a heated feeling of his anger attacks me from the inside. It’s not a lot, but just enough to let me know that he doesn’t believe me. He thinks I don’t trust him. I’ve spent my whole life trusting him, and even though I have questions now, he’s always been the only sure person in my life. Even if our love isn’t real, if it only exists because of the branding, I can’t deny who he is to me.
“I read some of my father’s files one night,” I say. “Logs about experiments, twins, myself. I found information on how someone believed there was life here in the Old World and the Elders covered it up by killing him.”
“What?”
I don’t stop. He wants to know what and why, then I’ll tell him. “The branding isn’t what we think it is. Everyone in the Compound is blocked by it. They can’t ask questions or wonder. They have no free will. It’s why they don’t question anything the Elders command; the Elders have been altering us. They did something to my father’s branding-that’s when he changed, Thorne-and it made him completely vacant of emotion.”
I pause to take a breath. Ever since I found out my father isn’t himself because of the Elders, all of his actions make more sense. I still hate it all, but he’s not doing it on his own. Why would they do that to him? What do they want with him?
“According to what I found, the Elders are going to transfer some families to a brand-new Compound and give them a different branding. They’re calling it the Ultimate Compliance, and makes everyone obey everything.”
Thorne shakes his head. “The Elders wouldn’t do that.”
I sigh. I don’t have any way to prove it to him. “They would and they are. I’ve read about it. It will wipe out everyone like that.” I snap.
“So you came out here to stop them and save everyone?” He stares at me like I’m an idiot.
I try to keep my emotions in check so I don’t spill any of my feelings to him. I don’t want him to feel my true anxieties. “Yes.”
He pauses. “You aren’t telling me something.”
“Your family was on the list. I couldn’t lose you,” I add.
His eyes snap to me. “My family?”
“Yes, and you. Staying there meant losing you.” I couldn’t handle that. Losing him forever is too much to even think about.
Finally he shakes his head and takes my hand. “You could have told me that, Neely. I would’ve helped you.”
“I didn’t want you involved,” I say honestly.
“It’s my family,” he says. His family. His.
“It’s mine, too.” The tension flows between us, and a breath hitches in my chest. He’s not as angry, but the spinning confusion courses through me. “We should go.”
“Why you?” The question takes me by surprise. His gaze on me is so intense that I want to look away. It’s so hurt and worried, and I don’t want to see it.
“What?” My voice is barely a whisper.
“Come on, Neely,” Thorne says. He pauses and inhales. His hands squeeze into tight fists at his side. “If there’s this whole method of communication like Cecily mentioned, why do you have to go? Why not just send a message? Why did Xenith send you out here?”
I have to look away again. My head is spinning with Xenith and Thorne, with truth and lies, with deals and death and freedom. Thorne reaches out to me through the connection, but I block him out. He shakes his head and stares off into the distance. As soon as he looks away, I change my mind and try to reach out for him, but he’s blocked me out too.
“This all started with me,” I offer to the silence. “My father told me he was the one in control of everything, and I kept pushing him. I kept disobeying the rules, intentionally-the forbidden books, going out to the barrier, breaking curfew. I wasn’t even hiding it, Thorne. I kept going to you after he told me not to see you. Then the Elders did whatever they did to him because of me. He hurt you because of me and found out about our connection. Someone has
“I read some of my father’s files one night,” I say. “Logs about experiments, twins, myself. I found information on how someone believed there was life here in the Old World and the Elders covered it up by killing him.”
“What?”
I don’t stop. He wants to know what and why, then I’ll tell him. “The branding isn’t what we think it is. Everyone in the Compound is blocked by it. They can’t ask questions or wonder. They have no free will. It’s why they don’t question anything the Elders command; the Elders have been altering us. They did something to my father’s branding-that’s when he changed, Thorne-and it made him completely vacant of emotion.”
I pause to take a breath. Ever since I found out my father isn’t himself because of the Elders, all of his actions make more sense. I still hate it all, but he’s not doing it on his own. Why would they do that to him? What do they want with him?
“According to what I found, the Elders are going to transfer some families to a brand-new Compound and give them a different branding. They’re calling it the Ultimate Compliance, and makes everyone obey everything.”
Thorne shakes his head. “The Elders wouldn’t do that.”
I sigh. I don’t have any way to prove it to him. “They would and they are. I’ve read about it. It will wipe out everyone like that.” I snap.
“So you came out here to stop them and save everyone?” He stares at me like I’m an idiot.
I try to keep my emotions in check so I don’t spill any of my feelings to him. I don’t want him to feel my true anxieties. “Yes.”
He pauses. “You aren’t telling me something.”
“Your family was on the list. I couldn’t lose you,” I add.
His eyes snap to me. “My family?”
“Yes, and you. Staying there meant losing you.” I couldn’t handle that. Losing him forever is too much to even think about.
Finally he shakes his head and takes my hand. “You could have told me that, Neely. I would’ve helped you.”
“I didn’t want you involved,” I say honestly.
“It’s my family,” he says. His family. His.
“It’s mine, too.” The tension flows between us, and a breath hitches in my chest. He’s not as angry, but the spinning confusion courses through me. “We should go.”
“Why you?” The question takes me by surprise. His gaze on me is so intense that I want to look away. It’s so hurt and worried, and I don’t want to see it.
“What?” My voice is barely a whisper.
“Come on, Neely,” Thorne says. He pauses and inhales. His hands squeeze into tight fists at his side. “If there’s this whole method of communication like Cecily mentioned, why do you have to go? Why not just send a message? Why did Xenith send you out here?”
I have to look away again. My head is spinning with Xenith and Thorne, with truth and lies, with deals and death and freedom. Thorne reaches out to me through the connection, but I block him out. He shakes his head and stares off into the distance. As soon as he looks away, I change my mind and try to reach out for him, but he’s blocked me out too.
“This all started with me,” I offer to the silence. “My father told me he was the one in control of everything, and I kept pushing him. I kept disobeying the rules, intentionally-the forbidden books, going out to the barrier, breaking curfew. I wasn’t even hiding it, Thorne. I kept going to you after he told me not to see you. Then the Elders did whatever they did to him because of me. He hurt you because of me and found out about our connection. Someone has
Similar Books
