is steaming.
Adam pulls back just a tiny bit. Kisses my bottom lip. Bites it for just a second. His skin is 100 degrees hotter than it was a moment ago. His lips are pressed against my neck and my hands are on a journey down his upper body and I’m wondering why there are so many freight trains in my heart, why his chest is a broken harmonica. I’m tracing the bird caught forever in flight on his skin and I realize for the first time that he’s given me wings of my own. He’s helped me fly away and now I’m stuck in centripetal motion, soaring right into the center of everything. I bring his lips back up to mine.
“Juliette,” he says. 1 breath. 1 kiss. 10 fingers teasing my skin. “I need to see you tonight.”
Yes.
Please.
2 hard knocks send us flying apart.
Kenji slams open the door. “You do realize this wall is made of glass, don’t you?” He looks like he’s bitten the head off a worm. “No one wants to see that.”
He throws a pair of pants at Adam.
Nods to me. “Come on, I’ll take you to Sonya and Sara. They’ll set you up for tonight.” Turns to Adam. “And don’t ever give those pants back to me.”
“What if I don’t want to sleep?” Adam asks, unabashed. “I’m not allowed to leave my room?”
Kenji presses his lips together. Narrows his eyes. “I will not use this word often, Kent, but please don’t try any fancy secret-sneaking-away shit. We have to regulate things around here for a reason. It’s the only way to survive. So do everyone a favor and keep your pants on. You’ll see her in the morning.”
But morning feels like a million years from now.
FIFTY
The twins are still asleep when someone knocks. Sonya and Sara showed me where the girls’ bathrooms are so I had a chance to shower last night, but I’m still wearing Kenji’s oversized clothes. I feel a little ridiculous as I pad my way toward the door.
I open it.
Blink. “Hey, Winston.”
He looks me up and down. “Castle thought you might like to change out of those clothes.”
“You have something for me to wear?”
“Yeah—remember? We made you something custom.”
“Oh. Wow. Yeah, that sounds great.”
I slip outside silently, following Winston through the dark halls. The underground world is quiet, its inhabitants still asleep. I ask Winston why we’re up so early.
“I figured you’d want to meet everyone at breakfast. This way you can jump into the regular routine of things around here—even get started on your training.” He glances back. “We all have to learn how to harness our abilities in the most effective manner possible. It’s no good having no control over your body.”
“Wait—you have an ability, too?”
“There are exactly fifty-six of us who do. The rest are our family members, children, or close friends who help out with everything else. So yes, I’m one of those fifty-six. So are you.”
I’m nearly stepping on his feet in an effort to keep up with his long legs. “So what can you do?”
He doesn’t answer. And I can’t be sure, but I think he’s blushing.
“I’m sorry—” I backpedal. “I don’t mean to pry— I shouldn’t have asked—”
“It’s okay,” he cuts me off. “I just think it’s kind of stupid.” He laughs a short, hard laugh. “Of all the things I should be able to do,” he sighs. “At least you can do something interesting. ”
I stop walking, stunned. Horrified. “You think this is a competition? To see which magic trick is more twisted? To see who can inflict the most pain?”
“That’s not what I meant—”
“I don’t think it’s interesting to be able to kill someone by accident. I don’t think it’s interesting to be afraid to touch a living thing.”
His jaw is tense. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just . . . I wish I were more useful. That’s all.”
I cross my arms. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
He rolls his eyes. Runs a hand through his hair. “I’m just—I’m very . . . flexible,” he says.
It takes me a moment to process his admission. “Like— you can bend yourself into a pretzel?”
“Sure. Or stretch myself if I need to.”
I’m gawking so openly I must be embarrassing myself. “Can I see?”
He bites his lip. Readjusts his glasses. Looks both ways down the empty hall. And loops one arm around his waist. Twice.
I’m gaping like a dead fish. “Wow.”
“It’s stupid,” he grumbles. “And useless.”
“Are you insane?” I lean