Page 111 of The Donor’s Dilemma

“I couldn’t care less. Just find me the number,” he told her, leaning over the desk to answer the phone. “What?”

“Why are you avoiding me?” Jesse asked.

“Just tell me what you want.”

“What’s happened?”

“Jesse.”

“Theodor.”

Theo raked a hand through his hair. He didn’t have time for games. “Verity left me. We kissed, and she reported me to the Exchange.”

Whatever had happened between them had been too much. He thought he knew what she wanted, but he was wrong. He’d taken it too far. Been too much. There would be an investigation and supervised feedings, and he found that he didn’t even care about all that. How could she report him?

“She what? I thought you two were smitten?”

“Well, obviously not. What did you want?”

The line went quiet for a moment and Theo’s thin patience ran out.

“Jesse, I’ve got enough on my plate right now…”

“Yeah. I saw the paper…”

“You’re in Havenshire?”

“Yeah, I’m on my way to you now.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s no illness in Cliffhaven.”

“What?”

“Cliffhaven. There is no Hesperian Flu. The Exchange collapsed…” Jesse carried on talking but Theo stopped hearing.

The Vital Exchange had collapsed in Cliffhaven.

Just a couple of weeks ago Theo wouldn’t have been able to imagine how such a thing could happen, but now… now he might not need to imagine it. With the rate at which donors were leaving the Exchange, it was a matter of months before it happened to Ashhaven. Maybe less.

“Theo?” His brother called. “Did you hear me?”

“Yeah?”

“Just don’t mention it to anyone…”

“Don’t mention it?”

“Yes, Theo,” Jesse said, sounding tired. “I’ll be a few days…”

A thought struck him then, more like a hundred thoughts, but only one he needed answering in that moment.

“Why didn’t you call my mobile?”

“I did. I’ve been calling you all fucking night.”

Theo pulled his phone out. Not one missed call.