(1 year later...Not sure where the time goes honestly. Can't believe I started this story when I was in my twenties and here I am ten years later. Wow! 1 more chapter...please excuse grammar errors or plot holes. I'll fix them someday.)



The Blanks-turned-humans clear out in the time it takes me to try to budge Marcus through the exit of the underground cavern. The light of the crystals illuminate the cave still, but it's much dimmer now, pulsing feebly. Still enough for me to see the terror in Marcus's eyes. I kneel beside him and hold his face between my hands, forcing him to look at me. His skin is cold and clammy. "Marcus, please. Listen to me. We have to go. Can you hear me?"

It's hopeless. His eyes are unfocused, incapable of meeting mine. He seems incapable of hearing me through his sudden and inexplicable fear. I stop and straighten up, balling my hands tightly. There's one way to get him to come with me. Mind control him.

The thought makes me recoil in disgust. It's one thing to hijack the brain of a Blank that's trying to kill us, but this is different. I'll be taking over Marcus's mind. Seizing control of it, stripping him of his strength and dignity. Making him do things that he would never allow to happen if he knew. He doesn't deserve that.

There's movement in the corner of my eye and I turn quickly to face the wall. It's the shadow that brought me to this cave. Standing across from me where my own shadow would be, but it's not my shadow. Even more obvious by the fact that it's taller than me, with wide shoulders and narrow hips. But there's no denying its feminine form.

"Who are you?" I ask it.

No words. Instead, the shadow points to Marcus.

It's almost like it's telling me what I have to do. I scowl and shake my head. "No way. I'm not going to mind control him."

The shadow points more incessantly.

"What if I hurt him?" I demand. "The last person who got in his head broke him. I can't take that chance."

Silence. The shadow watches me quietly now.

"Who are you really?"

"Hermes."

The voice is a cold breeze sweeping past my ears, and I flinch in surprise. I wasn't expecting that—the answer or the discovery that my shadow guide and my digital one are one and the same. What exactly is Hermes? Not human, clearly. Unless—what if Hermes is a Mod like me and the dozens of kids who left the stress facility? Does that mean I know her?

"Are you one of us?" I ask.

She tilts her head in question. Then shakes it.

I'm even more perplexed. "Then what are you?"

Nothing.

"You're working for Sam, aren't you? How did you know him?"

"You killed my father."

My chest seizes. I remain quiet, struggling to process what she said. Her voice is more accusatory when she adds, "You were supposed to help us."

"The Ancient we—we fought was your father?"

"Sam Parker was trying to prevent a war. You've undone everything he accomplished."

You've undone everything. That's what the Ancient said to me in his final moments. The words are burned into me like a brand. They won't let go even as I say, "We didn't start this. You've been hunting us for months. Your father is responsible for the death of countless humans at the hands of the Blanks that he created."

"The cost of humanity."

"April!"

Rapid footsteps approach the cave. I spin to face the new arrival, my heart caught in my throat. It's Carson, walking tentatively into the cave until he sees me. As disheveled and dirty as he was the last time I saw him with his brother, but nothing else is the same. He's grinning as he rushes toward me and throws the full force of his skinny body against mine. "You did it! You saved me!"

My stark relief to see him acting like himself makes me forget about the shadow and the potential impending war for a moment. I laugh and keep hugging him, eyes burning. "Pretty sure you saved me. I can't believe you're here. Are you okay?"

He pulls back and looks at me solemnly. "I don't really know if I'm okay or not. I'd say I need at least two years of intense therapy before I can answer that question. But look at you. Holy shit! You beat the Ancient! Does that mean it's over?"

I look over at the wall where the shadow was, not surprised that she's gone. Our brief conversation ended too soon. If she's right, it means that what happened in the crystals isn't the end. It's the beginning of something worse.

Carson is looking at Marcus quizzically, who is mumbling quietly to himself, completely unaware of us. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know. He came out of the crystals like this."

