When I reach my room, I throw myself onto the couch and pull my phone from my pants. My hands shake uncontrollably as I stare down at the screen. No service, of course. No portal to the instant distractions where I could hide from the humiliation and fear of that entire interaction. Only a bunch of photos that are awfully incriminating.

I feel entirely out of my depth. It’s literally my first day here, and I’ve already attracted the suspicion of the guards. I don’t even know what I did to warrant their distrust.

Now I definitely can’t risk snooping again. Will they decide to search my room?

I lean back against the couch and close my eyes against the sting of imminent tears.

How am I supposed to do this?

Alfie was right. No one should have trusted me with this job.

I need some guidance on how I should handle all of this. Maybe I should go back to Michael’s office and call Kor.

Ha. No way. I’m never leaving this room again.

“You doin’ okay?” Georgie asks me when she comes in a few minutes later and finds me unsuccessfully attempting to cuddle her cat.

“Yeah,” I say, tamping down my panicked feelings and reaching for a safe excuse for why I’ve been crying. “I just really miss my family. It’s hitting me how isolated we are.”

She gives me a sly smile. “It just so happens that I can help you with that.”

“You can?”

She motions for me to follow her into her room, and I do, but I stop in my tracks once we enter. Despite the incredible technology of this place, I haven’t seen any computers. No screens in general.

But Georgie’s room has enough screens for the entire island.

The room is lit with the blue glow of many monitors and blinking lights. It reminds me of Izzy’s room, which adds one more pang to my generally miserable mood.

Georgie settles into a cushioned swivel chair and sweeps blond and purple tendrils out of her face as she begins clicking around on one of the screens. “It took some convincing, but Headmaster Bloche caved and let me have my setup here. My plan is to eventually get the Cipher guild on board with computer science.”

“Ciphers? They’re mathematicians and engineers, right?” She nods. “But aren’t you an Artisan?” Georgie wears an amethyst guildstone.

“Yes, but only because the Ciphers wouldn’t accept me. The Artisans are a good fit, but I was pretty bummed when the Ciphers turned me down.”

“I don’t get it; it seems like you’re perfect Cipher material.” I motion to all the computer stuff that surrounds us.