James sighed and put his hand on her knee. “I know it’s been a lot to take in, Kay, and I’m sorry you got hurt. But this is for the best—for everyone. You’ll see.”
Kay pushed his hand off her leg and turned her head further away without bothering to answer. Instead, she focused on the street signs that they passed. A cold wave shivered up her spine as she realized the pattern. She’d just seen a third sign to the Royal London Hospital. And now they were right at the entrance.
“James, why are we going to the hospital?” she asked, forcing her voice to stay calm.
He glanced sideways at her as he turned into the hospital parking and found a bay. “Your little trip to A&E gave me the idea for this. It was just luck that the computer chose it today, I guess.”
Her heart thudded uncomfortably, adrenaline raising the hair on her arms. “Please, James; what are we doing here? Why do we need a hospital? Are you sick?”
He chuckled wryly. “No. Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”
The Shadow on her neck pulsed as her body stiffened in the seat, following his command. But he hadn’t forbidden her from speaking. “Please don’t leave me here in the car. I want to go with you.”
He turned back to look at her, one leg already out the door. “Why?”
There was no way she could help anyone if she was stuck in the car, and she was desperate. But she couldn’t say that.
She did her best to inject honesty into her voice. “You told me that I would understand. That you would show me. Let me come in and maybe it will make more sense to me.” She gritted her teeth and forced the word out again. “Please.”
James shook his head, but he was still looking at her. “Are you going to help or get in the way?”
She took a deep breath and made herself relax as she met his eyes. “Help. I promise. You’re my friend. Please just show me so I can understand.”
Kay held still and hoped that he would believe her. This was what he wanted. He was so convinced that she would eventually agree. Maybe she had a chance.
He stared at her, looking for some kind of sign, and she did her best to soften her face, filling her mind with memories of the many years of friendship between them. “I promise. You’re my best friend. You know that. We’re….” She swallowed and made herself say it. “We’re getting married. I’ll do what you want.”
After another agonizing moment, James gave a brief nod. “Okay. I can keep an eye on you more easily if you’re with me. You’ll see what we’re truly capable of, and then you’ll understand why we need to take our rightful place as leaders. But you still have to stay behind me and do as you’re told. And”—he gestured toward her neck—"you keep the Shadow.”
She nodded briefly and tried to keep her expression friendly and her thoughts calm. “Of course.”
James loosened his control just enough that she could walk freely and led the way to the A&E, flicking his hand up to cover all the CCTV cameras with swirling gray Shadows as they entered.
Tired-looking people sat around on plastic chairs, and a long queue stretched away from the reception desk where two harried nurses dealt with each new patient. A child cried from somewhere in the waiting area.
Kay’s Shadows shuddered under the weight of illness and exhaustion, the pervasive scent of hospital disinfectants, and her own increasing concern as James led her into the busy waiting area. He glanced at the rows of occupied chairs and turned them to stand near a droopy pot plant. His fists were clenched at his sides, but he didn’t seem at all affected by the crowd of suffering patients.
A man held a small wailing boy on his knees, a gray-faced woman with dark rings under her eyes rocked a baby, elderly people did crosswords patiently, and a group of drunken students mocked one of their friends, whose blood-streaked jeans told the story of their night. God. Kay wanted to close her eyes and pretend she was anywhere else in the world.
James flicked through his phone as they waited, a strangely wistful expression on his face. What was he looking at? She couldn’t even imagine. She’d never realized that he had such a completely separate life, with its own home, and car… maybe even friends. He had hidden it all from her.
The betrayal ached. It filled her with loss, but also with humiliation, and she realized that this was what Ethan had felt. Now she truly understood. It wasn’t only the destructive wave crashing through her life and destroying a precious friendship that was torturing her—it was the shattering blow to her faith in her own judgment.
She blinked against the burn in her eyes as James slipped his phone into his pocket. She put her hand on his arm, determined to try one more time. “Let’s just go home. We don’t have to do this. We don’t want these people to get hurt. I’ll work with you to find another way,” Kay whispered.
He shook his head. “We’re not going to let them get hurt, Kay. But you do have to accept that sometimes there are casualties when you’re fighting for a new world.”
“But this is a hospital! Look! There are babies here, children.” She could hear the rising edge in her voice and tried to stay calm. “We took an oath, James, and this isn’t it.”
He leaned back against the wall, his jaw tight. “Don’t worry, Kay. Soon everyone will know how much they need us, and this will all be over.”
He gazed at her, his eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she swallowed the rest of her argument. If she kept trying to change his mind, he would send her back to the car.
Kay tried to look supportive, her brain frantically sorting through every possibility and trying to prepare. “Just tell me what’s happening so that I can be ready.”
James let out a wry laugh. “You’ll know it when you see it.”
A few minutes later, James’s phone beeped, and she felt him stiffen beside her as he muttered, “It’s time.” Then he looked at her and commanded, “Stand still and watch.”
