“But you don’t know who wants them or why?” Miles asked.
Victoria shook her head. “Not yet. We are doing everything in our power to find out.”
“Are you sure it isn’t just the Poachers?” I asked. “According to Kenly, they really wanted Alex. And after we screwed up their auction, I’m sure Talia, Penny, and I are high on their shit list. I’m sure they’d love nothing more than to sell us off as slaves.”
“I am quite certain it is not them,” Victoria replied. “The Poachers have their own resources, and theirs is a vain organization. They do not believe another group is capable of doing what they cannot. While they might admit that capturing you, Penelope, and Talia requires specialized forces, it simply does not make sense for the other seven targets on the list. Even excluding Alex, the Poachers would not bring in mercenaries for these others.
“No,” Victoria continued thoughtfully. “My gut is telling me that the Poachers are not behind this. Although, they did have a buyer lined up for Alexander; perhaps that is the same person or group looking to acquire all of you.”
“Have you talked to the Monroe girl?” I asked. “She might know who that was.”
Victoria pursed her lips. “Yes. Elizabeth Monroe has not been particularly forthcoming with information. I’d contemplated having Talia interrogate her.” She sighed and shrugged. “Though it appears that is no longer an option.”
“I’ll do it,” I offered. “I mean, I know I’m not as skilled as Talia, but I can try.”
The councilwoman’s smile was almost sad. “Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated, if you are sure you are prepared. We have other leads that might prove to be a better use of our time, but I think that is an excellent backup plan.”
Victoria’s choice of words threw me off. Before I had the chance to question them, Miles took the conversation in another direction.
“Who are the other names? Did the Brains find a common thread between all ten?”
“Winter Rossi, Vester Ozolos, Beth Larson, Kumiko Tao, Miguel Sanchez, and Ida Sawakski.” Victoria rattled off the names from memory. “Five of the six are complete unknowns. The Cryptos have spiders searching all electronic records for mention of each. So far, nothing has come of it.
“The only one we found anything on so far is Beth Larson. Unfortunately, even that is scant. We do know that Beth is only ten years old. She was of interest to TOXIC, though it is unclear whether she ever attended the McDonough School. From the school’s records, it does not appear she was ever actually enrolled. But, since so much was destroyed, we simply cannot be positive.”
“She wasn’t a student,” I said.
Miles and Victoria sent identical stares of astonishment my way.
“Do you know her, son?” my father asked.
“Sort of. I only met her briefly,” I replied, my heart heavy with the memory of the day I met Beth Larson. “Beth is a Visionary. Her mother never submitted her for testing, so she wasn’t sent to the school as a child like she was supposed to be. TOXIC offered rewards for reporting people who ignored the testing summons. Beth and her mom lived in a small rural town in Pennsylvania, and it didn’t take long for the townspeople to realize the girl was different. Given the sizable reward, one of the neighbors reported her to TOXIC.”
I paused, the guilt I still harbored over taking that little girl from her mother gnawing at my gut. I hadn’t thought about Beth in a long time, but talking about her brought the memories of that day front and center. It also brought the ugly memories of my own extraction rushing back. I glanced over at my father, wondering how he must’ve felt about me becoming one of the guys who’d ripped our family apart. Quickly, I averted my eyes. There was no way I could talk about this with him. Would he understand?
My tongue felt too big for my mouth, my voice thick with regret when I continued.
“Director McDonough had an extraction team that was responsible for retrieving kids like Beth—the ones with talents who were never tested. Tensions were so high at the time, with people wanting the mandatory testing laws repealed, and Mac didn’t want more bad press. So he sent Talia and me with the extraction team, to convince Beth’s mother that it was in the kid’s best interests to go to the school.”
My father didn’t seem at all surprised by the admission, which brought even greater shame. It was an extraction team that not only pulled me from my family, but also killed my mother in the process.
