by Cody Wagner
“Until Jimmy,” I said.
Wolcott nodded. “Until Jimmy. The minute he arrived, everything changed. It’s like he and the Siren were somehow connected.”
“Fate?” Roze said.
“I don’t know. The Siren may have started . . . whatever it is she’s doing . . . before Jimmy came, and we just didn’t know. Either way, after his arrival, we learned people were actually under control. To say it was a shock would be an understatement. We were all thrown from the frying pan into the fire.” He stood and walked around his desk. “We’ve been fumbling our way through it since then, learning as we go. There’s a massive difference between training and reality. Especially with this.” He shook his head and leaned against the desk. “Naturally, mistakes have been made.”
“What about the government?” Roze said.
“Cassie caught everyone off guard,” Wolcott said. “How do you deal with a real-life myth on the loose? Since it had been so long—and because Sirens were supposedly kept under lock-and-key—we all thought we were safe. I bet no one higher up has had any real experience with a Siren out in the world.”
I sat for a minute, processing the information. Here I thought the school had all the answers. And, while they did know a lot more than me, they were newbies at all of this. It explained so much: they were learning how to deal with this just as we were. Of course, they had tons of backing. That gave them power, which also explained how Jimmy’s death was so easily covered up.
“Why Sanctuary?” Roze said.
I sat up and looked at Principal Wolcott. It was the question Roze and I had asked each other hundreds of times over the past two years.
Wolcott folded his hands across his lap. His voice suddenly sounded teacherly as he said, “Sanctuary was founded in 1947, after a Siren rose to prominence. We were originally an all boy’s military school. The public didn’t know its students were gay. It was set up in secret, to create an army to fight Sirens, if the need ever arose. An army that couldn’t be controlled by her.” He straightened, rising a couple inches. “Since then, Sanctuary has expanded. What started as a military directive turned into a social one. We have the opportunity to provide something really special to individuals in need. However, at its core, the school is still funded by the military. And many of our male students are recruited, just in case a Siren ever emerges, and we need an immune army.”
I stared at him, thinking about Luke. We’d already suspected this, but I said, “So that’s what happens when you can’t get parents to accept their kids. The graduates join this special army.”
Wolcott nodded, and seeing Roze’s jaw tighten, added, “Rest assured, female students are welcome to enlist as well. And straight women, being immune, are also being transferred.”
When Roze visibly relaxed, he continued. “You can see why Sanctuary is a target. We are the bottom rung of the resistance against the Siren. It looks like she wants to start here and work her way up. Given the school’s controversial existence, it’s also the easiest course of action.”
Roze nodded. “Without an immune army, she’ll be harder to stop.”
“And we aren’t just talking about a fighting army,” Wolcott said. “Fort A.E.R.O. includes engineers, strategists, and so on.”
It made total sense. We needed an entire group of people immune to Cassie. One important person—under control—could wreak havoc. We’d already seen that with Senator Joseph. A prominent army official could cause even more damage. I suddenly wondered how many top-ranking officials had graduated from Sanctuary.
That got me thinking about Sanctuary’s history, and something about the year 1947 rang a bell in my head. I stared off at nothing for a minute when it hit me, and I gasped. “Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a Siren.”
Wolcott looked at me, stunned. “How did you know?”
I turned to Roze. “Cassie gave me a whole speech last year about Eleanor Roosevelt. She insinuated Roosevelt was a Siren.”
I couldn’t believe it. Cassie knew something that dated back decades. How?
“It’s true,” Wolcott said. “In fact, Eleanor Roosevelt founded Sanctuary.”
Roze leaned forward. “A Siren created Sanctuary?”
Wolcott nodded. “She was a good woman. She saw the need for protection.”
“Protection from herself?”
“Yes,” Wolcott said. “She knew the destruction a Siren could cause.”
I thought about this, when something Wolcott said earlier sank in. “What proof did they show you? That a Siren existed?”
