vain.”
“You can’t be serious. He was your friend.”
“He was a freedom fighter; he’d want to die for the cause if it helped us, which it will.”
I rake a weary hand through my hair. Now’s not the time to argue with him. We turn the bend and come face-to-face with Natalie and Day, several Sentry guards and a Tracker—the black man with claw marks down his neck. The guards draw their swords and point them at me.
“Where’s your ID bracelet, nipper?” Claw Neck says.
Beetle stands in front of me. “He doesn’t have to wear—”
I roll my sleeve up to show the guard my copper wristband, my blood boiling with anger and humiliation.
Beetle’s eyes widen.
“Lower your weapons. I know these people,” Natalie orders.
They look at Claw Neck, who also orders them to lower their swords.
“You can go, Kurt,” she says to Claw Neck.
“You know I can’t do that, miss, I have strict orders—”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. Will you at least walk down the road a little way, so I can have some privacy?”
Claw Neck waves his men on, mumbling under his breath.
“I’m so sorry about your friend,” Natalie says to us. “That’s no way to die.”
I give a gruff laugh. “Look, thanks for your help, blondie, but if it weren’t for your kind, he wouldn’t have been up there in the first place.”
“ My kind? Honestly, Ash, you’re such an ass.” Natalie heads toward Bleak Street with Day. She doesn’t look back.
My heart’s slowing down now that Natalie is walking away.
“Why did it have to be her ? Why is my heart beating now?” I mumble.
Beetle shrugs. “Karma’s a bitch sometimes.”
“But what does it mean ?”
“It doesn’t mean anything. She’s a Sentry, end of story,” he says.
“But—”
“Forget it, Ash. I’m all for Darklings and humans getting along, and Natalie did help Tom, so that does go in her favor, but she’s still a Sentry. That’s wrong on epic levels, bro. That’s like collaborating with the devil!”
“I know! Do you think I wanted this to happen?” I kick the wall.
“Why didn’t you tell me about your ID band?” Beetle asks.
I let out an irritated sigh. “Because I knew what you’d say, and I don’t want to join Humans for Unity.”
“Well, maybe this is a sign you should reconsider.”
“What’s the point? Nothing’s ever going to change. Fragg, I hate it here!” I yell.
A shadow falls over us as a Legion guard patrols the Boundary Wall. He moves on, leaving the wall unprotected. I wonder how hard it would be to climb up. Thirty feet. I’m sure I could do it before getting caught; other Darklings have managed it before when they’ve snuck over the wall from the Legion side. The wall’s guarded twenty-four hours a day by Sentry guards trying to keep Darklings from getting out of the ghetto, and by Legion guards trying to prevent humans from getting in. Even so, they can’t protect every inch of the wall at all times, it’s just too vast. So it is possible to get over if your timing is right. This is my chance.
“Uh-oh, I recognize that look,” Beetle says. “Don’t even think about it, man.”
“I just want to see what’s on the other side,” I say, now consumed by my desire to see the other Darklings. They might have some answers about what’s happening to me.
“Don’t be stupid.” There’s a note of panic in his voice. “It’s too high; you’ll fall.”
“No I won’t.”
I step up to the wall and dig my fingers into the tiny grooves in the concrete. Taking a deep breath, I pull myself up the wall, one hand over the other.
Twenty-five feet to go.
Twenty.
Fifteen.
I’m going to make it!
“Ash! Get down!” Beetle calls.
His voice attracts the attention of the Legion guard farther down the wall. The guard starts to run in my direction. I don’t know whether he plans to stop me or help me over so I can finally meet my family, but I don’t want to chance it being the former option.
Crap!
My
“You can’t be serious. He was your friend.”
“He was a freedom fighter; he’d want to die for the cause if it helped us, which it will.”
I rake a weary hand through my hair. Now’s not the time to argue with him. We turn the bend and come face-to-face with Natalie and Day, several Sentry guards and a Tracker—the black man with claw marks down his neck. The guards draw their swords and point them at me.
“Where’s your ID bracelet, nipper?” Claw Neck says.
Beetle stands in front of me. “He doesn’t have to wear—”
I roll my sleeve up to show the guard my copper wristband, my blood boiling with anger and humiliation.
Beetle’s eyes widen.
“Lower your weapons. I know these people,” Natalie orders.
They look at Claw Neck, who also orders them to lower their swords.
“You can go, Kurt,” she says to Claw Neck.
“You know I can’t do that, miss, I have strict orders—”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. Will you at least walk down the road a little way, so I can have some privacy?”
Claw Neck waves his men on, mumbling under his breath.
“I’m so sorry about your friend,” Natalie says to us. “That’s no way to die.”
I give a gruff laugh. “Look, thanks for your help, blondie, but if it weren’t for your kind, he wouldn’t have been up there in the first place.”
“ My kind? Honestly, Ash, you’re such an ass.” Natalie heads toward Bleak Street with Day. She doesn’t look back.
My heart’s slowing down now that Natalie is walking away.
“Why did it have to be her ? Why is my heart beating now?” I mumble.
Beetle shrugs. “Karma’s a bitch sometimes.”
“But what does it mean ?”
“It doesn’t mean anything. She’s a Sentry, end of story,” he says.
“But—”
“Forget it, Ash. I’m all for Darklings and humans getting along, and Natalie did help Tom, so that does go in her favor, but she’s still a Sentry. That’s wrong on epic levels, bro. That’s like collaborating with the devil!”
“I know! Do you think I wanted this to happen?” I kick the wall.
“Why didn’t you tell me about your ID band?” Beetle asks.
I let out an irritated sigh. “Because I knew what you’d say, and I don’t want to join Humans for Unity.”
“Well, maybe this is a sign you should reconsider.”
“What’s the point? Nothing’s ever going to change. Fragg, I hate it here!” I yell.
A shadow falls over us as a Legion guard patrols the Boundary Wall. He moves on, leaving the wall unprotected. I wonder how hard it would be to climb up. Thirty feet. I’m sure I could do it before getting caught; other Darklings have managed it before when they’ve snuck over the wall from the Legion side. The wall’s guarded twenty-four hours a day by Sentry guards trying to keep Darklings from getting out of the ghetto, and by Legion guards trying to prevent humans from getting in. Even so, they can’t protect every inch of the wall at all times, it’s just too vast. So it is possible to get over if your timing is right. This is my chance.
“Uh-oh, I recognize that look,” Beetle says. “Don’t even think about it, man.”
“I just want to see what’s on the other side,” I say, now consumed by my desire to see the other Darklings. They might have some answers about what’s happening to me.
“Don’t be stupid.” There’s a note of panic in his voice. “It’s too high; you’ll fall.”
“No I won’t.”
I step up to the wall and dig my fingers into the tiny grooves in the concrete. Taking a deep breath, I pull myself up the wall, one hand over the other.
Twenty-five feet to go.
Twenty.
Fifteen.
I’m going to make it!
“Ash! Get down!” Beetle calls.
His voice attracts the attention of the Legion guard farther down the wall. The guard starts to run in my direction. I don’t know whether he plans to stop me or help me over so I can finally meet my family, but I don’t want to chance it being the former option.
Crap!
My
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