“What’s going on?” Hazel demands, scowling at me and Theo. “Why are you two whispering? And Theo looks like he wants to kill you, Piper. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m totally over the tension, so spill.”

Priya and Lucie’s eyes slide toward us, waiting for a reply. Maybe everyone has noticed how off Theo is with me. We’re usually the chattiest ones, especially with each other, so of course the others were going to pick up on the rising tension.

“You want to tell them, Piper, or shall I?”

I shrug. “I don’t mind. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I’m not saying you have.”

“Doesn’t sound like that to me. Even though you just claimed you understand.”

“Hey!” Hazel snaps. “Tell us what’s happened!”

Theo blows out a long breath that whistles between his teeth. “This morning, the door was open. And not just the waiting room door. Piper and I ran to see what was going on. We thought maybe we’d find a way out.”

“Did you?” Priya asks, leaning forward on the seat.

Theo shakes his head. “No, but we did find all of the doors open. We ran outside, and there was no one there. We were going to come and find you guys, but when we turned around, Owen was inside. He closed the door and mouthed for us to run.”

“We couldn’t, though. It was a trap. Caleb and Matt were nowhere to be seen, and we suspected they were waiting somewhere in the woods for us,” I add.

Theo’s jaw hardens. “I wanted to try anyway. I thought if we managed to get away, we could get help for all of us. This nightmare could be over.”

Lucie, Priya, and Hazel stare with their mouths parted, each of them with the same look of disbelief.

“You left?” Hazel whispers, her eyes on me.

“No, I didn’t. We went as far as we could. I wouldn’t have left you behind, Haze. Not any of you.”

Lucie folds her arms. “How do you know you wouldn’t have made it? Maybe that was our chance and you two blew it! You didn’t even wake us up and let us decide for ourselves.” She stands quickly. “How could you take that choice away from us?”

“Because it wasn’t a choice,” I say, rising to my feet. Her anger is understandable, but I won’t be intimidated. “If they allowed us to get away, they would be sent to prison. They probably got bored and wanted to try killing for themselves rather than forcing us to do it.” The thought sends a jolt down my spine.

Could they evolve to that?

“Still not your decision to make. I would rather die running than in that room!” Lucie shouts.