the
Uppers from treating people like tools or stock animals in-
stead of human beings.”
“You could have been caught!” his mother hissed. “Our
safe- house location could have been compromised. We have
a protocol for a reason. She’s just one girl! I thought you
understood that, or I never would’ve let you go.”
“As if you could have stopped me. And she’s not just some
girl. You know she’s not.”
“Certainly not. She almost tore this place apart in her
sleep. She’s completely out of control, and bound to be more
dangerous than useful. Your visions alone are not enough to
justify putting all of the Rez in jeopardy.”
Adrien’s mother sighed. “Ever since the fi rst vision when
you started talking about this girl nonstop, your judgment
has been off . Your teenage hormones and overactive imagi-
nation have made you obsessed. You’re inventing reasons
why she should be important! She is not the princess locked
away in the fortress and you are not some hero who’s going
to save her.”
“ Stop it!” Adrien yelled. “I can’t believe you’re saying this.
The Rez believes me about her. I’m not a shuntin’ kid any-
more, and I know the diff erence between visions and fantasy.
I know what I saw was real.”
There was a harsh laugh in response. “Okay, you’re not a
child? Then stop acting like one. If I hadn’t had the epi on
94
G L I TC H
hand, she would have died. Do you realize that? Then where
would your visions have been?”
I let out a loud groan. Like I’d hoped, they quieted and
after the sound of chairs scraping on a wood fl oor, I felt the
cool touch of Adrien’s hand on top of mine.
“Zoe, you awake?”
I nodded my head infi nitesimally, then cracked my eyes
open. I saw the blurry outline of his head. He pushed back
some hair that had fallen in my face. His cool hand was
soothing. My whole face felt stiff and a little swollen, like I
was wearing someone else’s skin.
“Wh- wha happen?” I asked, my voice raspy. My lips were
too big and my mouth tasted funny.
“Here, drink some water if you can.” Adrien lifted a glass
to my lips. I sipped slowly.
“You had a severe allergic reaction,” he said. “Probably to
the pollen or something, we don’t know yet.” He swallowed
hard, his jaw working as he leaned down closer. “I’m so sorry,
Zoe.”
“You couldn’t have known,” I managed. My mouth felt a
little better after I sipped the water. I lifted a shaky hand and
took the glass from him to drink some more.
“Still.” He shook his head and looked angry at himself.
I took another sip and was fi nally able to open my eyes all
the way and take in my surroundings. We were in a small
room but it didn’t feel cramped. It was dark, with stained
wooden walls, and there weren’t any windows but I was
pretty sure we were underground. The air smelled diff erent.
95
Heather Anastasiu
Cooler, less moist. I was lying on a worn couch with a faded
fl ower design. A few pillows had been put under my back
and head to prop me up.
I was wearing fresh gray clothes too and my hair was
clean, but everything else in the room was in complete
disarray. Overturned stuff ed chairs, pillows tossed about. A
table was overturned in the middle of the fl oor, a chipped
leg pointing straight up. A mug lay next to it, broken and
resting in a dark wet puddle. I had never seen anything that
wasn’t orderly and perfectly or ga nized. This was complete
chaos. Then I remembered what I had overheard a moment
before.
“Did . . . did I do this?” I asked, pointing around the room.
Adrien smiled, looking almost proud. “It was impressive.
I’ve never seen anything like it. A little like being inside a
tornado. Seriously, the other Gifteds are going to be amazed
when they meet you.” He paused when he noticed the look
on my face. “Don’t worry about it. Really. Nothing was
damaged, and it’s all just junk anyway.”
Adrien
Uppers from treating people like tools or stock animals in-
stead of human beings.”
“You could have been caught!” his mother hissed. “Our
safe- house location could have been compromised. We have
a protocol for a reason. She’s just one girl! I thought you
understood that, or I never would’ve let you go.”
“As if you could have stopped me. And she’s not just some
girl. You know she’s not.”
“Certainly not. She almost tore this place apart in her
sleep. She’s completely out of control, and bound to be more
dangerous than useful. Your visions alone are not enough to
justify putting all of the Rez in jeopardy.”
Adrien’s mother sighed. “Ever since the fi rst vision when
you started talking about this girl nonstop, your judgment
has been off . Your teenage hormones and overactive imagi-
nation have made you obsessed. You’re inventing reasons
why she should be important! She is not the princess locked
away in the fortress and you are not some hero who’s going
to save her.”
“ Stop it!” Adrien yelled. “I can’t believe you’re saying this.
The Rez believes me about her. I’m not a shuntin’ kid any-
more, and I know the diff erence between visions and fantasy.
I know what I saw was real.”
There was a harsh laugh in response. “Okay, you’re not a
child? Then stop acting like one. If I hadn’t had the epi on
94
G L I TC H
hand, she would have died. Do you realize that? Then where
would your visions have been?”
I let out a loud groan. Like I’d hoped, they quieted and
after the sound of chairs scraping on a wood fl oor, I felt the
cool touch of Adrien’s hand on top of mine.
“Zoe, you awake?”
I nodded my head infi nitesimally, then cracked my eyes
open. I saw the blurry outline of his head. He pushed back
some hair that had fallen in my face. His cool hand was
soothing. My whole face felt stiff and a little swollen, like I
was wearing someone else’s skin.
“Wh- wha happen?” I asked, my voice raspy. My lips were
too big and my mouth tasted funny.
“Here, drink some water if you can.” Adrien lifted a glass
to my lips. I sipped slowly.
“You had a severe allergic reaction,” he said. “Probably to
the pollen or something, we don’t know yet.” He swallowed
hard, his jaw working as he leaned down closer. “I’m so sorry,
Zoe.”
“You couldn’t have known,” I managed. My mouth felt a
little better after I sipped the water. I lifted a shaky hand and
took the glass from him to drink some more.
“Still.” He shook his head and looked angry at himself.
I took another sip and was fi nally able to open my eyes all
the way and take in my surroundings. We were in a small
room but it didn’t feel cramped. It was dark, with stained
wooden walls, and there weren’t any windows but I was
pretty sure we were underground. The air smelled diff erent.
95
Heather Anastasiu
Cooler, less moist. I was lying on a worn couch with a faded
fl ower design. A few pillows had been put under my back
and head to prop me up.
I was wearing fresh gray clothes too and my hair was
clean, but everything else in the room was in complete
disarray. Overturned stuff ed chairs, pillows tossed about. A
table was overturned in the middle of the fl oor, a chipped
leg pointing straight up. A mug lay next to it, broken and
resting in a dark wet puddle. I had never seen anything that
wasn’t orderly and perfectly or ga nized. This was complete
chaos. Then I remembered what I had overheard a moment
before.
“Did . . . did I do this?” I asked, pointing around the room.
Adrien smiled, looking almost proud. “It was impressive.
I’ve never seen anything like it. A little like being inside a
tornado. Seriously, the other Gifteds are going to be amazed
when they meet you.” He paused when he noticed the look
on my face. “Don’t worry about it. Really. Nothing was
damaged, and it’s all just junk anyway.”
Adrien
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