Taken Read Free Page B

not the Council’s?”
    Her eyebrows are furrowed and she holds her hands on her hips. I’ve never seen her look quite so angry.
    “Forget it then, Emma, okay? I was only asking. No one’s twisting your wrist.”
    I slump farther into the bed, exhausted. Emma leans over me, her wide eyes focused on my jaw. The needle approaches my skin, but there is no pain. It is just her, stitching me together as though I am a quilt, and then darkness, as I fall asleep.

THREE
    WHEN I COME TO, MY head is foggy. I touch my jaw and find delicate stitches sewn into my skin. The Clinic is empty except for Emma, who is tearing old clothes into bandage-sized strips by candlelight. I’ve slept through the entire afternoon, through dinner, through—I sit up, panicked.
    “Did I miss it?”
    Emma jumps. “Gray, you scared me half to death,” she says, clutching her chest.
    “Did I miss it?” I repeat. “Blaine’s ceremony? The Heist? Is it over?”
    “No, it’s still under way. But you needed rest. I think you had a mild infection, and after the treatment we let you sleep. They started without you.”
    “Well, I’m fine now,” I say, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. I try to stand, but my vision ripples. Emma is beside me quickly, pulling my arm over her shoulders and wrapping her free hand about my waist. It takes a moment, but I feel strong with her at my side.
    “I have to be there, Emma,” I say, turning toward her. She’s closer than I anticipate and her eyelashes nearly brush my chin. “Please? Help me get there?”
    Her eyebrows rise slightly, as if she is surprised by my obvious desire to attend the ceremony. Of course I have to be there. This is the last of the lasts, the final good-bye. Emma waits for me to find my balance before leading me from the building.
    It is dark outside, and late. Blaine’s birthday is moments away. In the glow of the moonlight I can see the schoolhouse ahead. It’s fairly large, even if it doesn’t look it, broken down into three rooms. I used to spend my mornings there, scribbling on parchment with ink and reading from scrolls, all while leaning on a desk that wobbled if you applied too much pressure to its right side. It always made my script unclean. I got poor marks in writing because of the sloppiness, especially when compared to Blaine, but what did it matter? Having neat writing doesn’t protect you from the Heist.
    We are slow at first, the ground seeming to swim beneath me. The farther we walk, the stronger and more confident I become, but it’s so nice having Emma beside me that I don’t admit when I can continue alone.
    In the town center, the ceremony bonfire burns brightly, illuminating the Council Bell, which is used to call meetings to order. Blaine stands beside it, receiving the individuals who line up to say their good-byes. He looks untouched by the entire affair, no fear or worry creeping into his eyes or escaping from his body in a nervous twitch. Kale lies on a mat beside him, her eyes closed in a peaceful sleep. She’s still too young to understand what’s going on. To her, it’s merely a fun party and the excitement has worn her out.
    Emma removes my arm from behind her neck. “Will you be all right?” she asks. She smiles at me painfully and I know she’s referring to the fact that I’m about to lose Blaine, not my injury. I feel like I should say something, but my mouth is dry.
    “Come on,” she says. “Let’s get in line.”
    The entire town is present, women, as always, far outnumbering the men. Children who do not yet understand what they are witnessing run around the bonfire, yelping and playing joyfully. Everyone else exchanges forlorn looks, including the Council Heads. The Danner sisters whisper to each other, standing so close they nearly bleed into one person, while Clara and Stellamay fidget anxiously in the receiving line. The only calm Head—the only person unfazed—is Maude Chilton. She leans on her knotted cane and stares