eyes and ears. No one looks at anyone else the way you look at me.” I blush and put my head down again, but he uses his fingers to lift my face up again. “The way I know I look at you. It’s just us. Only us. Always us from now on.”
He leans over and touches his lips to mine briefly. I manage to smile at him, and take his hand as he leads me back to our families. I have to believe him, because he’s my reason for living now, too.
Abigail
I t’s hours after the others leave me before the Creator and some of her soldiers find me. They use some kind of laser to break open the door, and I run out.
“They killed Clayton, and ran.”
“You let your guard down and got caught,” the Creator says, slapping me across my face. I’m surprised to feel the sting, and I show it. “Yes. I can hurt you. I can’t kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead.”
“I didn’t know there were others.”
“Now you do, and you also know what has to be done. You cannot fail.”
“I won’t. I promise you, I won’t.”
“We will find them, and then it will be time for you to make good on that promise.”
“Yes,” I say, standing up straighter. “Find them, and I will end this once and for all.”
Part III
Nine and the Cities
Hinton
J ennifer and I swam to Dublin. Yeah, we swam . From Australia. And I’m not even winded. Soaking wet, but not tired.
She said we need to rest, even if it doesn’t seem like we do, so we changed into dry clothes, put on sunglasses and hats, and checked into a hotel with a credit card she somehow had on her. I didn’t ask, although I’ll admit I’m curious, but I know it’s really not important at the moment.
After a full eight hours of sleep, I realize she was right; I needed to rest. I don’t know where everyone else is, although I think they’re close, but I hope they’re getting rest as well.
I knock on our connecting door and smile when she answers. I can tell she just woke up, too. “What do we do now that we’ve rested?”
“You have to ask him where we need to go.”
I nod, and pose the question, hoping there is a set-up here, because we’re really not sure, and didn’t want to ask ahead of time, in case it would cause them to lay a trap for us. They could do that now, but they’d have less time to plan, so we feel relatively safe.
“Is there help for us here in Dublin?”
“Yes,” he answers
“Where?”
“You don’t want to try and find it yourself? After all, you traveled there without any guidance.”
“Sorry if we pissed you off, but I thought you were all about the help.”
“I have been nothing but benevolent to you. Your attitude is very disappointing.”
“Are you going to tell me, or not?”
“I will, but just remember that you need me more than I need you.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“So much insolence to hide your fear.”
“Where is it?”
“Be Earnest, and you’ll find it.”
“What?”
I leave the question hanging, but he doesn’t answer. I probably shouldn’t have goaded him, but good needs to trump evil, and since I don’t know which he is, I’m not feeling the need to play nice.
“What did he say?” Jennifer asks me. I tell her, and she nods. “Oscar Wilde. Nice.”
“Isn’t he an author?”
“He is, and he’s from here. One of his plays was The Importance of Being Earnest . The set-up has to be near his house, or another monument dedicated to him.”
“Can we go now?” I ask, looking out the window at the darkened sky.
“Nighttime is our best time to go out. Put on your hat, and let’s go!”
I do as she says, and follow her out the door. I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure.
Michaela
A lejandra and I are in Milan. It’s Fashion Week here, and we’re able to blend in with the models, because we’re both tall. She has a credit card and passport in another name, so we’re dressed in designer clothes like the models, too. We have to make sure we’re not photographed, and we
He leans over and touches his lips to mine briefly. I manage to smile at him, and take his hand as he leads me back to our families. I have to believe him, because he’s my reason for living now, too.
Abigail
I t’s hours after the others leave me before the Creator and some of her soldiers find me. They use some kind of laser to break open the door, and I run out.
“They killed Clayton, and ran.”
“You let your guard down and got caught,” the Creator says, slapping me across my face. I’m surprised to feel the sting, and I show it. “Yes. I can hurt you. I can’t kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead.”
“I didn’t know there were others.”
“Now you do, and you also know what has to be done. You cannot fail.”
“I won’t. I promise you, I won’t.”
“We will find them, and then it will be time for you to make good on that promise.”
“Yes,” I say, standing up straighter. “Find them, and I will end this once and for all.”
Part III
Nine and the Cities
Hinton
J ennifer and I swam to Dublin. Yeah, we swam . From Australia. And I’m not even winded. Soaking wet, but not tired.
She said we need to rest, even if it doesn’t seem like we do, so we changed into dry clothes, put on sunglasses and hats, and checked into a hotel with a credit card she somehow had on her. I didn’t ask, although I’ll admit I’m curious, but I know it’s really not important at the moment.
After a full eight hours of sleep, I realize she was right; I needed to rest. I don’t know where everyone else is, although I think they’re close, but I hope they’re getting rest as well.
I knock on our connecting door and smile when she answers. I can tell she just woke up, too. “What do we do now that we’ve rested?”
“You have to ask him where we need to go.”
I nod, and pose the question, hoping there is a set-up here, because we’re really not sure, and didn’t want to ask ahead of time, in case it would cause them to lay a trap for us. They could do that now, but they’d have less time to plan, so we feel relatively safe.
“Is there help for us here in Dublin?”
“Yes,” he answers
“Where?”
“You don’t want to try and find it yourself? After all, you traveled there without any guidance.”
“Sorry if we pissed you off, but I thought you were all about the help.”
“I have been nothing but benevolent to you. Your attitude is very disappointing.”
“Are you going to tell me, or not?”
“I will, but just remember that you need me more than I need you.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“So much insolence to hide your fear.”
“Where is it?”
“Be Earnest, and you’ll find it.”
“What?”
I leave the question hanging, but he doesn’t answer. I probably shouldn’t have goaded him, but good needs to trump evil, and since I don’t know which he is, I’m not feeling the need to play nice.
“What did he say?” Jennifer asks me. I tell her, and she nods. “Oscar Wilde. Nice.”
“Isn’t he an author?”
“He is, and he’s from here. One of his plays was The Importance of Being Earnest . The set-up has to be near his house, or another monument dedicated to him.”
“Can we go now?” I ask, looking out the window at the darkened sky.
“Nighttime is our best time to go out. Put on your hat, and let’s go!”
I do as she says, and follow her out the door. I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure.
Michaela
A lejandra and I are in Milan. It’s Fashion Week here, and we’re able to blend in with the models, because we’re both tall. She has a credit card and passport in another name, so we’re dressed in designer clothes like the models, too. We have to make sure we’re not photographed, and we
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