“Ada, what are you doing? You can’t be talking about this openly.” She looks panicked, and it makes me even more scared, because Mom never looks anything other than poised.

“No one is listening. You have to talk to me.”

“The most important thing right now is for you to protect your cover.”

“Mom, they think the Families are the ones behind the kidnappings.”

The look on her face makes me stop breathing.

“Mom…,” I choke out. “Are they actually somehow connected?”

“The Oculus is involved in a lot of activities that the rest of the Inner Chamber knows nothing about.”

“What are you saying?” My voice squeaks with panic. “Are you part of the Oculus?” Up until recently, I hadn’t even known the Oculus was still active, never mind that my mother might be part of it.

“I’m not a member, but all the New York Chamber members have been brought on to help with a specific operation based in the city. Ada, this is not something we can discuss here and now.”

“If you won’t talk to me while I’m here, then I’m coming home.”

“You need to stay where you are. You’ll be safer there, and you can’t jeopardize your cover.”

“Safer from who? Ozymandias Tech? I can’t keep doing this without knowing what I’m part of.” I force myself to lower my voice, which has been rising to a screech. “I’m not even that safe here. Do you know that I was kidnapped again last night? And I was rescued, but my friend wasn’t so lucky.” The emotions I’ve been holding in are breaking through, and I start to tear up. “She’s only fourteen, Mom.”

My mom’s eyes widen. She looks horrified.

No, she looks guilty.

Only moments ago I’d been so sure the Families couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with the abductions. But the look on her face has all my hope draining away.

How could this be happening without me having known? How could my mother and Kor be aware and okay with it? And… I helped them! I remember seeing Hypatia on the train. I think about everything I might have done to lead to her getting caught, and I feel like I’m about to puke.

“Is she safe?” I ask.

“I don’t know anything for sure. But if she was taken by the Families, then I’m sure she is.”

“Can I talk to her? How can we arrange to send her back here?”

“Ada, that’s not how this works. I don’t have that kind of authority. If I did, none of this would be happening.”

“Mom, she has serious health issues.”

“This project is being run out of a medical facility with some of the smartest doctors and scientists in the world. She’s going to be okay.”