Wolcott looked at me a good five seconds before saying, “Most people are shown a video of a Siren demonstrating her powers. But I actually met one.”
His sad eyes told me everything I needed to know. “You met Cassie’s mom.”
He stared at me. “Yes. I believe so.”
Roze stood up, agitated. “So why didn’t you know about Cassie?”
Wolcott gently motioned for her to sit down, and after a second, she did. Then he said, “We knew that Ellen, Cassie’s mother, had a child. But we thought they both died.”
“How?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Wolcott said. “When we met Ellen, Cassie was two. I only saw them the one time. We got a message four years later saying they had died.” He shrugged. “I didn’t have a reason to question it.”
I put my head in my hands. What had happened back then? Did Cassie actually watch her mother die? Despite my terrible relationship with my mom, I couldn’t have imagined seeing her death. It would have destroyed me.
That event must have sent Cassie’s life spiraling to where it was now. At the core of it, Cassie wanted revenge, even though she’d never admit it.
“Wait,” Roze said. “You met Ellen seventeen years ago? And she already had a daughter?”
Wolcott nodded. “I know where you’re going with this.”
“I don’t,” I said.
Roze looked at me. “Cassie was two years old at the time. That means she’d be—”
“Nineteen now.” I stood. “She’s nineteen?”
“How do we know for sure it’s her?” Roze said. “That it’s the same person?”
I sat back down. “It’s Cassie for sure. Before she left, she said her mother was imprisoned her entire life. It had to be Ellen.” I turned to Wolcott. “Cassie said the government killed her mother. Is that true?”
He sat on the desk. “I don’t know. Given her power, I doubt they’d want her dead.”
So the government wanted her around in case they needed a weapon. That made sense, but I didn’t feel any better. Lowering my voice, I said, “Did they keep her imprisoned?”
“Actually, she volunteered.”
My initial thinking had been right. Cassie was too young to understand her mother volunteering for a life of imprisonment. No child could understand that. Of course she’d think her mom was a slave. And she’d think the government was responsible for everything bad that had happened since.
Still, I found myself asking, “But if she hadn’t volunteered?”
“She would have had no choice.” Wolcott stood again. “I know it’s not the best situation. But the world can’t risk a Siren on the loose. Look what Cassie has already done, and she’s just a teenager.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. On one hand, I understood what he was saying. Someone with that much power couldn’t be left alone. This wasn’t the X-Men universe, with tons of superheroes balancing each other out. This was the real world, that just happened to have a Siren. On the other hand, wasn’t Cassie this way because of what her mother had gone through? And because of what she, Cassie, would have been subjected to had the government known about her? The thought of spending my entire childhood in a government cell made me shiver.
I was almost too scared to ask, but I looked at Wolcott. “What happens to me? Am I a prisoner now?”
Wolcott approached me. “I hope you volunteer.”
Roze leapt out of her chair to protest the l
oss of my freedom. Before she could do anything, though, Wolcott said, “Please. Let me explain.”
Roze crossed her arms.
Wolcott looked at us with pure earnestness. “I think, unless things got really dire, Blaize could live as he chooses.”
“Really?” Roze sat but her voice was skeptical.
Wolcott squatted down to our level. “Like the Siren, Blaize possesses a special ability. But think about this: If Blaize were left to his own devices, what harm could he cause?”
I thought about it for a second. “Nothing.”
“Exactly. Other than pointing out people who are under control, there’s nothing you can do. Your gift is useless without a Siren. Therefore, if you pushed hard enough, you might be able to leave.”
“What’s the ‘but’ here?” I said, knowing he wasn’t done.
“But,” Wolcott said, “is that really what you want?”
Running my fingers through my hair, I thought about the situation. Wolcott was right. Camera crews would arrive any minute. As would homophobic families, here to haul away destroyed students. Hundreds of lives would be ruined just tonight. And it was only the beginning. None of us grasped Cassie’s ultimate plan, but it couldn’t have been good.
