The Marked

by Inara Scott

The bandanna across his forehead held the hair back from his face, and his steel gray eyes glinted in the predawn light. He looked different from the way I remembered. He’d always reminded me of a wolf—coiled energy in every inch of his lanky frame—but before, this had been tempered by his youth. Now the sense of vulnerability was gone. In the short time since I’d seen him, his shoulders had gotten broader, his chest thicker, his face harder. Jack had turned into a man.

  When he spoke, the ice in his voice made me shiver. “You should have come with me.”

  “What are they going to do with him?” I whispered.

  “Hard to say. They plan on using him for leverage. But you heard Thaddeus. He’s pretty pissed. Cam killed one of his best friends, you know.”

  An image of a face I’d seen on TV flashed before me. The one that could make sounds and destroy eardrums. Charles Scholz.

  I eased my weight onto my sore leg. It hurt, but seemed able to bear the pressure. “Cam didn’t kill anyone,” I said.

  “He led them there. Just because he didn’t pull the trigger doesn’t mean he’s not responsible.”

  “Is that why you messed with those paintballs? Because you were hoping he’d get killed?”

  “It was a good way to do some damage without getting in the news.”

  I walked a few paces, subtly stretching my ankle. I had little hope of convincing Jack to help me, but I had to try. And I had to be prepared to run if I failed. “I could have died, Jack, if I hadn’t had my goggles on. Alisha had serious internal injuries. Not to mention that you flipped our car over when you ran us off the road. It was only luck that kept you from killing someone. You don’t have a problem with that?”

  For a moment, the casual mask he’d been wearing slipped, and a shadow of regret passed over his features. “You weren’t supposed to be there. They told me it was the juniors that did those games.”

  “I’m training with them. You have to know whatever you do can come back and hurt me. And even if it didn’t, it’s still wrong. You’re playing with people’s lives, Jack. Killing people. Innocent people.”

  He shrugged. “We’re going to destroy the Program, one way or another. If we take out a few people along the way, so be it.”

  “That’s it? All you’re about now is hate?’

  “I’m about getting even,” Jack said. “I’m about getting my share. You talk about peace and doing good, but it’s only for some people. Not me. It’s never been for me.”

  I felt sick. The boy I knew had become something twisted and evil. Or maybe it had always been inside him, waiting for the right time to emerge. “You’re going to have to kill me, then.”

  Jack reached toward me. “It doesn’t have to be like this. You can still come with me. You’ll be safe, I swear.”

  “I’m safe now. At least I should be.” The cold and damp of the ground seeped into my bare feet, and I shivered.

  Jack dropped his arm, his expression hardening. “None of you are safe. Your own people aren’t even loyal. How do you think we knew where to find you?”

  I gaped at him, scarcely able to process what he was saying. “What do you mean? You followed us here. It isn’t like we were hiding.”

  He laughed. “Come on, Danny. You haven’t figured it out yet? How we know when you’re having a party or playing a stupid paintball game?”

  My whole body quivered when I realized exactly what he meant. “Someone’s been giving you information. Someone inside Delcroix.” I thought I might fall to my knees with the weight of it.

  “Apparently.” Jack shrugged and smiled that little smile I suddenly hated with all my being. “We know better than to trust our informer. Half the time we’re being set up, the other half we’re given the keys to the castle. It’s all a game. But it’s a game we’re determined to win.”

  “They let you in? During Initiation?”

  “Let’s just say the guard wasn’t at his post.”

  “I’ll kill him,” I whispered. I pictured black hair with wings of white, and blue eyes that made you think of the sea. “I’ll kill him myself.”

  “It’s not worth it,” Jack said. “There’s probably a hundred more behind him. You can’t trust them. Any of them.”

  “No.”

  “Come with me.” Jack’s voice was low, seductive. “They’re moving me up, Danny. I’m going to meet with Gregori after we pull this off. He wants me to train with his people in D.C. He just needed me to prove that I’m ready.”

  Gregori. The D.C. cell. The last few pieces fell into place, and I knew Jack was lost.

