Page 121 of The Puppet Master
I blink. Sawyer’s concerned expression comes into view. “What?”
“Did you hear me?”
Oh my God, I’m not even listening.
I clear my throat; brush hair from my face. “Sorry.” I raise my pitch while working to rattle my vocal cords.
Focus.
“I’m just…” I tuck my chin and soften my eyes. “I can’t believe you’re helping me escape. Thank you.”
“Thornewill help you escape,” Sawyer says. “There’s a pair of rubber gloves hidden in the brush close by that he can use to hold the fence.”
That’swhy he needed Zephyr.
“If you have to go by yourself, put the gloves on and find something bulky to brace the chain-link. Just be certain no metal touches your skin. It’s dangerous, but…”
But he was going to chance it.
“Here are the directions. Remember this, okay?”
Gladly.
“From the river crossing, you’re going to walk another five-hundred seventy-three steps forward before you come to a large oak tree with roots arched from the ground. There’s a bear trap right beside it. Turn your feet thirty-five degrees to the left and walk another one-thousand-eight-hundred and six steps until you come to?—”
“Wait.” I hold up a hand, eyes drawing to the desk where a pad and pencil wait.
But the desk is by the shelves. And the shelves ruin everything.
“Can’t you justshowme?” I throw the blanket off and shift to the side of the bed. “We can leave now. Together. Just let me throw on some clothes, and?—”
“Please.” Sawyer rests his palm on my thigh as my feet plant on the shagged rug. “Just listen…”
My toes curl around soft tendrils of wool as I stare into sky blue eyes—so stunning, so ignorant. This is a time for action, but for the smallest of moments, he holds me stalk-still. Tomorrow, this rug will no longer be a luxury and these eyes will no longer be beautiful.
So I let a moment stretch—half-captive, half-captor.
Then I rest my hands on his forearm and turn my breath shallow. Quick. The best sign of a high heart rate.
“I stole from them. Earlier, during the ceremony, and by now, they know about it. I would bet my life that there are Keepers right outside waiting for me.”
Thenwhy are you here?
“As soon as I’m caught, they’ll take me to the mines along with the other failed initiates. You donotwant to be a failed initiate, so tomorrow you will doanything they tell you… You have to try to blend in until their guard is down and Thorne can erase your face from their security system. Now, back to the directions… Once you notice a huge chunk of traps?—”
“Wait, Sawyer,wait,” I say before he can start spitting useless ‘directions.’ “If you stole from them, then they know you planned to leave. They’ll torture you until you tell them how, so everything you’re saying is useless unless we try to use itright now. They’ll have the fence fixed by morning.”
By midnight.
Sawyer shakes his head. “Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered.”
“How?”
“I built a makeshift ladder and hid it in some brush in a lightly patrolled area. I’ll let them think they broke me down before I give it to them, so I promise, they’ll believe it.”
Ha.
Sneaky bastard.
