Chapter 23
23
I wake sometime later, my head pounding.
Wait. This isn’t my bed.
I don’t have this many pillows or a luxurious fur throw. Wow, it’s soft. I bury my face in the cozy warmth and inhale the somehow familiar spicy scent.
Where am I anyway? I sit up. Instead of piles of clothing on the floor, there’s a large piano. Further confirmation that this is not, in fact, my room.
I didn’t hook up with anyone last night, did I?
I’m still wearing my dress.
My dress. Carnevale.
Right. I was drugged. And something else had happened to me that had made Rafe and Kaylie worried. My skin crawls with unease as I take stock of myself. I can’t find any evidence of the red mark that Rafe had seen on my arm, and nothing hurts.
Along with the general foreboding, I’m also frustrated that I slept through the Atlas journey home, missing a second chance at cell service.
My phone!
Who knows what damning messages might have come through while I was unconscious? I was with Rafe. What if he saw? In my panic, I have difficulty fumbling for my pocket, but thankfully, my phone is there, locked and seemingly undisturbed.
I hear a soft knock, and I shove the phone back in my pocket before the door opens. Rafe strides over to me, owning the space in a way that can only mean this is his room. His bed. I swallow with the realization of the source of the heady scent from moments ago.
He hands me a goblet of tea. “I brought this from the infirmary. It will help you feel better, though you should be mostly healed by now.”
“Thanks,” I croak, my voice dry and raspy.
As I drink, I avoid looking at Rafe. I can’t believe I slept in his bed. Where did he sleep? My cheeks grow warm at the thought.
As if he can read my mind, he says, “Don’t worry. I left you to sleep alone. This is the first time I’ve been back since last night.” I nod in thanks and try to finish the drink as fast as possible so I can get out of here. We’re both being awkwardly quiet. Or at least, I am. Rafe seems lost in his own thoughts.
The drink—some kind of herbal concoction—really does make me feel better. As my head begins to clear, more hazy memories of the previous night come back to me. I’m surprised by Rafe’s helpfulness. But he lied to Kaylie, saying the Inquisitors weren’t involved when he thought they were. Even if it couldn’t have actually been the Inquisitors, I don’t understand why Rafe would hide seemingly important information.
Being in Rafe’s bed is uncomfortably intimate, so I climb out. Cool air on my exposed skin reminds me of my party attire, which feels far too revealing for these circumstances. I slide on my shoes and cross my arms, hugging myself. Rafe stoically hands me his leather jacket. It’s too big, but I burrow into it, seeking a barrier between myself and all this awkwardness.
“Why did you help me?” I ask him. He looks like he might be wondering the same thing, his expression even scowlier than usual.
“Losing you to the Inquisitors would have been wasteful and inconvenient. You’re useful to Maker society and should not be in the hands of our enemies.”
Useful. What an ass.
And he’s not finished being offensive. “You’re a gravdamn Sire. They shouldn’t have been able to overpower you. You have no sense of your own abilities.”
This dude literally can’t open his mouth without criticizing me. But I don’t rise to his bait. I’m not in the mood for a fight, and there’s too much I need to understand.
“What did your date and your cousin do to me anyway?” I ask accusingly.
“Leo is only a distant relation, but he, like so many others, likes to use the title liberally to garner favor by claiming connection to the Crown.”
“Well, I need to understand what happened.”
He rocks back on his heels and runs his hands through his hair, sighing as if this is the last conversation in the world he wants to be having. “I suppose you have the right to know.” He looks up and states it frankly. “They stole some of your blood.”
The blood that is still in my body chills. “What for?”
“They practice Blood Science, which occasionally necessitates actual blood. But never another Maker’s blood, never a Sire’s blood.”
“Whose blood is normally used, then?” I ask, pretty sure I don’t actually want to know the answer.
“Animal or philistine.”
I have heard others from Avant use the term philistine to mean provincial. “So they do use human blood?” I ask, my anger rising.
“Provincial human,” Rafe clarifies, as if it makes a difference.
I grind my teeth at his insinuation that provincial people are equal to animals, but it’s nothing new for him.
“Regardless.” His tone turns menacing. “I won’t let them get away with what they did.” He clenches his jaw, and the veins in his neck stand out. “I wasn’t forthright with Master Botticelli last night because I’d rather Genesis not see Guard insubordination, but I will tell Alex, and those miscreants will suffer the consequences. Once I’ve gotten all the information I need out of them.”
“What kind of information?”
