by JA Huss
I don’t think Sullivan even heard him. Because his eyes are trained on Uzi’s grip on my waist. He drags his blazing eyes to mine. Squints.
I don’t know him very well but I think that squint is… something bad.
I push Uzi off me to deescalate the situation and walk over to the kitchen. “Can we just have dinner and talk this out like grown-ups?”
“Pffff,” Uzi says. “You barely count as a grown-up, Sadie.”
“Fuck you,” I say. “And just in case you don’t remember, Cyan and I are twins. We’re the same fucking age.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been at Prodigy for two years. She knows what’s up. You?” he says. “You have no clue what’s happening. And you’re the one who invited this monster into our house.”
I open my mouth to yell at him, but Iziah says, “OK. That’s enough.”
But I’m not done. Not even close. “Whose fault was it that I was left behind?”
I’m talking to Uzi, but I can feel Cyan looking at me.
“We did our best,” Uzi growls. “And I cannot believe you’re taking this asshole’s side over us. It makes me sick thinking of what they did to you while you were there. Just like it makes me sick thinking about what they did to Iziah.”
I don’t know what to say after that. I just want to leave. But I can’t. I’m stuck here. And it sucks that I feel this way about my sister and my friends, but I do.
Something is wrong. Something has happened to the two of them while Iziah and I were still at school. Something very, very bad.
“Hey,” Sullivan says. “I’m willing to tell you almost anything you want to know. About the past, anyway,” he clarifies. His tone is calm now. Like he’s interested in smoothing things over. But we’re linked. I can feel that link right now. It’s a buzz. A feeling of being… occupied. And I like it. And just when I think that, he sends me a message. Just stay calm and let me handle this.
I look at Uzi, since he’s the one who’s supposed to be in my head, not Sullivan. But I haven’t felt a link with him since I kicked him out when I made them take me to Thomas. Sullivan. God, that’s confusing.
There’s been no humming, at least. No electricity. No feeling of occupation or completeness.
He’s not in me, I realize. He’s not in me and this is probably why Cyan is pissed off. They think I’m compromised.
“But let’s eat first,” Sullivan continues. “I feel like I’ve been starved for weeks.”
I smile. Almost laugh. But Iziah sends me a warning look to hold that shit back.
“No hard feelings though, right?”
Iziah squints his eyes at Sullivan. “You sure about that?”
Cyan huffs as she cooks.
“Look,” Sullivan says, walking over to the living area and taking a seat in a chair. “I really appreciate the fact that you got us out of that tunnel.” He looks at Uzi, then Iziah. “And I know I hurt one of you with a mind blast, but I’m not sure which, so I’ll apologize to you both. I’m sorry. I thought you were from Prodigy School. Sadie was out from the gas and couldn’t tell me otherwise.”
“And I didn’t remember, anyway. I was sick, you guys. Sul—” Shit. “Thomas saved me, OK? That’s why I trust him. He saved me. I already told you that Prodigy sent me to kill him. Then my memory got fucked up, or reset, or something, when he did this massive mind blast in the hospital. Whoever that girl was who walked into the hospital with orders to kill wasn’t me. This is me, you guys. I’m back. I’m safe. And all of you helped me get here. All of you,” I repeat, looking at Cyan. “Including Thomas.”
We all just stare at each other for a few seconds.
“So we need to forget the past and focus on the future.”
Cyan and Uzi share a knowing look. This, I decide, is the issue I’m having. They’re up to something. And Iziah and I aren’t in on it.
“Before we go any further,” Uzi says, walking over to a chair across from Sullivan, “I’d just like to know what your intentions are.”
“With?” Sullivan asks, glancing at me.
“Not her, you asshole. With Prodigy.”
Sullivan shrugs. “Kill the fuckers. What else? So they can’t do this again, and again, and again. So they can’t hurt any more kids.”
Uzi thinks this over. The rest of us wait in silence.
“Now let’s hear your intentions,” Sullivan says. And even though Uzi wasn’t asking about me when he asked first, Sullivan is. And all of us pick up on it.
