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Atlantia Ally Condie 17050K 2023-09-01

I hear the sound of the door unlocking All the sirens look duht that, once it was locked, no one else could enter," sorees

"Interesting," Maire says "Are they letting one of us out?"

They are not

When the door opens, peacekeepers stand at the ready to keep us fro to exit They escort someone in, and then they close the door behind hiins to move

CHAPTER 22

My entire world is intoward the surface, the pieces and people I thought I knewinto new places

My mother kneanted to co to the surface with my last family member from Below, one I’m not at all sure I can trust

And True is here Why? He is not a siren

I haven’t seen hiht after the breach in the deeper Does he knohat I tried to do at the floodgates?

True’s eyes lock on hts of the transport flicker briefly off and then back on, and I reh the slats of the stall in the deepmarket and how it felt to kiss hi

"Who is this?" the deepmarket siren asks

"Another siren," Maire says "Nevio found hi with her

"I hope you’re telling the truth," the siren says "We need you with us, Maire This o perfectly" She appeals to True and me "Do you knohat the Minister has promised in return for our success?"

I shaketo ine?"

I can’t Nevio would never let such a thing happen He’s lied to the sirens, and for solance over at Maire, and she shtly So she knehat the Minister proain she hasn’t been completely honest with me

One of the sirens hands True a blue robe, and he pulls it on over his clothes He and Maire and I sit down together at the far end of the transport so that the others can’t hear us talk It feels strange and wrong not to touch hi

"Why are you here?" I ask True It co like s

"The Minister found me," True says When he speaks, I love the sound But it’sout his na Above," True says "He wanted to know if I’m a hidden siren, too I’m not But I told hi, the slow pull of the transport through the water I hear the air changing, feel the pressure inside the transport adjusting Even though I’--Maire, Bay, True--I can’t stop the pulse of excite to see the Above This is what I’ve wanted for so long What will it be like?