“I received news after we arrived back last night.” He looks away, and his shoulders slump. I notice for the first time that his hair is lank, and his skin lacks its normal luminescence. He’s… rumpled. It’s perhaps the first time I’ve seen His Royal Highness look anything less than perfect.
“The Inquisitors are running rampant, and no one is doing enough,” he says, speaking more to himself than to me.
“What was the news?” I ask with a growing sense of foreboding.
He speaks so softly I can barely hear him. “Hypatia didn’t come home last night.”
I gasp as dread and panic flood me.
Rafe turns to face the wall, hiding any emotion from me. “She’s too young to attend Carnevale. She shouldn’t have even been there! But she snuck onto the Atlas.”
“I… don’t understand.” Guilt is building along with my fear. I’d seen her. I should have said something.
“What’s to understand?” He whips around, glaring at me accusingly. “Sires were being hunted down, and I managed to help you but not my own family.” The regret in his voice is clear. “There are rumors going around of another capture attempt last night that was thwarted. Two rescued Sires and one lost.” He stalks toward me with conviction. “I will find Hypatia and bring her back. I need to find out everything about the other attempt and whether anyone else was contacted with the offer of an antimatter trade. Leo would never have touched Hypatia, but he must know something about whoever did. Until I’ve interrogated them all properly, you cannot say anything to anyone about their connections.”
Ah. Suddenly Rafe’s helpfulness, not to mention the fact that he kept me isolated in his room all night, begins to make more sense. He needs my cooperation. But if it means helping Hypatia, I’m happy to give it.
“I won’t say anything,” I promise. “I want to do whatever I can for Hypatia, but aren’t there more… qualified people looking for her? Won’t giving them more information make it easier for them to find her?”
Rafe barks out a bitter laugh. “The gravdamned qualified people follow too many rules. They’ve known about this risk for months, and they chose to ship all the Avant Sires off to this island for protection instead of dealing with the root of the issue. They claim they’re trying to find the missing Sires, but they’ll never accomplish anything while being so careful not to interfere, not to harm—” His eyes blaze. “I’m not afraid to do harm. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“What about Prince Alexander?”
“He says he’s taking care of it. That he worked out a plan with Chorus—she gave him some cryptic prophecy like she always does. But Alex wasn’t around to watch Hypatia grow up the way I was. I can’t imagine he feels the same urgency.” His voice breaks. “She and I haven’t been on the best of terms lately.” He shakes his head ruefully. “Because of her friendship with you and your roommate. But I shouldn’t have…” He suddenly stalks to the other end of the room, obviously annoyed with himself. “Why am I even telling you this?”
“It’s not a bad thing to talk sometimes.”
“Talking is useless. I need to do something. I’ve spent the past few hours trying to get off this rock, but they’re not letting anyone leave. I need to find out if those fools from last night can lead me to the Inquisitor scum who abducted my cousin.”
“How are you so sure it’s the Inquisitors who are behind the abductions?” If I let him chase the wrong culprit, he’s less likely to find Hypatia.
“Of course it is. They’ve been hunting us for generations, hoping to steal our knowledge and then finally wipe us out. We have the evidence, and we should have acted on it long ago.”
What evidence could they possibly have? Maybe I should tell him about Ozymandias Tech? But I don’t have enough proof that it’s actually them kidnapping Sires. Is their genetic research and Izzy’s text message enough to convince Rafe he’s barking up the wrong tree?
“I can’t believe it’s come to this.” Rafe covers his face with his hands. “Hypatia has urgent medical needs. I don’t know how she’s going to manage.”
I blink rapidly, trying to banish the memories of my own kidnapping, which are creeping along the edges of my sanity. I still don’t know much about Hypatia’s illness, but I do know what it’s like to be abducted. I can’t imagine her going through what I went through. It’s hard to speak past the lump in my throat.
“Rafe, I’m so sorry.”
He stiffens, the look on his face making it clear that he again remembers who he’s speaking to. “Your roommate and Master Loew were both hounding me about you all morning. As you seem to be feeling better, you should go to them.”
Even as he dismisses me, he looks so lost… so sad.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Abruptly he bangs his fist against the wall. “Get out,” he says.
I’m not offended by his anger. In fact, I’m drawn in by it. I recognize that he doesn’t want me to see him vulnerable. But I don’t want him to feel so alone.
Why, oh why, do I care?
I walk over to him and lightly put a hand on his back. I feel his muscles relax as he almost imperceptibly leans into my touch. But only for a moment.
“Just leave,” he says, his eyes squeezed shut.
So I do.
I head back to my room to change my clothes. Georgie’s not there, but I find her at breakfast, where she accosts me with a fierce hug.
