I gulp. I haven’t worn them since I came back, or was returned, whichever way I look at it, but now is probably the time to take extra precaution. I should thank him, but he’s already gone, lost among the swarm of people around me.
A shiver runs down my spine when the walls of the fort hold me captive, and it takes great effort to breathe as I gape at the tall stone walls and cool air that surrounds me. Passageways run in every direction, some up a flight or two of stairs, coiling around and around. I don’t know where to turn, but when Ocean moves to the left, I follow after her.
A few turns and the crowd around us is much smaller, and I can think a little more for myself, all while my gaze darts from left to right, seeking a purple flag.
“Up or down?” Ocean asks when we reach a staircase at the end of the hall, and I blank, desperate to know the correct answer.
“Down.”
I startle, turning in the direction of the sound to find Rion a step behind me. He winks, unfazed by the stunned expression on my face. If Ocean notices, she doesn’t mention it either as she takes his answer and hurries down the stairs two at a time.
If these damn games aren’t the death of me, then I think these guys just might be.
The light grows weaker the deeper underground we go. The walkway is only outlined by a sparse row of lights dotting the walls. Taking a big gulp, I struggle to calm the tremble in my hands as Istare off into the bleakness, only for Rion to make me jolt from behind.
“There’s one here, I think,” he states, and I whirl around to see Ocean right at my side as the three of us squint in the darkness at the soft fabric blowing in a breeze that shouldn’t exist.
“What color is it?” Ocean asks, but I can’t tell, and it seems they can’t either.
“It just looks dark,” Rion states, reaching for it without a care, but I grab his arm before he can touch it. At the same time, a boom echoes in the distance, confirming a flare has been set off.
“That could have been us already,” I murmur, hating how we're going below ground level so we can’t see, and Rion grimaces.
“Maybe, but I think the odds are going to be stacked against Institute Thirteen. There’s no way in Hell that was us so early on,” he admits, and I wince. That sounds accurate, but before I can say a word, he eliminates the rest of the distance to the flag before us, curling his free hand around the pole.
The world stills in that moment. Hope flickers for half a second before it’s zapped from my soul. Rion’s entire body goes rigid, stiff and tight, like stone, before he vibrates with an audible zing of electricity that tingles under my fingertips. Lurchingback, I gasp, the sound lost in Ocean’s cry as Rion slumps to the floor.
“Oh my God,” I yell, dropping to my knees beside him. Cupping his face in the dim light, I stroke my thumb across his cheek. “Rion? Rion!”
Panic flickers through me as Ocean gasps. “The flag is black,” she murmurs, making me frown as I glance between the offending object and the injured man before me.
“Black? But there is no black institute,” I blurt, and her jaw falls slack.
“Professor Grimm said to be careful, that things aren’t always as they seem.”
“Which, in this case, could mean we don’t know which flag is ours or not until it’s too late,” I reply, blinking down at Rion as he groans. It’s a slight noise, but I’m flooded with relief as I glare at the flag like it’s going to make a difference.
“This is insane. Is he going to be okay?” Ocean asks, worry gnawing at her just as much as it is me, and I gulp, unsure how to answer when the wolf in question does it for me.
“I’m good. I’m just going to need a minute,” he admits as another flare pops off in the distance.
“Is it worth heading back upstairs to see if we’ve been saved from this madness yet?” Ocean offers, and I shrug, unsure.
“The issue is, there are clearly flags down here,” I admit, eyeing the hallway again. “And we seem to be the only ones down here so far. Besides, if what Rion said about Institute Thirteen is true, then we’re going to find it somewhere less obvious than this.”
Now that he’s said it, I know it to be true. Why would they want to offer freedom to murderers?
Dammit.
Wiping a hand down my face, I sigh as my gaze settles on Rion.
“Let’s make it down the hall and head up from there,” he offers, and I nod as he holds his palm up for me to take.
Surprisingly, he gets to his feet easily enough, and the three of us make our way down the dimly lit hallway, coming across nothing as we make it to the other end, where a second staircase awaits. Climbing to the top, the noise grows louder as a few more pops go off. I rush outside, staring up into the night sky to find a permanent red and yellow glow, with a small flash of green and blue as if the latter two haven’t made it back to the spokes yet.
No purple.
“We need to keep looking,” I state, turning to Rion and Ocean, who nod in agreement. “Maybewe need to split up,” I offer, instantly earning a look of disdain from Ocean as Rion shakes his head.
