Page 92 of Rite of Unity

His gaze ran over me again.“I’ll see you next week.”

He climbed out the window, disappearing over the ledge.

I didn’t take a breath until I was sure he wasn’t coming back.

***

“Tuesdays are my least favorite,” I gasped, dropping the heavy weight between my feet.

“Your breasts look bigger already,” Nami said, laughing.

I narrowed my eyes at her, but couldn’t help the curl of my lips.

Reaching for my tablet, I exhaled a breath.“My time’s up.”

I swiped to the health screen, pressing my thumb to the sensor.Nothing happened.I pressed harder.

"What are you doing?"Nami peered over my shoulder.

"Trying to check my heart rate."

She laughed, taking the tablet from my hands.Two quick swipes and a small red light blinked to life on the side of the device."Hold still."

I stared at it.

“I know.I had to learn how to use it when we moved to the Center, too.”

The beep sounded, and one-thirty-two flashed on screen.

“You’re good.”Nami handed me my tablet.“Let’s get something to eat.I’m starving!”

We strode toward the door, but I glanced back, frowning.“It’s not fair what they’re doing to Beth.”

Nami looked over her shoulder at the red-faced woman hunched over the resistance band machine they’d installed in the corner.

“In a different world, women would be valued for their minds instead of their bodies.”

My eyes widened as I glanced around the nearly empty room.“Nami.”

She shrugged.“Beth agrees with me.”

Chapter 22

Maryn

Eliasheldouthishand, and I took it.We stepped into an elevator made of glass and I leaned into the wall as it shot up.The view was disorienting, but I much preferred this to his suggestion of a blindfold.

He squeezed my gloved hand as we slowed.The doors slid open.

But I couldn’t move.

Elias moved ahead of me, turning back when he realized I hadn’t followed.The world beyond him was enormous, open and very high.My grip tightened on his hand until my knuckles ached.

"Whoa.You okay?"He wrapped an arm around my waist.

I stared at the distant horizon, fighting the tilting feeling.

“I think so.”I glanced at him, warily.“I’ve never been so high before.”