Chapters (52)
- Copyright
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Acknowledgments
- Read More from the Market of Monsters Series
- More Books from HMH Teen
- About the Author
- Connect with HMH on Social Media
“Not like that. Not like him.”
It was a fair point, and Nita didn’t have a counter to it. Finally, after a moment, Nita whispered softly, “He was on my side. He was the only one on my side. The only one I could trust in an ocean of lies and betrayal. INHUP, Fabricio, my family. Everyone was lying to me. Except Kovit.” She raised her eyes to Quispe. “I think you underestimate the power of trust.”
Quispe’s jaw tightened, and her voice was full of hurt as she whispered, “I was on your side. You could have trusted me.”
Nita looked down. “I did. But I didn’t trust INHUP, and I didn’t trust that you were as wary of them as I was.” And I didn’t think you’d be on my side if you knew the truth about who I was and what I’d done.
They were silent a time, watching Kovit’s chest rise and fall before Quispe finally said, “If he survives and the DUL doesn’t go back up, I’ll testify against him at his trial. I’m not letting him get away with murdering that agent.”
Nita nodded. “I’d expect nothing less. May justice prevail.”
Quispe’s mouth curved in a warped smile that said she knew exactly how different their ideas of justice were. “I hope it does.”
Quispe didn’t say anything else, just sat for a few minutes with Nita as they watched a monster sleep, the beep of the heart monitor counting his victims and the hiss of the respirators chronicling their screams.
Forty-Two
KOVIT WOKE THE NEXT DAY.
Nita was dozing beside his bed. She wasn’t sure how long he’d been awake, only that at some point, she glanced at him and saw he was watching her with those dark, long-lashed eyes she was so familiar with.
He tried to say something, but he still had a tube down his throat, so all that came out was a choking noise. Trembling, Nita reached over, touched his hair softly, reverently, as though she couldn’t quite believe it, and called for a doctor.
Kovit was surrounded in a flurry of activity as the medical staff swarmed him. Machines were unhooked. Different machines were hooked. The tube was taken out of his throat, which sounded like a very painful process if Kovit’s yelps and groans were anything to go by.
The doctor spoke to him in stilted English, and Kovit responded blearily. He asked for water, and they gave it to him. After a few minutes, the hubbub died down, and Nita returned to her seat next to him.
“Hey,” he croaked.
“Hey.” Her chest was so tight she barely got the word out.
He gave her a cracked smile. “You look terrible.”
She laughed hoarsely. “You should see yourself.”
“Who, me?” He attempted a charming smile. “I’m sure I’m the most handsome patient in the hospital.”