I bite my lip. Hesitating. “Did he tell you?”
I suddenly feel Saint poking the back of my mind. It’s the first time he’s tried to link telepathically with me.
“About how your parents are loathed by every single person in the Modified world?”he says, and I see the veins of his bare arms rippling.“You mean that?”
“Yes, that.”I meet his eyes.“Do you think I’m evil, too, now?”
“That’s a stupid question, Darlington. If we were responsible for the shit our parents did, half of us wouldn’t be here, myself included.”
I lift a brow, but he doesn’t elaborate.
“How are you going to vote?” I ask out loud. “Will you vote to disband and put Kallister in charge?”
He tips his head, thinking. “I don’t know. Probably not.”
My stomach flutters with relief. “Can you convince Gray to vote that way, too?”
“I don’t think you can convince Gray to do anything he doesn’t want to do.”
Before I can say anything else, Saint gets an alert on his comm and checks the screen.
“Time to vote,” he says brusquely.
Shit. It’s already happening?
As I tail him out the door, he looks over his shoulder, hunter-green eyes flickering with amusement. “You’re not a mission lead.”
“No, but I want to talk to Gray before you go in.”
“I don’t know how receptive he’ll be.”
“I have to try,” I say, jutting out my chin.
On the Operations floor, I’m startled when a familiar figure rounds the corner at the end of the hallway. Mako. Relief shoots through me. He’s wearing his mission clothes, which are still streaked with dirt and soot, but he appears unharmed as he strides down the hall.
“Hey,” I say, running toward him. “When did you get back?”
He wraps his big arms around me in a warm hug. “Just now. Henley picked me up.”
“I’m so glad you’re safe. How was your night at the Hollow?”
Mako breaks out in a grin. “So I know I’m supposed to be all somber and sad because all this bad shit happened last night, but…Holy hellfuck, Wrenny. The women there…” He whistles under his breath, and I can’t help but laugh.
“How’s Xavier? Did you see him?”
“Oh, I saw him. He and Reed had this beautiful girl sandwiched between them and—”
“I don’t need to hear anything more,” Saint interrupts, rolling his eyes. He takes off walking again.
I touch Mako’s arm, already backing away. “I have to go, too, but I’ll catch up with you later.”
I hurry after Saint, reaching the war room in time to see several people streaming in, operatives I’ve either never worked with or justseen at the shooting range. The only person I recognize is pink-haired Raven Persimmons, who nods at Saint before disappearing into the room.
I don’t see Gray yet. “I’ll wait out here for him,” I tell Saint.
The corridor empties out, leaving me anxious and alone. My nerves are running high by the time I hear his footsteps. I spin and find him walking toward me with that long, confident stride, his blond hair gleaming beneath the overhead lights.
His expression softens when he sees me. Only for a second, before shuttering again.
