The cave wasn’t as massive as I had thought. Sure, the opening was pretty big, but the farther back we trekked, the smaller it became. Chittering noises echoed off the walls, and a cold chill tickled my spine.
“What was that?” I squeaked.
“Probably bats,” Dom replied, shining my flashlight at the cave’s ceiling. Hundreds of the winged creatures hung upside down. “It’s not time for them to wake up, but I’d say it’s pretty close.”
I cringed, not wanting those airborne, fanged critters anywhere near me in the dark. I didn’t like being unable to see them. At least, not without my flashlight, which Dom firmly held onto.
“Why don’t we sleep in my car instead?” I offered. “It’s cushioned, we won’t be sleeping on dirt and rocks, and we won’t be rolling around in bat turds.”
“Fine, but for the record, I don’t like being out in the open like that.”
“If you want to sleep in the cave, then be my guest. I’m not stopping you.”
I meandered back to my car, which sat across the street from the cave, in front of the park. Dom followed, but he was several feet behind me, his boots incessantly cracking sticks and crunching leaves on the ground. If any Ministry agents were nearby, they’d hear us coming from a mile away.
Night fell all around us. The sky was clear, permitting the moon and stars to shine, and the atmosphere was chilly, the cold permeating my bones. I shivered and hugged myself.
“What’s with all the graffiti on your car?” Dom asked. “I meant to ask you earlier, but I had more important matters on my mind.”
“It was Jessica and her girl squad. They hate me, but the writing appeared after Jessica and I fought in the library.”
“High school,” Dom mumbled.
“Exactly.” I glanced at him, wondering if the Ministry ever tolerated that kind of behavior. Were they stricter than necessary? “Was your schooling like mine?”
He gave me a sidelong look. “We didn’t have what’s considered normal schooling. We learned every subject, but then afterward, like an afterschool program, we were taught how to enter and destroy minds.”
We paused outside of my car—me on the driver’s side and Dom on the passenger side.
“Your whole life?”
“Basically, yeah. We’re trained and prepared since a young age. We’re aware that there are others outside the Ministry, but the way we’re taught, it’s like the only people outside those four walls are the bad guys. It’s ingrained into our heads that if people aren’t with us, they’re against us, and therefore must be destroyed.”
“How young were you when you started learning?”
“Five. Just like most kids who start kindergarten in your world.”
“But you eventually learn we’re not all bad, right? I mean, you seem to know a lot about my world.”
“Kearly,” Dom said, his voice softening, “that’s because I’m a part of the Rebels. We don’t exactly adhere to any rules the Ministry sets. We want to get out and explore. See the world. But we don’t want anyone telling us how; it has to be on our terms. The others aren’t like us. They’re ignorant of what’s happening, not only inside the Ministry but also in the world surrounding them.”
I opened my car door and slid into the driver’s seat. Dom followed my lead on his side. We closed the doors behind us.
“Well, what if they were taught differently?” I asked. “What if the Rebels told them about the outside world, or how we’re not any different from the rest of you?”
“It’s too risky,” Dom responded. “We couldn’t guarantee one of them won’t tell somebody in our chain of command. Right now, we just need to focus on meeting with the Rebels as soon as possible; otherwise, it’s just the two of us.”
Peering through the windshield, I stared at a few acres of flat land where children and animals could play, or joggers could find their Zen.
“You still haven’t told me how that’s going to happen,” I reminded him.
“That’s because I haven’t figured out a plan yet.”
“Well, we need to speed up the process, because we can’t stay on an extended vacation forever. Being a fugitive sucks.”
Dom’s head fell back, and he chuckled. “Are you always so impatient?”
“I’m not usually running from a secret society, so no.”
He rolled his head toward me and said, “Get some sleep. We’ll figure this out later.” Reclining his seat, he turned his body toward the passenger door.
