I suck in a breath, then turn and look at him.
“We were never going to kill Dyl. Do you think we would waste resources unnecessarily? We just transport the unchosen Love Interests to another country, wipe their memories, and have them try again until they’re picked. Your whole crusade has been for nothing.”
He’s lying. He must be. He always lies. I study his face, taking note of the twinkle in his eyes and the width of his smile, and realize he’s telling the truth. He’s doing what he always does, destroying an empire with a perfectly aimed piece of information. Everything that brought me here, everything I’ve done, was to save Dyl, and he wasn’t even in danger. People have died because I’m a gullible fool.
“That was beautiful,” says Craike. “Remember how stupid you’ve been while you grieve.”
He turns the gun on Juliet and pulls the trigger. His hand goes limp and his head lolls. He’s unconscious. He held on just long enough to do the unthinkable.
Juliet smacks the floor, her body alarmingly limp. I rush forward and crouch down in front of her. I can’t touch her because of the barrier, but I get as close as I can.
“Juliet?” Did he hit her? It’ll be close, but …
A circle of blood appears between her chest and shoulder.
NO NO NO NO NO.
It’s my fault it’s my fault it’s my—
Her eyes open and she takes in a deep breath. She’s okay. Using her right hand, she props herself up and inspects her wound.
“Juliet,” I say, “you need to get to the pen and bring the barrier down. Then we can get you out of here.”
“Oh my God, you think I don’t know that?”
I shut my mouth. With a grimace, she drags herself forward, moving toward the pen. She pulls herself forward another inch, then collapses. Come on, Juliet, get back up. You’re almost there. Her arms are shaking, but she manages to pull herself a bit closer. With a desperate lunge, she grabs the pen. She presses the clicker at the top and the barrier fades away.
Natalie and I rush forward. I reach Juliet and bend down beside her. Natalie goes straight to Craike. He’s unconscious, but she takes the gun from his slack hand anyway. Then she grabs him by the hair and smashes his head into the bookshelf. She pulls it back, then smashes it in again.
I wrap my arms around Juliet and stand up. She’s surprisingly light. Her cold fingers scramble against my shirt, but her grip is weak. A clean hole is ripped right through her shoulder, and her shirt is wet with blood. Maybe I thought too soon; maybe she’s not okay.
She looks into my eyes and her eyelids flutter.
“Juliet!” I say. “Hey, stay with me, okay? Listen, I love you. All right? I love you. It’s okay. I love you.”
Her eyes close.
“Juliet!” I can feel her breath on my neck. She’s not dead. Not yet, at least.
“We need to move!” I cry.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
The camera feed shows the Love Interests flooding into the hallways. The guards that are on duty are quickly outnumbered. She did it. Juliet freaking did it.
“Caden,” says Dyl. “What do you want to do now? Don’t lie to me.”
I never will.
“It’s awful,” I say. “But I want to leave right now. Juliet doesn’t have much time. We can find a way to save the others later.” I look down at Juliet. “I can’t let her die, Dyl.”
“She won’t,” he says. “The wound is bad, but she won’t die from it. The fact that she’s still breathing means the bullet missed all her essential organs, which is good, obviously. We have enough time to save the others. Caden, she won’t die. You trust me, don’t you?”
“I do,” I say. “So we’ll do it.”
“Is that really what you want?”
I nod.
He smiles. “I believe you.”
“Good. The key is in my pocket. I’m not putting her down, so you’re going to have to do it.”
He moves to my side and slides his hand into my pocket. He pulls out the card, then places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “Thanks, Caden. Let’s move!”
He releases me, then we run through the doorway. Natalie joins us.
We reach the elevator; Dyl presses the button marked 2 and the doors close. The elevator descends. Juliet is shivering. Finally, the doors reopen.
Standing outside is a group of about thirty guys. They’re all crowded around the door, each one pressing forward. They’re wearing the same clingy sky-blue shirts that are burned into my brain. The memory of the cold, silky, constrictive feel of them makes me shiver.
“You saved us!” cries one, a big guy. The sleeves of his shirt have been cut off to reveal his huge biceps. I look up. Oh wow, it’s Robert, the Bad with the massive back. His eyes are watering. “We’re free. Come on, guys, clap for them!”
They begin to clap and cheer. Their faces contort into smiles, an expression that feels like a punch to my gut. Trevor. Juliet. Was it worth it to let them get shot so these people could smile? Was it really?
“Come on!” I say.
They rush forward and fill the elevator. I’m pressed to the back. Dyl places his hand on my shoulder again. His palm thumps with every heartbeat. Boy, he has a strong heart. The strongest I’ve ever felt. I focus on the sound. Each individual beat. His heart is still beating, so it’s going to be okay.
We reach the top level and the door opens. Two guards descend, their batons raised. One boy’s face cracks under the black metal, but another takes his place. He shoves the guard to the floor and everyone pounces on him, kicking and clawing. The other guard screams, high and loud, as he’s dragged to the floor. The crowd settles, leaving the guards a bloody mess.
I turn to Dyl. His bottom lip is trembling and his hands are balled into fists. His eyes are brimming with tears. He can’t die. Not Dyl.
“You need to go,” I say. “So does Juliet, and Natalie. Dyl, if you take her, I can go back and …” My eyes flick down to the boy’s body. His forehead is crushed inward like a dropped boiled egg, revealing fragments of skull and brain. That could’ve been Dyl. Or Juliet or Natalie. “I need to free the others. It’s what Juliet would want.”
He raises an eyebrow. “There’s no way you’re going back in there alone.”
“You’ve done enough,” says a deep voice. It’s Robert. His hands are in his pockets. “Give me the key, I can take it from here. The four of you can go and I’ll free the others.”
“Great plan,” I say. “But I can’t trust you—you seem too keen.” I pick the boy standing beside Robert, a boy with curly red hair and the beginnings of a beard. He’s clearly a Nice. “Will you go with him, just to make sure he doesn’t try anything?”
He nods. Dyl hands him the key card.
“Then go!”
They spin and run to the elevator. The rest of the Love Interests are sprinting toward the massive open door. Juliet is in my arms, Natalie is to my left, and Dyl is to my right.
“Ready?” I ask.