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“They called him back, asking if he’d found her because they found his will. It was shuffled up insomeone else’s file or something. So, Windsor lies, says yeah, and goes down there to pick it up for her.”

I don’t know why, but I feel violated. Some stranger was digging around in my life?Mitriasked some guy to rip into my history?

My eyes snap to the immortal filled with betrayal. Why?

“Big deal,” Kimi gives a one-shouldered shrug.

“The big deal,” Mike leans forward in excitement with a grin. His terror is forgotten in the thrill of mystery discovery. “Is what helefther. A key to some ramshackle shed on a property he owned under a false name. Windsor goes there and finds everything you were looking for. Files and files of stuff! He grabbed it and gave it all to me!”

Files? What files? What is this guy talking about?

No. How deep did he dig? How far back? Oh, Presidents.

“Files on what?” Kimi tilts his head, curious now despite himself.

“The scientists and the lab subjects at the boarding school. It’s pretty gruesome stuff, too. I almost threw up just reading them.”

All the air gets sucked out of the room, and I wobble on my feet. The see-saw gives up the struggle and drops.

“Windsor thought Wulff was hunting down the scientists. Some of this reads off like a hit list, pictures crossed out for dead, and everything. Windsor checked, and they all died in ‘accidents.’ I get it, though. He probably loved the little girl, and her file is messed up. The things they did to her, and she’s amender! Who does that…”

Mike’s voice trails off, and I shut my eyes tightly to block them out. Just block this away in the tattered box of my memories and shove it aside, like usual.

But I can’t do that because that box got obliterated in Leng. Strangers that I’ve never met read about everything they did to me.Where is my passenger seat? I need it!

“Beatrice,” Mal says quietly, voice calm but wary.

“Oh shit,” Mike grunts as my hand tightens convulsively on his. “Oh shit. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“Show me,” I can’t even recognize my own voice. It’s weak and wobbly like I’m close to tears, but nothing is coming out.

“I don’t think that’s-” Mike starts, and Ben says simultaneously, “Bees.”

“Show me!” I scream in his face and jerk him half out of his chair.

“Okay, okay, juststop!” Mike screams as tears fill his eyes.

Stop?

I look down at his arm held taut between us. His muscles roll underneath his skin, and I hear bones cracking as they pull in different directions. The spark is writhing inside me, furious and scared.

I gasp and let him go, jerking away from him in horror.What did I do?

I instinctively reach for him, trying to fix what I did with a whimper.

Mike shoves away from me and throws his backpack, hitting me in the chest. “Take it!”

I catch it in numb hands before it can fall to the floor and turn away from the table to pull it open. What I think this small bit of privacy will prove, I don’t know. I feel as raw and vulnerable as I did as a kid. Terrified of both the past and what suffering-filled future lies ahead.

I fumble the zipper open, spilling manilla folders everywhere. It reminds me of the office I spent so many days cleaning while Mitri watched me silently, and I choke on a hysterical laugh. Those were the days, man.

Dropping to my knees, I pick them up and open each one mindlessly. Gathering them into my lap and hunching over them as if I could protect the people inside.

There’s a photo of each one. Except now they have names that burn in my chest with pain.

The old woman who begged me for death, to just let her go because the only freedom we had was death. That’s what she told me, and I took it to heart.We couldn’t get out for freedom. We had to take it where we could.

Her name was Albertha Adamson. AA. Subject B34TR1C2. A Witch. When I asked her name, I thought she was telling me to call her Eh-Eh. I held her hand when she died so she wouldn’t have to be alone, and she cried for me, calling me a sweet child.