I woke up with a start, my mind suddenly aware. Adrenaline spiked my system and I sat up, looking around.

I was in one of the bedrooms on the second level. The room was dark, but there was a yellow light trickling in from under the door.

Ripping off the blanket, I stood up. I was wearing a light white dress that came to my knees. It was too big in the shoulders and a bit snug on the hips, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Something shifted on the bed, and I jumped back. There was a gentle whine, and a thumping sound. I backed up slowly, and pushed on the bathroom door, swinging it open and letting the light illuminate the room.

Samuel whined again from where he was laying on the bedspread. His tail was thumping as he looked at me. I stared at him, wondering how the hell he had gotten here.

It took me nearly a minute to remember how I had gotten here. Once I did, I raced over to the door, my hand twisting the knob. I needed to find Viggo and Tim.

Samuel barked and leapt off the bed. I pulled at the door, but it was locked. Beating my fists on it, I shouted, hoping that whoever had attacked me hadn’t locked me in the room and left me to die.

I tried to think about who it could be as I attempted to force the door open. I realized that whoever it was wanted me alive, not dead. They had locked me in the room, but they hadn’t chained me up. In fact, gauging from the bandages I was now feeling wrapped around my ribs, they had patched me up.

It didn’t matter—I needed to find Viggo and Tim. I hit my fist on the door for several minutes, shouting for someone to open it, but no one came. After a while, I tried using things I found in the room to hit the lock with, to no avail.

Eventually, I gave up, and began examining the door closely. The hinges of the door were on this side. If I could find something slim enough, I might be able to unscrew them from the door.

I tore the room apart looking. Samuel watched me, whining softly for attention. I emptied drawers onto the bed, tossing aside clothes and pens and notebooks, growing more and more frustrated as I did.

I tested every surface in the room, seeing if I could peel something off to use on the screws. Eventually, I tried going after them with my nails. The only progress I made from that was a few hangnails.

Defeated, I sat down heavily on the floor, resting my back against the door.

Samuel peeked out from under the bed, staring at me with his warm brown eyes.

“Hey buddy,” I murmured, patting my thigh. He crawled over on his belly, his ears lowered. I held out my hand to him and, after a moment of hesitation, he licked it. He then proceeded to try and crawl into my lap.

I patted him on the head, and sighed.

“It’s always one thing after another,” I told him. His tail picked up speed, thumping on the floor. “Why, just once, can’t things go my way?”

He stared at me in response, and I leaned my head back, resting it on the door. Samuel rested his head on my thigh. I felt the cold press of the metal from the buckle of his collar digging in uncomfortably, and I took a moment to twist it around his neck.

Then I froze. Looking at his collar, I clenched my fist in frustration over how I had overlooked it. It took me a second to unhook it and rising to my feet, I started at the top screw. I had to fiddle with it for a few moments, trying to find the best way to fit the buckle into the slot, but after a few trials, I managed to position it just right.

I began twisting the buckle. It was painstakingly slow, and more often than not it slipped out of the screw. However, finally the screw began to loosen under my efforts. I twisted until I could get my fingers on it, and then used them to unscrew it.

I had just pried the second one out, when I heard the doorknob rattle. Surprised, I took quick step back, just missing the door as it swung open.

A young man was on the other side. He was just a few inches taller than me, with blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a black uniform with no insignia anywhere on it. The uniform was skin-tight, clinging to the bulging muscles of his arms and legs. His expression was carefully neutral.

“Violet,” he greeted me.

“How do you… Where are Tim and Viggo?”

The man stared at me. “I’m not at liberty to discuss that at this time.”

I grated my teeth together, my fists clenched. “You better get liberated real soon,” I threatened.

Smirking as if I amused him, he crossed his arms. “I can tell you that your brother and boyfriend are alive.”

Relief washed through me, but I ignored it. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“Forgive me. I should have introduced myself. My name is Owen Barns, and I want to escort you down to the laboratory so that you can be debriefed.”

I absorbed his information quietly. “Are you with Matrus or Patrus?” I demanded, crossing my arms.

He quirked a blond eyebrow. “Neither,” he replied, offering his arm.

I gaped at him, staring at his arm like it was a snake about to bite me. How could he be from neither nation? Who was he, and why was he lying to me? Instantly, I distrusted him. “I think I’ll walk myself,” I said.

Owen shrugged. “Suit yourself. After you.” He stepped back out of the doorframe and held out an arm toward the hallway.

