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“About shenanigans?”

“Yes.”

“So youaregoing to give me tips on how to pull off shenanigans? Great!”

The corner of her mouth twitched, even though she tried to hide it.

“Don’t worry, Mom.” I gave her an easy smile. “I can take care of myself.”

A smile broke through her serious facade. “I’ve never had any doubt about that.” Mom surged forward and crushed me in a big, mama-bear hug. “Just promise me you’ll be careful,” she whispered into my ear.

“I’m always careful.”

Mom drew back, her eyes wet and worried. “Ok. I trust you, Savannah. Do what you must.” Then, with a shaky smile, she picked up my suitcase and walked out of the room.

I couldn’t tell Mom what I was going to do. I couldn’t make her an accomplice in my scheme. Because if anything went wrong—which was way too likely—the Government would arrest me. And if they found out she knew anything about my plan, they’d arrest her too.

CHAPTER3

THE FORBIDDEN ZONE

“This plan is going to work,” I told myself, tightening my backpack around my shoulders.

I sucked in a deep breath that rattled my whole ribcage, then marched across the room like I didn’t have a worry in the world—or a doubt in my mind.

I passed Dante’s bed. It lay empty now, not a snore to be heard. I stifled a sniffle. As stupid as it sounded, my brother’s annoying snoring had long been one of the pillars of my existence. At the Fortress, he would have his own place. Which meant I wouldn’t get to throw pillows at him when he snored.

Nevada’s bed was further out, close to the exit. She didn’t snore, but every night she covered her headboard with a chain of wildflowers that she’d gathered and woven that day. But tonight there was no Nevada and no wildflower chain.

I missed the sweet, earthy scent of Nevada’s flowers almost as much as I missed Dante’s snoring.

I slunk down the hall, careful not to make a sound, and soon I was outside the big, blue building. The building I’d called home my entire life. That would change tonight, when I left this place forever.

I took a moment to let that sink in—and say a quick goodbye to Dame Ikea. I didn’t know who she was, but she must have been a great and powerful Knight. Why else would her name adorn the building’s facadeandthe forest of flags outside the back entrance?

Just kidding.

Of course I knew there had never been a Dame Ikea. I’m young, not stupid.

Though, ok, so maybe I was just alittledisappointed the day Mom told me our home was not a castle but rather a former furniture shop. Apparently, there’s something not entirely normal about that, but it’s the only life I’ve ever known.

I made my way across town, keeping to the shadows, passing empty parking lots and run-down buildings. Someone had painted the wordsMagic is Deathon a half-collapsed brick wall. Beneath the red letters, I could still make out a few old advertisements: deals on ice cream, electric scooters, and a bunch of other Old World products I’d never seen in real life.

Graffiti blanketed Bayshore like a bad rash it just couldn’t shake.

Perhaps our most famous street art was ‘Lost Childhood’, a painting of a little boy standing alone at the center of a dilapidated playground. It spanned an entire block.

Oh, and who could forget the 3D, two-story-tall letters that spelled out the wordEarthover a vibrant painting of our world from space? That old name for Gaia, a name from a time before the Curse, greeted anyone who walked past the old airport. It was a message from the Brotherhood of Earth.

The Brotherhood of Earth was…well, I guess you could call itthepost-Curse religion. The Brothers wore ugly brown robes with ugly brown hoods attached to them. They stuck up posters all over town, calling on everyone to join them in public prayer for those we’d lost to the Curse.

Most grownups liked the Brothers because they did nice things like take care of orphans and cook for the elderly, but, honestly, they kind of creeped me out. Maybe it was their robes. They looked like greasy old dishrags. They smelled like greasy old dishrags too.

“Finn, are you sure about this?”

I’d nearly made it all the way to the gates of the Forbidden Zone when I heard that voice cut through the darkness.

“Of course, Sean. It’s a brilliant plan.”