets and dreams. The good times blot out the bad, and I’m drowning again. Nobody should ever get close to me. But I fight to surface, to forgive. It’s not your fault. That’s not who you are anymore… I force my focus to Allard.
“…but if you send out love, you receive love,” she continues.
Letting out a bitter laugh, I swallow my tears. “No danger of that.”
“You never know.” She squeezes my arm. “And if it’s okay, I’d like to do some more brain scans soon to see if our work is increasing your connectivity.”
“Sure,” I say. “Anytime.”
“Thank you. Now, don’t worry about anything else tonight. Go get some rest.” After wrapping me in a brief hug, she shows me outside. “I’ll set something up soon. I wonder if I could get some scans of Garrett, too. It would be interesting to compare the two of you.”
“That would be fascinating,” I say, injecting sweetness into my voice before disappearing into the night so I can go bang my head against a wall in private.
Chapter Eleven
October 20X5, Keystone
Two twists to the right, one to the left… I trigger the pin, hold it in place with my L rake, and feel for the next one. Deep in the vault, I’m attempting to steal the Pink Star, a fifty-nine-carat pink diamond that sold at auction for Ä83 million. According to the plaque on the glass case, the collector who purchased the diamond is actually the proud owner of a 3-D printed replica. The original stone was stolen by a Keystone Disconnect years earlier, when it was on display at the Smithsonian, and that’s where it lives now—in the Vault’s version of the Smithsonian’s special exhibit hall. The collector never came up with the currency to purchase the stone, anyway, and the replica resides to this day in Sotheby’s inventory.
My full concentration on the lock, beads of sweat form on my forehead. Just one more second—
“I never pegged you for pink.”
The voice startles me, and my hand slips, sending my L rake rattling to the floor and triggering the alarm. Pulsating sirens reach air-raid status, and, whipping around, I clamp my hands over my ears.
Garrett stands behind me, smug. And alone.
“Didn’t anyone teach you not to sneak up on people?” I yell.
He crosses the room and punches a code into a keypad mounted on the wall. “Actually, no. I’ve been trained to always sneak up on people. You should watch your back.” The alarm abruptly goes silent.
“I’m no stranger to that.” I stand frozen in place, every muscle in my body tense.
His footsteps echo against the stone floor. Electricity surges up my spine, a ball of buzzing energy, as he draws closer.
I need you.
The thought pops into my brain, and I instantly dismiss it, annoyed at my body’s physical reaction to him.
“You could’ve fooled me.” He grins. “It’s pretty girly, don’t you think?” He points at the cotton-candy-colored gem. “Of everything in this room, that’s what you choose to steal?”
Ignoring his smile, I try to be the girl Allard wants me to be. I don’t need Garrett to like me. “Why wouldn’t I want a pink diamond? I am a girl.”
“You just don’t strike me as someone who is easily dazzled.”
“I’ll take that as a co
mpliment.”
“I meant it as one.” He raises his eyebrows, and my heart skips a beat.
Squelching the quiver in my belly, I shake my head and draw on my Self-Awareness days. “Uh-uh. I’m not falling for any of this.”
“Any of what?” He cocks his head.
“This.” I wave my hand in front of his face. “You’re cute, but I’m immune to cute. I’m not going to let you get to me.”
“Don’t worry, Ellie,” he murmurs, his eyes snaking the length of my body before matching my stare. “I have no interest in getting to you.”
A surge of disappointment makes my vision go black, but when my eyes clear, I strengthen my resolve and my spine. “What are you doing here without your entourage? Or are you reporting back to them?”
“Because all they think about is you?” He shakes his head. “You have a pretty high opinion of yourself.”
“What’s wrong with that? I should. I’m going to win the Quest, after all. And don’t worry—I won’t be choosing you as my partner.” Where am I getting this? “I won’t get in the way of any heist fantasies you and Chloe have going.”
“You have me all figured out, don’t you?” A small smile forms on his full lips.
“I’ve known plenty of people like you.”
“Yeah?” He studies me. “So you know the Vault is my second home—I’ve been coming here since I could walk—it helps clear my head.”
Sensing he’s being honest, I imagine him as a kid building forts in the antiquity wing, playing hide and seek. But before I soften, I throw up a wall. “Sorry to intrude.”
“Don’t be. That’s why you’re here—to learn to intrude.” He steps closer, and I’m like a string that’s just been plucked; his nearness has me humming. “Do you want help with that?” He points at the diamond.
“Do I have a choice?” Attempting to create space between us, I almost back into the glass case.
“Not really.” His smile widens as he lowers his face toward mine. My breath seizes, but at the last minute, he bends down and retrieves my L rake.
“Go ahead, then.” I exhale, brushing my bangs aside, pretending he didn’t just jackknife my heart. Kneeling next to him, I focus on the lock. “The code kept scrambling, so I was picking it manually. I wish we could use a computer to decode it…”
“That would be too easy.” He inserts an S rake under the keypad. “The trick with T-10 cabinet locks isn’t the code, it’s the timing. You have to catch one pin at a time in rhythm…”
I watch the muscles in his forearm twitch with each minute movement as his fingers manipulate the pins. Such control for such big hands… The case pops open.
Heat emanates from him, and I don’t know what’s more tempting—him or the diamond.
“What’s the pattern?” I ask.
“If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.” Taking the diamond from the case, he holds the walnut-sized gem up to the lights. Its facets sparkle from pink to lavender. “Keep practicing. You’ll figure it out.”
“Thanks for nothing.” I frown.
