Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
RYE
“I need your help,” Hannah says, the line clearing to her hushed voice.
Pulling the phone from my ear, silence sits between us as I stare at the big red button.
Ember’s words swirl through my head.
Since she left. She hasn’t called or texted. Nothing. It’s been days.
I push through the tightness in my chest, my eyes on the moon. “Why?” I shouldn’t care. I know I shouldn’t care. “Where are you?”
If she called, you’d answer. Stop kidding yourself.
“See!” Another voice comes through the receiver. Krystal’s. “I told you! Didn’t I tell you?”
“In hell,” Hannah answers, ignoring my sister. “I’m sorry for showing your mom the video I—”
“Where are you?” I repeat, this time slower, my voice low. “Are you okay?”
“Hey, Rye,” Krystal’s voice comes through clearer. “She called because I bet her the bottle of wine we stole that you’d talk to her if she did.”
“Don’t let her use you, Krystal,” I warn her. Why are they even together?
“I’m not.” Krystal laughs. “I’m actually the one using her.”
“We’re alot more alike than I thought,” Hannah says. “For better or worse.”
“Also, Hannah loves you,” Krystal adds.
Hannah groans. “That is the last time we’re having a heart-to-heart.”
“No, it’s not. And you’re mad about it.”
My fingers pinch the area above my nose. “What the fuck is going on?”
“It’s bad,” Hannah says. “But I… we need you.” Blame it on the gin, but her words make my palm sweat, the phone pressed into it. “We need to get out of here.”
“Are you in danger?” I ask, pacing along the stone.
“Yeah,” Hannah says.
The yard spins around me as silence takes over. My stomach flip-flops, and I can’t focus on how I’m feeling. What kind of danger? Is it her father? Or something worse?
“Rye?” Hannah’s voice softens and I wish I had something else to break. “We don’t have much time.”
My pacing quickens, weighing the two options in front of me. Lean into this, or let her suffer.
She deserves to suffer. Doesn’t she?
I told Ember I didn’t care. And I meant it.
So why the fuck am I heading to my car? “Tell me what I’m walking into.”
Hannah
“You need to meet Eden.”
I blink at the back of Krystal’s cloak as we make our way from our cabin to the main building, the moonlight guiding our path. “Who?”
She glances behind her. “You know, the chatty girl always talking back to Father and his Chosen? Pink hair? Wild eyes?”
“Oh, you mean the girl that got me in trouble?” My sneakers crunch over a branch. We pause, waiting to hear anything in the distance. After a beat, we continue as I lower my voice more. “You know her?”
“Everyone knows her.” Krystal maneuvers around a tree, and I follow, careful not to step on anything else that’ll make a loud noise. “She knows the schedule of the guards and cameras better than I do. She taught me the little I know. That’s how I got us wine the other night.”
“Wait, how often do you guys hang out?”
“You could say often.” She’s as detailed as her brother. “She can help us.”
“And you don't want to leave with her instead?”
“Well, I’m here with you, so no.” And I’ve just confirmed all the Rowens are this dry.
“You said you need at least two people to escape this place,” I recall the conversations we’ve had. “More than two would be beneficial, but it comes with the risk of getting caught. If you could escape with Eden, why didn’t you?”
“We need a getaway car, and now, thanks to you, we have one.”
Even the vague mention of him quickens my heartbeat. “Rye didn’t actually agree to anything.”
“Of course he did." We turn the corner around another shabby cabin. It’s bigger than ours. No windows.
“No, he said he’d think about it.”
“He’s playing hard to get ‘cause you hurt him.” My chest squeezes together. “He’ll be here. I was sure about the call, and I’m sure about this. I just wish you’d both stop being so annoying and get it the fuck together, you know?”
I open my mouth to protest, but Krystal brings her finger to her lips as we stand at a rickety wooden door. She taps her knuckles against it as I glance towards the big building in the distance.
The old stone building of the academy looks even more bleak from here.
The moon casts a sombre light on the tall arches and iron gates, illuminating ivy-choked walls and towering turrets.
The isolation cabin sits in the middle of the field at the back of the property, still enclosed within SOL’s stone walls.
Tonight, we thought it best to avoid the main building and handle business back here.
“You made it.”
My head moves back to the door, and I’m face-to-face with her again.
She smirks, the candle in her hand casting an evil glow on her face.