  Meanwhile, every minute we talked, Cam was being forcibly moved farther away.

  “I’m sorry, Jack, but I am not coming with you. I’m with the Program. Forever.”

  I had a strange feeling Grandma was watching me, nodding calmly. I was ready to fight. It all seemed so simple now. They weren’t the Program—not Mr. Judan, nor the Watchers, nor the Governing Council. I was the Program. Me, and Esther and Hennie, Cam and Trevor, Barrett and his dad. We were the Program, and I wasn’t going to let some cancer inside it take over, any more than I was going to let the Irin and its hatred decide what the world would become.

  Jack didn’t hide his disappointment. “Then we’re on opposite sides. I can’t be responsible for what happens next.”

  “Jack, don’t let them hurt Cam.” I almost reached out to touch him, but his eyes were so dark with hatred I pulled back. “He let you go. He saved your life. Don’t you remember?”

  “Thad would have been happy killing him right from the start. I convinced him that Cam’s worth more alive than dead. Consider that my repayment.”

  “You’re better than this.” I shook off the fear that washed over me at hearing his casual statement. “I know you are.”

  He shrugged. “Judan made me. It’s time for him to live with the consequences.”

  He turned and ran after the rest of the Irin.

  IT TOOK me a moment to clear my head. Then I started after him. Jack must have been working out. He’d never been much of a runner before, but now he easily outpaced me. I struggled to stay close enough to hear him moving through the woods. I wished I could have kept flying, but the few seconds in the air had left me exhausted. Pushing someone else into space was hard enough; launching myself seemed to require twice that amount of energy. If I wanted to use my power to help save Cam, I couldn’t waste any more strength trying to fly.

  Luckily, the whole trail wasn’t much more than half a mile long. It wound around the side of the island through madrona trees and stunted pines, then turned north and cut across to the harbor on the other side.

  Pine needles and sticks poked the soles of my feet, but the short run sent welcome heat into my body. I stopped running when the trail allowed the first full view of the harbor. The sky had begun to lighten, and bands of pink clouds spread across the horizon. The trail was on top of a steep bluff, giving a bird’s-eye view of the water below. I caught my breath when I saw four people step onto a dock that stretched into the sheltered cove. I couldn’t see their faces, but one of them was carrying someone’s limp body over his shoulder. They headed straight for a speedboat tied to the dock.

  From my vantage point, I wasn’t able to see the rest of the group, but I figured they’d been left on the shore. All I could think was that if Cam got on that boat, I’d never get him back.

  Reaching out with my mind, I pushed on the back of the boat with all my strength. It tipped slightly, but not as much as I’d hoped. I had spent all my time practicing on people and branches; moving a boat was an entirely different kind of task.

  I tried again, and this time water sloshed over the back deck. I heard one of the figures swear, and then Thaddeus’s voice rang out. “She’s going to swamp the engine. Find her and keep her away. Do whatever you have to do.”

  I threw all my power at the back end of that boat and watched it lurch like a toy in a bathtub. A foot of water rolled over the deck, and one of the lines holding the boat grew
taut, then snapped. The boat rocked violently, and the wake sent a foot-high wave over the dock, knocking one of the Irin off his feet.

  There were grunts and panting as people ran up the hill from the harbor. I didn’t know what “do whatever you have to do” meant, but I didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out. Praying I’d done enough damage to their boat at least to slow their progress, I headed back to camp.

  The voices behind me faded as I ran. It was only a couple of minutes more before the path opened up into the clearing where we’d made camp. I stopped for a moment, realizing I had no idea whom to turn to next. I didn’t trust any of the teachers—I knew they were all scared of Mr. Judan, and I no longer had any idea whether he’d want to save Cam or not.

  There was only one person who I believed would be absolutely loyal to Cam. I headed for Trevor’s tent, shaking it by the poles until I heard a muffled exclamation.

  “Get up,” I whispered intently. “It’s the Irin. Jack’s with them. They’ve got Cam.”

  The tent was unzipped a moment later, and Trevor’s face emerged, with no hint that he’d been awakened from a deep sleep. “When? Where?”

