My throat is dry. He’s counting on the Order to get him that information.
“Oh, and Noah?” Austin says. “I want to double-check our soldiers’ and Watchers’ patrol schedules Outside to make sure there are no holes the rebels could slip through. Could you print that up and leave it on my desk for me before I get back?”
“Of course, sir,” Noah says. “I’ll see to it right away.”
“Thank you.”
Austin’s presence leaves the room—with the Councilor alongside him, I assume—and makes its way down several hallways before coming to a stop in one of the meeting rooms. Noah’s presence leaves as well but goes only so far as the reception room next door. He appears to be at his desk, likely pulling up the data Austin requested. Even once they’re all long gone, it’s a struggle to settle myself. That was far too close for comfort.
I unfurl myself out from under the desk and stretch. Should I remain until Austin returns or return to Regail Hall once Noah’s finished pulling up the patrol schedules? I already discussed the two issues of biggest concern with him. The rest is nothing critical, and if I wait, I risk being discovered by that Councilor.
The fury that is becoming unsettlingly familiar rises to the surface. That Councilor is one of the people who wrongfully branded us traitors and made us wanted criminals. He threw our years of loyalty to the ground and trampled us underfoot.
No. Stop. I need to remain calm right now. Getting angry will only cause me to make a mistake. That isn’t something I can afford in this situation. I still need to make it out of Central undetected.
The door opens, but with my focus still on my grid, I know it’s Noah and thus no need for alarm. He holds up a folder. “I assume this is for you?”
“Yes,” I say as I accept the file. “Thank you for your help. And for your warning with that Councilor. If you hadn’t knocked and let us know someone was here, I would’ve been caught.” If that Councilor had stormed straight into Austin’s office, I’d be dead. I need to be more cautious in the future. Just because I’ve made it into Central doesn’t mean I can afford to let my guard down at any point.
“It’s nothing,” Noah says. “Just my job.” However, he lingers, and much like the last time we parted, I get the feeling there’s something he wants to say but feels he can’t. Austin’s words from when I first arrived come back to me.
“Is there something bothering you?” I attempt to make my tone as disarming as possible. “If you’ve something you wish to say, please feel free. I’ll listen.”
His presence flashes yellow, then orange, and back to its original green so rapidly I have difficulty interpreting the emotional shift. “I wanted to ask how Erik is,” Noah says after several heartbeats.
“Erik?” He’s not lying. Why would he be curious about him in particular? The use of his first name surprises me as well. Were they close? I don’t recall ever seeing them speak together.
Noah must notice my confusion because his eyes drop to the floor as his presence hums with embarrassment. And, strangely, guilt. “We were—friends. Sort of. A long time ago. Before he lost his memories. I just wanted to know if he was okay.”
I stare at him. He’s still not lying, but I can’t help feeling even more suspicious than before. He mentioned Erik’s amnesia so casually—but I’m sure Erik would’ve never told him about it, especially seeing as how he wouldn’t remember his old acquaintance with Noah. Did Austin mention it to him? No, more than that, Erik was a rebel before the military took him in. How could he have been friends with Noah at that time?
“Erik doesn’t know you were friends, does he?” I attempt to keep any suspicion out of my tone. “He’s been searching for clues about his past all this time. Why didn’t you tell him anything?”
Again, that strange guilt radiating from his presence. This time, it’s so overwhelming it engulfs every other emotion. My hands clench reflexively. “I … it would’ve … complicated things,” Noah says. “I thought it might be better if he didn’t know.”
He’s still not lying. But complicated things can have any number of meanings.
As much as I want to push, to discover what’s truly going on, I can’t let on that I don’t trust Noah. I need his help for the foreseeable future. I should retreat, reassess, and gain more information so I can come up with a plan.
However, Noah’s looking at me expectantly and I realize he’s waiting for me to tell him how Erik’s been doing. I can’t tell him the truth about Erik going back to the rebels as an Order spy. If I tell Noah, he’ll surely tell Austin, and the fewer people who know about Erik’s current situation, the better. Besides, I’d never tell him anything about my friends until I know whether or not he’s trustworthy. I say, “Erik’s doing well. Complaining about how the Order doesn’t have a woodshop, but he’s adjusting.”
For the first time, Noah smiles. It’s a small one, but a smile nonetheless. “I’m glad. Really. But—don’t tell him about me? Or that I’m asking after him?”
Even more reason to be suspicious. “Of course,” I say. “I don’t know your circumstances, but your secret’s safe with me.” Not that I’ve been in touch with Erik since he left. Lai is the only one with the ability to speak with him now.
Relief rolls off Noah’s presence in waves. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” He nods to the door. “If you don’t have anything else you want to discuss with the general, you might want to head out before the Councilor returns. General Austin didn’t have much on his end to discuss with you tonight.”
“That would likely be for the best,” I say. “If there’s anything else, we can discuss it next time.”
“I’ll let the general know.”
As I exit Austin’s office, a headache begins to press down on me. There are more than enough matters to worry over already, yet now I’m concerned about Noah as well. Something is off about him. Why does he feel guilty whenever Erik comes up? What exactly is their past relationship—if they truly were friends, why wouldn’t Noah have spoken to Erik after his memory loss? Not to mention he’s worked directly under the Council since he was a child. With Noah being at the heart of the Order and military’s secret alliance, I have to ascertain whether or not he’s a threat. It could be the Order’s downfall otherwise.
12
ERIK
TO LEAVE THE rebels’ underground headquarters, we take a tunnel that snakes up—turning into full-on stairs a few times—before ending at a thick metal door set in the ground amid a bunch of boulders. The place looks just like everywhere else Outside. Barren. Full of rocks. If you didn’t know exactly where to look for the door, you’d never find it.
As nice as it is to be aboveground again, I don’t get the chance to enjoy it. As soon as we’re topside, we’re moving.
Our team consists of five people. There’s Joan, of course, plus Siobhan, Jared, and Lily. I don’t know Siobhan that well, but Jared and Lily are a pair of siblings who’ve talked me through a few stories about my past life with the rebels. It’s nice having some familiar faces around.