*****
“Come now, little girl. Create an illusion for us. We just need to test you and then we’ll let you go see your family.”
She looked up at Reed and shivered. “You killed my mom,” she whispered in a girl’s voice. Janey. “I don’t believe you.”
Red splotches broke out on Reed’s face. “Just do it. Or you’ll be next.”
She trembled and tried to do as he asked, but it was impossible with him hovering over her. “I-I can’t.” She hiccuped. A tear slid down her cheek. “I’m trying.”
Reed made a disgusted noise and disappeared from the room. When he returned, Coop was with him. Sam felt Janey’s recognition of Coop. They knew each other. Reed said, “Cooper, take her back to the cell. She’s no good to us now. I don’t know why Smith thought she’d be a good test subject. She’s clearly resisting us.”
Coop cocked his head. “She’s just a girl. She’s probably terrified.”
The girl stared at him with big, round eyes, wondering why he wasn’t doing more. He was her friend, right?
“It doesn’t matter. We need to make progress and she’s holding us back. It’s unforgivable.”
“Yes, sir.”
After Reed left, Coop approached, his face softening. “Hey Janey. Are you okay?”
She shook her head and rubbed her chest. “I’m scared and my illusions hurt.”
“I know, sweetheart.” He lowered his voice. “Would you like to get out of here?”
She stared at him, unblinking.
“We have a rule,” he explained, “that we must always be in contact with you so that even if you cast an illusion, we know where you are.”
Sam felt Janey’s confusion. “But you can always see me,” she whispered.
He brought his finger to his lips. “That’s something only you and I can know. They think I’m like them.” He smiled, his eyes brightening. “Now here’s what we’re going to do, Janey. You’re going to kick me and when I’m hurt, you’ll run away and cast an illusion. Hide out at the entrance. Stay there until I come for you and I’ll get you back to your family.”
When Sam emerged from the memory, her room was dark—and empty. Janey’s fear from the memory lingered. Her own experience had been bad enough—what had Janey’s been like? No wonder Jones was so interested in what Sam knew about the experiments.
Janey had been experimented on. But she’d escaped with Coop’s help, too.
Coop.
Sam touched her lips absently. How did he play into everything? He’d helped imprison Sam and helped her escape. He said they had to find her uncle and mother. But her mother? Her uncle was understandable—even her grandma would be understandable; she was an elder. She shook her head. If he thought her mother could help them, he didn’t know as much as he thought he did.
She didn’t know if she could trust him. She’d already been burned by others. Before Sam could formulate any thoughts about what to do, the door creaked open and a weak light fell in the room. A figure—smaller than the average man—slipped inside and closed the door.
“Janey.”
Sam’s voice floated over the room and dissipated. Silence fell. Sam cocked her head, tracking Janey’s figure as she climbed up on the bed.
“Did you know that man?” Her voice was strong and clear, nothing like the fear-filled girl’s voice from the memory.
Sam shifted slightly so their shoulders touched. “What man?”
“I saw him from the window when they dragged him to the barn. Did you know him?”
“Reed?”
“He’s the one who experimented on me.”
Sam countered Janey’s directness with her own. “He hurt me, just like he hurt you.”
“What’s your name?”
“Sam.”
“My dad says I shouldn’t trust memory-bringers. That they’re evil and steal memories. You know what happened to me. I felt your energy.”
Sam closed her eyes and swallowed. If Janey was all that was keeping her unharmed, Sam needed her to understand. “We’re not evil. We want what you want—the Hunters to leave us alone.”
“That’s what I thought. And I still have my memory. But my dad barely listens to me.”
“He listened to you today.”
Janey’s shoulders shifted against Sam in a shrug. “It was the first time I’ve talked since I came back. He had to listen.”
The first time she’d spoken? Sam’s mind boggled. “Thanks. For stopping him.”
“Killing you won’t solve anything. And he hurt you too. I don’t think you’re the enemy.”
“Your dad won’t let him hurt anyone else.” Of that, Sam was pretty sure.
“I want to kill him myself.”
Sam blinked at Janey’s bloodthirsty growl. “If the Gifted work together, we could beat the Hunters.”
“Are you going to work with Coop?”
“I don’t kn—”
“You should. I know my dad doesn’t like him ‘cause he gave up his Gift, but there are illusionists who are proud of what he’s accomplished. They’ll listen to him. Will the memory-bringers listen to you?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” They would listen to her grandma and uncle, though, if Sam could get to them. Janey’s words penetrated her thoughts. “What has Coop accomplished?”
“He’s been feeding other illusionist sects information about the Hunters.”
“And he helped you escape.”
“Sure. But I wasn’t the one he’d come for.”
A weird feeling settled in her stomach. “Who?”
“His sister.”
“Oh.” His sister. That must be why he’d been so determined to give up his Gift. To save his sister.
“Yeah, I wasn’t the one he wanted.”
“Not true, Janey. You’re important too.”
“Coop said that too, but I can’t do anything to bring his sister back.”
Her heart broke a little. “I don’t think he expects you to.”
“I want her back. She was my friend.”
Sam felt for Janey’s hand and squeezed. They lapsed into silence. The house below them was quiet.
Janey brought her back. “Why did Coop help you escape?”
Hell if she knew. “No idea.”
“You’re the one other person he’s saved besides me.”
Sam straightened. “Oh?” That seemed odd. There had to be other people he’d saved. It couldn’t be just them.
“Is he coming back?”
“He said he would.” And she wanted to learn more about what he was planning—and how she could be a part of it.
“I think I can convince my dad not to hurt you until then. Right now he’s happy I’m speaking again, but it might not last.”
How comforting. “And if I don’t wait for Coop?”
Janey jumped off the bed and headed toward the door, shaking with anger. Wagging a finger at Sam, she said, “You’re stupider than I thought.”
Chapter Eleven