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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

She’s close—I can feel her breath against my hair. And it occurs to me as I look down at the water that it wouldn’t take much for her to push me into the sea. With the weight of this dress, I’m not sure I’d even be able to swim.

My knees lock. I need to explain myself, and fast.

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I argue, feeling a rush of fear spike through me. “I was looking for you, and then—”

“He talked to you like you were one of them. Like you were a Rezzie.” Shura’s anger lashes out, defensive and sharp.

A small wave crashes over the rocks nearby, and I yank my arm back, prepared to fight for my freedom. To my surprise, Shura releases me without arguing.

Maybe she didn’t bring me here to drown me.

“I’m not a Rezzie,” I say in a low voice. “And I don’t know where this dress came from. It just appeared. But I’m glad it did. Because if a dress is all it takes to trick a Resident prince into thinking I’m like him, then maybe this can help the Colony. Maybe this can help everyone stay safe.”

I don’t know where it comes from—the urgency to look out for someone I barely know. But protecting people from getting hurt makes more sense to me than breathing.

Even when I’m afraid.

The veil lifts, and Shura is standing beside me, her gray eyes crinkled in confusion. “It’s not the dress, Nami. It’s you.” She points to the water, and I follow her gaze.

And then I see it. The girl reflected in the water isn’t human at all. Her hair is like black velvet, her complexion smooth as porcelain, and her eyes shine like gemstones.

And somehow, despite the too-perfect colors and curves, she’s me.

I look like I’m made out of plastic or carved out of stone. Like I’ve stepped out of a painting.

Like I’ve been built rather than born.

I look like one of them.

14

I STARE AT MY RIGHT palm, where a moment ago a jagged symbol appeared, shaped like a flame and glowing fluorescent blue. Now all I can see is a patch of bare flesh.

It turns out Shura wasn’t joking about being marked with an imprint. It’s the Colony’s way of making sure no Residents turn up pretending to be human. Kind of like an anti-forgery watermark, but for skin instead of money.

Annika runs a dark finger along the wooden table, tracing the grains like she’s trying to solve a puzzle. And maybe she is.

I walked out of the North Tunnel a human, and I returned with the face of their enemy.