BooksBarbecue
Back The Infinity Courts Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. Dedication
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  52. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I felt her, rattling through my mind like I’d invited her in. And maybe I did.

I called on a monster, and it answered. I walked through a hallway I wasn’t supposed to. Opened a door that should never have been unlocked.

And I came face-to-face with the Queen of Infinity.

11

I PACE AROUND MY ROOM, my footsteps erratic and my hands shaking at my sides. I should tell someone what happened. What I saw. But every time I reach for the door, every nerve in my body screams at me to stop.

What I did was dangerous. I know that. I gave in to my sorrow and reached out for something familiar. I reached out for Ophelia, like I’ve done a thousand times before.

But she’s no longer just a programmed voice tucked away in metal and microchips. She’s real. She has a body, and a face, and a mind. If it weren’t for those black eyes and polished, symmetrical features, she almost looked human.

And somehow, our minds connected. I don’t know if I found a way into her consciousness, or if I invited her into mine, but I do know she sensed me in front of her. Watching her. She knew I was there, and I didn’t have to say a word. But was she watching me back? Could she see where I was? Could she sense the resistance buzzing around me?

Have I exposed them all without meaning to?

Waiting is torment. I’m bracing for the walls to crumble, for an army to flood through the tunnels. I’m waiting for the Residents to rip the Colony apart and for everyone to discover I’m the one who led the enemy right to the front door.

Because it’s all my fault.

How long do I carry this horrible secret on my own? The others deserve to know the truth. Maybe there’s still time for Annika to take them somewhere else. Somewhere safe.

My heart clenches, and the truth is suffocating. There’s nowhere else to go.

How can I possibly tell the others that I’ve single-handedly destroyed their home? These next few moments might be the end for all of us. Maybe it’s kinder to let everyone think they’re safe for a little while longer.

So I spend all night pacing, around and around, waiting for the worst to come.

It doesn’t.

I keep my secret, and I train every moment I can. Most days, it’s a good distraction. But sometimes it feels like my mind is on fire, burning with the weight of what I know and can never say out loud.

I made a connection with Queen Ophelia, and she made one back.