Page 55 of Silver Elite

Lyddie’s eyebrows soar, and my stomach drops when I notice the attention I’ve attracted. A few tables away, Roe frowns at me. Bryce twists in her chair, aghast.

I backpedal as fast as I can. “All I’m saying is, they’re still human beings. Not mutants, buthuman.That means we can fight them like we would any other human. They’re not going to shoot thunderbolts out of their eye sockets or melt your skin with their touch—”

“Darlington, you’re up,” Tyler Struck says, and I’ve never been more grateful to exit a conversation.

I hop out of my chair and walk toward Amira. She has gentle eyes. Too gentle. How are they not burning with anger? Blazing from the injustice?

Guilt tickles my stomach when I realize I’m judging her. I shouldn’t do that. Maybe she’s like me. Biding her time. Inwardly scrambling to find a way out of her predicament.

As I approach the table, something inside me shifts. The temptation to reach out to her, to reveal myself and link, is overwhelming. I canfeelthe pull of her presence. I can taste the desire to connect with someone who understands.

Don’t you dare.

I lower myself onto the chair in front of her and construct a flimsy shield. Nothing that will raise suspicion. At the same time, I decoy my mind, emptying it of all thoughts save for how much I miss my horse, Kelley.

I know the moment she pierces the shield from the electronic shock that jolts through my neck. I convey nothing but ignorance to the intrusion, but I can’t pretend not to notice the way her veins begin undulating beneath her flesh. Her arms glow under the glare of the fluorescent lighting.

“Decent,” she acknowledges after about thirty seconds. I feel the path close, and her veins settle in her arms. “But easily penetrated.” She offers a placid smile. “I’ve never ridden a horse before. She sounds sweet.”

“She is.”

My gaze drops to the tattoos around her wrist.

How long has she been a slave?

I want to ask her. I want to know whether she’s tried to escape before. A thousand questions burn on my tongue.

As she lowers her head to record something on her tablet, a more dangerous emotion begins to take hold. The lure is back. The desperate longing to open a path.

I take a breath.

Why not do it? She’s a prisoner. She won’t have loyalty to these people. She’llwantto know she’s not alone here—

“Sutler, you’re up.”

Our instructor’s voice breaks through the haze of my thoughts. My senses snap back into focus, and clarity washes over me like a cold wave, jolting me back to reality and the asinine decision I almost made.

What is wrong with me?

On what planet is it a good idea to link with this woman?

In public.

While she’s wearing short sleeves.

I return to my table, where I give Lyddie’s shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze. “See?” I tell her. “No harm done.”

—

There’s a film screening in the common room tonight. More Company propaganda, I presume. Lyddie said it’s about aliens, but I’m sure they’ll find a way to villainize the Mods. Those disgusting silverbloods that ruined society.

While everyone in Black Cell congregates there after evening meal, I return to the bunks instead. My mind is troubled tonight. Or rather, it’s been troubled all day. The anxiety started with Tana’s warning not to return to Ward Z and only intensified after shielding class.

I can still see that word on the holoscreen.Inciters.I can hear Tyler Struck calling me a monster.

Tana is wrong. It’s not safer for me here. How can it be when I possess the one power that will invite no mercy from my enemies? If I were a healer, they would want to use me. If I were a powerful mind reader like Jayde, I’d be the General’s pet.

But I drew the short stick in the mutation lottery.

---