“I’ve been worried sick!”
“I’m fine, but I’m not the one you need to be worried about.”
She holds me at arm’s length, assessing. “Is… is that Prince Jerk’s jacket?”
“Uh, yeah.” I’d put it back on after changing with plans to return it to Rafe. Also, it smells good.
“Did you hear about Hypatia?” I ask her.
“Hear what about her? Where is she?”
“She was abducted last night.”
Georgie covers her mouth in horror. I summarize the details of Hypatia sneaking out to Carnevale and the bounty on Sires.
“This must be why Master Loew has been so panicked. He’s been looking everywhere for you. You should probably go see him.”
I’ve been too distracted with concern for Hypatia to think about Michael. But after last night, I don’t feel ready to face him alone. “Will you come with me?” I ask Georgie.
She nods and says, “Finish your breakfast first. Whatever happened to you last night, I can tell you need to eat.” Since my breakfast is banana bread with clotted cream and date syrup, I’m happy to comply.
As we head through the Spring wing, I try to remember whether I said anything mortifying to Michael while I was woozy. I have no idea if our dance was what I thought it was. But even if we did have a moment of shared attraction, that doesn’t mean he’s interested in anything more. Now that Georgie knows how I feel about him, I’m glad to have her with me for moral support.
I knock tentatively at Michael’s office door, which immediately swings open.
“Oh, thank the Conductor!” Michael says, and for a moment I think he might hug me. Instead, he steps back, allowing Georgie and me to come in. “How are you feeling?” he asks.
“I’m a little shaken up, but that’s it.” Entering his office brings a lingering memory of our argument and the reminder that I’m supposed to be mad at him. But the truth is that just being in his presence brings me a sense of relief, and after everything I’ve been through since last night, I don’t have the energy to conjure up my ire. “I’m fine, really.”
“Good,” Michael says, but when our eyes meet, he quickly looks away.
“Do you have any news about Hypatia?” I ask.
“Ah, yes. I know you two are close. We have a few leads as to where she may be.”
“You do?”
He nods. “I assure you, many people are working hard to bring her back.”
“Hey, um, Ada?” Georgie says in a strained voice. She’s staring at a photo lying on top of a stack of papers on Michael’s desk, her eyes wide as saucers. I step over to see what’s caught her attention. My stomach sinks.
“Who is that?” I ask Michael, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Michael leans over to see the picture that I’m pointing to. It’s blurry but clear enough that I have no questions about at least two of the faces I see circled in red ink. Neither, apparently, does Georgie.
“That’s a photograph of the inner circle of the Inquisitors,” he says. “The Guard have determined it’s legitimate. We haven’t had intelligence on the activity of the Inquisitors this specific in decades, and we’re confident this information can help lead us to Hypatia.”
None of this makes any sense.
“How do you know that they’re the ones who have her?”
“We have compelling evidence linking them to all of the recent abductions.”
Time seems to slow, the beating of my heart echoing in my skull. I glance at Georgie, and her eyes look like they might pop out of her face.
“We have to go,” I say.
“But you just got here—”
I dash out of the room with Georgie on my heels.
“Wasn’t that your—” she starts.
“Shh. Not here. Let’s get back to our apartment.”
The moment we’re there, the door closed behind us, Georgie bursts out, “Ada, your cousin and your mom were in that photo.”
“Yes.”
We’re horrified for different reasons. She by who is in the picture. Me by who has the picture.
“What does this mean?”
“I don’t know!”
What I really don’t know is why Georgie hasn’t already put it together. Why she hasn’t accused me of spying. The evidence is clear as glace.
“If you had to guess?” She is looking up at me without an ounce of accusation. For some reason, she trusts me. I press my lips together, the lies I’m about to tell already sour on my tongue.
The Families had coached me on various responses to getting caught. I have a reasonably plausible justification that I could tell her right now, but Georgie is the last person I want to lie to.
So I find myself telling her the truth instead.
“My family is part of a secret society that knows about the Makers. But they’re not the Inquisitors.”
This is not a lie. The Inquisitors that the Makers fear so much, they really don’t exist anymore. The order that is now the Families started out as Inquisitors, sure. But that was literally centuries ago.
I explain to Georgie, “The Inquisition did create a task force to hunt for the lost exiles, but they haven’t continued to hunt down the Makers. The descendants of the task force were horrified by their ancestors’ actions, and they made it their mission to bring back what had been taken away. They became stewards, seeking out and preserving the memory of the Makers while emulating their values. That’s the group my family are a part of.” While the people in that photo may have a tenuous connection to the long defunct Inquisition, they are something entirely different. And certainly not interested in or capable of abducting anyone.
