As I headed toward the underground exit, Zara caught me. “Sophia, wait!”
I turned slowly, already dreading the encounter. Other than a few superficial exchanges, we hadn’t spoken much of late. Not that I was avoiding her. I just… Grief had stolen my ability to small talk.
Her brown eyes turned luminous as I met them. “Where are you headed?”
“Just need a walk.”
She smiled. “Want some company?”
“No.” At her confused look, I added, “I-I’d like to be alone.”
She gripped her elbows, frowning. “You’re always alone. I’m here if you want to talk, Soph. Like we used to.”
Like we used to.
Before Tekqua had been captured. Before everyone had died.
Managing a smile, I bobbed my head. “Maybe tomorrow?”
Her smile lit up her whole face. “Yes, that would be wonderful.”
Guilt flooded me. I’d had no real intention of seeking her out tomorrow, but that joy on her face was like barbs in my overburdened soul. She was so kind, and I was so, so broken.
Muttering some acknowledgement, I hurried away before she made it worse.
I’d dressed as Lucas asked me to, wearing a pair of black scrub pants and a loose hoodie—notthe one he’d given me last week. The warm weather broke a sweat on my back beneath the unseasonal clothes, and the roots of my long curls were damp by the time I arrived. I rushed up the steps and slipped into the house without knocking, refusing to surrender to the desire to run the other way.
Lucas was sprawled on the sofa, flipping through a book. He didn’t even bother to look at me. “You’re late.”
“No, you’re early.”
“It’s 7:04.” He stood and tossed the book onto the cushions, then scanned my outfit with a hint of surprise. “Look at you. At least you know how to obey.”
“What?”
“You seem like the kind of woman who prefers noncompliance over intelligence.”
Glaring at him, I managed a slow inhale for patience. “I’m wearing the clothes you wanted me to. I showed up when you asked me to.” I pulled the knuckles from my pocket. “I’m armed with the weapon you chose for me. I’ve done everything you asked, like I promised I would. Can you stop insulting me and just give me your information?”
His eyes flashed, but not with anger. No, it was something…else. “I did some research on you this past week.”
All the blood drained from my head. He didwhat?
With a nearly imperceptible smile, he lifted one eyebrow. “Sophia Elena Reeves. Twenty-five next month. Born in Virginia. Joined the Defiance mere weeks after the Fracture. Been at the center of the resistance since its inception. Soldier turned medic, though the records aren’t clear why.”
My mouth fell open. Did they have that much information about all of us? “How…?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t research the woman I’m entrusting my life to?”
Where would he even find that information? I hid my unease with a snort. “Entrustingyourlife? What aboutmylife?”
“What about it? Do you feel endangered, Sophia?”
“Yes,” I said, even though it wasn’t technically true. “You are the most dangerous man I’ve ever met.”
He had the gall to laugh, bitter and disbelieving. “This from a woman in close contact with Theodore Harrison?”
“I’ve seen you murder people on live TV.”
