But there was no other option. After she said one last good-bye to her mother, she’d wait for the guards to find her. She wouldn’t try to see Luke again. She couldn’t ask him to risk his safety for her. Not after what she’d done.
A faint light flickered wearily to life, casting a dirty, yellowish glow over machinery Glass didn’t recognize. “Where are we?” she asked, her voice echoing strangely.
“One of the old workshops. This is where they used to repair the Earthmade equipment, before it was all replaced. I came here for some of my training.”
Glass started to ask why the guards would train here, but bit back the question. She always forgot that Luke had already started his mechanical apprenticeship when he was accepted into the engineering corps of the guards. He rarely spoke about that part of his life. Looking back, Glass was ashamed that she hadn’t tried harder to learn about Luke’s world; it was no wonder he’d turned to Camille.
Luke stood next to an enormous machine, pushing different buttons, his brow furrowed in concentration. “What is that?” Glass asked when it started to hum ominously.
“A laser cutter,” Luke said without glancing up.
Glass hugged her wrist protectively to her chest. “No way.”
Luke gave Glass a look that was equal parts amusement and irritation. “No arguing. The sooner we get that thing off of you, the better your chances of hiding.”
“Can’t we just figure out how to unlock it?”
Luke shook his head. “It has to be cut off.” When she didn’t move, he held out his hand with a sigh. “Come here, Glass,” he said, beckoning her over.
Glass’s feet locked into the floor. Although she’d spent the last six months imagining Luke calling to her, she’d never thought that a piece of deadly machinery would be involved. Luke raised an eyebrow. “Glass?”
Glass took a tentative step forward. It wasn’t like she had anything to lose. Better to have Luke slice her wrist off than a medic inject poison into her vein.
Luke tapped a flat surface in the middle of the machine. “Just put your hand here.” He flipped a switch and the whole machine began to vibrate.
Glass trembled as her skin made contact with the cold metal.
“It’ll be okay,” Luke said. “I promise. Just hold still.”
Glass nodded, too afraid to speak. The humming continued and was soon accompanied by a high-pitched screech.
Luke made a few more adjustments, then came to stand next to her. “Ready?”
She swallowed nervously. “Yes.”
Luke placed his left hand over her arm, and with his right, started to move another lever toward her. To her horror, she saw that it was emitting a thin Sttient thered line of light that pulsed with dangerous energy.
She started to shake, but Luke gripped her arm tighter. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “Just stay still.”
The light was getting closer. Glass could feel the heat on her skin. Luke’s face tensed with concentration, his eyes fixed on Glass’s wrist as he moved the laser steadily along.
Glass closed her eyes, bracing herself for the searing pain, the screaming of her nerves as they lost contact with her hand.
“Perfect.” Luke’s voice cut through her terror. Glass looked down and saw the bracelet had been split into two neat pieces, freeing her wrist.
She sighed, her breath ragged. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her, his hand still clutching her arm.
Neither of them spoke as they slipped out of the workshop and began to wind their way back up toward the skybridge.
“What’s wrong?” Luke whispered as he guided Glass around a corner and up another flight of stairs, narrower and darker than anything on Phoenix.
“Nothing.”
In the past, Luke would’ve reached over, taken her chin in his hand, and looked her in the eye until she giggled. You’re a terrible liar, Rapunzel, he’d say, a reference to the fairytale about the girl whose hair grew a foot anytime she fibbed. But this time, Glass’s lie evaporated into the air.
“So how have you been?” she asked finally, when she couldn’t bear the weight of the silence any longer.
Luke glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you know, apart from being dumped by the girl I loved and then having my best friend executed for a bullshit infraction, I’d say not too bad.”
Glass cringed as his words landed in her chest. She’d never heard that kind of bitterness in Luke’s voice before.
“But at least I had Camille.…”
Glass nodded, but as she stole a glance at Luke’s familiar profile, shards of indignation gathered, sharp and dangerous, in her mind. What did he think she had done to be Confined? Why wasn’t he more curious or surprised? Did he think she was such a terrible person that she would have committed an infraction?
Luke stopped abruptly, causing Glass to stumble into him. “Sorry,” she muttered, scrambling to regain her balance.
“Does your mother know what happened?” Luke asked, turning to face her.
“No,” Glass said. “I mean, she knew I was Confined, but she can’t have known about the Earth mission.” The Chancellor had made it clear that the operation was top secret. Their parents wouldn’t be informed until it was certain their children had survived the journey—or until the Council was sure they’d never return.
“It’s good that you’re going to see her.”
Glass said nothing. She knew he was thinking of his own mother, who’d died when he was only twelve, which was why he’d ended up living with his then-eighteen-year-old neighbor Carter.
“Yeah,” Glass said in a shaky voice. She’d been desperate to see her mother, but even without the bracelet, it wouldn’t take the guards long to find her. What was more important? Saying good-bye? Or sparing her mother the pain of seeing her daughter being dragged away toward certain death? “We should keep Se s
They crossed the bridge in silence as Glass drank in the sight of the twinkling stars. She hadn’t realized how much she loved the view from the skybridge until she’d been locked in a tiny, windowless cell. She stole a glance at Luke, not sure whether to be hurt or relieved that he didn’t turn to look at her.
“You should go back,” Glass said as they reached the Phoenix checkpoint, which was, as Luke had promised, free of guards. “I’ll be okay.”