Page 65 of The Program

‘Does that happen a lot?’ asked Artemis, coming back to examine me for any sign of injury or illness.

‘Nope. Just since you got here, apparently,’ I admitted.

She didn’t respond, the mystery even stumping her.

‘We can solve that mystery later,’ Dorian stated. ‘We need to find Reece and Brin.’ Then, as an afterthought to Artemis, ‘And the kids.’

‘All right, stay behind me. If they come at us I’ll need to be able to block their attacks,’ Artemis warned, and though it was obvious how a few of the guys – namely T – were less inclined to allow her to take the lead, her abilities were what we were relying on for this to go smoothly so we all silently agreed.

Our pace was slow but steady as we entered the facility. I didn’t know what I expected, but it was exactly like the rest of Nova Station: monochromatic, metallic, and cold. Sure, the walls and floors were heated, though mostly through the excessive electrical currents that kept the station functioning rather than any effort made for the resident’s comfort, but there was nothing homely about this place. The only emotion Nova Station’s architecture evoked was anxiety over accidentally smudging the clinical cleanliness.

Somehow, walking these halls felt even more frigid than anywhere else on Nova. Whereas the hustle and bustle within the rest of the station provided as sense of community, even if that community was uniformed in more ways than one, this facility was empty.

And I meantemptyempty.

There were no signs on the doors, the lights were dim as if on standby, and there wasn’t even a spec of dust. In fact, the latter was the only way I knew that this building saw any activity at all.

The lack of activity, however, was definitely a bad sign. No guards stood sentry at any of the doors. No scientists or doctors rushed about. No machines beeped or buzzed or anything I thought a scientific facility – illegal or not – would contain.

Something about this felt off…

‘Do you know where you’re going?’ asked T, and the look Artemis sent him could have frozen an entire planet.

‘Of course. Did you think I’d comeunprepared?’

‘You’ve never been the one to prepare anything in the past,’ he snapped back, and that was when I whirled on him.

‘Now, hold up. I don’t know what history the two of you have but if you ever talk to her like that again I’ll make sureyou’rethe one stuck here getting experimented on while the rest of us find happiness in our freedom, do you understand me?’

Even behind the mask I could see how his face pinched and imagined the straight white line of his lips as he pursed them. ‘Of course,Your Highness.It won’t happen again.’

I frowned at his sarcastic use of my royal title, his problem with me new and unfounded, but I let it go. For now. We didn’t have the luxury of infighting right now, but it was something I made a mental reminder to come back to when we did. Whatever this tension was between T and Artemis, it needed to be resolved soon before it got us all in trouble.

‘The subjects are being held on the same floor,’ Artemis stated, leading us towards another unmarked door. She opened it to reveal a circular stairwell so vast that even our quiet breaths echoed back at us at an immense volume.

Instead of speaking, which would have alerted anyone within the entire facility of not only our presence but our direct location, she held up a singlefinger against her lips and waved us down. Our steps were slow, tentative and as light as we could possibly make them. Even so, I cringed at every little scuff of our boots that amplified back on us tenfold.

On and on we went, further down the spiralling staircase into the depths of enemy territory, when we finally came to a stop behind Arty. She paused to ensure we were still all behind her and keeping up, then gently opened the door into another hallway that was a mirror of the one we’d originally entered through.

Again, there were no signs on any of the doors, no guards, nothing. Yet, somehow, Artemis seemed to know exactly where she was going.

Still, and in spite of my trust for and in the woman I’d so quickly and easily grown to love, that persistent gnawing at my gut told me this was too simple. Too easy.

It’s a trap, a voice whispered in the back of my mind.Turn back.

I reached out to Artemis again, my unease growing with every step, and gripping her hand, tugging it firmly to get her attention. I drew her close and whispered in her ear.

‘This doesn’t feel right,’ I admitted.

She sent me an assessing look before her lips twisted into a grim smile. ‘I know.’

I scrutinised her for a moment. ‘You think this is a trap, too?’

Her sigh was weary, a sign of her long-term suffering. ‘I know so.’

I reared back in shock. ‘And we’re still heading in?’

She shrugged. ‘What other choice to we have? I can’t leave the kids here, let alone Addy and Reece. They need us.’

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