Spinning back to Dante and Kael, I try to ignore the panic building in my chest. I don’t want to throw Arryn under the bus until I’ve had a chance to talk with her, to find out why she lied to me, so I say, “Um, well, Kael, you mentioned you had people on the inside … and Dante, once I heard about Enzo being your brother, I just presumed …”

“I was talking about Keeda and Ward,” Kael says. “They were our eyes on the inside. Ward was only new, obviously—he joined us just after you started Speaking. But Keeda was our spy for over two years.”

“How did that happen—her becoming your spy, I mean?” I ask, genuinely curious, but also wanting to move the focus away from Enzo until I’ve had a chance to confront Arryn. There’s also the pressing question of why he let us escape if he’s not allied with the Remnants.

Everyone is lying to you, Six-Eight-Four. Everyone.

I shove aside Ward’s warning and continue, “Keeda’s parents died in that lab accident—how did she get past Jeremiah’s role in what happened enough to work with you guys? Didn’t everyone blame him for not being able to save all those people? For not stopping Vanik’s experiments? The almighty Creator who did nothing?”

Kael stiffens at the mention of his father, but answers, “My dad was gone by the time she joined us—and no matter how much she feared him as a Creator, she knew who was really responsible for those people’s deaths. Plus, Keeda’s ability is so similar to Manning’s that she’s naturally immune to his power, so she discovered years ago what he was doing and knew someone had to stop him. That’s why she sought us out and was able to overlook the past in order to fight for a better future.”

So that’s why Manning’s ability didn’t work on her. It’s nice to finally have some answers, even if they’re not the ones I’m desperate for.

“That’s … good of her,” I say, somewhat awkwardly. “And hey, at least she’s safe here now, even if you lost your spy on the inside.” I think of Ward locked in the holding cell and add, “Both of your spies.”

“We mightn’t know what’s happening in there now, but once we’ve dealt with this new group, we’ll find a way to sneak back in and learn what we can,” Kael promises me. “Don’t worry, Lyss. Everything will work out just as it’s supposed to.”

He says it with such conviction that I can only nod.

“Of course it will,” I reply, wishing I could sound half as certain as him.