Bea’s running, being chased by armed stewards, and my father’s at the head of the hunt, carrying one of those old-fashioned muskets. Eventually Bea falls and I’m there, too, rooted to the road and peering down at her. “Anything’s better than this,” she says, but before I can save her, Ronan is dragging her away. All I can do is retreat slowly into the shadows like a coward. She looks up at Ronan and smiles. Then she kisses him.
I wake with a start, feeling penned in.
Clarice has her arm draped over me. She’s snoring. I peel her away and sit up, untangling the airtank’s tubing, which has somehow managed to wrap itself around my neck in the night. I wish I’d stop having these nightmares.
I get out of bed, bringing the airtank with me. I’m still in my pants, but pull on the sweater I left on the nightstand.
Clarice stirs and turns over to face me. “This is a bit awkward,” she says through a yawn, which is the biggest bloody understatement ever. “But don’t worry. We’ll get used to each other.” She seems harmless, but I feel too guilty to go as far as to like her; it should be Bea lying next to me, and I would have put my arm around her waist and my face into her neck during the night. As it was, I lay dangled over the edge of the bed in case I accidently touched Clarice, keeping one eye open for as long as I could in case Vanya or Maks stormed in.
“How long have you lived here?” I ask.
“Four years. I used to live in the pod. Glad to be out of there. Especially now with what’s going on.”
“Yeah,” I say. I go to the door, where two pieces of gray paperlike sheets have been pushed under it during the night. They’re identical apart from our names. I throw Clarice hers and read mine.
SCHEDULE FOR QUINN B. CAFFREY
STATS—Immunity: Level 7 Fert: Level A IQ: 152
Ox Con: Excellent Blood Type: A+
PARTNER—CLARICE BIRD
6:30 am Meditation – Room #12
9:30 am Academics’ breakfast – Annex
10:00 am Cardio – Room #20
1:30 pm Academics’ lunch – Annex
2:30 pm Yoga – Room #7
5:30 pm Study – The Main House library
7:30 pm Dinner – Sitting 1 – Annex
8:30 pm Shots – Room #4e
9:00 pm Meditation – Room #12
10:00 pm Lights out
NO CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE TO THIS SCHEDULE WITHOUT DIRECT APPROVAL FROM VANYA. ANY PERSON UNABLE TO COMPLETE DUTIES SHOULD REPORT TO A SENTRY NO LATER THAN 30 MINS PRIOR TO A SCHEDULED START TIME. SICKNESS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO NURSE JONES, NURSE LAYAVITCH, OR DOCTOR MARCELA.
ENDEAVOR TO REMAIN IN YOUR PAIR AT ALL TIMES.
“What time is it?” Clarice asks.
“Almost six,” I say, looking at the clock above the bed and wondering whether Bea’s made it back into the pod yet.
“This is the only free time we’ll get all day,” Clarice says. She sighs and gets out of bed wearing only a short shirt. I make myself busy looking elsewhere.
“And it’s hardly free,” I remind her. I scan the list of daily activities. Could I skip the study period without being noticed? I can’t spend another night in that bed. And Alina definitely can’t spend another night with Maks. We’ve all got to get out of here as soon as possible, if we want to help Ronan and Bea with their plan to take back the pod.
“Sometimes, when people are disappointed with a pairing, they leave. Is that what you’re going to do?” Clarice asks, watching me. She piles her hair on top of her head and holds it in place with what look like chopsticks.
“’Course not,” I lie, and smile, lacing up my boots good and tight.
“Phew,” she says, “because anyone who tries to escape usually ends up dead, and I really don’t want you to die. Not before we breed, anyway.”