Nonetheless, when I finally found the courage to meet his eyes, I found not a single trace of anger. Even though my father knew I had no choice in the tasks assigned to me by TOXIC, and that my every action was aimed to ensure the safety of him and my brothers, I still expected him to be upset by my disclosure. And yet, somehow, he wasn’t. Instead, my father reached over and squeezed my hand reassuringly.
The outpouring of sympathetic emotions from both Miles and Victoria was also unexpected. Even more shocking, the sympathy was for me, not for Beth or the other children who’d been extracted from their homes. Then again, they both knew the story of how I came to be a student at the McDonough School.
“I killed for TOXIC, yet I think taking that girl from her mother is the most horrible thing I’ve ever done,” I said. “Stupid, right?”
“Ah, kid, that’s—” Miles began.
I cut him off, not really wanting an answer or reassurances. “You don’t know where Beth is now, I’m guessing?”
“We do not,” Victoria confirmed. She also looked like she wanted to say something to ease my guilt or soothe my pain, but pressed on instead. “You said Beth is a Visionary? Is she powerful?”
“Um, yeah. Really powerful, from what I recall. Not like Alex or Talia, but still incredibly strong. And Visionaries are rare, you know? So I can see why someone would want her.”
Victoria’s expression turned grim.
“As can I,” she agreed. “Knowing Beth Larson is a Visionary does play into the theory I have been developing. Talia, Beth, and Alex all have exceptionally rare and powerful gifts. You and Penelope are Mimics, which also makes you both unique; UNITED is only aware of five Mimics in the entire world right now. Then, of course, there is the fact that you both have been injected with so many talent signatures, giving you more abilities than any other Talents in recorded history. I am sure once we locate the remaining five individuals on the list, we will discover that they also possess rare talents and an abundance of power.”
A heavy silence descended over the room. Without reading their minds, I knew both Victoria’s and Miles’s thoughts mirrored my own. It was only my father who didn’t understand what Victoria seemed reluctant to say aloud.
“But why would anyone want ten specific Talents?” Dad asked finally, when none of us offered up the ominous conclusion we’d all reached. “And why two Mimics? Or do you think whoever hired Nightshade wants Penny and my son because of their Created abilities?”
“If I am correct, it is the fact that they are Mimics that makes Penelope and Erik so valuable,” Victoria replied, shifting uneasily.
“You think someone is trying to make more Talented,” I said softly. Turning to Dad, I added, “For that, you need as many Mimics as you can get your hands on.”
“I’m confused,” my father said. “Danbury McDonough is dead. Who would be making more Talents?”
Victoria’s expression was troubled when she met his gaze.
“That is the paramount question,” she replied. “And for Talia’s sake, we need to uncover the answer.”
The Privileged
Besançon, France
Three Days Before the Vote
Exhausting as the day had been, Cressa had little appetite at dinner that night. She’d thought learning the Institute’s secrets would be fun. She’d thought that being drawn into the fold would make her feel like an insider in something big and important. She’d thought the role of the Privileged was to help people.
Watching Suzu take her exam had dispelled every one of thos
e ideals. Despite the initial awe she’d felt at seeing powerful abilities in use, Cressa couldn’t get Damon’s face, broken and hopeless, out of her head.
Judging by the animated conversations taking place all around her, she was the only Two who hadn’t been entertained by the demonstration.
“Obviously her technique worked,” Lyla Towers was telling anyone at the table willing to listen.
“Oh, I quite agree,” her twin added. “Suzu has finesse. Just proves that brute force isn’t always the best option.”
Weren’t they the ones criticizing Suzu for being too soft? Cressa thought.
“I dunno, seems to me if she’d been a little more forceful, Damon would have jumped the first time,” Daphne chimed in, spearing a piece of broccoli with her fork. She nibbled on the top, but left the stalk untouched.
“He did jump, in the end,” said a girl with magenta hair and piercing green eyes. Cressa had heard the other 2Ps refer to her as Ritchie. Whether that was her first or last name, Cressa couldn’t be sure.