“Sadie and I are a team,” he says, staring Sullivan down. “Just like Iziah and Cyan are a team. So I’m just not sure you fit into our intentions.”
“Fair enough,” Sullivan says. “But you’ve got a problem.”
“Yeah?” Uzi says. “What’s that?”
Sullivan smiles. “You’re not linked to her anymore, my friend. I am.”
I watch Uzi’s reaction very carefully. He doesn’t blink or flinch. He doesn’t scowl or get angry. So he knew.
Of course, he knew. He can feel the emptiness just as much as I could.
“I’d like you to think long and hard before you try to take what’s mine, Alpha.”
My mouth drops. I want to scream at him for that remark. But Sullivan sends me a calming message. Let me handle this.
“I didn’t take anything. It just… happened. I don’t think I’m in charge of Sadie’s link any more than you are. It’s out of my control. But…” Sullivan adds, sending Iziah a sidelong glance. “I’ve got friends who might be able to sort it out. Get your link back, Uzi. But we’d need to go there and figure it out.”
“Who?” Cyan asks.
I look over at her. She’s stopped her cooking and her attention is completely focused on Sullivan now.
“The other Alphas, of course. Lincoln Wade has an asset I think could be helpful.”
All three of them laugh. Even Iziah. Apparently, an invitation to meet more Alphas is his line in the sand.
“No way,” Cyan says.
“Pass,” Iziah says.
But Uzi—who is clearly in the leadership position—remains silent.
“Well?” Sullivan asks. “Do you want her back or not?”
We all hold our breath, waiting for Uzi to make up his mind. I feel a little sick over this deal, but Sullivan keeps sending me messages. Trust me. Trust me. Trust me.
So I do.
And when Uzi finally says, “OK,” I have it all under control.
Sullivan has a plan and it begins now. Because he says, “Good. Then let’s skip dinner and get this show on the road.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - SULLIVAN
Iziah drives, I sit in front, and Uzi, Cyan, and Sadie squeeze together in the back. It’s a predictable arrangement. Uzi wants me to know Sadie is his and he wants to sit behind me.
Needless to say, I’m not worried about either of those things.
“Get off at the next exit,” I tell Iziah.
We drove through Wolf Valley about an hour ago, and it took us an hour just to get there, so it’s a good thing I didn’t just walk out of that house and try to find my own way home. We literally were in the middle of nowhere.
No one’s really been talking, and it got dark hours ago, so the beautiful scenery can’t make up for the fact that this drive is just boring.
“Thomas?” Sadie asks from the back.
“Hmmm?” I say, trying to act uninterested to keep Uzi’s possessive gene from surfacing. I need him compliant and the best way to do that is to let him think Sadie is not what I’m after right now. But she is.
“What are your friends like? Will they… hurt us?”
“Sadie,” I say, huffing down a laugh. “I wouldn’t bring you here if they were going to hurt you.”
“Sure you would,” Uzi says. “But the answer is no, Sadie. They won’t hurt us. They won’t be able to.”
I let that remark go and finish answering her question. “Case is a good guy. I don’t know if he’ll be there or not, but you’ll like him. Everyone
likes Case.”
“And Lincoln?”
“Well…” I smile. “He’s a little bit… antisocial. But still, not a bad guy. And Molly will be there. And Sheila. So no, he’s not going to start anything. As long as your boyfriend there doesn’t start shit.”
“If I do,” Uzi says, “I’ll be sure to finish it.”
Sure you will, I think silently.
“How is it possible that the three of you got away so clean?” Cyan asks. She has not said a word since the cabin.
“Define… got away,” I say.
“Well, they never came back for you,” she says. “Didn’t you find that strange?”
“We thought we killed them, Cyan. So no. We didn’t expect ghosts to come looking for us.”
“It was kinda naive on your part, right?”
“What was?” I say, wishing they’d just go back to shutting up.
“Letting yourself believe you got them all.”
“As I said, Cyan, we didn’t know there were two schools.”
