I lean across the seat and try to get a closer look at the huts, but instead of turning up the graveled path, Ahmet makes a sharp right into a small forest, staying clear of the city’s borders. When the trees begin to thin, we pull up to an old barn that sits at the edge of a withering field. The half-collapsed roof is a mess of exposed beams and missing shingles, and the entire building is covered in thick clumps of mud and moss.

The large double doors open with a tired groan, and Ahmet eases the vehicle inside. Save for a scattering of hay, leaves, and a rusted pitchfork resting against the wall, it looks like it was abandoned a very long time ago.

I glance around the empty barn nervously. It hardly seems like a place anyone would call a “base.” It smells of damp and mulch, for one, and half the roof is missing. I’ve never seen a hideout so… exposed.

With another exasperated grumble, the barn doors shut behind us, operated by something mechanical. Magical.

Before I get the chance to ask questions, the floor moves.

It drops like an elevator shaft, making my nerves flutter. We fall first into darkness, and then the platform stills and we’re at the start of a long tunnel lit with inconspicuous bulbs hidden in the brick-lined walls. As soon as Ahmet hits the gas, I hear the ground shake. When I turn around, the platform is already rising.

We weave through the earth, the lights brightening as we draw near and fading to black once we’ve passed, as if someone is watching our every move.

Or maybe it isn’t a someone. Maybe it’s the world that’s watching us. Interacting with us.

The thought sends a chill up my spine.

Eventually the vehicle slows to another gentle stop, blocked off by a large metal door. Theo jumps out first, and when I glance at Shura, she’s only just opening her eyes.

“That was tiring.” She grins, and her cheeks dimple. “Veiling four people and a flying car is not an easy thing to do, I’ll have you know.”

When I open the door, Theo is already waiting with his arm out. “You can lean on me, if it helps.”

I take a step on my own and almost collapse to the floor. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to walk with… whatever it is that’s still stuck in my leg.

I place my hand over Theo’s muscular forearm and hobble toward the doors, which give a shudder before sliding open.

Ahmet turns his head toward me, a wry glint in his mahogany eyes. “Welcome to your new home. We call it the Colony.”