“I didn’t see you partnering up with a detective. And I didn’t peg him until he waltzed into that party with you, so I give him credit for that. A good detective—but not smart enough to quit while he was ahead. I’ll tell you one thing before you go, my dear,” he whispers. “You want to know who I am, but I’m a little disappointed you haven’t figured it out.”

He presses his lips to mine. I open my mouth, as if gasping, and he presses his tongue into mine. The tasteless liquid spreads into him. There. It’s done. I can only hope it’s enough.

He presses the plunger on the syringe and the drug begins to work.

“I’m the Brother,” he whispers as my mind starts to go.

Everything that happens next is a blur. Nazarin bounds up from his chair and knocks Ensi back.

My mind burns. I’m still conscious—barely—because Ensi hasn’t started the program. It takes all my strength to raise my head a few inches. Ensi is manipulating the fight with Nazarin so he inches closer to the controls. I try to warn Nazarin, but my mouth won’t open. Ensi’s hand snakes back and the program begins. Soon, I’ll be trapped in a dream.

The King of the Ratel knocks Nazarin against the wall. He slumps over, his battered brain out cold again.

With the last of my consciousness, I see Ensi strap Nazarin in the Chair and begin the program, then strap himself into another, starting his own sequence.

He’s grinning like a hunter going in for the kill.

And then we’re gone.

27. Tila

TWENTY-SEVEN

TILA

We really thought we’d succeeded.

The month had passed without any problems. We went to school, we did the chores we could do, we listened to sermons, we did the Meditation and we did our best not to stand out at all. Mom and Dad did their jobs. We tried to act both positive and remorseful at the thought that we would be reentering the Cycle again soon. Our health continued to worsen, and our main fear was that we’d die before we could escape.

We should have been more afraid of Mana-ma.