“Told you I’d send for her.”
At that moment, two men step out from an aisle. They’re dressed in black with two guns crisscrossed on their backs. I can see the barrels peeking over their shoulders. I instantly tense when I see them and try backing away. I’m not letting them put me back in that hospital.
But Asher touches my shoulder. “It’s okay, Evie. I hired them to protect us in the Outlands.” He glances at my leg. “I’m not taking any chances this time.”
I’m still a little wary of the guards, but I grin at Asher. For the first time in days I feel like maybe this will be all right. That everything is going to get better.
Starshine makes another sound and picks at the back of my shirt, tickling me. Giggling, I say, “I missed you, too.”
Asher laughs. “Long way from the girl who was terrified of her just a few days ago.”
I just shrug. “Transportation?” I put my foot in the stirrup and try to hitch myself up.
He gives me one quick nod and pushes on my butt to shove me into the saddle. “Transportation.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
They came again today. Somehow my past has caught up with me, but, as before, I’ve told them nothing. Even if I have a few bruises on my person for my troubles. I don’t know where they heard about Elysium or why they want information on it, but it can’t be anything good, especially when they’re willing to resort to torture of an old lady to obtain the information.
—EXCERPT FROM LENORE ALLEN’S JOURNAL
Gavin
I’ve just about given up. Despite my careful rationing, I’m out of food, and I’ve been hungry for hours already. I’ve just made up my mind to come up with a new plan when the door in the house across from where I’m sitting opens and Mayor St. James emerges.
I glance around, sure this is some weird set up. It couldn’t be that easy. Could it? And why the hell is Asher’s dad here? He jogs down the steps, then gets into a car that’s waiting at the curb. The car pulls smoothly away, moving in the opposite direction from me.
I wait until I’m sure he’s gone to rush up the front stairs and knock on the door. It takes a minute, but when the door opens, I recognize Asher’s grandmother. At first she looks shocked to see me, but then she opens the door wider. I can’t help but notice that her eyes don’t look all that friendly.
“Gavin, isn’t it?” She firms her lips into a thin line.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She leads me into the warm kitchen. It’s uncomfortably hot compared to my hours outside in the cold, but I forget all that when she introduces me to the cook, who beams at me and plies me with cookies and milk to eat while she cooks me something warm.
While I appreciate it all, and I am starving, I really just want to see Evie.
“Is Evie sleeping?” I peer around her to the door that leads to the living room. “I’d really like to see her.”
Mrs. St James doesn’t answer right away and I shift uncomfortably in my chair. Something’s wrong. Something is very wrong.
“Eat, then come find me,” she finally says, and leaves the room before I can argue.
I don’t want food, I want Evie, so I try to follow, but it still takes me a few minutes to find her. She’s sitting in the parlor and reading a book. I feel awkward going in—I’m pretty sure she doesn’t like me very much—and even more so when she looks up at me. It’s as if she’s appraising me and I’m not up to her standards.
Nothing I’m not used to.
“They were here five days,” she says at last. I open my mouth, but she gives me a look—one that tells me to shut my mouth, so I do. She continues, “In those five days, we’ve hired only the best physicians to work on her case. Asher has spent practically every waking moment with her making sure she was comfortable and happy. Despite all this, the hallucinations did not improve. The doctors were, for lack of a better word, stumped.”
I lift an eyebrow. I’m so confused right now.
“She never gave up hope on you. She either snuck out to see if you made it to the gate or forced Asher to go with her to check. Every day. She cares for you very much.”
This time, my eyebrows wing up. Evie snuck out to look for me? I have to grin. Of course she did.
She leans forward, the book falling to the floor, forgotten. “It’s obvious she loves you and you love her.” She pauses as if expecting me to argue, and a tiny bit of warmth creeps into her eyes when I don’t. But there’s sadness there, too, when she says, “Keep in mind you’re not the only one.”
That’s not surprising really. My mom fell in love with Evie almost immediately. So did my sister, and my brother. Evie just has that way about her. I don’t even know what it is exactly.
Maybe it’s how strong she is despite everything that’s happened to her. She’s a fighter. That’s for sure. And she’s nice and polite to everyone, even when she’s pissed. Especially when she’s pissed. It’s like she’s trying to actually kill you with kindness.
I realize Asher’s grandmother is still staring at me, waiting for my answer, so I nod.
“They went back to Elysium.”
The blood drains from my face. I can feel it. My head spins and I have to catch myself on a chair next to me to prevent myself from falling. I lower myself to it slowly.
“No. Absolutely not.” It’s all the words I can muster. I can’t seem to remember how to form sentences.
She finally meets my eyes. “The nanos are malfunctioning. It’s probably what’s causing her issues. Her memory loss. Her blackouts. Her hallucinations. If they don’t get them fixed and/or removed, she’ll die.”
I shake my head. “The nanos are only in her to prevent pressure sickness and to promote healing. That’s what she told me when we were in Elysium. They’re not making her sick.” I pause at her expression. “What?”
“No. They’re not. That’s not at all what they’re for.”
“How do you know?”
She won’t meet my eyes. And that bad feeling comes back with a vengeance. “I helped invent the nanos. I lived in Elysium. For a time.”
My whole body trembles. And black spots swim in front of my eyes. No. That’s not possible. That can’t be possible. “You’re from Elysium?”
“I am.”
He betrayed me. Again. And I trusted him. I clench my hands into fists, red spots replacing the black ones. I can’t believe I fell for it again. I knew better! Damn it! I strike the arm of the chair so hard my entire arm aches from the force. I shove up from the chair.
“Where are you going?”
“To get her back. I’m not letting her go to Elysium.” I say it like I’m challenging her, and I think I am. Challenging her to stop me from going after Evie.
She sighs. “I understand why you wouldn’t want her to go back, but it is her only option. Eli—my partner—can help fix her.”
“That’s a lie,” I shout. Then something even worse occurs to me, making my stomach roll with terror. “That’s why Mayor St. James was here. Why Asher was so willing to help us. He knew. He knew from the beginning and he had no intention of really helping.” I glare at her. “You’re one of them. One of those … those monsters, and you’re going to get Evie killed. Just like my father.”
Her voice is soft in comparison to mine. “Yes, Kristofer was here. And yes it was because of Evie. But I would never let them hurt her, especially my son-in-law. You don’t live this long, with the secrets I know, by being foolish, boy. Even though Kristofer thinks he’s calling the shots, I always have strings to pull and an ace in the hole. I wouldn’t have sent her back to Elysium if I didn’t think it was the only option.” She shakes her head. “I’m not one of them, but your ranting sounds just like them … Surface Dweller.”