51 #2
I lie down, tucking my legs up and pillowing my hands under my head. I barely slept in that cell last night, and my eyelids grow heavy. It can’t be more than a few minutes before I feel a soft brush against my cheek.
My eyes flutter open to find Domino nestling Teddy into my arms.
“Thank you,” I say, pulling the toy to my chest. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She offers me a soft smile and sinks to the floor, leaning her head against the bed.
“Have I ever told you about my twin sister?” she asks.
I blink at the unexpected question. “You have a twin?”
She smiles, but it’s sad, drooping at the corners.
“Celeste. She had this history teacher who didn’t like her, mostly because she was the type who never just accepted anything she was told.
She always wanted to know why things had to be the way they were.
She didn’t understand why some of us were cogs and why others got to be Society.
She sometimes made people uncomfortable, but she was only stating the truth.
She was kind of like Journey in that way.
“Anyway, she was convinced the teacher had it out for her—that no matter what she did, she’d receive a lower grade than she deserved.
So, she convinced me to trade places with her on this big exam she had coming up.
I thought it was a terrible idea, but she had a way of convincing me to do whatever she wanted. ”
She laughs softly, and I find myself smiling.
“But I did it. I took the test, and I knew I’d gotten everything right, but the teacher gave me a barely passing grade.
Celeste told everyone what happened, and we were in big trouble at first for deceiving everyone, which I guess is kind of fair, but the teacher was the one who was in the wrong! Celeste was just defending herself.”
“Agreed,” I say.
“Well, eventually, the teacher was punished for having favorites, and we’d made our point. Celeste never stopped asking the hard questions, though, and that bothered people. A lot.”
She falls silent, and I can’t help but notice how she keeps talking about Celeste in the past tense.
“Where is she now?” I ask carefully.
Domino blinks and wipes the corner of her eye. “She was killed in a Solitude attack a few years ago,” she whispers. “She was on her way home from a friend’s house, and it was late and—” She breaks off.
“Skies,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry.”
“I miss her every day.”
“I’m sure you do,” I say, reaching down to squeeze her hand. After a moment, I say, “Rook didn’t kill anyone.”
“I know he didn’t,” she says. “That isn’t why I told you that story.
My point was that people will judge others without really understanding them.
They can take one look at a person and get the completely wrong idea.
My sister had a way of putting people off at first, and they would judge her for that, deciding she wasn’t worth the effort to get to know better.
But they were wrong. If they’d taken a moment, they would have understood her pure heart.
And they’ve all judged Rook unfairly, too. ”
I heave out a breath. “I’m sorry,” I say. “That wasn’t fair to her.”
“It’s taught me to always give people a chance.” She laughs to herself.
“What’s funny?”
“Journey,” she says. “That’s kind of how we became friends, too. We were ten, and I pushed her off the jungle gym because I thought she’d taken my cookie from the snack tray.”
I laugh. “You didn’t!”
She giggles. “I did. But she forgave me immediately. People always judge her, too. She hasn’t had an easy time.”
“I confess her questions caught me off guard at first.”
“I know she can be a lot, but her heart is always in the right place.”
“I get that now,” I say.
I hold Teddy up, tracing the line of Rook’s neat stitches.
“He didn’t do it,” I say again. “I know he wouldn’t.”
“Of course not,” Domino says. “He wouldn’t willingly hurt anyone.” I look over because it feels like there’s something else she wants to add. “Tell me if I’m off base, but I’m wondering about the infection. What if he . . . couldn’t help himself?”
I shake my head as I cling to Teddy. “No. He was with me. There were deaths when we were in the Tiera Frais. It wasn’t him. Besides, General Sol said the madness doesn’t affect us.”
Domino offers me a grim nod. “Okay. Then we have to figure out why they’re lying.”
“They’re trying to scare people,” I say. “Paint him as the villain they already think he is. He’s an easy scapegoat.”
“That makes sense.”
“They’re trying to cover up for someone,” I say, thinking of my dad and his caginess about the murders.
“Who?” Domino asks.
Before I can reply, my phone pings, and I glance at the screen.
unknown: Poet. Don’t worry. I have a plan. Everything will be fine.
I read the message once, twice, three times. Then it disappears.
“Who was it?” Domino asks.
“Sol,” I say, my brow furrowing.
“Okay, so that’s good, right?” Domino says, sitting up. “She’ll protect Rook. She’ll figure this out.”
“Maybe,” I say, chewing on my bottom lip, trying to fit all the jumbled pieces of this picture together.
Dr. Eze told me to be on my guard when it came to Sol.
Last night, I wondered if we’d walked into a trap.
How much of what the general told us was the truth?
Receiving her message should have made me feel better.
Instead, I’m more confused than ever.