“Just flying around. Sometimes I like to see how high I can go.”

I try to think of a response that won’t make me sound too bossy. I’m all for training, but flying around the city of Chicago seems like a pretty stupid idea. Hiding in plain sight is one thing; hiding while teenagers soar through the air around your base is another.

“Aren’t you worried someone might see you?” Sarah asks, taking the words right out of my mouth.

Five shakes his head. “No offense, Sarah, but you’d be surprised how little your people bother to look up. Anyway, it’s night and I’m in dark clothes. Trust me, guys, I’m cautious.”

“Still, there are cameras to think about, airplanes, who knows what else,” I say, trying not to sound like I’m lecturing.

Five sighs deeply and holds out his hands, like he’s sick of arguing. On the heels of his run-in with Nine earlier, I guess he doesn’t want to make any more trouble. “I’ll stop if you want me to,” he says. “You should know that I’m getting better at it, though. Covering more distance. In fact, I could probably just swoop down to the Everglades and pick up my Chest, be back before breakfast.”

I like this can-do attitude from Five; he suddenly doesn’t seem like the kind of guy we need to worry about passing up training for video games. Still, I shake my head. “We’ll go as a team, Five. We don’t need to do anything alone ever again.”

“Safety in numbers. You’re right.” Five yawns, stretching his arms out. “All right, I’m gonna turn in. The Lecture Hall first thing tomorrow, right?”

“Right.”

Once Five has marched downstairs, I turn to Sarah. She’s gazing up at the night sky, a tiny smile playing at her lips. I take her hand.

“What do you make of that?” I ask her.

She shrugs. “If you could fly like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Only if you could fly with me.”

Sarah rolls her eyes, elbowing me gently in the ribs. “Okay, cornball. Let’s get to bed before anything else crazy happens.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE UP FOR THIS?”

Ella nods her head as we walk towards the Lecture Hall together. She looks pale, dark circles under her wide eyes, like she’s just gotten over a horrible illness. She made it through last night without any nightmares or screaming fits, but she still looks drained.

“I can do it,” Ella says, straightening up.

“No one will think any less of you if you sit out,” I tell her.

“You don’t have to baby me,” she replies sharply. “I can train just as hard as the rest of you guys.”