“Yes,” she confirms. She bites her lip and looks to him as if seeking permission, before turning back to me and adding, “If not for Riley, if not for your mum and SCARS, I wouldn’t be here today.”

“What is SCARS?”

Arryn glances at Riley again, but he’s standing there frozen and silent, as if he can’t believe we’re really here right now.

I understand the feeling. And while part of me wants to run into his arms, another part—a greater part—needs answers first.

“SCARS is the Speaker Containment and Rehabilitation Service,” Arryn says. Hesitantly, as if afraid of my reaction, she adds, “They’re—They’re the ‘unknown Speaker group’ everyone here is madly searching for.”

I stare at her in disbelief. All along—all along—she’s known the truth.

“They’re everything you were told Lengard was, and more,” she continues. “SCARS is the official branch of the government that monitors the Speaking community.”

She notes the look on my face and quickly backtracks. “Wait—They’re not—Forget what I just said. Lengard was a bad comparison.” She huffs out a breath and tries again. “SCARS was founded to protect Speakers. It’s run by Speakers, for Speakers. Whenever there’s a new breakout, we try to get to them first and help them learn to control their power. We’re similar to Lengard and the Remnants in that way. But we also help other Speakers, not just the new ones—we help all Speakers who want to remain within the greater community. We offer health care and education and financial assistance. We teach Speakers how to use their power for themselves and for others. Most of all, we help them integrate back into the real world so they can live whatever life they want to live, wherever and however they want to live it.”

My heart is suddenly thumping in my chest.

She’s just described my vision, my dream for the future.

Arryn continues, “We also keep the general population safe from any Speakers who present a threat. Speakers like Kendall Vanik and Alvin Manning. Our priority is to stop people like them before they can carry out their plans. That’s the ‘Containment and Rehabilitation’ part of our name. We try to help those Speakers turn their lives around and reintroduce them to society, but if they resist, we have a government-sanctioned holding facility that can keep even the most powerful of Speakers contained.” She pauses. “We have no hidden motives—our goal is simply to see all Speakers safe and able to thrive in the real world, not locked underground or trapped in ancient catacombs.”

We.

We.

We.

Of everything she just shared, her repeated use of that word strikes me the hardest.

“You’re not with the Remnants at all, are you?”

She shakes her head and whispers, “No. My allegiance is to SCARS. I answer directly to Melody Scott—to your mother.”