“Everything must die, it’s a part of life. Not doing so,, now that’s going against nature. I should have realized this sooner.”

“Even the Highers,” I say. “Because from what you said—with the only way for them to die is by the hand of another Higher—I don’t see a death in their near future.”

He smiles, tapping his head. “You’re clever—another thing Monarch did right. It really is a shame he had to end it like this.” Then he’s leaving again, already almost to the doorway.

“So what? You’re just going to kill me because you think I might be a Higher?” I shout after him.

“It’s for the best, Kayla,” he says. “Even if you aren’t, what you can do goes against nature any way, whether Monarch thinks so or not. He can’t fix his mistakes by trying to play God.” One last smile and he’s out the door. I start to run, slowly, because I’m chained. But a group of guards mob the room, boots marching against the floor as they corner me against the wall.

“Time to die, Kayla.”

I’m not sure which one of the assholes says it.

They seize the chains and take me up the stairs, but I don’t make it easy for them. I kick and fight the whole way. But it doesn’t do any good. As strong as I am, there are too many of them. They drag me through the ridiculing crowd and back to the glass room. But just as they’re about to lock me up, Aiden runs up.

“Hold on,” he says, but one of the guards steps in front of him, sticks a hand out and shoves him back. “I just want to say goodbye to her. That’s all.” The guard doesn’t budge and he continues, “Please,” he says in an angelic voice. “She used to be a friend of mine.”

Winning the guard over, he steps aside and lets Aiden by.

I back up, not wanting him near me. “Stay away from me.”

He pulls me in for a hug anyway, backing us into a corner and pressing our bodies together, like we’re lovers. I think about kneeing him between the legs until he whispers, “The keys to the cuffs.” He slips them and something else into my pocket.  “And a knife.”

Then he’s gone, pushing past the guards and disappearing down the hall. He doesn’t give me an explanation or any instructions on what to do next. I think it’s right then and there that I realize just how well he knows me.

Because I can do a lot of damage with a knife. No instructions needed.