“Right, but her lack of conviction was the reason she needed to skip over that part in the first place,” Daphne retorted. “He would’ve jumped the first time if she’d been more assertive. Then he might not have freaked out afterwards.”
Cressa tuned out her classmates, not wanting to revisit the moment Damon had been dragged from the exam room by two guards. The boy’s screams still haunted her.
“I just want to go home. Please, just let me go home!” Damon had wailed.
Suzu, on the other hand, had been victorious, basking in the compliments and accolades. The Dame herself even made a guest appearance of sorts to praise her achievement. Leslie had been the one to explain that the Dame was too busy to attend final exams, but she prerecorded congratulatory messages for each of the 8Ps, to be played if they passed. It was her way of showing the students how much she valued their dedication and loyalty to her cause.
Listening to the Dame’s pleasant voice call Suzu “daughter” and speak about her tremendous accomplishments, with the soundtrack of Damon’s pleas playing in the background, had almost been the worst, if not the weirdest, part of the entire exercise.
To Cressa’s dismay, Suzu’s exam wasn’t the only one they were to observe. Less than a minute after the guards had finally taken Damon from the exam room, a young girl had taken his place. Only, the girl turned out not to be a test subject at all, but a 1P attempting to advance to Phase Two. A 7P boy named Joshua Bizon had replaced Suzu’s holographic image. Leslie had confirmed what Cressa wondered with a sinking heart; he was Damon’s older brother.
Cressa was still contemplating whether Joshua knew the cruel hand fate had dealt his little brother. And if Joshua would have intervened if he did know.
Unlike Suzu, Joshua was not ready to take his next advancement test quite yet. Instead, he was simply practicing mental penetration on the 1Ps, guiding them to flip the light switch using telekinesis. As opposed to Cressa’s guide for her own exam—the angry guy who’d screamed profanities in her head—Joshua’s tactics were gentle and persuasive. Envision the switch by the door. Flip the switch upwards. Turn the lights on.
Needless to say, Joshua’s subjects achieved success much faster than Cressa had, with only a few exceptions in the seemingly endless stream of 1Ps taking the exam. Two of them simply didn’t possess enough strength to mentally flip the switch. According to Leslie, this was most likely because they weren’t suitable hosts for talents.
Another 1P, an extremely young and overzealous boy, sent out a wave of power so intense that it shattered the light bulbs in the exam room. He was removed by med techs, to treat his minor injuries, while guards quickly replaced the lights.
The last girl, a petite blonde, with a thick Slavic accent, refused to even try. Evidently, she didn’t want to be at the Institute, and had no desire to become Privileged. She sat on the bench, arms crossed over her chest, and glared at the mirror. Every time Joshua spoke gently inside her head, the girl’s only response was a one-fingered salute.
Cressa had been torn between enjoying the shenanigans and the much-needed levity, and wondering if the obstinate 1P was dooming herself to share in Damon’s fate. Irate, Leslie had stormed from the classroom and joined the guards as they half-carried, half-dragged the unyielding blonde from the room.
“Finish up, all of you,” Gracia ordered, interrupting Cressa’s thoughts. “Be quick about it. The Dame has one more treat for us today.”
“Oh, what is it?” Daphne asked excitedly.
Cressa almost didn’t want to know the answer. If the evening’s special event was anything like the morning’s, then she thought maybe the Dame needed to look up the definition of “treat.”
“A movie,” Gracia announced.
The 2Ps instantly broke into enthusiastic chatter.
“Oh, I hope it’s the new Kev Leon movie!” Lyla exclaimed. “It was just about to be released when we left home, I’m dying to see it.”
“He’s so hot,” Shyla agreed.
The twins wore identical expressions so full of hope that Cressa couldn’t bring herself to tell them that probably wasn’t it, since My Heart to Break had never been released. Did they even know about Kev Leon’s death? Or, his alleged death. Cressa briefly considered telling them that, as long as the entire Institute was gathering for this supposed treat, the twins were more likely to get the real Kev Leon, in person.