He studies him a moment longer before nodding in understanding. "He's stuck wherever the Ancient put him. That's what would happen to me sometimes. I would have these dreams. Sometimes real, sometimes places I've never been to and people I've never seen. I reckon that's what's going on with him."

Where could he have gone to be struck down by terror like this? A horrible thought grips me. What if there is no way to fix him? At least with the Blanks, killing the Ancient freed them. But if Marcus is still like this now, it means the Ancient isn't the one holding him prisoner. His own mind is.

"We have to go," I say. "I need to find someone who can help him. The others must be looking for us."

"I had to sneak past Gardiner to get to you. The others weren't so lucky. Last I saw, they were being herded into a big truck."

Dammit. Everything we did, and Gardiner still got to them in the end. "Willow?"

He nods. "And Alec."

I don't have the heart to tell him Alec is on Gardiner's side now. And Adam, too. If there's one mystery I'm dying to find out, it's how they convinced Adam to join up with them. "Your brother? Where is he?"

"I was with him when I woke up. I knew exactly where you were, but it wasn't easy getting to you. He created a distraction by pretending to be hurt. He's probably looking for me now. April, what happens now? Where do we go?"

I don't have any answers for him. If Gardiner took the others, it means it's just Carson, his brother, and me against the Ancients now. One Ancient caused so much devastation. I can't imagine what more of them could do to us. We stand no chance of survival on our own. I hate to even think it, but this may be a situation where we have to pick the pick the lesser of two evils.

"We have go back to Gardiner," I say.

His shocked eyes tell me he feels as enthusiastic about that idea as I do. "They know more about the Ancients than I do," I explain. "And maybe they want to use us for their own twisted reasons, but they're better than the Ancients who want to wipe us out, no questions asked."

"They want to kill us, too," Carson counters.

"Maybe. But I'd rather take my chances with Gardiner than with the Ancients. Enemy we know, right? Look, we just need to buy some time. Find everyone, come up with a new plan, and figure out how we get out of this mess once and for all."

Carson looks frightened and unconvinced. I touch his arm. "Hey. I know it sounds crazy, but it'll be okay. I promise." I smile. "I haven't gotten us killed so far, have I?"

"I got a third option," he says. "You know that, don't ya? I'm better now. I've got a mom and dad and brothers waiting for me."

"Carson, it's not safe. The Ancients found you once. They'll find you again."

"I don't care." He looks at me with pleading eyes. "I just want to go home."

"You can't—" I stop myself. Take a deep breath. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes, Carson. If you want to go home, you can. No one has the right to stop you." Least of all me. At least some of the bright ideas I've had lately have gotten people hurt or killed, and I don't want to add Carson to that tally.

"Oh." Carson shuffles on his feet and seems to search for words, as if he wasn't expecting me to give in so easily. "Okay, then. So, does this mean goodbye?"

My eyes start to sting again. In the past year of chaotic adventures and whirlwind revelations, I've met so many kinds of people, but I've never had a friend like Carson. No one so genuine and guileless, so wholly good. Feels like everyone around me has secrets, hidden agendas. Even Marcus. But not Carson. He's the only one who's ever made me feel completely safe and normal. Like I'm not some great savior and I'm not a fucked-up kid either. Just me.

"I don't know." My voice cracks. Tears are running down my face now, and it's only because this is Carson that I don't hide them. "Maybe."

He hugs me again, and I bury my face against his shoulder. "I'm not going to miss much about this whole nightmare, but I'm gonna miss the heck out of you, April Parker."

"Me, too."

"You know where I live?"

"Yeah," I mumble.

"Good. If you ever need a place to hide out, y'all are welcome to come down to Georgia. We live out in the country, so there ain't much to see. But it'll be safe. My brothers will kick the ass of anyone that tries to hurt you."

We both laugh. I look at him with a watery smile, grateful for one thing. "Go home and be happy."

He looks at Marcus. "What are you gonna do about him?"

"What I have to do," I answer, steeling myself against the unease I feel about mind controlling the boy that I love. "Get him home, too."

Back to Gardiner.