“I’ve fired stun guns,” I say.
Jax holds a hand out in my direction. “See?”
“With you around, she doesn’t need a gun,” Zero replies.
Jax makes an annoyed sound, but doesn’t counter that.
Zero observes me in the same way he’d done in the Dark World. My heart beats a rapid rhythm at his gaze. For all I know, he’s doing a scan of all my data, checking to make sure I’m not signaling anyone to follow me here.
Does he remember his brother?How could he possibly forget—or, worse, not care?
“I sent her to save your life, you know,” he says.
I turn my head up to meet his gaze as my anger flares again. “You forced me here under threat of death.”
Zero’s eyes swivel to the black door I’d entered through before settling back on me. “You accepted my invitation.”
“And how do I know you didn’t send those other assassins after me, too, just to set this entire thing up?”
“You think I have nothing better to do with my time than mess with you.”
“I think you play more games with me than you should.”
Dr. Taylor frowns at Zero before she takes a deep breath and looks at me. “We’re glad you’re safe, Emika,” she continues in a soft tone. “You may not have heard of Jax before, but she’s well-known in our circles. The sight of her defending you will send a clear message to every hunter watching the assassination lottery to stay away from you.”
I look over my shoulder toward the door, feeling no safer at this knowledge. If I dared to turn my back on Zero and leave this place, would Jax put a bullet through my head?
Zero points at my eyes. “I’m assuming you use the beta lenses.”
“Yes,” I reply. “Why?”
“You’re going to need some extra protection on your account.” Zero flicks his hand subtly, and a menu pops up between us, asking me to accept his invite.
I hesitate.
Zero gives me a wry smile. “It’s not a virus,” he says.
I’m not in much of a position to argue with him, so I accept it.
A download bar appears.
It completes and vanishes as quickly as it’d arrived.
Zero takes a step toward me. He holds out one of his palms.As I stare at it, a black virtual cuff materializes to hover over his hand. Then he places that hand over my arm, and the cuff snaps into place around my wrist with a clean click. Like a shackle. A coat of black armor identical to Zero’s virtual gear clips all over my body in a ripple of movement, and for a brief moment, I look like I once did in that red virtual cavern, when Zero first approached me during the championships.
The armor disappears again, as if it had faded away right into my skin. The cuff glows a soft blue before it vanishes. It reappears only when I stare long enough at my wrist. I’d seen the same thing on Jax when she first showed up during my attack.
“It’s a Blackcoat mark,” he says. “You are now under our watch. No one else will touch you.”
He’s officially claimed me for the Blackcoats. I’m theirs now.
I rub at my new cuff. Even though it’s a virtual object, I can almost feel it burning into me.
“So, what are you all? Vigilantes or something?”
Zero returns to where he’d been leaning against the wall. “That term’s a little sensational. But I guess it applies.”
Taylor turns her steady gaze on me. “We believe that too much power in the hands of a single entity is always a dangerous thing. So we fight that, whenever and wherever we can. We have wealthy patrons who support our cause.”
