Page 110 of Breaking the Dark

“We are, Ophelia. We really are.” Polly tips her head at her, sympathetically. “I can’t believe what you gave away.”

“No, what you don’t understand is what I got in return.”

“I don’t need a child. Miranda is my child. Miranda is my baby.”

“And you’re taking my baby down with you to achieve your goals. And all those other babies. I should kill you, that’s what I should do.”

Polly feels a thrill of adrenaline pulse through her at these words. “You really should, Ophelia. Why don’t you? You could do it right now. You’ve still got enough power left. Do it.” She holds her breath, her eyes flashing, her arms folded tight across her chest.

She sees Ophelia deflate, as she knew she would.

Because Polly holds all the cards.

Polly has Ophelia’s secrets, and Polly has her son.

FORTY-TWO

AS THEY HEAD back up to Harlem in an Uber, Lark is compulsively chewing the inside of her cheek and picking at the skin around her nails.

“You know,” says Jessica softly as she observes these nervous tics, “you didn’t do that before. When I first saw you. Can you remember that? Being so still and calm all the time?”

Lark shakes her head vaguely. “Kinda. I mean, yeah. I remember what it felt like then, feeling so happy all the time, feeling so chill. But I don’t remember anything else. All the, like, detail. I mean, it’s hard to explain.”

“It certainly is,” she says, throwing Lark a knowing look.

Lark says, “Wait. Did it happen to you too?”

Jessica nods. “Yup.”

“So how did you shake it off, so quickly?”

“I, er…” She glances at Luke , but he’s staring at his phone, doesn’t seem to be listening. “I’ve had experience before of that kind of thing. My system was kind of ready for it, I guess. Knew what to do.”

Lark nods. “What happened to you? Before?”

Jessica clamps her mouth shut. She doesn’t want to say any more and she’s grateful when her phone starts buzzing alongside Lark’s. They both pull their phones from their pockets and stare at their screens.

Your one-hour countdown has begun…

Get ready to…

Meet Miranda…

Jessica looks at Lark. “So, you scanned the code?”

“Yeah.”

“And? What is it?”

“I don’t know,” says Lark. “I swear, I have no idea. I can’t even remember doing it. Not really.”

“Who made the flyers? Was it Fox?”

“I don’t know. I mean, it might have been. He’s really good at drawing.”

“Can you remember who gave them to you?”

“No. I don’t. It’s just, like, we were getting ready to leave the UK and I was packing my bag and they were in there, and I just kind of accepted that they were in there. And I just sort of knew I was meant to spread them around.”