“… and then Raven said we should meet,” Annalise continues. “So I told her to come here.”
Sydney slaps her forehead and then drags her palm down her face. “Seriously, Annalise?” she says. “We’ve been out of Innovations for a few weeks, and even I know you don’t invite strangers from the internet to your home.” She looks at Raven. “So … what?” Sydney asks her. “Are you a serial killer or something? Because I should warn you”—she crosses her arms over her chest—“we fight back.”
At the other end of the couch, Brynn lowers her eyes. Her expression sags with guilt.
“I’m not a serial killer,” Raven says. “And after what Annalisetold me, I believe you. I can’t imagine what you had to do to get out of your situation.”
Sydney withdraws. None of us want to think about what had to be done. In fact, I’d be glad to have the entire escape erased from my memory.
“I’m not excusing Annalise,” Marcella says, giving her a pointed look. “But I did check out Raven before she got here. She doesn’t seem to be connected to Innovations in any way. Then again”—she looks at her with suspicion—“she doesn’t seem to be connected to anything. She’s a ghost.”
Raven shrugs. “Trust me, in my line of work, it’s best to be invisible. You won’t find any records of me.” She crosses her legs, leaning back against the couch. She’s wearing heavy black boots with thick stockings. “I’m good at what I do,” she adds. “I can erase anything. I can get in anywhere.”
“Could you get inside my head?” I ask suddenly, earning a worried look from Sydney.
Raven shows no surprise at the question, but she leans forward, listening intently.
“It’s awfully coincidental that something happened to me,” I say. “And then I come home to find that Annalise has a new friend.”
Annalise hums out her disapproval. “Actually, Mena,” she says with confidence, “I found RavenafterI got the call from Sydney. I was looking up possible causes, ways a phone call could cause fainting, et cetera.… Considering what we are, it led me to hacking sites. Turns out there are a lot of people who want to createand then hack AI. I won’t go into the lurid details, but let’s just say … you wouldn’t have liked their propositions.”
Her nostrils flare as if she finds it all nauseating. I’m sure it is. We saw firsthand what people wanted to do with our bodies, bodies they could manipulate or destroy at the slightest inconvenience.
“And your new friend just showed up, and you told her everything?” Sydney asks. She doesn’t look at Raven.
“Not at first, no,” Annalise says. “I discussed it with Marcella and Brynn. I called you both, but the calls went to voicemail.”
“I destroyed my phone,” I reply.
“Good,” Raven says. I don’t acknowledge her, afraid to give her any more information than she already has.
“My phone works,” Sydney responds. She takes out her phone, studying it. “At least, it was working earlier.” She clicks a few buttons, looking confused. It doesn’t turn on.
“I shut down the lines,” Marcella says, “to make sure no one else could call.”
I turn to Raven. “If you’re such a great hacker,” I start, “how is it that you just happen to be in the same town as us?”
“Luck,” Raven replies, and then smiles.
Sydney scoffs, looking at me with doubt.
“I think you should leave,” I tell Raven bluntly.
“Mena,” Annalise says, sounding hurt.
“We’ll discuss this after she’s gone,” I tell Annalise. “But for now, you need to start packing. We all do.”
The horrible truth is that Annalise has blown our cover. Andwho knows what Leandra will do when she finds out. We might have to run from her, too.
“I’m not going to turn you over to your fucked-up school,” Raven says. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”
“We’re worried about a lot,” I say.
“I figured. But I really can help.” She leans forward on the couch. “That call you got—it could have been an EMP with a close-range signal. Nothing to do with your phone. But that pulse, echoed through the line, can cause disruptions in your brain pattern. Or the perpetrator could have been trying to gain access.”
There’s a chill down my back. How did she know that?
“What does that mean?” Brynn asks, biting her thumbnail.
