“No,” he said. “That doesn’t make any sense. We have two soturi between me and Galen. Aiden’s been guarding Meera for the past month. It’s the best way to divide based on everyone’s strength at the moment.” He slammed the map on the table, and the parchment with the address of the safe house. “This is where we’re going. It’s all arranged thanks to Julianna. They’re expecting us.” He slid his finger across the map. “Memorize the address and I’ll show you the different routes to get there. We’re not going far, but we can’t take any direct paths or we’ll be seen. Now we have five minutes to memorize this and we’re leaving. Kormac’s on the way.”
Tristan frowned. “And we can trust these people to hide us and not sell us out?”
Dario’s face hardened, his eyes flashing on me before he turned back to Tristan. “Yes.”
“I feel like we’re missing some really crucial information,” Tristan said, looking back and forth between us.
“You’re going to be missing crucial limbs if you don’t shut up and start studying,” Dario snapped. “Look. Pack. And go. We’ll explain when we get there.” He nodded at me.
He was keeping my secret. Keeping the others from overwhelming me before we had to run.
“Tristan, let it go,” Galen said. “Cal and Marisol have protected us this far. And so has Dario. If Jules says there’s a way, then there is.” He nodded in my direction, and our eyes met—something unspoken passing between us. Galen and I had always had an understanding. We were the ones on the outside of our little group growing up, looking out for our people. Tristan for him. Lyr for me. And now we had a new one. A shared experience of being Kormac’s prisoners.
I looked away, trying to focus. Trying to prepare to run again as everyone else caught up.
The minutes that passed were few, but they felt like hours. Dario went over each route. Thene wasn’t a big city, maybe around the same size as Urtavia. But where Urtavia was sprawling, broken up by woodlands, the academies and soturion housing, Thene was laid out like a grid. There were tons of closely laid out waterways and crosswalks, streets full of buildings and alleys. There were lots of places to hide, but just as many that could allow you to be seen. We needed intricate paths, constant changes in direction to avoid being followed. But we needed to make sure that those paths didn’t add too much time to our travels. Every second we spent out there we were in danger.
Taking everyone’s word that they knew their routes and the landmarks to look out for on their way, Dario burned the map and the parchment holding the address. The remains were discarded in a bowl, as he reviewed the password we’d need to be allowed inside.
A sharp knock on the door came out of nowhere.
I stilled, my heart leaping into my throat.
Dario was at the door a second later, checking the peep hole and slamming it open. He ushered Cal inside quickly, and closed the door behind him.
“What is it?” Dario asked.
“It’s Kormac,” Cal hissed, his mouth tightening, “they’re here.”
“Where?” Aiden demanded.
“Down the street. They’re heading in this direction. About a dozen. Others have already been spotted on the crossroads and waterways. You have minutes to get out, maybe less,” Cal said, out of breath.
“They outnumber us, but it’s dark and they don’t know the area; we can use that to our advantage,” Aiden said. “They’re more likely to stick to the main roads, and markers. Do you have a back door?”
Cal nodded, then he shoved two large leather packs into Dario’s arms. “Supplies for all of you.” Then his eyes swept across the room at us all. “Follow me. Now!”
We scrambled out the door, following Cal down the hall away from the stairs that led to the exit. Instead of going down, we climbed up. Once there we turned a sharp corner that led into a dead end. Cal reached up to tug on a rope hanging from the ceiling.
“Stand back,” he ordered. He pulled the rope, which dislodged a rectangular piece of wood. It fell to the ground, and then following it, a rope ladder with wooden steps unraveled.The night sky was above, and a cool breeze filled the hall. “This will take you to the roof,” Cal said. “There’s another ladder we keep up there. You can lower it to the ground leading into the back alley. Use that to head into the park, get to the woods, and disappear.”
Dario strapped both of the supply bags to his back, then reached for the rungs without hesitation, climbing up with ease, even with his cut-up hand. His legs vanished into the ceiling seconds later. He moved surprisingly fast for someone so big.
Cal drew me forward. “You next, sweetheart.” He leaned in. “I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you better before. Or your friend.”
I swallowed, my throat tight.
“I wish a different outcome for you this time. Be safe,” he said. His gaze flicked to Dario, then back to me. He smiled, like he approved of Dario, then he stepped back. “Now go.”
I nodded, my fingers grasping the first rung. But before I could step onto the ladder, there was a scream from downstairs. Marisol.
“Let me call my husband! Wait! You can’t just barge in! NO!” Marisol yelled.
The soturi were here.
“Go!” Cal yelled, racing down the hall. “GO!”
I reached for the next rung, stepping up onto the bottom step. But the entire ladder swayed, and I froze. Marisol screamed again.