… right?
“But you never told any of this to Master Loew when he tried to recruit you?” Georgie asks.
As much as I want to tell her the whole truth, I know I can’t tell her the real reason I came here. So I spin a version where my family worked to get me recruited specifically because they knew I was at risk from whoever was abducting Sires and that I had to hide who they were because I knew the association with the Inquisitors would make me unwelcome.
And she seems to accept it all as if she has no reason to doubt me.
“More recently, with the realization that Maker culture had survived and was still thriving, the Families began to search for them again, but with the goal of reunification, not destruction. The Makers only think that the Inquisitors are still after them because they’re stuck in the past,” I continue.
“But what about, like, Naiot?” Georgie asks. “Who were the prophets fleeing from if not the Inquisitors?”
That’s a good question. One I want to know the answer to as well. But it can’t have anything to do with the Families.
“I don’t know, but whoever it is, it’s probably the same people who have Hypatia. My family could never have taken her. They’re good people, not kidnappers.” I meet Georgie’s eyes, and I’m practically begging. “You have to believe me.”
“I do believe you,” she says, and my shoulders and heart both relax. “Can you ask your mother about it?”
“I need to,” I reply. There’s a lot I need to ask her about. Including any new information they have about Ozymandias Tech. It must be them who are really behind all of this. They got their hooks into Izzy, and now they have Hypatia, and the Makers will never suspect them because they’re too busy fixating on the wrong people.
I need to help redirect them.
“What do you know about Nora Montaigne and Ozymandias Tech?” I ask Georgie.
“That’s the company that makes clean-energy private jets and does all that controversial genetic testing, right?”
I nod.
“Okay, so it’s really funny that you ask that because I saw this post just the other day.” She ushers me over to her desk, opens the Hidden forum on one of her screens, and clicks around until she finds what she’s looking for.
I read over her shoulder. It’s a detailed theory that Nora Montaigne is actually one of the Hidden and that the success she’s had with her company is because she’s using their secret technology.
I wonder if this could be possible. Could she be Prometheus? No. She can’t be helping the Families if Kor thinks she’s working against them.
And then it clicks. I gasp and grab on to Georgie’s chair for stability. Leo, who captured me at Carnevale—Rafe had called him Leonardo de Montaigne. And he had said there was already one traitor in Leo’s family.
Nora Montaigne.
They have to be related. Of course Leo and Bram weren’t working for the Inquisitors; they must have actually been working for Oz Tech all along. And Leo’s talk of antimatter and making Rafe believe it was the Inquisitors would avert suspicion from his sister.
Any lingering doubt I have dissipates. Izzy works for Oz Tech and tried to warn me about something she saw. Nora Montaigne used to be a Maker and has been doing genetic testing related to Sires. And Nora’s brother tried to kidnap me for being a Sire. Oz Tech must be responsible for the other Sire abductions as well.
I have no idea how to explain any of this to Georgie, but she seems happy to let me use her computer to deal with it on my own, and she heads to the common room to play with Bast.
After I recover the pieces of my skull left from having my mind blown, I try to come up with a game plan.
I absolutely must talk to the Families. I need to tell them that the Makers have their photo, share my suspicions about Nora Montaigne, and see if they can help me find Hypatia.
And despite the strength of my Oz Tech theory, I’m still filled with dread from the absolute assurance that both Michael and Rafe had about the Inquisitors being the ones who took Hypatia. I need to understand why they think they have proof of that and confirm that the Families have nothing to do with it.
Kor doesn’t answer, which makes sense for this time on a Sunday. So I try my mom.
As soon as I connect, I get straight to the point. “Mom, I need to tell you—the Makers have a picture of some of the members of the Inner Circle, and they think you all are behind the recent abductions.”
“Ada, what are you doing? You can’t be talking about this openly.” She looks panicked, and it makes me even more scared, because Mom never looks anything other than poised.
“No one is listening. You have to talk to me.”
“The most important thing right now is for you to protect your cover.”
“Mom, they think the Families are the ones behind the kidnappings.”
The look on her face makes me stop breathing.
“Mom…,” I choke out. “Are they actually somehow connected?”
“The Oculus is involved in a lot of activities that the rest of the Inner Chamber knows nothing about.”
“What are you saying?” My voice squeaks with panic. “Are you part of the Oculus?” Up until recently, I hadn’t even known the Oculus was still active, never mind that my mother might be part of it.
