don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to think. All I know is that I’m in trouble, maybe even we ’ re in trouble, yet all I can think about is the way he just said my name. Ari. Not with menace or sarcasm or jealousy, like I’m used to from everyone—including him, the few times we’ve faced each other at school. He says it like I’m more than just a girl who everyone recognizes but no one sees.
He looks back down at me. “Close your eyes,” he whispers. “We have to finish the Taking.”
I hesitate, not wanting to be so vulnerable, but eventually close my eyes. What choice do I have? Seconds tick by, then minutes. The heat returns. He’s over me again. Then a soft tap sounds against the window.
Jackson lowers himself off the bed. I want to steal a peek, but fear forces me to stay still, eyes shut tight.
A conversation starts low, too low for me to hear. Sort of like a fly buzzing close to your ear. I ache to move closer, to hear what they’re saying. Jackson’s tone hardens.
“No,” he says. “Same as usual. I’m done. Let’s head back.”
Another buzzing.
“She can’t move,” he says, which would be true if I were wearing the patch. But I’m not, which he knows. He’s protecting me.
Buzzing.
“Yes, it’s fine. I’m sure.”
Why is he protecting me? Hosts are assigned. He has known me most of my life. The revelation sends my mind into turbo mode. He knew me all along yet has never given me a moment’s notice in school. Do the Engineers know? Does Dad know?
My mind continues to contemplate everything I’ve always known and everything I’ve never guessed, until the sweet smell of his skin evaporates. The window slides open and clicks closed.
He’s gone.
Everything that just happened is swarming my thoughts at once, but one thought rises above all the others…
I’m not sure I can wait until tomorrow night to find out what’s going on.
CHAPTER 2
“Ari!”
I jerk up in bed, my eyes darting around for Jackson before I remember that he already left. I yank off the covers. What time is it? Time, time, come on, where are you? I stumble through the darkness until I find my alarm clock, which is facedown on the floor. 5:10. I spin around, cursing myself for not setting out training clothes last night.
I’m almost to my closet when my bedroom door slides open and my dad storms in. He’s so tall his head barely clears the doorframe. As usual, he looks as though he wakes already dressed for the day—gelled dark brown hair, smooth shave—except that instead of his usual black collared shirt and slacks, he has on his training clothes. Uh oh. Since Dad is too rigid to be normal, he fully dresses for the day when he works in his home office during the hour before our training. The fact that he’s already changed means I’m even later than I thought.
“Do you see the time?” he asks. “I expected you downstairs ten minutes ago. You know my schedule. I—”
“I know, I know, I’m sorry. My alarm didn’t go off. I’m almost ready. Give me five minutes.” I fumble with my closet keypad, entering the code wrong three times before I get it right.
Dad crosses his arms, oozing disappointment and annoyance. Heat rises on my neck and my palms grow clammy, like my body can’t decide whether to be angry or embarrassed. “Fine, you have five minutes,” he says. “But I expect you to take this seriously.” He reaches for my nightstand. “I’ll log your patch—”
“No!” I race to the nightstand and slam the drawer before he can pull out my patch case. The case that, once placed in our reader, will show my patch missing. I don’t think the Ancients require executions anymore, but memory serum sucks. Every kid has been given it for accidentally forgetting the patch or not putting it on correctly…and none of us ever wants to get it again. No memories for twenty-four hours. A whole day gone, and that’s precautionary. The whole thing leaves you feeling violated.
Dad
He looks back down at me. “Close your eyes,” he whispers. “We have to finish the Taking.”
I hesitate, not wanting to be so vulnerable, but eventually close my eyes. What choice do I have? Seconds tick by, then minutes. The heat returns. He’s over me again. Then a soft tap sounds against the window.
Jackson lowers himself off the bed. I want to steal a peek, but fear forces me to stay still, eyes shut tight.
A conversation starts low, too low for me to hear. Sort of like a fly buzzing close to your ear. I ache to move closer, to hear what they’re saying. Jackson’s tone hardens.
“No,” he says. “Same as usual. I’m done. Let’s head back.”
Another buzzing.
“She can’t move,” he says, which would be true if I were wearing the patch. But I’m not, which he knows. He’s protecting me.
Buzzing.
“Yes, it’s fine. I’m sure.”
Why is he protecting me? Hosts are assigned. He has known me most of my life. The revelation sends my mind into turbo mode. He knew me all along yet has never given me a moment’s notice in school. Do the Engineers know? Does Dad know?
My mind continues to contemplate everything I’ve always known and everything I’ve never guessed, until the sweet smell of his skin evaporates. The window slides open and clicks closed.
He’s gone.
Everything that just happened is swarming my thoughts at once, but one thought rises above all the others…
I’m not sure I can wait until tomorrow night to find out what’s going on.
CHAPTER 2
“Ari!”
I jerk up in bed, my eyes darting around for Jackson before I remember that he already left. I yank off the covers. What time is it? Time, time, come on, where are you? I stumble through the darkness until I find my alarm clock, which is facedown on the floor. 5:10. I spin around, cursing myself for not setting out training clothes last night.
I’m almost to my closet when my bedroom door slides open and my dad storms in. He’s so tall his head barely clears the doorframe. As usual, he looks as though he wakes already dressed for the day—gelled dark brown hair, smooth shave—except that instead of his usual black collared shirt and slacks, he has on his training clothes. Uh oh. Since Dad is too rigid to be normal, he fully dresses for the day when he works in his home office during the hour before our training. The fact that he’s already changed means I’m even later than I thought.
“Do you see the time?” he asks. “I expected you downstairs ten minutes ago. You know my schedule. I—”
“I know, I know, I’m sorry. My alarm didn’t go off. I’m almost ready. Give me five minutes.” I fumble with my closet keypad, entering the code wrong three times before I get it right.
Dad crosses his arms, oozing disappointment and annoyance. Heat rises on my neck and my palms grow clammy, like my body can’t decide whether to be angry or embarrassed. “Fine, you have five minutes,” he says. “But I expect you to take this seriously.” He reaches for my nightstand. “I’ll log your patch—”
“No!” I race to the nightstand and slam the drawer before he can pull out my patch case. The case that, once placed in our reader, will show my patch missing. I don’t think the Ancients require executions anymore, but memory serum sucks. Every kid has been given it for accidentally forgetting the patch or not putting it on correctly…and none of us ever wants to get it again. No memories for twenty-four hours. A whole day gone, and that’s precautionary. The whole thing leaves you feeling violated.
Dad
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