His heart rushes with my touch. “It’s what happens when you’re not doped up on medicine … and it’s also called as a scar. It’s what’s left over when a deep injury has to heal on its own. And I liked it there. It reminded me of how fake my life used to be, when I was controlled by the Highers. And how I never want to go back to that again.”

I tug my hand away and fold my arms, shivering at the reminder of what Dominic thought I was. And what if it turns out that I am—the thing that he and I hate the most?

Then what?

Chapter 29

When the twisted metal buildings of the city finally peak over the horizon, I feel a small weight lifted from my shoulders. Judging from the distance, we should be able to make it there before darkness completely sets in. The smoke rises, twisting up to the sky and polluting the air with ash and debris.

“Should we run the rest of the way?” Aiden asks.

I eye his leg, jeans torn, but the skin as smooth as porcelain. “Do you think you can?”

“I’m fine,” he assures, tightening the straps of his bag. “Your blood healed me. I’m good.”

So we run, racing through the sage and cacti, the city getting closer. I keep my pace sluggish, so he doesn’t have to fight to keep up with me, but a part of me wants to take off, run away from everything, if only for a moment.

“Don’t hold back on my account.” He winks at me and then speeds up, pulling ahead.

I smile and let go, feeling weightless as I leave him in a trail of dust, boots hammering, breath free. But then I hear something that sends me to a crashing stop.

“What’s the matter?” Aiden says as he collides into me.

I brace us from falling and I put a finger to my lips, shushing him. My eyes scan the rocks, which we left a ways back, but other than that there’s no place to hide.

“I thought I heard—”

Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

“Someone’s here,” I whisper, edging my knife out of my pocket as I circle around. Aiden follows my lead, taking out his knife out too. We glance at the hills, the rocks, the brush, the sky. But the thumping stops just as quick as it began. I turn to Aiden. “It’s gone.”

“What is?” He lifts an eyebrow inquisitively. “The heart beat?”

My lips do a double-take. “You heard it too?”

“No…” he says, his voice deciding. “But you’ve told me about it.”

“No I haven’t. I’ve never told anyone about it.”

“You’ve told one person,” he says, pointing at his chest. “You just can’t remember.”