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I tracethe silver handle "Who’s behind the door?"

"No one dangerous," he says "I just want you to trust me That’s all "

I eye him warily and slide the knife into ives a suy, a few years older than reen eyes and hair as red as the rocks outside There’s this strange sharp thing poking out from the side of his eyebrow

"Aiden what’s up?" he says "I didn’t think you were gonna show up tonight" They slap hands and pat each other on the back "So did everything go okay yesterday?" He asks

"As okay as it ever does" Aiden says and both their eyes land on me "This is Kayla," Aiden tells hiuy sticks out his hand "Kayla, huh?" He looks like he’s trying to figure out soives up "I’ my breath as I shake his hand Fear He fears I’ll discover so dangerous secrets Five ht have pulled e the to let us in? Or ht?"

Greyson blinks and steps aside "Yeah, sorry man Come on in"

I’m always prepared for the worst, prepared to attack at anyofI can be prepared for, because it’s nothing I’ve known before A stairway spirals down into to a large room, packed with people--more people than the hillside Tables, and chairs are dotted around and noisy chatter and er and without restraint I’ve never seen soAnd there’s no fear that so so free

"What are you thinking?" Aiden whispers in my ear

I flinch, surprised by his sudden closeness--surprised by how ," I finally say, as truthful as I’ve ever been "But I don’t get it Who are all these people? And why do they live separately from you?"

Aiden moves back andmembers," he says

"But there’s so many of them," I say, stillhappens more than you realize," he explains "Which is part of the reason e live separately--there’s not enough space for everyone Plus, these guys like things a little more noisy than we do over on the hillside"

I shake etting chosen" My gaze scans the crowd searching for any sort of familiarity to any of their faces But I co chosen?" Aiden starts down the stairs, the steps shaking under hisdown the railing, knowing I’ve thought this before

"Do you want to knohy?" he asks, reaching the bottom "And I want you to consider your answer very carefully because once you say yes there’s no turning back, even if you want to"

"Once you give in Kayla, there’s no going back," Monarch says "You have to make sure you really want it"

"Want what?" I ask

"The truth," he says and so clanks in the distance

"But you toldthe nervous energy bubble around us

"Always ask for the truth, Kayla" His words are soft, distant "Just ht"

I blink away the forgotten memory "Yes I want to knohatever it is"

He nods, not happy with ain and pushes us through the crowd Some of their fears sneak up on me, but they’re mild, compared to what I’ alone

"Are you okay?" Aiden hollers over the noise and I catch a few people eyeballing us, fixated with uy, holding a cup He shoots?" I ask Aiden as we reach the end of the crowd

"There are a lot of things you’rea private joke

But I don’t get the joke and when he sees that, he frowns "Sorry," he uarded by two men, dressed in black with knives strapped to their belts, Aiden stops Even though I can see their faces, ht red door

"They’re not Watchers," Aiden quickly assurestoward my pocket, where my knife rests

I drop my hand to my side, but carry skepticis shut door after shut door that have people inside them--I know because I can hear their hearts We halt in front of the very last door Behind this one, there isn’t a heart beating There are no sounds or signs of hu the door "How much do you trust me?"

"I barely know you," I say

He brushes the hair froet that, but I’, "Do you trusthim the best answer I can

He’s saddened with it, and turns his back tothree firm knocks on the door "Just try to stay calm, okay"

"I always am," I let it slip out My secret

But he doesn’t seeuard stands on the inside, with cautious eyes