“I understand that you’re upset, but you will not question my intentions. I’ll determine who has been leaving those things in your locker whether or not you fess up to who’s been bothering you. The next timeif there is a next time anything like this occursyou will come to me. Do you understand?”

“AAre you going to send me away?”

“Sometimes I want to, Ember. I really do. So don’t push it.”

My fingers opened and closed in my lap. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to take you home. You will go upstairs. You’re grounded”

“What?” I screeched. “How am I grounded? This isn’t my fault! And grounded from what? I don’t go anywhere.”

“You’re grounded, because you should’ve come to me. I could’ve stepped in before thiswhatever this isinvolved any of the outsiders. This is the second time you’ve let me down, Ember. I had to use my gift to manipulate someone. The last thing I need is the school administration prying around my home because they so obviously believe that one of my children has something to do with this.”

“Go figure,” I snapped.

“And trust that I will have a talk with every single one of them this evening.”

“But I didn’t tell any of them!”

Cromwell glanced in my direction. “I don’t know why you think you can lie to me.”

I didn’t, either.

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I kept waiting for Cromwell to change his mind, to storm into my bedroom and inform me that he’d contacted the Facility and they were coming for me. But as the hours passed and the light of the moon crept across the room, I realized I was safe for the time being.

My nerves settled down enough that I could get some semblance of sleep. I don’t know what woke me near sunrise. Maybe it’d been a nightmare. I’d dreamt of shadowy figures following me, which probably explained why my heart threw itself against my ribs.

I sat up and tossed the covers off my legs. Climbing out of bed, I took a step, and then noticed a shadow against the door. And when it moved forward, I opened my mouth to scream.

“Ember, it’s me.”

“Oh, my God,” I gasped, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Hayden said quietly.

I could barely see him. Once I felt sure I wouldn’t pass out, I stood up again. “How long have you been in here?” Watching me sleep? Even though I didn’t say that, it hung in the air between us. Instead of creeping me out, which it should have, knowing that he was in here made me feel weird… in a good waya confusing way.

“Not that long. I was debating if I wanted to wake you up.”

“Oh. Is… is everything okay?”