Pete turns the knob. The door swings inward. A wooden wall blocks the entry into the room. Pete gives us an apprehensive glance before he places his hands on the wooden panel.
“Wait!” Lily whispers, stepping between Pete and the back of the cabinet. Her hand rests on his chest. Their faces are close enough that it would take only the slightest of movements for them to kiss. A stupid grin flashes across Pete’s face. I look away, frustrated with Lily’s flirtations, first with Doc, then Pickpocket, and now Pete. Next to Lily, who is flawlessly beautiful, clever, and exuberantly confident, I feel plain. She is everything I admire in Pete: selfless and willing to put her own needs aside to rescue strangers. I, on the other hand, have turned others away, even fought them over supplies. I wouldn’t blame Pete for choosing Lily over me. Worse yet, I ought to be worried about rescuing my sister instead of fussing over a boy.
“We need to be careful,” Lily continues. “The soldiers could walk in at any moment.”
I shove myself between Lily and Pete, slide the cabinet open just a crack, and peek through the opening. “I don’t see anyone in there, and we’re not going to get anywhere standing out here.”
Lily starts to protest, but I ignore her, heave the door open, and step through.
“You do know what the Captain will do to you if he discovers you in the palace?” Lily says from the doorway. She folds her arms across her chest, defiance radiating from her stern expression.
I mimic her stance, holding my ground. “No, but I don’t intend to find out,” I say a little too abrasively. “Pete, are you coming?”
Lily places her hand on the bronze hilt of her sword and hesitates. “If the Professor returns to the lab, more than likely she will be escorted by the Captain’s guards. I’m coming with you.” She pulls the blade from her belt.
Pete glances at the sword, its blade etched with intricate carvings. He whistles. “Now that is not a butter knife,” he says, pointing at Lily’s weapon.
Lily smiles brightly.
Another twinge of resentment prickles at me and my cheeks grow hot with jealousy.
“It’s almost as fine as those daggers Blade gave to you,” he says, smirking at me.
Reaching my hand out, I pull Pete into the room, feeling vindicated.
“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” Pete asks in a quiet, mocking tone.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I retort.
I hesitate, stealing a glance at Lily. Her eyes dart from Pete to me, and she gives me a slight knowing look. Pete chuckles but lets me lead him into the lab. Pickpocket and Lily follow behind us.
The dimly lit room is empty other than a metal gurney and huge incinerator.
“This is the crematorium,” Lily says, nodding to the oven. “Follow me.”
She takes the lead, climbing two stairs at a time up a narrow concrete stairway. When we reach the top, we step into what looks like a doctor’s laboratory. It smells of disinfectant and something else, something floral and familiar. The white walls, tile, and counters give it a sterile appearance. Gadgets fill the room, each piece rigged with wheels, levers, gears, and pedals. Cabinets line the walls, revealing bottles, containers, bandages, and other medical supplies behind their glass doors. A gurney stands in the middle of the room, its sheets disheveled. Lying on the white pillow is a brass bracelet: buttons from a military uniform. My father’s uniform. Joanna’s bracelet.
The metal buttons clink as I pick up the band. I rub my thumb over the military insignia, remembering how brightly they shone on my father’s jacket, carefully cleaned and polished. My heart leaps at the sight of the tarnished buttons.
“Joanna’s been here,” I say, glancing around the room.
Pete rests a hand on my shoulder. “At least we know for sure she’s in the palace.”
“Or she was here,” Pickpocket says, peering into a glass cabinet.
I smell the faint hint of the lavender wafting from the sheets. Its scent reminds me of the lotion Joanna took from my mother’s room the night we left our home. “It was recent,” I say, scanning the room.
“Look at these supplies,” Pickpocket says. He pulls out his multitool and picks the cabinet lock with ease. Pete joins him, and together, they stash supplies in their rucksacks.
“What do you think you are doing?” Lily says indignantly. “Those are the Professor’s supplies.”
“Look,” Pete says, whirling around to her. “I have an entire city of kids I’m responsible for. We don’t have access to supplies like these.”
I step away from the cot, noticing the floral scent isn’t just on the bedding. Feeling like Mole, I follow the smell. I open the cabinets near the bed. They are full of linens and bandages.
“An entire city of children?” Lily says with surprise. “Why haven’t you mentioned this? We must bring them here.”
The smell grows stronger as I search a metal rolling cabinet next to the sink. More gadgets and levered devices line the shelves.