She steps back, disengaging her blade carefully, gingerly, as if it might disintegrate if she moves too fast. It is both a graceful and deceiving move. The jagged parts of that blade can catch on mine at any moment and rip it from my hands.

“How did you find out what I am?” she asks.

“It wasn’t that hard,” I say. “It’s well known why your father is incarcerated at the Compound.”

“So you must know the Order is aware of my existence too.”

I stumble. I did wonder, but I can’t believe my parents wouldn’t have told me the truth.

“Interesting. It must be more of a need-to-know thing when it comes to what they tell trainees about abominations.” She narrows her eyes a fraction. “I’m surprised you haven’t changed your mind about us, given how you feel about Anora.”

Sometimes how I feel about Anora doesn’t feel like a choice.

“Us?” I ask. It’s strange hearing that word describe a group of people I haven’t assigned a number to. I’ve never really thought much about abominations, but clearly that was my first mistake. It is true that after Anora arrived, I’ve been reminding myself on a daily basis why humans and Valryn can’t be together, but all the reasons I come up with for why it is bad disappear when I’m near her.

And Anora is right—I have never been presented with any sort of proof that what the Order refers to as abominations are bad.

Although as Lennon paces around me, her dark blade drawn, I’m beginning to wonder about what they’ve been hiding and why.

Her laugh escapes like a bark. “What do you think? I’m the only one in existence? The Last Samurai?”

I don’t respond, mostly because that’s what I had assumed.

“But you’ve been working alone?”

“Not alone.”

“Right. Thane,” I say.

That’s how she knew about Anora’s background. Anora trusted him and he betrayed her.

Lennon laughs again. It’s like a chime—pretty, soft. She even throws back her head, and all I can think is that’s a good way to get your throat slashed. My hand tightens on my blade.

“He’s an easy puppet. So malleable.”

“What’s your plan?” I ask. “Because you don’t have much time to execute it. The Order will be here soon.”

“You expect me to believe you’ve learned there’s power in numbers?” she asks. “You work alone; for some reason, you think it’s best. It’s like you’re trying to prove yourself or something.”

Those words sting.

She’s a little right, of course, but she discounts my friendship with Natalie, and Natalie believes in teams and the power of the Order, and she’ll find me.

“So the plan,” I say. “What do you want with Anora?”