Prologue

I stare at Cole's head bobbing in front of me. The PSF has a gun to his temple.

I fling my mind at him, letting the invisible hands clutch the officer's mind. LET HIM GO!

The PSF drops Cole to the ground. I shove an image of the guard putting the gun down next to Cole. The guard then sits with his back against the wall then shuts his eyes and falls into the coma I sentenced him to.

Cole breathes in and out. "Bastard." Cole spits blood into the ground. He glances over at me.

My hands sit tied behind my back. A muzzle over my face.

"How'd you do that without speaking aloud?" he asks, cutting the plastic tie from my wrists. "Hang on, sorry, I have to completely cut this off." He murmurs, indicating the muzzle.

I rub my wrists absentmindedly as he goes to work cutting off the muzzle. When my mouth is finally freed, I rub my jaw. "I'm able to communicate with just my mind. I prefer speaking out loud though because it gets faster results." I look at Cole's bruised face. "Seriously." I grumble, pulling Cole up.

"Oh, forgive me, darlin'." Cole snarls, leaning against me heavily.

I walk us toward where his brother, Ruby, Chubs and Vida are. I lean Cole against the wall as I touch a finger to the panel on the door. My mind goes through the other people who've touched this until the code pops into my head. I punch it in quickly then yank the door open.

Ruby glances up at me, the muzzle cutting deep into her face. Chubs leans against Vida, the girl supporting his weight. Sick. I glance over at Liam, his hands tied behind his back.

"Cole," I pull him inside, "get to work undoing their ties. I'll get Ruby." I walk over to Ruby and quickly cut the tie holding her wrists together.

She rubs them then grabs my wrist as I go to the muzzle. She tries to prod my mind, like earlier when I joined them, but again it's completely protected.

"I need to cut this off. Stay still okay?" I grumble as I find the straps to cut.

Once it's off she looks up at me. "Seriously, why can't I get into your mind?" she tilts her head.

"Because I'm like a steel trap." I grin down at her as she stands up.

"Oh, for God's sake, she's an Orange, Gem." Cole replies after cutting the tie off of Vida. Liam was helping Chubs up but still spared a glare at his brother.

Ruby stares at me, astonished.

I glance at Cole. Want me to share what you are? I push the thought into his head. I grin as he stiffens.

"Let's get out of here." I motion for them to stay silent and still as I peek around the hall. Clear.

Cole goes to shove past me but I shove him behind. "You're of no use to me. You'll just get in the way. Just stay behind and protect the teens." I hiss, a new venom in my voice.

Cole flinches at my tone then hands over the gun from the PSF from earlier. "Then at least use this, Fay."

I smile and grab the gun. I hold it out in front of me as I maneuver us through the prison.

We move quicker, to the best of our abilities, once we're outside and don't let up until we're in a van that was left on the side of the road.

"Okay, so PSFs caught us at the safe house. Was it possible we were tailed?" Liam asks, looking over at me as I drive.

"Not a chance. They came hours later. Somebody must have slipped up or they were just going to check there anyway." I mutter as I mess with the radio dial.

"They did seem awfully surprised to see us there." Ruby murmurs.

Liam leans back into the backseat. Ruby sits on his right, Vida was holding Chubs up in the backseat.

"So, Gem, you really didn't know she was like you?" Cole asks, glancing back at her.

She shakes her head then leans against Liam. Liam glares at his brother then grabs Ruby's hand.

Cole chuckles as he turns back to the front.

Once it's completely silent in the back, I know the teens have fallen asleep. Cole keeps staring out the windshield as we drive in companionable silence, listening to Rolling Stones through the car speakers.

"You know, I didn't say thank you for keeping that guy from putting a bullet in my head." Cole mutters after the song shifts to Led Zeppelin.

"It's no problem. I just had to use more of my concentration. I was lucky he was the only PSF in that room otherwise I probably would have been shot in the process." I glance over at him. "I'm glad you're safe."

"You've been there for me quite a bit when I've screwed up that badly. You always manage to get me out. Why?" Cole looks over at me but I keep my eyes straight ahead. "Tell me, Fay. Your face is completely scrunched up like it does when you have something you don't exactly want to say but do at the same time. Out with it, darlin'."

"What is that?" I ask, pointing at the small form limping in the ditch. If I hadn't happened to just glance that way, I would have missed it. The small form stopped when I pulled over.

I froze as a girl, no older than twelve, looked at me with wide eyes. The moment she turned to sprint off, I thrust my mind at her, making her sit.

She whimpered as I came closer. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you."

She looked vaguely familiar. Then it clicked.

"Suzume?" I whisper.

She whipped her head up at me. A question pushing the fear from her face.

"Oh my God. Liam, Chubs, and Ruby are in the car. Come on." I usher her toward the car.

She hangs back a few spaces, not trusting me. I pull open the side door to reveal Chubs in the backseat with Vida still and Liam and Ruby.

She jumps inside, pouncing Liam awake.

"Zu?" he asks, yanking her close. Ruby wraps her arms around the girl after Liam lets go. "Why are you here? Where's your group?"

Suzume shakes her head sadly. "Gone." I whisper, taking the word from her mind.

She glances up at me.

"Hey, not to ruin the moment or anything but I think we should get going." Cole says a little too oddly. "I mean, I guess we can let that big black car hit us."