Krystal and I look tired, but Eden looks like she hasn’t slept in decades.
Her pink hair is out in full display, a stare as cold as ice to match.
She doesn’t wear her cloak, her cropped tank showcasing the tattoos covering her arms. Detailed skull on her hand. Crow on her forearm.
She turns her head to Krystal. “Krys.”
“Eden,” Krystal responds with a flat tone, but there’s something else in her voice. There’s an energy between them, the way they gaze into each other’s eyes.
Clearing my throat, I push Krystal inside so we’re out of sight of the guards in the far tower. “Where the hell are we?”
Krystal closes the door behind her as Eden spreads her arms wide, her candle lighting up the room around us. “Welcome to the supply cabin. Anything confiscated comes here, too.” As if to illustrate her point, she taps out a cigarette, pointing one at me. “Want one?”
Krystal takes one too, and Eden uses the candle to light us up. “How long do we have here?” she asks.
Eden takes a step forward, the end of my cigarette almost against her nose. “I don’t know about her vibe,” she says, ignoring Krystal’s question. The way those eyes travel from my head to my toes gives me a chill, my arms come across me. “How do you know her again?”
I can answer myself. “I’m—”
“She’s fucking my brother,” Krystal cuts me off. A knot in my stomach.
“So?” Eden scoffs.
“He’ll show up for her. So she’s our getaway car.”
“He’d show up for you, too,” I argue, remembering the way he tore me down to put her on top.
But Krystal shakes her head. “Part of me believes he’s relieved I’m here. He was jumping through hoops trying to keep my name out of it.”
“Wait, is that why you framed me?” I ask.
Krystal nods, her confidence faltering as a sheepish look takes over. “He wasn’t very nice about it when he found out and said he couldn’t let you rot in a cell like that. I’ve never seen him so angry at me.” My guts twist, the room getting warmer by the second.
“Is this the brother who has weird sex parties?” Eden asks, finally moving her gaze to Krystal’s.
“Why?” Krystal asks. “Things aren’t interesting enough for you here?”
Eden smirks. “Not until you came along.”
“Well, now I’m leaving. We’re leaving. So, what’s the plan?”
Eden turns her attention to me again, giving me one last look over before she pops her own contraband cigarette in her mouth. She takes another quick step towards me. I flinch. She laughs. And with one eye open, I see her light her cigarette off mine. “I’ll be your distraction.”
Now, Krystal takes a step forward. “You’re not coming?”
“Can’t. Not now.”
“Why?”
“You ask a lot of questions, Porcelain.”
“Porcelain?” I repeat.
“Her skin. It’s like fucking glass, isn’t it?” Eden laughs. “I’d call her Crystal, but her family beat me to it.”
“Well, that’s actually really sweet.” I look at Krystal with a heartfelt smile.
She ignores it. “Why?” Krystal repeats. “We don’t have to leave you. You can’t stay here. They’ll—”
“I’d like to see them try.” Eden looks at Krystal with the intensity of the midday sun.
Krystal meets her stare. Her glare? There’s anger in her face.
There's a softness, too. One that makes me wonder if I should leave and give them the cabin before Eden speaks, “Fine. If we’re doing this together, we’re doing this together.
Break your words and… I’ll kill you. Got it? ”
“Got it,” Krystal says, a quiver in her voice. “Crystal clear.”
Eden looks at me. “You too, Duchess. But listen up. We only have enough time to go through this once.” She pulls out a folded paper from her sweatpants, laying it on the floor.
Crouching, she tells us all about the plan.
Security times. Staff schedule. The schedule of the Father.
His weaknesses. Blind spots and safe spaces.
“So when Bernard the Security Guard goes for his three o’clock piss, we move.
We’ll only have twenty minutes to do it, but there are three of us.
It should make it easier, but don’t fuck this up.
If any of us gets caught, there’s going to be a big consequence. Escapees don’t recover here.”
Thinking back to what I’ve been through since I’ve been here begs the question. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
Eden swings that deadly gaze at me. “Didn’t you learn last time?”
My brows knit. “They let me go.”
Her head drops to one side before something hits her. “Was it the guy with green eyes? Heart tattoo?”
I blink. “How’d you—”
“He’s a piece of work, don’t let the nice act fool you,” Eden says.
“He might have given you mercy, but I promise you, you don’t want to get caught.
