Aiden touches a strand of my hair distractedly, as if he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. “She’s actually really cooperative; at least she was once I let her go.” He winks at me, but then blinks and drops my hair.

“Well, isn’t that wonderful,” Ryder says sarcastically. “No we can all just sit around and be one big happy family.”

If this girl doesn’t watch it, she’s going to end up getting her ass kicked.

“The other one on the other hand is turning out to be a pain in the butt.” He drops down on a crate and pops another piece of food into his mouth.

“You mean Bernard?” I sit down and Maci wraps her arms around me.

“I’m so glad you didn’t die, Kayla,” she says softly.

I give her a gentle pat. “Me too, Maci. Me too.”

Sometimes it’s hard for me to be close to people. If they’re particularly fearful when they touch me, the rush of fear can be so intense that it’s enough to almost send me to the ground. But what I sense off of Maci, is enough to make my ears ring.  Monarch. Maci’s afraid of Monarch.

Ryder leans back against the wall and puts her hands behind her head, kicking her filthy boot on the table. “So have you decided what you want to do with them?

“No one’s doing anything with me,” I say, before Aiden can respond.

“Yeah, ‘cause Kayla can do whatever she wants,” Maci says. “She can even take on a Higher.”

Aiden, who was taking a sip from a bottle of water, spits it out across the table, all over Ryder. “You did what?” He coughs.

“I didn’t take one on,” I lie. “That would be insane.”

“Yeah, you did.” Maci protests. “Back in the hall—you grabbed one and then you were sent to the red room.”

I assume she means the red door, but how could she possibly know this. She wasn’t around.

She smiles cheerfully, swinging her feet back and forth as she takes a sip of water.

“You took on a Higher?” Aiden asks, astounded. “Like an actual Higher?”

“As opposed to a fake Higher,” I say, avoiding his gaze. “And how do you know what they are? Did you live in The Colony at one time?” I pause. “Wait a minute, you guys don’t… you don’t have them around here, do you?” I gaze around the room, scanning for white figures, and all eyes are me, like I’ve just broken a rule or something.  What’s worse, they all fear me. I catch a few of their frightened fingers itching for their knives, ready to stab them in me.

Ready to kill me.

I don’t hesitate. I run.

Chapter 15