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My fondness for Linden isn’t entirely an act, but I don’t kno to explain s for him when I don’t even understand them myself, so I only say, "Thank you"

"But listen, be careful," she says, leaning close to me in that intent way of hers "This afternoon while you were out, I convinced one of the attendants to tell me where Gabriel is"

"What?" I say "Where is he? Is he okay? Did you talk to hiht lunch, I coain, and while ere in the elevator, I hit the panic button, the one that takes you into the base a luo there?"

"That’s where Gabriel has been reassigned indefi-nitely," she says, and immediately her eyes fill with pity

"I’ot into the hallway I crashed right into Househ I’ve been kicked in the chest I double over to catchposition on the floor "He’s stuck there because of me," I say

"That’s not true" Jenna kneels beside me "And there are plenty of rooency infirmary, and supply closets full of biohazard suits, medical supplies, fabric for the do bad The House the staff here"

"No," I say "I know this is my fault" I was too reckless The door ide open when he kissed me Wide open! How could I have been so stupid! That noise we heard was probably Vaughn, and then he slipped away like the snake that he is before he could be spotted

Jenna catches round

"Listen," she says "I told the Housemaster that I was lost, but I don’t think he believedto be allowed out anymore"

"I’m sorry, Jenna--"

"But I’ll try to distract him for you I’ll--I don’t know I’ll throw a fit, or Cecily will, and it’ll create a scene And that’ll be your chance to go down there and find hi to find him, and you’ll see that he’s okay"

"You’d do that?" I say

She s on her death bed "Sure," she says "What have I got to lose?"

We sit beside each other in silence for a while, while her question echoes in ot to lose? And just where was she all afternoon after she crashed into Vaughn in the hallway? That day on the trah then to ask her what she meant

"Jenna," I say, "what did he do to you?"

"Who?"

"You knoho House," she answers, a little too quickly "It’s just what I said He caught me in the baseone all afternoon," I say She’s looking at the ground, and I tilt her chin with aze for a second One horrible second, and I can see the pain in her eyes I can see that so’s broken And then she backs away and stands

"And how do you knohat’s in the base her toward the door "You’ve only been to the storm shelter How do you know about the biohazard suits and the erees We keep a protective eye on her, but because of her closeness to Linden and Vaughn, we don’t tell her everything It never occurred to me that Jenna would keep any secrets fro secrets for a while She stops pacing for the door and looks at her feet and gnaws on her lower lip I hear my brother’s voice in my head Your problem is that you’re too emotional

But how can I not be emotional, Rowan? How can I not care?

"Please," I say

"It doesn’t etting the low voice I’ve been using "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing!" she cries back "It’s what he’s going to do to you He knows you tried to run once, and he expectsto help you, so just shut up and let me!"

I’m so stunned that I don’t follow her when she storms out of the library and slaram in the fireplace winces