I moved into the hallway, heading for the door at the end. The doors to all of the rooms were closed, and I wondered if Viggo and Tim were in one of them. I started to reach for one of the doorknobs, when Owen’s hand grabbed my wrist with a firm but strong grasp.

“You will be permitted to see your companions after your debriefing,” he said. “Until then, please keep your hands to yourself.”

Grimacing, I snatched my hand out of his grip and stalked to the door. I wanted to get to the bottom of this.

We moved downstairs quickly. There was sign of activity everywhere, but I couldn’t see anyone anywhere. I commented on it, but Owen just smirked at me and urged me to continue down.

I really wanted to punch him, and hopefully I would get the chance to. However, regardless of how empty the levels were, I needed more information before I planned my escape. Like where Viggo, Tim, and Ms. Dale were, and how many other people were with Owen.

He opened the door to the lab, and I stepped through. The area had been cleaned up, but I saw the two bodies lying in the middle of the floor covered with a tarp, and I paused.

“The twins,” Owen said behind me.

I shot him a contemptuous look. “I figured that out,” I said dryly.

A soft sound coming from Dr. Jenks’ office caught my attention, and I turned toward it. An older woman was sitting behind the desk, staring at the computer from behind a pair of spectacles. Her hair was dark, with white streaks running from the temples. It was casually styled. She was wearing the same uniform as Owen.

Owen held out his arm with a flourish, pointing me into the room.

I ignored his antics and strode inside.

“Who the hell are you?” I demanded.

The older woman turned her head toward me, her blue eyes flicking over me.

“Violet Bates,” she said, settling back in the chair.

She watched me for a long moment in contemplative silence. I could feel her gaze like a weight. Whoever this woman was, she had a commanding presence. I felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

“Owen, you are dismissed,” she said.

Owen said nothing, but closed the door behind me, sealing me in with this woman.

“Sit down, Ms. Bates,” the woman said, her tone brooking no disobedience. I contemplated standing in open defiance of her, but I realized it was a childish ploy. I sat down in the chair.

“Who are you?” I asked.

She arched an eyebrow at me, tapping her fingers on the table. Taking off her glasses, she studied me.

“Who do you think I am?” she asked, interlacing her fingers.

I paused. “I don’t know. The guy—Owen—he said you weren’t with Matrus or Patrus. Are you a rebel faction?”

She inclined her head a fraction of an inch. “There are some that would say that, although we have taken great care to remain on the periphery of both societies.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think?” she asked.

“Because you don’t agree with either society’s position?”

“Is that a question, or are you certain?”

I sighed in frustration. “Look, to be honest, I don’t care. All I want is my people returned. If you have no allegiance to either side, then that should be easy enough.”

She nodded at me. “That’s true. But let me ask you this: Where would you go?”

Hesitating for a moment, I shrugged. “I haven’t really gotten that far ahead,” I admitted.

A small smile played at her lips. “I figured. What if I were to offer you a solution?”

I stared at the older woman across from me warily. “At what price?”

The smile on her lips grew. “I knew I would like you, Violet,” she said. “You don’t ask what the solution is—you skip to the price. That’s practical, and very clever.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“To be fair, I haven’t answered any of them,” she replied. “But I will, eventually. First—tell me what you know of this place.”

I frowned. “You’ve already read the computers. I’m assuming you’ve seen downstairs.”

“I have. I’m more interested in your observations at the moment.”

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “It’s a laboratory.” She gave me a look of impatience, but I ignored her. “A Matrian facility for experimenting on humans.”

“Go on.”

“They’re… trying to do something. Enhance people.”

“How?”

I shrugged, but as I did so, I realized I knew the answer. “Make them stronger. Faster. Smarter.”

“Why?”

I paused, thinking about it. “I… I don’t know.” Rubbing my hands on the front of my dress, I contemplated the question. “Because, if they can make people stronger—better—they can have an advantage.”

“What do you think they would use that advantage for?”

I looked at her. “Defeating their enemies,” I replied, a hard knot forming in my stomach.

The woman leaned back, an extremely satisfied look on her face. “Exactly.”

I had been reaching, trying to come up with answers regarding the why of things, and I finally had an answer. My eyes flicked over to the egg sitting in the case.

She followed my gaze, shifting in her seat. “Mr. Jenks’ perfect human,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers. Abruptly, she stood up and walked over to the door. “Come with me,” she ordered as she strode out of the office.

After another look at the egg—the real egg—sitting behind the glass panel, I obeyed, quickening my stride to follow her.