And all my hopes for Zen’s future come tumbling to the ground as suddenly and helplessly as Rio’s treasured collection of books.
66
AMITY
I collapse in a heap next to my crushed necklace, the weight of Kaelen’s ultimate betrayal so heavy on me, I fear I may never be able to stand up straight again. I will be doomed to walk the earth crooked. Hunched over. Forever.
I took a chance. I handed over my faith. And it was destroyed.
Now all I can do is wait.
Wait until it’s over.
Until they erase everything. And I won’t have to imagine Zen’s dying face again.
I can start new. I can start fresh.
Alixter is cackling, speaking words that I can’t hear. Or won’t hear.
I glance up and allow myself one final look at Kaelen, the man who betrayed me. I want to see if there’s even an ounce of remorse in his eyes. He catches my gaze and I see his lips move ever so slightly again. Whispering one secret syllable that could never be heard by anyone else but me.
“Watch.”
He runs his fingertip across his own forehead. And that’s when I feel it. The pressure in my head. The influx of a memory. The energy pulsing through my receptors. I allow my eyes to drift closed. Alixter’s gloating laughter fades into the background as I float into Kaelen’s world. Merging my consciousness with his. Seeing through his eyes. Remembering through his mind.
He appears in a dark, quiet room. The soft beeping of machines is the only sound.
Cody, who sits next to the bed looking hopeless and forlorn, startles when he hears Kaelen’s gentle footfall. He looks up.
“Where is Sera?” Cody asks accusingly.
Kaelen doesn’t reply. Instead, he steps forward and uncurls his hand, revealing the tiny vial with the clear liquid inside.
“Is that it?” Cody stares wide-eyed at it.
Kaelen nods. “Please administer it immediately.” His voice is distant. Cold. A shuddering reminder of his old self.
Cody stares somewhat distrustfully at him, unsure whether to do as he says. Unsure whether to trust him without me.
Kaelen reads his distrust well. “There is no other option. Administer it or he will die.”
Cody considers, and then finally rises from his chair, takes the vial, and walks to Zen’s bedside. He opens the cap, stabs a long needle into the liquid, drawing it out. Then he inserts it into Zen’s IV.
“Now,” Kaelen says, “give me something clear.”
Cody’s forehead furrows. “What?”
“A clear liquid,” Kaelen demands impatiently. “Anything.”
Cody riffles through one of the nearby boxes, removing an unmarked bottle. He proffers it to Kaelen, who quickly goes to work refilling the empty vial with its contents and securing the cap.
And then …
A subtle beeping sound snags their attention. They turn. Watching the screen in silence. Expecting nothing and everything at the same time.
Slowly but surely, the numbers begin to rise. Zen’s heart rate begins to stabilize.
Cody’s face lights up. He looks from Kaelen to Zen, beaming. “What did it do?”
“It is a genetic repressor.”
The light on Cody’s face immediately dims. He understands. “You mean…”
“He will never be able to leave this time,” Kaelen verifies.
Cody’s shoulders slouch as he gazes back sorrowfully at Zen. “He’s stuck here.”
“That is correct.”
“And Sera?” Cody asks hopefully.
Kaelen’s gaze flickers momentarily to Zen and his thoughts turn fuzzy. Indecipherable. His emotions are jumbled. The memory becomes cloudy and vague. Despite how fresh it is.
“Sera will never be returning.” There’s an almost imperceptible crack in his voice.
The sound of fabric rustling snags Kaelen’s attention and he and Cody both turn toward the bed.
Zen’s face twists and pulls. The first sign of movement in days. His leg twitches slightly under the sheet. And then, miraculously, he opens his eyes.
The memory drizzles to an end. As soon as my gaze lands on the fallen books on the floor, I understand. They were a diversion. Kaelen knocked them over on purpose. He had to distract Alixter and the guards long enough to slip into the past and return less than a second later without anyone noticing.
He had to make sure Alixter still believed he was on his side.
That he was incorruptible.
The joy I feel in this moment is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Zen is alive. He will be okay. He will live long and, hopefully, find happiness.
I whisper a quiet thank-you to Kaelen.
Then I take three purposeful strides toward one of Alixter’s guards and lift my chin high in the air. Exposing my neck. Offering myself freely.
I don’t speak. There is nothing left to say. I’ve made my choice.