Last night, I tried to use my ability to locate the breakout, but I didn’t know who he was; I couldn’t picture him, nor could I see him in real life as a target before me, so my power failed. But Ward? I have no problem calling him to mind. It’s almost embarrassing, how easy it is.

I see him clearly, his golden hair, his green—so green— eyes that turn brighter and darker with his emotions. I think of how I felt when I first saw him, surprised that he was so young, shocked that he was kind to me. I remember the first time he touched me, his hand reaching for mine and how I flinched away, unused to human contact after so long without it. I recall the moment when I learned he’d only befriended me in order to get me to Speak, the crushing hurt, the crippling betrayal, and the torturous weeks that followed. Lastly, I think of him carrying me away from Vanik’s lab, running along the bleached corridors and using his ability to protect Cami, Keeda, and me from the Speakers chasing us. I’ll never forget his words that night: Everything I did was to protect you. I’ll never forget how it felt to hear them, and how it felt to learn the whole truth from Kael afterward. The truth that Ward was never cold, never unfeeling … never my enemy. The truth that he always believed in me, that he was always protecting me.

All of this I focus on, keeping him central to my thoughts as I whisper, “Locate Landon Ward.”

Light touches the compass, and Cami gasps as the needle spins and then settles, pointing toward the door.

I give her a half smile and say, “Feel like going on a treasure hunt?”

She returns my smile, but hers turns mischievous as she walks ahead of me and throws back over her shoulder, “You do realize you just referred to my brother as ‘treasure,’ right?”

I offer no reply, but I do curse under my breath as I follow her out the door.

*

“This complicates things.”

The whispered words are mine, but Cami is nodding mutely beside me as we stare at the door before us.

Falon’s office.

That’s where the compass has led us. Of course, it would have to be our luck that Ward would be in the middle of a meeting with the director. I’m not sure where that leaves us, whether we force our way inside the room and confront them both while hoping there’s no one else with them, or whether we find somewhere to hide while we wait for Ward to leave.

I don’t have a chance to consider either option fully before Cami reaches for the door.

I grab her hand, stopping her just in time. “What are you doing?”