When we finally break apart, both of us have to wipe under our eyes—and Arryn, too, who seems almost as overwhelmed as we are.

I clear my throat as I remember what else I wanted to ask her, although I think I’ve already figured out the answer. “Enzo is your contact inside Lengard, isn’t he? He’s working undercover for SCARS, not the Remnants?”

Arryn just nods, though she does so sheepishly, as if remembering that she mislead Cami and me with her answer.

So Enzo is working with you?

Yes, he’s working with me.

Again, she never actually lied, and in any other circumstance, I would applaud her ability to tell half-truths.

“Enzo and Dante’s parents divorced when they were really young,” Arryn shares. “Dante went to live with their mum, and Enzo went to live with their dad, Malik, who was—is—a ranking official in the military.”

Riley jumps in, “Because of Malik’s position in the government, he knew all about SCARS, so when Enzo’s ability first manifested, he made sure we were there to help him learn control. But things started to stir within Lengard soon after that, rumors that Vanik hadn’t finished with his experiments as we were all led to believe, so Mum and Dad decided we needed someone on the inside. Enzo volunteered, and since he was a Xanaphan child and unknown to the Genesis generation, he was the perfect person to slip in as an Exodus recruit and work his way up through the ranks.”

“Over the years, he’s helped sneak dozens of Speakers out of the facility,” Arryn says. “So many people have a better life—a normal life—now because of him.”

Riley meets my eyes and quietly adds, “He tried to get you out. He didn’t know who you really were or what you could do—none of us did—but he was always talking about the silent girl with the sad eyes who could pack a mean punch. He did what he could to help you, but you were always too well guarded for him to get you free. But he wanted to, Lyss. For years.”

Enzo was the only beacon of light I had in that place until Ward became my evaluator. If not for his encouragement— Spoken and otherwise—and his compassion, then …

I push a tendril of wet hair behind my ears and get us back on track. “So Enzo is with SCARS, but Dante is with the Remnants?”

More than that, Dante must not even know about SCARS, since he’s still hunting the “unknown Speaker group” with the rest of the Remnants. Either he’s in the dark, or he’s one hell of an actor.