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“Some of these tunnels were already here,” Zan added. “We built the rest for us to get around during the day, and for a quick escape in case PARA raids us.”
“How long have you lived here?” I asked.
“Over a year.”
“What’s in Project Hope that your father wants?”
Zan chuckled, and I wished I could see his face. “So many questions, Kali. We’ll talk about it later. Watch yourself. We’re about to go up steps.”
I slowed down and nudged the first step with my foot. Zan’s hold tightened on my hand, and we climbed the steep steps. Light suddenly blinded me, and I squinted as my eyes took time to adjust. Pax had opened some sort of door above us, and the sun was high in the sky.
Zan reluctantly released my hand when I pulled away from him. I darted up the last few steps, my heart swelling when I realized where we were. Viggo and Pax were talking quietly, and I stared at them for a moment. I still wasn’t used to seeing them in the sun. The sound of running water pulled my attention away from them.
“Just like your tattoo,” Zan murmured, stepping up beside me.
A lump grew in my throat when the memory of my first time outside Project Hope popped into my head. The roaring of the river calmed me even now. It was still my favorite place to be. With the ocean being a close second now that I’d experienced it.
“When I joined the Clovers and found out that I’d be able to leave Project Hope, I was so excited.” I walked forward, pushing through some bushes until I was close to the river’s edge. I could hear Zan following me. “Standing here for the first time was when I felt free. I decided in that moment that I couldn’t live my entire life in that one city.”
“You won’t be stuck in that city ever again,” Zan said quietly.
“No,” I said bitterly. “I’m just trapped in a different one.”
“Don’t worry, Kali,” Viggo called from behind us. “We don’t stay in one place long. A few more months, and we’ll go somewhere else. You might be trapped, but at least you’ll travel.”
“Viggo,” Zan snapped. “Stop.”
“We’re on a timeline,” Pax said. “We need to stay on schedule. We’re still a half-hour walk from the entrance.”
With a sigh, I spun around, bumping into Zan with how close he was. He took advantage of my closeness, wrapping an arm around my waist and tugging me into him.
“Don’t wander off when we get inside,” he warned. “Stay close to me. PARA will be everywhere.”
“I know the inside of those walls better than any of you,” I retorted. “You’re the ones who shouldn’t get lost.”
He smiled wickedly. “I’ll make sure to stay close.”
“Come on,” Pax said impatiently, glancing at his watch. “We’re running behind.”
Peeling Zan’s arm off me, I hurried away from the river, my confidence higher now that I was in an area I was familiar with. I knew this forest probably better than Zan and his brothers. Even though they could hear someone coming before I could, my head was still on a swivel, searching for PARA members on instinct.
We moved quickly, and I pushed away my nagging memories. These woods made me think of Warner. Of Helena and Lisa. Every time I’d been out here, I was with at least one of them. My chest tightened, and I upped my pace, trying to only think about what we were doing next. I couldn’t afford to be distracted once we got into Project Hope.
We didn’t run into anyone as we went through the thick forest, and by the time we got to the tunnel entrance, the sun was still high.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Just past noon,” Pax answered.
I nodded. “The next check will be at one. We’ll be good.”
“I still don’t like this,” Viggo muttered, shooting me a dark look. “We didn’t plan this with her coming.”
“Feel free to try it without me,” I tossed back. “I mean, with you being able to walk in the sun, you could walk through the front gates. Oh wait—you wouldn’t pass the temperature check, would you?”
Vampires ran colder than humans, which was why no one could enter or exit cities without getting their temperature checked. If it wasn’t for that, Zan and his brothers would have been able to stroll right into whatever safe city they wanted.
“Enough.” Zan’s hand landed on my back, and he led me forward. “Let’s go.”
