Page 122 of Storm Caller

“We’re getting you out.”

Edward gazes past me to Henry and Rook. “How?” he whispers. “They’ll find me. They know what I saw.”

Rook drops down beside me. “There are people willing to protect you.”

“Edward,” I ask, “did you see something that night? Have you told them anything?”

He shakes his head. “They’ve been asking questions, trying to trip me up. I’ve denied everything, but if this goes on much longer . . .”

He trails off, and I understand what he can’t bring himself to say. They haven’t tortured him yet, but it’s probably only a matter of time.

“Edward,” Henry says. “I know this is confusing, but we need to get you out of here. Quickly. We’ll do everything in our power to keep you safe.”

“Who will?”

“We’ll explain everything once we’re out. Will you trust us?”

Edward’s shoulders sag. I can’t imagine what he’s been through over the last several months. He meets my gaze, and I wish I could convey how sorry I am. How much I regret ever involving him in any of this. I’ll find some way to make this up to him.

“I’ll trust you,” he says. I hear Henry let out a breath of relief, and he uses another key to open the cell door. It swings open on silent hinges, and then we’re heading out, making our way back the way we came.

Edward is weak, his legs shaky, but he wears a determined look.

“This way,” Henry says to Edward. “I’ll take you to a safe house. Rook and Poet, you head back to Amery. We’ll send word in a few days.”

“But—”

“It’s safest this way,” Henry assures me. “When they notice he’s gone, you need to be in your beds.” He holds up the “borrowed” key cards. “And you need to get these back to Dire as soon as possible.”

I nod, understanding he’s right.

“You’ll be okay?” I say to Edward, who shrugs.

“Will I be?”

“They’ll take good care of you.”

He grabs my wrist, a flash of desperation passing over his face. His cold skin is clammy to the touch. What has he been through since that night?

“Trinity was guarding me. She acted like she didn’t even know me.”

“I know. She isn’t the same anymore.”

Edward’s head droops, and I pull him into a hug.

“She never deserved you.”

He puffs out a resigned sigh, like he wants to believe me but isn’t quite ready to yet.

“We need to move,” Henry says.

We all break apart, and Rook and I wind back through the tunnels as quickly as we can. We’re almost at Amery when the sirens start. We pick up our pace, climbing up the hatch before returning to the cadet gym. Dire is still passed out in the shower, and Rook stuffs the keys back in his pocket before we creep away.

Distantly, I hear the blare of warning vibrate through the stone walls.

No one sees us as we make it back to our room, throw ourselves inside, and wait for tomorrow morning’s consequences to arrive.

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