Not doing this.” She laughs. “You two are the only brave enough fucks to attempt this with me. And you’re already in the isolation cabin.
You’re lucky you have each other, or it could be so much worse.
We have one shot. You sure about this?” She looks at me first.
“I’m sure.” Then it hits me. My freedom depends on Krystal and Eden. But it also depends on him.
And that’s the riskiest part.
My muddy socks meet the cold stone floor. No shoes. Eden’s orders.
While it should make it easier to get around, I’m not one for filth and rough surfaces.
“Remember, Eden’s meeting us at the Lavatorium,” Krystal reminds me as we move down the hall, passing large bookcases and old religious statues. “Then we’ll go to the loading docks together.”
I nod, trying to hide the fact that my heart might burst right out of my chest.
Rye didn’t respond when we told him where to meet us. We had limited time using the phone in the chapel and had to leave before we confirmed.
Will he show? Is he still mad at me for what I did?
Is this a royally stupid idea?
The sconces on the wall flicker. Once, twice. Blackout. Courtesy of Eden.
“Start counting, Alfonso.”
The way Krystal says my name reminds me that I’m giving all my trust and power to them. To him. I gave him the power to ruin me. Again. He controls this narrative, and that could be the death of me. It was once before.
Either way, we have to keep moving. We have six minutes until the alarm sounds. And another six until the emergency power comes on. With our hoods over our heads, we move quickly. We stay close to walls, ducking inside rooms and unlocked closets until we find Eden.
She's in front of the ‘Lavatorium' in her cloak, pacing beside a giant mural of angels. Her eyes hit ours, that intense face softening.
“What took you guys so long?” Eden’s eyes fall to my face, narrowing. My cheeks sting with heat as I pull the hood further over my head. “Did Princess need to powder her face?”
Okay, so I put on a little foundation. And mascara. And blush. And gloss.
“Is this for your boyfriend?” Eden scoffs.
My stomach twists as radios hiss in the distance.
“They’re coming,” Krystal whispers.
My eyes widen. So do Eden’s.
A whistle sounds nearby.
“Go.” Eden puts something in Krystal’s palm before pushing her forward.
“No,” Krystal shakes her head. “We stay together.”
“Do not ruin this,” Eden says. “Go.” Before Krystal can protest again, Eden moves towards the end of the hallway and lets out a loud, long scream. She curls up on the ground, her hands to her stomach in the fetal position. “Help! I’m bleeding!”
Glancing back, a beam of light shines down the hallway.
Three guards gather around her. One mutters for a nurse, the other crouches to her level.
Krystal stands frozen, but we can’t linger.
Finding her hand, I pull her towards the opposite end of the hall as Eden’s scream follows, and I hope it’s still an act.
The clock tower door groans open when we get to it. Krystal leads me down to a smaller door, one made for a hobbit. Cold and dampness hit my skin when she unlocks it, a musty smell filling my nose. Darkness lies ahead.
“Really?” I whisper with a wince. “Do we have to?”
“No. Stay here.” Krystal leads the way, but not without dishing sarcasm.
Rolling my eyes, I follow after her. The space gets darker and colder the further we go down the narrow path. It feels like ages, wandering into darkness, the air silent around us. By the time we reach the end of the tunnel, my lungs claw for air.
Stepping out, dust and cobwebs cover our cloaks as cold wind hits my face. Krystal takes her cloak off, and I follow, shrugging mine off my shoulders as I look around the space.
Old wooden pallets and crates sit on cracked concrete flooring. But no one’s there.
No car. No headlights. Just the sound of pouring rain hitting metal and wood.
“He’s not here,” Krystal says the words I never wanted to hear, the room tilting around me. “He’s not fucking here.”
My whole body stills, staring out into the empty space.
We’re fucked. He fucked us.
I should've never trusted him. Not now. Not before.
The lump in my throat returns, a shake in my knees. “What the hell do we do now?”
“I-I don’t know.” Krystal glances behind her. “Eden's not here either.”
Silence sits between us, our white clothes dampening.
"Krystal, I—”
Hooooonk!
The air shifts, a low hum in the distance.
My brows lower, headlights cutting through the fog towards us.
A black van appears between sheets of rain, skidding across the wet concrete. Before I can decide whether to run at or away from it, the passenger door flies open.
My eyes lock on those intense, dark eyes. That sharp chin. That smooth skin. “I suggest you get the fuck in.”