In fact, Kev should have been in the cafeteria at that moment, since all cadets took their meals together. Cressa glanced around. Searching the sea of faces for the movie star, she didn’t see the mop of blonde hair anywhere. Most of the tables had cleared out already, so it should have been easy to spot Kev. Then again, the dining area was four stories tall, with a lot of nooks and alcoves, so maybe it wasn’t surprising she couldn’t find him.
“I hope it’s something funny,” Daphne declared. “We could all use a laugh, I think.”
“Quiet, all of you,” Gracia said, before anyone else could add to the commentary. “It doesn’t matter what you all want to watch. The Dame has selected something appropriate and educational. What’s more, the entire Institute will be watching together. Now, clean up. We’ll be late if you all don’t get moving.”
With that, Gracia spun on her heel and marched over to the conveyor belt to deposit her own empty tray. One by one, the rest of the girls followed her lead.
“When she says the entire Institute, do you think she means the boys will be there, too?” Daphne asked no one in particular.
Cressa hoped so. She wanted to see Kev Leon again. Contrary to what Gregor had said the night before, the 2P boys hadn’t been present during the day’s lesson.
Probably because it was an oh-so-special favor to Gracia, and only Gracia, Cressa thought, hiding a snicker.
“Of course they will,” Lyla replied. She gave Daphne a once-over, then grimaced. “Though you should be hoping the guys won’t be there.”
Daphne scowled, though she seemed more hurt than angry. Cressa shifted her tray to one hand and put her free arm around the younger girl’s shoulders.
“You’re not even a teenager yet, you have plenty of time to worry about boys,” she told Daphne kindly.
This only made the younger girl turn her glare on Cressa.
“Just think, by the time you’re old enough to date you’ll be Privileged. I bet tons of boys will be interested in you once you’re Privileged,” Cressa hastily added.
“If not, you can always compel them,” Shyla chimed in.
The other 2P girls all laughed like this was the greatest joke they’d ever heard, but Cressa found it unsettling. Was that really why the others were becoming Privileged—to make people do whatever they wanted?
Something her mother said to her at the airport surfaced in Cressa’s mind.
“Once you are Privileged, you will be extremely powerful, my love. You must be careful. Power can be a very addictive drug, and you will be tempted to use it for the wrong reasons.
You must fight that temptation. Once you dip a toe in that pool, it will not be long before you are in over your head. If you do not fight your way out, eventually you will drown.”
At the time, Cressa hadn’t really understood her mother’s warning. After all, she was a good person, and she knew right from wrong. She’d assumed that being Privileged wouldn’t change that. But hearing her classmates talk so easily about using their abilities for trivial matters made Cressa realize that right and wrong might not be as obvious as black and white.
Most of the other cadets were already seated when Gracia led the 2P girls to their assigned seats near the back of the auditorium.
“You all will behave,” Gracia told them, her faux violet eyes blazing. Her face was pinched, and her words seemed heavy, as if they had physical weight.
An odd sensation washed over Cressa. It was sort of like a dream, and sort of like the one time she’d been so drunk at her parents’ holiday party that she threw up in a potted palm. Cressa felt detached from her own body, like it would take a great deal of concentration to speak or move.
“You will not embarrass me or yourselves,” Gracia continued. “Most of all, you will not embarrass the Dame. Do you all understand?”
Ten voices that resonated as one replied, “Yes, ma’am.”
A genuine smile crossed Gracia’s lips. “Good. I am going to sit with my class in the front row. You will wait here for me when the movie has ended. Do you all understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the girls chorused.
As soon as Gracia left, the odd sensation faded. The room came into sharper focus. The quiet conversations of those around them became audible.
Cressa turned to Nydia, who was sitting beside her. “Did you feel—”