“There’s more than two,” she snarls.
“I’ve already gotten that impression. Take a left,” I tell Iziah.
Now he is the only one of the three who intrigues me. He’s been silent too. Only speaking when he’s asking for directions. And I can’t figure out if he’s just subordinate to Uzi—I’ve since learned through conversation that Uzi is the older of the two brothers—or if Iziah is just biding his time.
He slows down as he gets off the freeway, stops at the sign, then turns left towards Lincoln’s house. This is all Linc’s land out here. He’s got hundreds of acres. But the house is hidden down a five-mile private road, which is a little farther up this particular mountain.
“What are we going to do once I’m… reconnected?” Sadie’s asking Uzi this, not me. So I just listen.
“Go home,” Uzi replies. I can’t see him. He’s sitting directly behind me. But I can tell he’s not interested in answering that question.
“Well, you’re welcome to stay the night,” I offer. “It’s late. You won’t want to be driving home tonight.”
I get an incredulous laugh from Cyan. But Uzi says, “We’d love to.” Which means yeah, this guy definitely has an agenda.
I expect an outburst from Cyan over that little bit of news. But she shuts up.
“OK, it’s right up here on the left,” I say.
“Where?” Iziah asks.
“That reflector right there,” I say. That’s the only marking to Lincoln’s private road. Iziah turns left and enters the long driveway. The pine trees lining the road are old and tall. It feels a little claustrophobic on the best of sunny days. So driving up here at night, with just the moon shining through the expansive branches over our heads—well, it’s more than that now. It’s eerie.
Everyone stays silent for the rest of the drive, and when Lincoln’s mansion comes into view, lit up in all its glorious detail with outside lamps, I feel, rather than see, every neck craning to get a better view.
“Does he know we’re coming?” Sadie asks.
“Nope. He doesn’t even know I’m alive. I’ve been missing for, what? A good month, at least.”
“I don’t like this,” Cyan says. “It feels like a set-up.”
“A set up for what?” I ask, just as Iziah comes to a stop in front of the house. But she never has a chance to answer, because spotlights flick on and we’re bathed in light so bright, we all have to shade our eyes.
Iziah’s door opens and Lincoln is there, his weaponized arm gun positioned at his head. “Who the fuck are you and why the fuck are you here in my—Thomas?” Linc says. “Dude, is that you?”
Never in my life have I been so fucking happy to see Lincoln Wade.
“Where the fuck have you been, asshole? What the fuck, Thomas? I should kill your ass. I should lock you up in the goddamned lab and never let you out. I should—”
He’s got a whole litany of things he’d like to do to me, and he never stops talking as he walks around to my side of the truck. When I get out he pulls me into a hug. “I thought you were fucking dead, man. I thought you were dead.”
“Not dead,” I say, prying his arms off me. It’s kinda touching that he missed me, but this isn’t the time or place for a reunion. We have business to finish. “Where’s Case?”
“Home,” Linc says. “But I’ll call him. Sheila?”
“I’ve already alerted him and he’s on his way,” Sheila says from some device on Linc’s person.
I look over at the house and see Molly standing in the doorway, arms crossed like she’s cold. “Molly,” I say. “Nice to see you again.”
She shakes her head at me, like she cannot believe I just showed up out of nowhere after all this time. “I’m fine, thanks,” I call.
“Jerk,” she calls back. But her reaction isn’t as mean as it could be. So I take that as affection. We are siblings after all. She can’t really hate me. Just like Thomas can’t really hate her. I’ve never had a problem with Molly. It wasn’t me who wanted her dead. That was all Thomas.
“Who the fuck are these people?” Linc says, finally taking notice of who’s in my little party.
I cringe, waiting for Uzi to say something back. He and Iziah have already gotten out of the truck. Iziah is walking around the front of the vehicle to join us, but Uzi is only a few feet away. Thankfully, he stays silent.
