Wilder
Good. Proud of you.
I release a heavy sigh. Wilder’s unwavering belief in unity is admirable. He truly thinks everyone can put aside their differences and work together for the country’s betterment. But he’s not here. He didn’t witness Alden’s behavior tonight—the way he acted, the tension he created. And he certainly didn’t see the cold, distant way Bennett treated me—the frigid reception that left me shivering.
Setting my phone aside, my thoughts switch to Bennett. He spoke to Janus about missing the Council meeting, yet his demeanor at Little Death was so aloof, so detached. The Allure played a role, but I wish I knew the words, the magic phrase that would make him open up to me.
I fluff my pillow and shut my eyes. But the second I do, I’m jerked awake—not in the familiar comfort of my room at thepalace but somewhere outdoors, surrounded by grassy, rolling hills and leafless trees.
How did I end up outside?
I’m still in my pajamas, with no shoes on. The grass underfoot is soft, tickling my toes as dawn begins to paint the hills. Far off, a grand building looms.
“Ah, there you are,” a familiar female voice says. I whirl to see Janus’s long, dark hair whipping in the wind. “We can’t stay here.”
A squall of unease hardens my stomach as I hug myself to ward off the early morning chill. The cold penetrates deep, making me shiver in my exposed state. Janus seems oblivious or indifferent to the fact that I’m in a barely there nightgown, her attire in stark contrast with a professional jacket and trousers, as though she’s just stepped out of a work meeting.
“Janus,” I manage to say as she moves past me, heading for the building perched on the hill. “What place is this? How did I even get here?”
My last clear memory is falling asleep after I left the club. I’d stopped messaging Wilder, turned over, and then nothing. But now, here I am, outside, and not by myself. My heart races. Is this a dream? But everything feels so real. Could someone have slipped something into my drink?
“Almost there, Leigh. Keep pace,” Janus says over her shoulder.
I hurry to catch up with her. Why isn’t she bothered by my confusion? Unless she’s who brought me here? Above us, birds circle—a murder of crows, identifiable by their dark plumage and raucous cries. The sight of them scouting for food, with just Janus and me in this vast field, spurs me to quicken my steps.
“Janus,” I pant. “What’s all this about?”
“Something we’ve been planning for a long while.”
I blink. Frustrated with the vague responses, I grasp her shoulder, but the moment I touch her, a startling vision overwhelms me: a colossal black snake lunges at me, its fangs bared menacingly, yet its caramel eyes are unmistakably Janus’s. The vision vanishes as soon as I let go, and I’m left gasping.
What the hell was that?
“We’re here,” Janus says, pulling me back to the present. I look around, eyes wide, to find we’re standing at the entrance of the imposing, windowless building that seemed so distant a moment ago. She knocks thrice on the door, then faces me, her smile chilling, almost serpent-like. I step back. “What is this place?”
“Your new home.”
The door swings open, revealing a blank-faced Bennett in somber black attire. He’s the picture of an executioner in a hooded cloak as he reaches to pull me inside.
“I was starting to get worried,” he remarks.
I dig my heels into the ground. “Can somebody please explain what’s happening?”
Bennett and Janus exchange a creased look of weariness before Janus seizes my other arm. They drag me inside the mysterious building. As the door shuts with a thud, I find myself in a poorly lit, empty room.
My body screams for me to move, but I’m immobilized. Leather bindings secure my arms and legs to a chair. I struggle to free myself. It’s pointless.
“Why are you doing this?” I demand in a gasp. The restraints are painfully tight, reminiscent of the vines Chiron once used to bind me before locking me inside a bank vault months ago. I release a worried cry. “What is this? Is anyone there?”
The silence is as final as a judge’s gavel until the creak of another door heralds the entrance of Janus, Bennett, Wilder,and Doctor Chiara Dunn. A rush of relief washes over me at the sight of Wilder—surely, he will explain everything. He will unbind me. “Thank the stars. You’re—” My relief is cut short at the sight of the ominous metal tool in Doctor Dunn’s hand.
A leucotome—a chilling symbol of lobotomy.
I clench and unclench my bound fists. “What are you doing with that?” Desperation creeps into my voice. I look past Doctor Dunn, seeking Wilder’s intervention, but he stands aside, arms crossed, unresponsive. “Someone answer me!”
“President Dyer has expressed concern about your well-being,” Doctor Dunn says.
“What about it? I’m fine.”