I looked up and told him what I already knew. “The government can have me.”
Roze came and stood behind me. “Me too.”
Wolcott smiled. “That’s very noble of you, Roze. And we’re grateful for your help.”
I ran my feet across the carpet. “So what happens now?”
Wolcott started pacing again. “First, you go into hiding.”
I suspected that was coming. Now that Cassie knew about me, my life was in danger. I needed protection. On top of that, I’m sure the government, or whoever, needed time to come up with a game plan, which likely meant questioning me for weeks.
Trying to sound braver than I felt, I said, “Where?”
Wolcott stopped. “Fort A.E.R.O. You too, Roze. We’ll clear it with your parents.”
Suddenly, he gave me his penetrating look. “I have to tell you, Blaize, that anyone close to you will have to come, too. For their own protection.”
The implications of this hit, and I held my hands out, pleading. “My family!? No! Please!”
He gave me a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry.”
Now it was my turn to get up and pace. My parents were going to live with me on an army base? An army base full of gay soldiers?! I’m sure the guys at the base were out of the closet. How were my parents going to deal with that?
“I don’t know about this.”
“I’m sorry.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “But I’m sure you understand.”
I began walking around the office, trying to psyche myself up. That’s when Molly popped into my head. Cassie knew how close we were. If Cassie would use Roze—someone she cared dearly for—what was to stop her from doing something to Molly? My pace slowed, and I remembered she’d already controlled my dad. Thinking of that image of him, glowing purple, I nodded at Wolcott.
Wolcott nodded back and gave me a tiny smile. “For his safety, Timothy Howeth will have to spend some time there, too.”
I flew to Wolcott. “WHAT!?”
He stepped back, surprised. “I thought that would be good news, considering the pictures. You clearly like him.”
I had no idea what to say. Now was not the time to go into our history, but neither Wolcott nor Roze knew how hard this news hit me. Sure, I understood the need to protect Timothy, especially since Cassie knew. But what if his boyfriend came to visit? Hell, how would Timothy respond when he found out he was forced to live at an army base because of me? I’d wanted a reason to spend time with Timothy, but this definitely wasn’t it.
Wolcott looked down at the carpet. “Apparently, I was mistaken about your feelings. My apologies. But he will have to come. Being bisexual, he may be in further danger.”
I stared at Wolcott. Timothy never said he was bi. Of course, that didn’t matter, so why should he have brought it up? However, it did make him a target. Cassie might be able to control him if he was attracted to girls. The fact I had feelings for him put a giant neon bullseye right on his chest.
For a second, I wondered how attracted to women someone had to be in order to be controlled. I pushed the thought aside, realizing I’d never know the answer, and I was just ignoring my feelings. The bottom line was seeing Timothy might hurt. But that didn’t matter. His life mattered.
I shook my hands out. “It’s fine. I’m just being stupid.”
Suddenly, a bell started ringing.
“They’re here,” Wolcott said.
“It’s starting.” Roze looked at me, her eyes wide.
I went over and locked my arm in hers.
Wolcott smiled at our unity then walked to the door. “Please excuse me. I have a lot to do.”
“Can we help?” I asked.
Wolcott shook his head. “No, we need you safe at Fort A.E.R.O. An escort is on the way, if you’ll join me in the lobby.”
For a second, I imagined the situation Wolcott was in. Unlike the previous inspection, there was no hope here. The school was going down, at least for now. And the staff would bear the brunt of the backlash. Despite all that, Wolcott would do everything he could for the students. We meant everything to him.
Without thinking, I ran to Wolcott and hugged him like he’d hugged me earlier. Roze joined us.
When we separated, Wolcott kept his face proud, but I could tell he hurt. He stepped back, closed his eyes for a second, and then gave us a reassuring smile. “It’s been a pleasure. Truly.”
At that, we headed to the reception area.
“The vehicle should be out back shortly,” the receptionist said.