“Hey—for all I know, the T-10 will be part of the obstacle course. I know you plan to win the Quest, but I plan to give you a run for your money. It’s very important to me that I choose my partner for the heist. This is my Initiation and I’m responsible for everything that happens—you aren’t—you’re just assisting. If something goes wrong it’ll be my fault, so I don’t need extra competition.”
“I wouldn’t know if it was part of the course, either,” I reply, not liking his insinuation.
“Are you sure about that? It’s pretty unbelievable you managed to get out of those handcuffs on your first day…almost like you were tipped off. Nobody here gets special treatment.”
My temper flares, crimson creeping into the edges of my vision. “You’re one to talk—”
“Especially me.” Setting the diamond back on its pedestal, he snaps the case shut. “If anything, they’re harder on me. Have higher expectations. I wish I could scrape by, but I can’t. I have to be an example. Do what they say. Grovel at the feet of Influencers who will never know my name so I can take their precious treasures. Sometimes I can’t wait to get out of here. The Quest is my ticket, you know. As soon as I ace this heist, I’m out.”
“Then what are you going to do? Become an Influencer?”
He laughs a bitter laugh. “Of course not. But I’m going to steal from the best of them. On my terms.”
“Are you sure you’re a Disconnect? I thought pride had no place here. It sounds like you could use a reset. Or maybe you need to make up for last year’s heist? I heard you royally screwed that up.”
His eyes narrow to slits, and an ache forms in my chest. I feel his pain and instantly regret saying it.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. I lost everything that night. It’s a hurt I hope you never know.”
Swallowing hard, I stare at him. “My hurt runs deeper than you could ever imagine.”
“I highly doubt that.” His words are ice, and tears spring to my eyes.
“You don’t know anything about my hurt,” I say, my voice cracking. “Don’t pretend to.”
We face off, oddly one-upping each other in heartache, though it’s like our misery is one and the same. I sense he gets me on a level nobody else does—or ever has.
“Why are you telling me this?” I finally ask.
“I don’t know.”
He searches my face, and my heart thuds. I’m being drawn into him, like we’re connected by some invisible tie that binds us together and is wrapping around us, tighter and tighter. Then I remember what Allard said about his power of attraction—that he attracts what he wants to use—and snap out of my daze.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I ask. “I’m sure Chloe would love to play with your lock.”
I wait for a reaction, but he doesn’t flinch. His eyes remain steady, holding mine. “Just like I thought…” he says. Breaking our connection, he shakes his head and turns to leave.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, chilled by the distance between us.
“It means absolutely nothing,” he replies without looking back.
Unwilling to let him have the last word, I scramble for a comeback, but before I respond he glances over his shoulder, his eyes full of mischief, like the hurt never happened.
“So, you think I’m cute?”
“Shut up, Garrett.”
He grins. “See you around, Ellie.”
His laughter lingers long after he’s left me.
Chapter Twelve
November 20X5, Keystone
I stand wedged between Rayelle and Stewart, waiting my turn to enter the hill that houses the obstacle course bunker. Up ahead, Liam disappears inside, and the line inches forward.
“This might take a while.” Stewart clicks start on his stopwatch. He’s an unofficial timekeeper. “Unless he immediately gets disqualified, of course.”
“How do you know your times are accurate?” Sophia asks.
“This was used by the Stopwatch Gang during their bank robberies. They could rob a bank in two minutes or less. I borrowed it from the Crypt,” Stewart says. “Even though it’s over seventy years old, it still keeps perfect time. They don’t make ’em like this anymore.”
“I don’t mean the stopwatch,” Sophia says, rolling her eyes. Today, her face is powdered white, and her cheeks are crimson. Gems glitter across half her forehead, cascading like raindrops over the left side of her face. “I mean, we don’t see anyone exit the bunker, so how do you know they’re done?”
“I’m basing it on when the next person starts. So far Ophelia was faster than Harbor but slower than Chloe.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.” Rayelle sighs. “Promise me you’ll wait to start, Elisha, so I don’t look bad.”
<
br /> “You’ll do fine,” I say. “I’m the one who should worry. Everything is so new to me. If we took a vote, I’d probably win ‘Most Likely to be Sent to the Farm.’ You only have to be faster than me.” My stomach tightens with anxiety. I’ve been studying extra hours with Allard, but this will be the true test of my belonging at Keystone, and I desperately want to prove I’m worthy of my place here.
“Hey, none of that,” Sophia says. “You’re both going to be great.”
“And if, God forbid, one of you gets sent to the Farm, we’ll hide food in the woods so you have something to eat while you ‘survive the wilderness’ to find your way back,” Stewart adds.
Rayelle and I look at each other, and I see the same terror coursing through my veins reflected in her eyes.
“Hopefully it’s all laser fields and fitting into tight spaces,” I say.
“That would be nice.” She smiles weakly.
Up ahead, Garrett enters the bunker. Stewart starts his watch and notes Liam’s time. “Meh. He’s probably safe,” he mutters. “This should be interesting, though.”
Everyone falls silent, and it seems like the entire line holds its breath.
I’ve tried to stop replaying our run-in in the Vault, but every time I close my eyes, he creeps in. I can’t understand why he tried to help me—or why things went south so quickly.
It feels like hardly any time passes before Toby enters the bunker and Stewart declares, “Fastest one yet! Three minutes, twenty-nine seconds. And you know he didn’t fail.”
The time to beat… Even though I’m mostly scared of failing, part of me wishes I could beat Garrett just to prove I’m the real deal, that I don’t cheat. But that’s probably impossible…and then I’d have to compete in the Quest. Nobody needs that pressure.
The line moves forward until it’s Rayelle’s turn.
“Good luck,” I whisper.
With a meek smile, she disappears inside.
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