  “Just now. They have a boat on the other side of the island, in the harbor. Some of them may be following me.”

  “You left them in their boat?”

  “I swamped it as best I could. I don’t know if it’s out of commission, but they’ll at least have to bail it out a little.”

  Trevor nodded sharply. “How many of them are there?”

  “There were four on the dock,” I said. “But there were more than that at Cam’s tent. Maybe ten all together. I knocked out a few, but they may have recovered—”

  Trevor was out of the tent and moving before I finished my sentence. We approached Mr. Judan’s large gray tent, but before we could reach it, the ground underneath us shifted. I stumbled and tried to regain my balance, but fell to my knees when the earth moved again.

  There was a loud rumble, like thunder, but deeper and farther away, almost like a groan coming from below the earth. Everything was still, and then the groan came again, louder this time, and the ground beneath me jolted violently. I landed flat on my stomach, gripping handfuls of grass. Around me I heard trees crack and fall. Fissures appeared in the ground, spreading like tiny fingers through the soil.

  Screams began as trees started falling, and the shaking continued. Was it thirty seconds? A minute? I had no idea, but as soon as it stopped, I lurched unsteadily to my feet.

  Did the Irin have the power to cause an earthquake?

  It seemed hard to believe, but then again, nothing seemed impossible anymore. I scanned the area and was horrified to see two trees lying across some of our tents. Though all I wanted to do was run back to Cam, I paused long enough to lift the trees off the tents and lay them down elsewhere. It would raise questions, but I couldn’t imagine leaving people trapped underneath.

  Mr. Judan was out of his tent by the time we got there. “What happened?” he demanded. “Did you do this?”

  My eyes widened. “No way!” I paused to take a breath. I was shaking; adrenaline and terror ran through me in equal measure. “It might have been the Irin. There’s a group of them on the island. We fought, but they took Cam.”

  “Is he alive?”

  The matter-of-fact way he said this gave me pause. I’d known it before, really, but now it all came together: Mr. Alterir’s strange comments; the Irin being set up in D.C.; Jack’s warning. I couldn’t escape it anymore. The truth was staring right at me.

  I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat and tried to bury the hatred deep enough that he wouldn’t see it. “They knocked him out, but Jack said they were planning to keep him alive—to use him as leverage. I don’t know what for, though.”

  “The books,” Mr. Judan said. “They want our libraries. They want our knowledge and training. It’s the only way they can become strong enough to confront us directly.”

  All around us, people were exiting their tents, silhouetted against the rising sun. There were cries for help from some of the flattened tents.

  “Find Callias,” Mr. Judan said, letting his gaze fall between me and Trevor, on the rest of the camp. “Tell her to call the Council.”

  “And then we go after Cam?” I asked.

  Mr. Judan shook his head. “The Council will have to take care of it. You two need to stay here.”

  I gritted my teeth. He was letting them have Cam. Just like that. “With all due respect, I think—”

  “This isn’t a question,” he said, his voice resonant. “I’m not risking them getting you, too.” He gestured toward the field, where the chaotic situation had only intensified since we’d been talking. “I’ve got other emergencies to deal with. No more arguments.”

  I stole a look at Trevor. His stony expression, with those startling light blue eyes, revealed nothing of his emotions. But he ran his hand hard over his scalp, something I’d seen him do only when he was frustrated or upset. Surely he was as concerned as I—Cam was his best friend, after all. Were we going to turn our backs on him?

  I opened my mouth to protest; as I did, Trevor subtly shifted his weight, placing his toe on my instep. It was a small movement, and I thought it likely that Mr. Judan hadn’t noticed.

  I got the idea and snapped my mouth shut.

  “Of course,” Trevor said smoothly. “We’ll talk to Mrs. Callias.”

  Mr. Judan slipped on his shoes and jogged over to the small tarp we’d set up over the group’s gear.

  Trevor and I turned in the opposite direction. As soon as we were out of earshot, he whispered, “Never argue with Judan. You’ll always lose. And you’ll end up believing he was right in the first place.”

