Gil holds up the weapon. “No. We won’t.” He presses his thumb against the device, and before Vallis even has time to widen his eyes, he’s unconscious.

Ahmet nods toward Yeong, who presses a series of buttons on his tablet. The machine comes back to life; every panel blinks before erupting with color, and all the lights turn green.

In the chair, Vallis sleeps.

40

GIL FINDS ME IN MY room. He runs his fingers through his hair, making it look scruffier than it usually does, before releasing a sigh.

“You could’ve warned me about Vallis.” I shrug my coat from my shoulders and drape it over a chair.

“What difference would it have made?” Gil looks stern. “We treated him the same way we would’ve treated any Resident, which is what you should be doing too.”

“I don’t care that he’s your prisoner,” I argue, even though a bigger part of me wishes nobody had to take prisoners at all. “But I had no idea he was a traitor. What if he’d done something when I was with Prince Caelan? What if it somehow blew my cover?”

“You were never in any danger.” The words come so easily to him, it’s almost hard to doubt him.

“I don’t like being in the dark.” I lock my knees stubbornly. “And I shouldn’t have to keep begging for information. Not after all this time.”

Not after how far I’ve come.

He moves across the room, stopping in front of the bookshelf. I watch his hazel eyes counting the spines, bracing for the moment he—

Gil frowns. He pulls the stolen book from the shelf and lifts the cover. “Did you… did you steal this from the palace?”

I shrug sheepishly. “Would you believe me if I said it was a gift?”

He does little to hide his disapproval. “I didn’t peg you for a thief.”

“Like I’ve been saying, you don’t know me very well.”

He closes the book, waving it carefully with one hand. “Why this one?”

I stare at the small collection of blank novels, remembering the way Gil had once looked at them. Like he was longing for something he couldn’t have.

The truth wriggles out of me like it’s racing for freedom. “It seemed like maybe it was your favorite.”

He stares back at me for a long time. “It is,” he says finally. Maybe the truth makes him feel a little freer too.

Gil slides the book back into place and takes a breath. “The weapon… It works.”

I chew the inside of my mouth. “So what does this mean? What do we do next?”

He looks up at me, and even though this is the best news the Colony’s had in ages, his face is solemn. “We find out where the Orb is, and we destroy it.”