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“Let me try.”
He smirks at me but I ignore it, placing my thumb on the scanner. Nothing happens. I try again. Then I try all of my fingers, on both hands. Huffing in frustration, I move aside for Night to do the honours.
“Why doesn’t it work for me?”
“You don’t have clearance.”
“How do I get clearance?”
“You don’t. Not until Seytan decides you’re worthy.”
“That’ll be never then,” I snort. He doesn’t reply and we ride the rest of the way in silence.
When the elevator stops, the doors open and I blink. We’re outside.
I turn to Night. “What is this?”
“Umm, it’s daylight. A forest. The great outdoors. Are you telling me a city chick like you has never seen a tree before?”
I scowl. “Ha.Ha. I’m sorry if being roofied and transported here in manacles and a straitjacket doesn’t quite marry up with you being able to walk straight out of the front door!”
“It’s more than a hundred miles to the mainland. Where are we gonna go? In case you didn’t notice last night, they have ways of making sure we don’t escape that are far more effective than four walls with bars.”
“You said we could talk?”
“I’m here to show you around,” he tells me firmly. “I’ll answer any questions about the site and what freedoms you’ll be given etc for the duration of stay here.”
I snort. “Stay? You make it sound like a holiday.”
The shake of his head is so infinitesimal that I almost miss it. He’s saying it’s not safe to talk here. Not yet. But he knows somewhere, and he’ll show me, all under the guise of being my tour guide.
I nod and he turns on his heel and strides off into the thick trees, leaving me to scramble to keep up with him.
As we walk deeper into the forest, Nightshade begins to tell me about the surrounding area. He explains that the island we’re on is only a small part of a much larger archipelago, and that most of the islands are uninhabited and unexplored. He tells me about the wildlife that inhabits these islands – from the dangerous predators to the brightly-coloured birds and insects. I listen to him talk, fascinated despite myself.
At one point, we come across a small stream that runs through the forest. Nightshade stops and crouches down beside it, reaching out to touch the water. I watch as he dips his fingers in, feeling the coolness of the water. For a moment, I’m struck by how peaceful he looks – so unlike the fierce, dangerous man I know him to be.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks, turning to look at me.
I shrug. “Nothing in particular. Just taking it all in.”
He nods, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “It’s beautiful here, isn’t it? The noise and chaos of the city seem so far away.”
“I suppose,” I murmur, not quite ready to admit that I’m enjoying this unexpected excursion, but also surprised by his words. He’s so…unreadable and somehow he keeps surprising me. He’s not what I expected, at all.
We continue on our journey, the forest growing denser around us. My heart beats faster as I realise just how far we’ve come from the facility. What if we get lost out here? What if Nightshade has some ulterior motive for bringing me so far into the wilderness?
As if sensing my unease, he stops abruptly and turns to face me.
“Red,” he says, his voice low and serious. “I need to explain some things to you.”
I swallow nervously. This is it. Whatever he has to say, it’s going to be important – I’m going to get the answers I desire.
“What is it?” I ask, barely above a whisper.
He takes a step closer to me, his eyes trained on mine. “You need to know that last night was a test. One which you failed.”
My heart sinks at his words. A test? What kind of test? And how did I fail it? I open my mouth to ask, but Nightshade holds up a hand to stop me.
