Gates of Thread and Stone(64)

“I’m heading back to my room.” I couldn’t stand the weight of the boy’s eyes on me. I waved off Avan’s attempt to come with me, but he got up anyway. As we reached the cafeteria door, I froze.

Standing guard was the sentinel I’d met the morning Reev had disappeared, the one they had tried to chase off at the Labyrinth. I ducked my head, but it was too late. He’d seen me staring at him.

Then a curious thing happened. He looked away again, his expression unchanged. He hadn’t recognized me.

No, that couldn’t be right. It wasn’t a lack of recognition but a lack of . . . anything.

Feeling bold now, I stopped in front of him, waving my fingers to get his attention. “Hey, remember me?”

Behind me, Avan whispered, “What are you doing?”

The sentinel spared me a dismissive glance. “Lights-out in thirty minutes. Keep moving, cadet.”

“But don’t you know me? We met outside the Labyrinth. I gave your mom a letter for you. I would have asked her for one in return, but I didn’t know I’d see you again.”

He said flatly, “You’re mistaken. I have no family in the East Quarter, and I have never been assigned duties outside the White Court.”

I searched his face but couldn’t find any signs that he was lying. Or anything else hidden behind his blank expression.

“But you do,” I insisted. I had to make him admit it. “Her name is Lila Sevins. You came to the Labyrinth looking for her.”

“Move along,” he said. “Or I’ll report you for insubordination.”

“Nel, come on,” Avan said. I ground my teeth together as he led me away.

“He didn’t know who I was,” I said, yanking my arm out of Avan’s grasp. “He had no idea. And his mom—he left her in the Labyrinth. He should have heard the way she cried when I gave her the note. How could he forget her?”

“Kai,” Avan said, his voice so soft that it hurt to hear. “Remember what Mason said about burning their minds? He’s not even the same person anymore.”

“I know,” I snapped.

I know, I know. Cleansing. But I didn’t want to believe it.

“I don’t know why anyone would want to be like that,” I said, gesturing wildly at the cadets we passed. They gave me confused and condescending looks, making a wide berth around me, but I was too upset to care. “Can’t they see there’s something wrong? How are they all so blind?”

“Kai,” Avan said. His hand found my arm again, and he tugged me up the stairs toward our dorms. “You need to calm down.”

“No, what I need to do is find my brother. The longer he’s here, the more chance he has of ending up like them.” I shoved open my door and slammed it behind me.

I closed my eyes. Avan was right. I had to get ahold of myself. I waited until I felt calmer, and then I opened my door and peered out. Avan was gone, and cadets had begun to trickle in from dinner.

A voice echoed down the hall from somewhere near the stairs announcing lights-out in ten minutes and for cadets to please return to their dorms immediately or suffer the consequences, blah blah blah. How many times did they have to remind us of imminent punishment for everything? No one had slapped my wrists for leaving the hall earlier.

Once I was sure the Watchman had moved on, I hurried toward the staircase. I wished I had a way to signal Irra’s hollows and let them know I needed more time. Maybe if I went to the manhole and flipped it back over . . . But how could I be sure that it’d work?

I returned to the hallway that led toward the prep room. It was as good a place to check as any. The fire from the sconces had been dimmed for the night.

“Kai.”

His voice, behind me. I turned.

Reev stood at the end of the hallway. He stretched out his hand.





CHAPTER 31




I DIDN’T WALK to meet him. I ran, throwing myself against his chest. This isn’t a dream. Please don’t be a dream.

He didn’t respond right away. But then his arms closed around me. I sank against him, squeezing my eyes shut. He wasn’t wearing his leather tunic, and I pushed my face into his soft undershirt, letting the cloth absorb my tears.

Reev. Reev. He was here. He remembered me. I held on, my fingers digging into the familiar comfort of his arms.

“What are you doing here?” he asked quietly. I relished the sound of his voice, letting it wash over me.

“I came for you, of course.” I drew back to get a look at him, but the hallway was too dim. “Are you okay? Have they done anything to you? Why didn’t you find Avan after his match this morning? You recognized him, didn’t you?”

“I was being watched,” he said.

“You could have signaled me or—or done something, I don’t know. Do you have any idea how it felt, wondering—”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, pulling me in and placing a kiss against my temple.

All that frustration and anger—none of it mattered anymore. There was no room for that now.

“It’s complicated,” he continued. “I can’t stay long. How did you even get here?”

“We went to the Black Rider. He helped sneak us in, and he’s going to help get you out. We have a plan.” I gripped his shoulders and rose on my toes, bouncing like Grene. In less than a day, we would be gone from here. Everything would be okay. “Will you be at my match tomorrow morning?”