Woolf looked around at the devastated ruin. “Before we try to raise a Partial army, we should at least check in with the human forces—we’ve been gone long enough we don’t even know what’s going on here. Even if we could find a radio, though, I don’t know how much we can share. Morgan’s forces are monitoring all frequencies, and the last thing we want is to let Dr. Morgan know we’re raising a combined army of Partials and humans.”

“Where to, then?” asked Vinci. “Do you still have a base of operations Morgan hasn’t conquered?”

“I honestly don’t know,” said Woolf. “The Senate fled to an old outlaw hideout, but if I had to guess, I’d say Morgan’s already taken it. Our best bet is a guerrilla named Delarosa.”

“You’re sure about that?” asked Marcus. “She might not take kindly to a Partial in the ranks.”

Vinci looked at Woolf. “You want to ally with a racist?”

“More of an extremist,” said Woolf. “After the invasion, her extreme methods made her one of our most effective forces in the field. She knows the island better than the invaders do, and if anyone’s managed to stay free, it’s her.”

“And you’re sure you can trust her? That she won’t just shoot me on sight?”

“She’s a pragmatist,” said Woolf. “She’ll use the weapons she has, and she’ll use them as effectively as possible.” He slapped Vinci on the back. “What better weapon could she want than a Partial?”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Calix spread her arms wide, gesturing toward the entirety of the Preserve. “What do you want to see first?”

“Dr. Vale,” said Kira.

“Not till this afternoon,” said Calix. “I checked with the hospital, and he’s got a birth this morning.”

Kira’s heart soared at the thought of a birth, and she longed to see the cure administered firsthand, but she forced herself to stay focused. They had a lot of other things to investigate. “That big black spire in the middle,” she said.

“Too dangerous,” said Phan. “That was ParaGen’s main building, and the Partials blasted the shiz out of it during the rebellion. I’m amazed it’s still standing.”

It was worth a shot, thought Kira. But if Heron hasn’t been captured, that’s got to be where she is.

Samm bent down to examine the grass, probing it gingerly with one finger before pressing his whole hand down to touch it. “How does this survive the rain?”

“Engineered microbes in the soil,” said Calix. “It absorbs the poison too fast for it to do any real damage to the plants.”

Kira knelt down as well, running her fingers through the soft, lush grass. “They’re not even discolored. The microbes must come right up into the leaves.”

“Maybe,” said Calix. “I’m not a scientist, I wouldn’t know.”