the dark, clouded sky, but not the guards or the mysterious man.
She hadn’t imagined the fireball and crash before passing out.
“Were there any survivors?”
“One—a male now being held inside one of the cells.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
The way Mya sounded so human would unnerve others, but Lian loved how easily the processor had adapted. “Can you tell me more?”
“Not yet.”
“Thank you.” Vera would surely be able to fill in the blanks. The cells were part of her patrol. Lian rushed for the door, and as if reading her mind, her friend was already there. “Vera! Do you know what’s going on?”
Vera stepped inside and the door slid shut behind her. “Going on where?”
“Someone crashed onto the estate. You know that, right?” She found it hard to tamp down her excitement.
Vera nodded and looked past her to the magnified image on the window.
“According to Mya, someone was shot down.” Lian’s heart sped up. If the computer was right, maybe the dream was much more than just a figment of her imagination.
“Sounds about right,” Vera said, turning to face her. “The bots patrolling the sky are programmed to shoot down anyone who enters our airspace without clearance—”
“It’s a man.”
“It could be anyone—”
“No, it’s a man. I dreamt about him.”
Vera stepped closer, her dark eyes widening. “The same man you’ve already told me about?”
Lian nodded, a small smile curving her lips. “Yes. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I dreamt I was there after it happened. And I saw him. My dream man has come for me. No, for us! He’s going to help all of us find freedom, I’m sure of it.”
Vera closed the distance between them and took both of her hands. “Lian, it’s just a dream. I don’t want you to get your hopes up, okay?”
“But I’m sure he’s the one who will help us.” She’d seen it happen.
“You can’t know for sure.” Vera sighed. “How can he possibly help us? You know what your mother is capable of.”
“But I’ve seen it. I can feel it.” Lian was starting to understand the constant barrage of dreams. The snippets—the mysterious man setting them free, the house going up in flames, the taste of freedom, the blood—were now coming to pass. “You have to believe me.”
Vera pursed her lips. “Just don’t get too carried away, okay?” She squeezed Lian’s hands, still frowning. “Listen, the reason I’m here is because your mother didn’t complete the transaction with Sergei Orloff. They discovered the empty cells.”
“How did he take it?” Her blood boiled at the reminder of what Sergei did under the table. And her mother had been prepared to sell him all those innocent girls?
“Sergei was furious and demanded he leave with you right away.”
“I’m not going anywhere with that oaf.”
“Relax, he’s not here anymore.”
“Good, when did he leave?”
“About half an hour ago,” Vera said. “And he left with a smile on his face, so Boss might have struck a deal with him.”
Lian swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “Do you have any idea what the deal could be?”
Vera shook her head, but her eyes were filled with uncertainty. “She’s really angry and vowed to find out who did this.”
“She doesn’t suspect anyone yet, right?” Lian didn’t want someone else to take the fall for her actions.
“Not yet, but it won’t take her long. To be honest with you, I’m surprised she hasn’t worked it out yet.”
The same thought had struck her. Six months of sporadic disappearances was suspicious. So why would her mother stall at finding out what was really going on?
“We’ll just have to be more careful.”
Vera nodded.
“I need to get to the cells.”
“Why?”
“Mya said a man was taken to thecells . I need to see if it’s him. ”And if it was the man from her dreams, she couldn’t let her mother destroy, sell or imprison him like she did everyone else. Every
She hadn’t imagined the fireball and crash before passing out.
“Were there any survivors?”
“One—a male now being held inside one of the cells.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
The way Mya sounded so human would unnerve others, but Lian loved how easily the processor had adapted. “Can you tell me more?”
“Not yet.”
“Thank you.” Vera would surely be able to fill in the blanks. The cells were part of her patrol. Lian rushed for the door, and as if reading her mind, her friend was already there. “Vera! Do you know what’s going on?”
Vera stepped inside and the door slid shut behind her. “Going on where?”
“Someone crashed onto the estate. You know that, right?” She found it hard to tamp down her excitement.
Vera nodded and looked past her to the magnified image on the window.
“According to Mya, someone was shot down.” Lian’s heart sped up. If the computer was right, maybe the dream was much more than just a figment of her imagination.
“Sounds about right,” Vera said, turning to face her. “The bots patrolling the sky are programmed to shoot down anyone who enters our airspace without clearance—”
“It’s a man.”
“It could be anyone—”
“No, it’s a man. I dreamt about him.”
Vera stepped closer, her dark eyes widening. “The same man you’ve already told me about?”
Lian nodded, a small smile curving her lips. “Yes. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I dreamt I was there after it happened. And I saw him. My dream man has come for me. No, for us! He’s going to help all of us find freedom, I’m sure of it.”
Vera closed the distance between them and took both of her hands. “Lian, it’s just a dream. I don’t want you to get your hopes up, okay?”
“But I’m sure he’s the one who will help us.” She’d seen it happen.
“You can’t know for sure.” Vera sighed. “How can he possibly help us? You know what your mother is capable of.”
“But I’ve seen it. I can feel it.” Lian was starting to understand the constant barrage of dreams. The snippets—the mysterious man setting them free, the house going up in flames, the taste of freedom, the blood—were now coming to pass. “You have to believe me.”
Vera pursed her lips. “Just don’t get too carried away, okay?” She squeezed Lian’s hands, still frowning. “Listen, the reason I’m here is because your mother didn’t complete the transaction with Sergei Orloff. They discovered the empty cells.”
“How did he take it?” Her blood boiled at the reminder of what Sergei did under the table. And her mother had been prepared to sell him all those innocent girls?
“Sergei was furious and demanded he leave with you right away.”
“I’m not going anywhere with that oaf.”
“Relax, he’s not here anymore.”
“Good, when did he leave?”
“About half an hour ago,” Vera said. “And he left with a smile on his face, so Boss might have struck a deal with him.”
Lian swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “Do you have any idea what the deal could be?”
Vera shook her head, but her eyes were filled with uncertainty. “She’s really angry and vowed to find out who did this.”
“She doesn’t suspect anyone yet, right?” Lian didn’t want someone else to take the fall for her actions.
“Not yet, but it won’t take her long. To be honest with you, I’m surprised she hasn’t worked it out yet.”
The same thought had struck her. Six months of sporadic disappearances was suspicious. So why would her mother stall at finding out what was really going on?
“We’ll just have to be more careful.”
Vera nodded.
“I need to get to the cells.”
“Why?”
“Mya said a man was taken to thecells . I need to see if it’s him. ”And if it was the man from her dreams, she couldn’t let her mother destroy, sell or imprison him like she did everyone else. Every
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