“I’m not a member, but all the New York Chamber members have been brought on to help with a specific operation based in the city. Ada, this is not something we can discuss here and now.”
“If you won’t talk to me while I’m here, then I’m coming home.”
“You need to stay where you are. You’ll be safer there, and you can’t jeopardize your cover.”
“Safer from who? Ozymandias Tech? I can’t keep doing this without knowing what I’m part of.” I force myself to lower my voice, which has been rising to a screech. “I’m not even that safe here. Do you know that I was kidnapped again last night? And I was rescued, but my friend wasn’t so lucky.” The emotions I’ve been holding in are breaking through, and I start to tear up. “She’s only fourteen, Mom.”
My mom’s eyes widen. She looks horrified.
No, she looks guilty .
Only moments ago I’d been so sure the Families couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with the abductions. But the look on her face has all my hope draining away.
How could this be happening without me having known? How could my mother and Kor be aware and okay with it? And… I helped them! I remember seeing Hypatia on the train. I think about everything I might have done to lead to her getting caught, and I feel like I’m about to puke.
“Is she safe?” I ask.
“I don’t know anything for sure. But if she was taken by the Families, then I’m sure she is.”
“Can I talk to her? How can we arrange to send her back here?”
“Ada, that’s not how this works. I don’t have that kind of authority. If I did, none of this would be happening.”
“Mom, she has serious health issues.”
“This project is being run out of a medical facility with some of the smartest doctors and scientists in the world. She’s going to be okay.”
What project? What facility? None of this has anything to do with anything I thought I knew about the Families.
“You need to explain to me why this is happening.”
“I can’t, Ada.”
“Fine. I’ll ask Kor.”
“No!” For a moment my mother looks genuinely scared. I can’t fathom why. “Listen to me, Ada. I’m not going to tell anyone about this conversation, but Kor would. He’s young and gaining influence, and he trusts the Oculus and the Grand Master implicitly.”
“Are you telling me that Kor is part of these kidnappings?” It feels impossible that my soulful, idealistic best friend could have anything to do with this.
“Of course he is, Ada. And if he thinks you’re a risk to the mission, he’ll tell the rest of the Oculus. Counselor Avellino is calling the shots in New York right now, and you know he’s not your best advocate.” Alfie’s father, the Families’ lawyer, is definitely not my biggest fan. He’d been insufferable when interrogating me after Italy and had been one of the strongest voices trying to keep me ignorant of anything remotely confidential. “If the Oculus has any concerns about you, they’ll bring you home immediately. But you need to stay at Genesis.”
I want to scream, but I can’t risk Georgie or anyone else hearing me.
“You can’t expect me to do this without telling me anything. Mom, the Makers have a photo of you . Which means that you’re at risk, and so am I if they figure out we’re related. If you can’t tell me what’s going on, I need to come home.”
“Ada, your safety is what’s most important. You’re safest where you are. Please don’t do anything stupid!”
“I’m not stupid!” I’m not . I’m ignorant because they haven’t been telling me anything, but I won’t stand for this anymore. I refuse to be a pawn.
“Ada—”
I end the call and storm out of the room. The only way I’m going to find answers is if I get them myself.
“I’m going to New York,” I announce to Georgie.
“What? How?”
“I’ll get on the Atlas and go.” I need to confront the Inner Chamber or the Oculus or whoever in person and make sure Hypatia is okay.
“You can’t. Didn’t you hear? There’s a lockdown.”
“What do you mean?”
“Due to the abductions, all Atlas service has been suspended. No one’s allowed to leave Arcadia.”
I throw my hands up and growl.
“Maybe you should talk to Master Loew about it,” Georgie suggests.
“No way! He can’t know about this!” The mere thought of Michael knowing about my betrayal ties my stomach in knots.
“Why not? He’s your friend, and he’ll know what to do.”
“He’ll never trust me if he realizes I’m related to the people in that picture.” And then I start crying and admit what I really should not. “Georgie, maybe I was wrong and they are the ones who took her. If they did, there has to be a good reason, but I need to help her.”
“Maybe it’s some kind of mistake?”
“I have to find out. Until then, please, promise me that you won’t say anything to anyone.”
“Of course, I would never.” She walks over to me and wraps me in a hug. I sink into the comfort of her support, forcing myself to take some deep breaths and to think logically.
I need to get home to help Hypatia, and I need to make it clear that I’m not coming back to Genesis until they explain everything to me. I can’t keep helping them if my own actions are putting my friends in danger. But first I have to figure out how to get off this gravdamn island. And I know exactly who can help me.