Wolcott thanked her and made his way to the front door. Just before opening it, he turned back. “I will see you at A.E.R.O. soon.”
“Give ‘em hell,” Roze said.
“For Jimmy,” I added.
“For Jimmy,” Wolcott said, his professional face appearing as he exited.
Roze and I stood for a few minutes. Her expression kept changing between sad and stony, and I realized this was her first moment alone, her first moment to feel what had happened. After Cassie left, I had some time to process, but Roze hadn’t. Her mind must have been a whirlpool of emotions.
“Are you OK?” I asked, after watching the second hand on a nearby clock circle twice.
Roze nodded. Then she shook her head. Then she nodded again. Suddenly, she turned and walked toward the back door, away from the receptionist.
I waited a few seconds then joined her. However, I stayed a couple feet back, giving her some semblance of privacy. It was like me and Cassie, talking under our bed sheet cocoons.
Finally, Roze said, “Did you know Cassie and I went on a date? Earlier this year?”
She kept her back to me, so I stayed put and simply replied, “No.”
“It was months ago, when you were in rehearsals for that play.” She let out a sad breath, pulled a paper clip from her pocket, and began untwisting it. “Just before our dinner date, Cassie went to the cafeteria and arranged a plate for me. She used toothpicks to make a tater tot pyramid. Then, she did a cool design on them with ketchup. It looked like a professional chef’s creation.”
Part of me wanted to smile, but the idea almost felt repulsive. I couldn’t let that side of Cassie affect me anymore.
Roze bent the paper clip in half. “Then, we took a walk around campus. I brought a book of gay Mad Libs I’d ordered, and we did those for a while.” After a brief pause, Roze added, “She kept using gigantic adjectives like ‘arcadian’ and ‘garrulous.’”
“Sounds like my mom,” I said, trying to imagine anyone other than Cassie doing something endearing.
Roze yanked on the paper clip. “It was a great night.”
I took a step toward her. “You just had the one date?”
“Yeah, well, she put up a wall after that.” Roze t
ook a few more breaths, each getting heavier than the last. I knew she was about to cry. “I guess I know why now.”
Not wanting to invade her space, I hovered my hand inches from Roze’s back, willing good thoughts to her.
“I want to hate her,” she said, wiping her face. “I meant nothing to her.”
I watched her run the paper clip over her arm, as I debated how to respond. “I can’t tell you why right now,” I said slowly. “But you meant everything to her. I promise. She just . . . had issues we don’t understand.”
I was referring to what had happened in our room today. Sure, Cassie had done something terrible. But she never put Roze in any real danger. She could have. Roze could be dead right now. Also, I saw the way Cassie looked at Roze before she left. Despite everything, I believed Cassie loved Roze.
However, there was no way Roze would see that right now.
She put the paper clip back into her pocket. “Looking back, I remember she wouldn’t let me eat her tater tot art. She said one tater tot couldn’t bring down a whole pyramid.”
I totally understood. Roze was noticing the other side of Cassie, just like I had. Like me, Roze was trying to process what was true about Cassie and what was a lie.
Roze turned and looked at me. We didn’t have to speak to know what the other was thinking: Hunting down our best friend would be the most horrible mission imaginable. But it had to be done. And by us. This was too personal; no one else could understand. We had to be the ones to find Cassie. And when we did, I knew my chest would cave in on itself. So would Roze’s. But we would make things right. Somehow.
Roze tightened her lips, fighting back more tears. In that moment, I realized her heart had been broken today. I put my arm through hers and she laid her head on my shoulder.
We stayed like that until a tall man in an army uniform entered. After talking to the receptionist, he approached us and said our vehicle was waiting.
It was time to accept our duties.
Roze and I let go of each other. Like a different person, she walked outside proudly, with her shoulders back. I joined her, stepping out into the warm air.
An army jeep sat in the teacher’s lot. Soldiers, standing around it, saluted when they saw us. I knew what that meant: Blaize Trales was officially government property. As of this moment, my life would change forever.
