The Deathless Trilogy

2.7. Powerless

I race to the foyer, toward a pair of wooden doors to the outside, and burst through. This place isn't a fortress, it's a mansion, and they can't keep me in. Correction: They can't keep us in.

Daniel and I can escape and get the rest of the Deathless, and then come back for Jane and the other girls. We can do that. What are they going to do with Daniel's contract if we're gone? No Isla to kill then. They have no power without me.

The yard is dark. I can barely see a thing. Daniel's yelling after me, but I don't turn back. I don't want him to see me cry. The tears cloud my vision, but I start to make out a barrier ahead of me—a wall—and I think I see a door.

In my excitement, I lose track of my steps, and trip over the fabric of my stupid dress, sending myself into the mud. That's when I hear them, and I'm brought back to when they were chasing me away from my home: the Prowlers. Real Prowlers.

Their lasers light up the yard in red and focus directly on me. As they circle me, all sounds stop but a familiar mechanical hum. A drone hovers into the center of the circle of Prowlers, and waits suspended for a few moments in front of my face. Then a claw from beneath the drone's body springs out and grabs my wrist.

It starts, "Comforter 1-0-3, Isla Blume, reassignment—"

"—What?—"

"—to Carrier ranks. You will be escorted there now."

"No, Stop!" Daniel yells, breaking into the circle. He pulls me up by my waist to stand, while the drone still grips my wrist.

"Override reassignment," Daniel pants.

"Enter passcode."

"0-7-1-4," he says. That's my birthday. July 14th.

"Override accepted."

The drone releases my hand and hovers away. Soon after, the Prowlers' red lights turn off and the machines disperse to resume their dark patrol.

Daniel turns to me, still panting. "Isla, you can't do that again. What if I hadn't been here?"

It reminds me of being underestimated back home, and of people promising to protect me on the Immortal, and I can't take it anymore. I let myself cry. "I can't...," I stutter. "I can't help anyone. I'm not a hero." Daniel takes my hand and guides me back inside. Everything inside me screams for us not to come back in the estate with all of its disgusting opulence blurring around me as I walk mindlessly through the foyer and up the staircase toward Daniel's room, but the Prowlers melted my confidence. I grip my wrist where the cold, metal claw of the drone grabbed me. I am still no match for machines, I think.

When we get to Daniel's room, I collapse on the floor in a mess of muddy tulle and tears. Jane, who had been munching on candies in bed, hurries to my side.

"What happened?" she asks. Daniel closes the door, and joins us on the floor. "Would you like me to leave?"

"No," I say, lifting my head from my hands. "Stay. You're safer here. Jane, listen..." I start, about to tell her I can't help her, that I'm not the girl she thought I was. Here, I'm powerless.

"We're going to make a plan," Daniel interrupts. "Don't worry."

Jane looks between us in confusion before asking, "Would your necklace help? The one with the green stone?"

"Yes," I say, wiping the tears from my face. "Jane, where is it? I need it."

"The soldiers took it. They probably gave it to one of the leaders, but I clean their rooms. I can check for it. I want to help."