  He darted ahead, and I hurried to catch up with him.

  “Trevor, there’s something I’ve got to tell you,” I began.

  He shook his head. “First, we find Mrs. Callias. Then we talk,” he said.

  Mrs. Callias was herding students into small groups and shouting orders to a few juniors nearby. Crowds had formed near the tents on which the trees had fallen. Cries could still be heard from inside. Everyone was white-faced, milling around nervously.

  “Get out the emergency radio,” she said to Molly. Her face was creased and her eyes puffy; her hair, usually tied at the back of her head in a tight bun, fell in long, unruly waves down her back.

  Molly nodded and ran off. Then Mrs. Callias yelled at David, “You go check on the injured. Start with Claire. I need to know their condition.” After this, she turned to Trevor. “Good timing. You can start counting off to make sure we haven’t lost anyone.”

  “Do you mind walking with us for a minute?” Trevor asked. “We need to share something in private.”

  Mrs. Callias took note of his serious expression. “Must that happen right now?” she asked carefully.

  Trevor nodded.

  Mrs. Callias hugged a clipboard against her narrow chest and followed him to a spot a few feet away.

  “You need to call the Council,” I blurted out before Trevor could speak. “The Irin kidnapped Cam. They may be the ones who set off the earthquake, too. They’re getting away right now!”

  She stared at me blankly. “Kidnapped Cam?”

  “Call the Council,” I said impatiently. “About ten of them, maybe more, took Cam. They’re in a boat headed out from the harbor on the south side of the island. At least, I think they’re headed out. I might have damaged their engine. I’m not sure.”

  “Does Mr. Judan know?”

  “Yes. He said for you to call the Council.”

  She nodded, the fog slowly lifting from her. “Right. My cell doesn’t work here. We’ll have to use the emergency radio as soon as Molly comes back.” She pinned us with a fierce look. “Don’t you dare take off after him.”

  I didn’t pause to wonder how she’d guessed our intentions. “But—”

  “Look around,” she said sternly. “We need you here. Not to mention th
at there could be a tidal wave headed our way. The last thing we want is for you to be following anyone out to sea.”

  Trevor applied his toe to my instep once again, and I tightened my jaw. This was not the way things were supposed to go.

  “Mrs. Callias, can you tell me if anyone’s seen Anna?” Trevor asked.

  “One of the trees caught Claire in the head. Anna’s with her.”

  Trevor stiffened. “Is it serious?”

  “She’s conscious. I sent David over to help.”

  “Dancia!”

  I spun around to find Esther, Hennie, and Catherine running toward me. As much as their hair and figures were distinct from one another’s, their faces were a remarkably similar mix of exhaustion and panic. “Thank goodness,” I exclaimed. “You’re all okay? No one hurt?”

  They nodded, and we shared a brief hug.

  Esther shot Trevor a quick sideways glance.

  Hennie eyed me with concern, taking in the line of dirt around the hem of my pajama pants, and my flushed cheeks. “What about you? You don’t seem right.”

  “Nope, not hurt. I’m fine,” I assured her.

  Someone yelled to Mrs. Callias. She tapped meaningfully on the back of the clipboard as she stared at Trevor and me, then hurried away.

  I looked around the circle, wishing there were some way to ditch Trevor. But he remained there, looming next to me and gazing at the clearing with that wicked stare of his. I thought of what he’d said about Mr. Judan and took a deep breath. He wanted to save Cam, too. And we couldn’t do it alone.

  I mentally filed away my conclusion that Mr. Judan was working with the Irin, and turned to face my friends. “We need your help. It’s an emergency.”

  Trevor’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. It was the first time I’d ever seen him register such a strong emotion. “Dancia, you aren’t going to…”

  I ignored him. “It might be dangerous.”

  “Of course. We’d do anything for you,” Esther said.

  Trevor gave me a warning look that any reasonable person would have heeded.

  But right now I was not reasonable.

  “I have something I need to tell you,” I said. “It’s complicated, and I don’t have much time to explain. You’ll just have to trust me.”