Trade : 15

There was only one way into Akrisoulis, and it guaranteed we'd be caught by police; the main entrance. Thomas knew just as well as I did that the small crack we had slipped through last night would surely be sealed now. If the police really were after us, they'd have men posted everywhere.

Lizzy?

Where have you been? Her voice was worried but also hurt. I couldn't find you anywhere.

I'll explain everything later. We're going to try and get into the city, so you'll hear about us shortly.

I landed clumsily about 50 feet away from the main entrance of the dome city with Thomas by my side. I held my now numb arm to my chest protectively. I couldn't move my hand at all. Whether it was from cut off circulation or injury, I couldn't tell. We began walking towards the arched entrance. As we expected, at least 10 armed guards were waiting there for us.

"Stop right there." One ordered, raising her gun. She wore black armor and a thick helmet with tinted goggles. Four other guards, each dressed identically, came running out towards us.

"They match the descriptions of the camera footage." One spoke into a small receiver on his shoulder. It crackled as another voice answered back.

"Bring them in."

"We need the hospital first." Thomas protested and gestured to my injured arm. But before I could blink, the guard closest to me turned around and stuck a small needle into my shoulder, emptying its contents in seconds. The guard by Thomas had done the same thing to him. Immediately my head felt woozy and I stumbled forward as the drug rushed through my system.

"Alright, let's go." The guards voices were foggy and distant as my knees buckled and I collapsed onto the ground.

…

"Newton Arson?" Fingers snapped in my ear and I grimaced at the loud noise. I cracked my eyes open and squinted against bright overhead fluorescent lights. A man dressed in turquoise scrubs with a mask and goggles stood over me.

"What?" I croaked then coughed. The man stepped away out of sight. I tried to block the bright light with my hand but then realized that both my arms were strapped down. I raised my head to look around the room. I was strapped to a hospital bed in a small, white room. An IV was taped to my right arm. The man in scrubs was changing his gloves at a small sink in the corner of the room.

"We've repaired the fracture in your arm and stitched lacerations. You should regain full use of it in a month's time." He said quickly and then turned to face me. He was an older man, older than dad, and had thinning gray hair.

"Where is Thomas?" I had to lean my head back down. The drugs were still working their way out of my system.

"Several people will be in to speak with you later today. For now, just relax." His voice was slightly muffled behind his mask. He took a fabric cuff from the wall and wrapped it around my upper arm. It began squeezing as he rested the end of his stethoscope into the crook of my elbow. I could feel my heartbeat in the cuff. Nodding once, he removed everything and returned to the sink.

"I want to go home." I felt sick to my stomach and my head pounded. My wings were cramped underneath me. The man ignored me and silently left the room.

…

A couple knocks on the door made me look over quickly. Three people stepped inside the room, two men and a woman. Each was dressed in business attire; freshly pressed pants and tucked in shirts and shiny black shoes. The woman wore her blonde hair in a neat bun while the two men had buzzcuts.

"Newton Arson. Glad to see you're all patched up." One man spoke. I slowly moved my gaze towards him. I couldn't get any thoughts from him or the other two. It was a worrying sign.

"We're with WICKED." The woman spoke now. My eyes flicked to her. "It's been brought to our attention that you and another hybrid were observed vandalizing a construction zone, as well as violating Order 22-A."

"Upon investigation, WICKED discovered that Mrs. Penelope Wren was orchestrating a safe house, concealing more than a dozen unregistered hybrids." The last man said. It was as if they had rehearsed this little speech. I frowned, glaring at each one.

"Where is my sister?"

"Lizzy Arson was detained with the other unregistered hybrids and brought to WICKED for evaluation. It was determined that she and the remaining minors will be transferred to the Venom Trade immediately."

"I need to be with her." There was nothing I could do, of course. They had every inch of me secured or strapped down, including my tail. "Leave Mrs. Wren alone, she was only trying to help."

"Mrs. Penelope Wren was executed for violating Order 34-C."

…

Thomas? Lizzy? I closed my eyes, concentrating.

Good to hear you're awake finally. Thomas responded right away. A small pang of relief flooded my chest. They fixed your arm?

Yes, where's Lizzy?

She's right here, she can hear you.

They have me on a truck out of Akrisoulis. Where did they take you guys?

I think Polis. Thomas sent me a mental image of a massive warehouse against a bright, blue sky. It was a huge, gray rectangle with a steel door, but had hundreds of external cages attached to the sides. The image faded and instead I was seeing the inside of one of these cages. They were exposed to the outdoors with only one half covered by a sloped, steel roof. The floors were concrete and had a small bed built into the corner under the roof. Thick, steel bars made up the cage in a crisscrossing pattern, with holes barely big enough to put your hand through. Lizzy was in one of those cages next to Thomas'.

Is that the Venom Trade?

Yes.

Has anything happened?

No, we only just got here last night.

The truck bumped over a particularly large pothole that jarred my spine. I opened my eyes and shifted on the metal bench. The inside of the truck was lit only by the small skylight in the roof. An armed guard sat across from me, watching me. Glaring was more like it.

Freak is talking to someone. His thoughts read. I glanced down at the straight jacket holding my arms across my chest and binding my wings in place. What would mom think of me now? This was what she had been trying to protect me from.

Newt?

I'm here. I closed my eyes again.

Let us know when you get here. You'll be checked in and sorted into a section. Just let them know Lizzy is your sister and that I'm your brother, then they'll stick you with us.

How nice of them to try and keep families together.

They try.

They killed Mrs. Wren. I thought bitterly. Thomas didn't need to say anything; I could feel the grief wash through him.