As if guessing my thoughts, she brings both hands forward and opens her palms. “It was necessary. Everyone is checked when they first arrive. Gil went through it twice, after escaping War.”

At the mention of his name, I turn to look at the young man, whose severe face is now locked onto Annika’s.

The battlefield he spoke of…

Gil survived it?

“My name is Annika. It is a pleasure to meet you,” the woman says, extending her arm.

I don’t move. I’m too busy trying to figure out if this is another trick.

“Don’t be rude,” she scolds in little more than a whisper. “We’re all friends here.”

“You attacked me,” I say tersely. “And you may have had your reasons, but that doesn’t mean we’re friends.”

Gil stiffens beside me, and my eyes snap toward his dagger instinctively, making sure it’s still safely tucked in his belt. I don’t know whether there are consequences for speaking up or rules about defying a leader. But if the only power I have are my words, then I’m going to use them.

Annika counters my resistance with a gentle voice. “If I’m not your friend, then what am I?”

“Someone I’m not sure I can trust,” I say honestly.

She nods slowly, absorbing my frustration like she knows it’s warranted. Like I’m not the first person to react badly to their welcome methods. “I know it might be difficult to believe right now, but I mean you no harm. And despite what you might think of our protocol, I would very much like to be your friend one day. So perhaps we could start with a simple handshake and see where we go from there?”

Something tells me it’s the best offer I can hope for, so I take her hand.

A smile spreads across her face. “Nami, is it?” she asks, and I nod. “Welcome to the Colony. We’re very happy to have you here with us.”

Footsteps creak across the uneven floorboards, and Ahmet appears beside her, followed by Theo and Shura.

If everything they’ve told me about the Residents is true, then I’m far safer here than I would be on my own. It doesn’t exactly make me feel better about getting stabbed in the heart, but for the sake of finding common ground, it might be worth keeping in mind.

“We’re relieved you’re not a Rezzie,” Theo says with a laugh, pushing a hand through his mess of toffee curls.

“I’m sorry my mom had to stab you.” Shura scrunches her freckled nose. “Please don’t hate me for not warning you.”

I cast my eyes between her and Annika, not quite understanding the relation.

Annika looks amused. “Many people in Infinity adopt new families. It helps us make sense of this world a bit more—makes it feel more like home.”