I found a familiar woman in textiles burgundy a few moments later. She stood on the outskirts of the crowd herself, leaning against a pillar of the administrative building and glaring at the priests assembled near their arch before the apartments.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I approached her.
She turned only long enough to give me a quick glance before returning to staring at the arch.
“A Culling,” Zya practically growled.
I stopped in my tracks, gaze whipping back to the arch in horror.
“Again?” I asked, stunned.
“Every year,” she huffed in annoyance.
Of course. Every year.
I glanced around at the crowd before us, craning their necks to get a view of the arch, chattering and laughing happily as though this was something to celebrate.
“They look…happy,” I noted, my surprise evident in my tone.
“To them, this is a celebration,” she told me. “A little ritual to welcome the newcomers to their population. They’ll give them a little gift and whisk them off to be assigned to one of their levels, paying no attention to the fact that they’ve just been pulled away from their homes, their families, and everything they’ve ever known.”
The bitterness in her tone was so cool, so precise, I couldn’t help but look back at her and remember thatZyahad gone through this herself. The same year as Darius,Zyahad been pulled out of Sanctuary as well and dropped here, alone.
“I’m not watching this,” I muttered, letting my disgust show clearly as I whirled around and began to make my way back through the growing crowd.
“Where are you going?”Zyaasked from behind me a moment later, following.
“Somewhere you shouldn’t go with me.”
“Cryptic.”
I stopped at the edge of the crowd and turned to face her.
“I mean it,Zya,” I said. “I’m going alone.”
She watched me for a second, head cocked to the side.
“You did it, didn’t you?” she asked after a moment. There was wonder in her tone but not surprise, not shock like Roxy. “I wondered if you would. I couldn’t do it. The barrier prevented me from getting all the way there. But you’re Fallen. You’ve got your Blessings, your abilities, you’re practically gods-chosen. If anyone could—”
“You tried to get back?” I asked, gaping at her.
Her brows furrowed in confusion.
“Of course I did,” she bristled. “You think you’re the only one who wants to go home?”
I shook my head.
“No,” I answered. “I don’t think that.”
She watched me for a moment. I watched her. Then I sighed and whirled back around.
“Fine,” I replied. “Come with me. But you can’t tell anyone about this.”
“Me?” she snorted. “You’re the supervisor.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I shook my head and led the way to the elevators. They were packed but the crowd thinned out as more and more people from the lower levels emptied out onto the first. A bell chimed behind us and one of the priests began their soliloquy. I did my best to ignore the cruel ritual taking place behind me as I shoved my way into a newly abandoned elevator,Zyahot on my heels.
I led us down to the tunnel in silence. It was even darker than usual, everyone having abandoned the levels below either to attend the Culling above or to return to their homes after an early release from their shifts.Zyafollowed diligently, even when it became nearly too dark for her to do so. With my enhanced vision, I called out to her a time or two to watch for a fallen rock or crack as she walked behind me. She never said a word in return, just obeyed my instructions and stuck as close to me as she dared.
