The Colony may be a safe haven, but humans aren’t meant to be locked away in the dark. Certainly not for an eternity. I’m helping the Resistance gather information because I know it’s necessary. Without a way to fight back, we’ll never have our freedom. We’ll always be hiding. We’ll always be afraid.

And I don’t want to be a prisoner. On either side.

“I’ve already agreed to help. So let me do what I need to in peace,” I snap.

“I’m following orders.”

“Screw your orders. You and I both know your dance lessons aren’t going to make an ounce of difference.”

“I’m also concerned you’re going to blast a hole through the sparring room if you don’t learn to control your temper.”

“At least my temper might actually help me survive.”

“If you want to hit something, I’m right here.”

“Don’t push me.”

“I’m serious,” Gil says, removing his hands from his pockets. “If you think you can do everything so much better on your own, then prove it.”

I don’t wait—I lunge.

Gil ducks back, away from my first punch, but I throw a left jab at his ribs. He swings out his forearm, blocking me, and I knee him as hard as I can in the stomach. He absorbs the weight like I’ve barely touched him at all, grabs my leg, and pulls me off my feet until I’m pinned to the floor.

For a moment he’s on top of me, eyes coming to life, and then I use all my weight to fling him off, scrambling back to my feet.

I don’t wait for him to recover. I throw a right hook toward his face—he ducks—and I swing my leg around to meet his chin while he’s distracted.

But he moves too fast. One second he’s there and I’m about to get my first real hit in, and the next his body sparks and vanishes. My leg clears only the air he left behind, and I stumble on the floor.

And then arms close around me, grabbing me backward and twisting my arms until I can’t move.

Gil’s breath tickles my ear.

My spine turns to ice.

“What the hell was that? I know we didn’t set ground rules, but I’m pretty sure teleporting is cheating,” I hiss beneath his arms.

He laughs into my hair, deep and wicked. “First rule of Infinity—know your enemy.”

I breathe through my nose, concentrating on the blood in my veins, running on nothing but adrenaline. I let the energy build, carefully, and focus on the pressure of Gil’s grip.