I don’t think he’s afraid—though he should be. I think he’s a little in awe. It’s hard not to feel awe when you meet Lincoln. Thomas and me? We’re just regular-looking dudes. So is Case. On the outside, anyway. But Lincoln’s uniqueness is on full display. His arm is a weapon. A very powerful weapon that shoots—shit, I don’t know all the details, but from what I saw when they blew up Blue Corp… a whole litany of projectiles can be launched from that arm.
I introduce Sadie first, since she’s the only one of them I care about. “This is Sadie Scott.”
“Nice to meet you.” Her voice is sweet and makes Lincoln smile. Cyan scoffs. “This is my sister, Cyan. And my friends, Uzi and Iziah.” She points them out, so Lincoln won’t be confused about who is who.
“They’re Prodigy,” I say. Because that’s all Lincoln really needs to know.
He squints at them, eyeing each one as he takes them in. Then he lets out a long breath of air. “We should probably go inside.”
I smile at Sadie when she relaxes. Even Cyan relaxes. Iziah was never tense, so he does nothing but follow Lincoln when he walks towards Molly. And Uzi only gets more wound up. His muscles are on high alert. I’d like to reach into his stupid head and see just what the fuck he’s thinking.
But I don’t want him to know I can do that yet. And besides, now that they’re here… I have plenty of time for that later.
Dumb fucks have no idea what they’ve just walked into.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - SADIE
Lincoln Wade’s mansion is… opulent. That’s the only word I have to describe it. It’s as big as the Prodigy School, but that’s where the similarities end. It’s one of those homes with wings. East wing. West wing. Hell, the front of the house looks like they might call it the north wing. There’s probably a south wing too. It’s made out of stone, which should be enough to conjure up an image of filthy rich. But it’s also got a bazillion windows. All symmetrically lining the entire length of the house on each floor.
Three floors, plus… a fourth? That might be an attic?
It looks like a hotel. Like it sleeps five hundred.
“I don’t like this,” Cyan whispers as we follow the men up the front walk. And even though Sullivan told me to trust him—and I said I would—I am having the same thoughts. “Something’s going on here, Sadie.”
“Yeah,” I say. “Maybe. But just give him a chance.”
“I am. For your sake. That’s the only reason I’m going along with this.”
“What do you mean?” I whisper as they reach the door ahead of us.
“I want you linked with Uzi. He�
�s been upset since we got you back and he realized you’re not connected. And he expected you to say something. So when you didn’t… well. He took it badly, Sadie. He’s hurt. You need to make it up to him.”
I narrow my eyes at her. But she either ignores me, or pretends not to see. And then we’re at the door and nothing else can be said. So I drop it.
There’s a foyer, if that word is even strong enough to describe the three-story room we find ourselves in. I look up at the chandelier. It’s got so many crystals hanging from it, the entire space shimmers with dew-drops of shimmering light.
When I look down at the floor I find it just as impressive. Wood—several types, actually. Because there’s an inlay of intricate diamond shapes.
“This way,” Lincoln says, motioning to the great room beyond. The focal point is a massive stone fireplace that reaches all the way up to the ceiling. I almost get lost as I look up.
“Stop gawking,” Cyan whispers. “You look ridiculous.” She walks off, following the men into the big room, leaving me behind.
But I ignore her. This place is just way too beautiful not to gawk.
Molly, Lincoln Wade’s wife—girlfriend—whatever she is—is next to me. We’re both looking at the fireplace. “Do you like it?” she asks.
“I love it.” I smile.
“We got that stone from a cathedral ruin here on Lincoln’s property.”
“Really?” I ask, forcing my eyes down from the stones so I can find her face. She’s pretty. Not beautiful or gorgeous. But very pretty. A cute sort of pretty that makes you want to trust her. She reminds me of Sullivan, actually. Then I remember they’re siblings. It shows. “Well, it’s certainly grabbed my attention.”
“Ugghh,” she says. “We’ve been building this house for almost a year. It’s finally living up to its potential.”
“Ladies?”
I startle at the voice behind us. There’s a… woman. But she’s…
“I’m Sheila,” she says. “Nice to meet you, Sadie Scott.”
