because you thought it was better out here. Although I must say, that was a nice act you put on to get Dylan and Nina on your side. But now what? What are you going to do when Key’s fever gets so high that she has seizures? Or when she becomes dehydrated because the fluids in her body are evaporating? What will you do when she starts to bleed from the eyes and other not-so-pleasant areas of her body?” She jerked her hands and feet against the restraints. “What are you going to do when the two of you become infected too, and you can no longer help her? What, exactly, is your plan?”
Ryder’s face paled. His mouth hung open. I moved to stand in front of him, blocking Cricket from his view. We needed to focus.
“The plan is…” I moved toward Cricket and waved the PulsePoint in her face. “The plan is for you to tell me where you got this.” When she didn’t answer, I placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in close to her face. “You stole this, didn’t you? You know Christina. What did you do to her?”
She refused to answer. She wouldn’t even look me in the eye. I tucked the PulsePoint into my waistband. “Fine. Don’t answer. But you’ll stay restrained until you tell us what we need to know.” Finding Christina was our only hope to save Key and Willow.
I turned and motioned for Ryder to join me in the hallway. Just as I reached the door, Cricket said, “Get Caine, let us help Key. And then I’ll tell you where Christina is.”
chapter eleven
Cricket
The last conversation I’d had with my mom and dad occurred the day before I moved to New Caelum with West and his mother. I still remembered Mom’s voice, even now, over a sketchy telephone connection. She was tired. I asked her if she was crying, but she denied it.
She knew then, as I would find out a day later, that she had been cut off from her home country—from me—forever.
She told me things like, “Keep up your studies, and work hard always.” And, “Do something nice for at least one person, even someone who might not deserve it, every single day.”
I didn’t know what she meant at the time. But now, thinking back, I realized that my mother and father had done nice things for people they didn’t know every day of their lives—even when doing so meant risking their own lives in a foreign country.
My mother said goodbye to me that day. And I have wished for the opportunity to tell her I loved her ever since—because I don’t remember what my last words to her were.
What if my mother died and didn’t know how much I loved her?
The lump in my throat was almost too much to swallow past. I choked against it. Tears fell from my eyes with nowhere to go but down my temple and into my hair. I wiggled my wrists against their restraints, wanting badly to wipe all evidence of emotion from my face.
I must have eventually drifted off to sleep, because I woke to the sounds of various distinct noises—the distant sound of voices, the echo of many footsteps, and doors slamming against walls, loose on their hinges.
I was watching the door like it might explode, and it did when Dax blew through it. “What the hell!” He ran to me, cupped my face. “Are you okay? Which one did this to you?”
“I’m fine. Calm down.” As angry as I was at West, I didn’t need Dax playing the hero at the moment.
West and Ryder entered the room behind Dax, followed by Caine, who seemed to be assessing the situation.
Dax began unbuckling the restraints. His breathing was coming at breakneck speed. “ Calm down? Are you kidding me?” He pulled at the leather with increased frustration. “Tell me who did this.”
As soon as he had freed one of my hands, I grabbed his arm, my hand gripping the rough fabric of his heavy coat, and tugged him toward me. He leaned his face in and stared into my eyes. I pinned him with my best listen-to-me-or-else gaze. “Dax, don’t do anything. I mean it. There will be time for consequences later.”
He
Ryder’s face paled. His mouth hung open. I moved to stand in front of him, blocking Cricket from his view. We needed to focus.
“The plan is…” I moved toward Cricket and waved the PulsePoint in her face. “The plan is for you to tell me where you got this.” When she didn’t answer, I placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in close to her face. “You stole this, didn’t you? You know Christina. What did you do to her?”
She refused to answer. She wouldn’t even look me in the eye. I tucked the PulsePoint into my waistband. “Fine. Don’t answer. But you’ll stay restrained until you tell us what we need to know.” Finding Christina was our only hope to save Key and Willow.
I turned and motioned for Ryder to join me in the hallway. Just as I reached the door, Cricket said, “Get Caine, let us help Key. And then I’ll tell you where Christina is.”
chapter eleven
Cricket
The last conversation I’d had with my mom and dad occurred the day before I moved to New Caelum with West and his mother. I still remembered Mom’s voice, even now, over a sketchy telephone connection. She was tired. I asked her if she was crying, but she denied it.
She knew then, as I would find out a day later, that she had been cut off from her home country—from me—forever.
She told me things like, “Keep up your studies, and work hard always.” And, “Do something nice for at least one person, even someone who might not deserve it, every single day.”
I didn’t know what she meant at the time. But now, thinking back, I realized that my mother and father had done nice things for people they didn’t know every day of their lives—even when doing so meant risking their own lives in a foreign country.
My mother said goodbye to me that day. And I have wished for the opportunity to tell her I loved her ever since—because I don’t remember what my last words to her were.
What if my mother died and didn’t know how much I loved her?
The lump in my throat was almost too much to swallow past. I choked against it. Tears fell from my eyes with nowhere to go but down my temple and into my hair. I wiggled my wrists against their restraints, wanting badly to wipe all evidence of emotion from my face.
I must have eventually drifted off to sleep, because I woke to the sounds of various distinct noises—the distant sound of voices, the echo of many footsteps, and doors slamming against walls, loose on their hinges.
I was watching the door like it might explode, and it did when Dax blew through it. “What the hell!” He ran to me, cupped my face. “Are you okay? Which one did this to you?”
“I’m fine. Calm down.” As angry as I was at West, I didn’t need Dax playing the hero at the moment.
West and Ryder entered the room behind Dax, followed by Caine, who seemed to be assessing the situation.
Dax began unbuckling the restraints. His breathing was coming at breakneck speed. “ Calm down? Are you kidding me?” He pulled at the leather with increased frustration. “Tell me who did this.”
As soon as he had freed one of my hands, I grabbed his arm, my hand gripping the rough fabric of his heavy coat, and tugged him toward me. He leaned his face in and stared into my eyes. I pinned him with my best listen-to-me-or-else gaze. “Dax, don’t do anything. I mean it. There will be time for consequences later.”
He
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