“Even if what you’re saying is true—if Monarch did create the Highers, he wouldn’t change me into one. I know he wouldn’t. He cares … cared about me too much.”

Dominic leans forward, overlapping his brittle fingers. “He would, if he thought it would save you from being discovered.”

“Discovered?” I ask.

His expression is attentive. “Have you ever wondered how The Colony came to exist? Why everyone ended up there? How the Highers ended up in control? Why they put salt in the water that surrounds The Colony when silver would work much better?” His voice is low, pressing each word as he speaks. “Because that’s how they wanted it.”

His words confuse my head. “I’m not sure what you’re saying. I’m trying to, but it doesn’t make any sense to me. Why would anyone want things like that?”

“I think the question you should be asking is why wouldn’t they,” he says. “I mean think about it. All that power, control, perfection. It’s what everyone wants, isn’t?”

I shake my head.

“Well it’s what Monarch wanted with you,” he says with a smile. “But I guess he just couldn’t get there. Still, turning you into a Higher, just to preserve what he did, that takes guts.”

I want to kick the old man to the ground. I slide to the end of my chair, my knee twitching.

“Easy,” he says. “I’m only giving you the truth, which is hard. What Monarch and I did wasn’t right. And what he was trying to do to fix it definitely isn’t right.”

My eyes skim my veins, barely visible through my skin. “I’m not a Higher,” I mumble, trying to convince myself more than anything. “I can’t be.”

He smiles sympathetically. “Maybe that’s true, but I can’t wait around to see if you’ll change. It’s too dangerous. I’m sure you understand the damage just one Higher can do.”

“But you keep that other one around,” I argue. “Locked away in that room.”

“And having one around is enough to keep me awake at night,” he says. “But the only way we know of for a Higher to die, is by the hand of another Higher and since we have two now we can at least get rid of one.” He stands. “It’d be better if you’d both just eliminate each other, but I don’t see that happening so…” He starts for the door.

“So what was all that crap with the vampire,” I call out, desperate to keep the conversation going, desperate to keep living.

“A test,” he says, without turning.

“And did I pass or fail.”

A pause. “I’m not sure.” He sighs and faces me. “Don’t worry Kayla, eventually we all will die. Some just sooner than others.