I did the same, double checking that the doors were locked before I dozed off. But it didn’t take long for me to realize I wasn’t as tired as I thought. Or maybe I was too tired, and my body didn’t know how to handle the exhaustion. Tossing and turning, I emitted a frustrated sigh and sat up. The atmosphere outside was deathly still, except for a few crickets chirping. Honestly, I had too many thoughts racing through my mind, and I just wanted to be back home, as crazy as that sounded. I wanted to hang out with Liz and Dee. Ogle Liz’s brother, Jared, like there was no tomorrow. I wanted my old life back. Deep down, though, I knew nothing would be the same from this point forward. I’d either be held captive by the Ministry until they wiped my imagination, or I’d be a spectator when their top-secret company caved in around them. Neither sounded entertaining, in my opinion, especially when I considered all that I’d have to go through to get from Point A to Point B.
Glancing at Dom, whose sides expanded and contracted with each new breath, I asked myself, Is he really with me? Is he really against the Ministry, or does he still work for them? I couldn’t answer any of these truthfully, but, so far, he hadn’t given me reason to believe otherwise.
And the same went for Ryan. He could’ve conveniently forgotten to call me regarding his unexpected trip with Jessica. So, maybe I should cut him some slack. Maybe I should cut both of them some slack.
Dom’s body shifted, and he turned over, face forward. I hated to admit it, but there was something intensely peaceful about watching him sleep. My eyes mentally traced the lines of his features and arms. I noticed the way he exhaled through his mouth rather than his nose, like he did on the car ride to the cabin, his plump lower lip sticking out.
The sudden sensation inside me was like having a thick, gooey liquid poured into my veins while my stomach simultaneously performed about five cartwheels.
Oh, no.
I couldn’t feel this way about him. We were supposed to be a team, not a couple. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself, hoping it’d ring true sooner or later. But the nasty what if continued to pop up in my mind. What if Dom and I were together? What if we were a team and a couple?
“Are you done?”
Dom’s words yanked me out of my trance. At first, I thought he was talking in his sleep again. But no. His eyes pierced mine, and my heart pounded so loudly in the small, quiet space, I wouldn’t be surprised if he heard.
“Done what? Sleeping?”
He closed his eyes, a slow grin spreading across his lips. “You were definitely not sleeping.”
He didn’t see me checking him out, did he? Uh oh. “No, I wasn’t. I was thinking.”
“About me?” he teased, cocking one eyebrow as he gave me a sidelong glance. “You might want to wipe off your chin. I think you missed some drool.”
Not only were my cheeks scorching hot, but my jaw dropped into my lap. “You asshat!” I punched him one good time. “Do you honestly think for a second that I’d be—”
In one swift motion, Dom reached across the short distance and jerked me over the center console, his lips smashing into mine. At first, I didn’t know how to react. Push him away and embarrass him? Totally wing it and make out with a hot guy?
I winged it.
Dom’s mouth opened first, and his soft lips gently moved against mine. Had I wanted this all along? The first time I saw him, I wanted to trace my tongue along his bottom lip. His supple, pouty, bottom lip. And now that I had the opportunity, I did just that, which generated a drawn-out groan from
the back of his throat. I peered up at him through my lashes, tongue flicking back and forth, and his eyes became darker, hungrier. His fingers wrapped around the nape of my neck, drawing me closer. My stomach was aflame, like it contained gasoline and he lit a match.
Bam, bam, bam.
We swiftly broke apart. There was a man standing on Dom’s side of the car, and, as soon as Dom looked at him, he cursed under his breath.
Opening his door, Dom said, “I don’t know whether to be pissed off at you or relieved that you’re here.”
The man cleared his throat. “So sorry to interrupt your breathtaking exhibit of fondness for one another, but we have matters to discuss. Like, say, how it’s been damn near impossible to locate you.”
Dom beamed. “That’s good. That’s what we want to hear.”
The man dipped his head, peeking inside my car. His hair was longer, like Dom’s, but with the moonlight shining onto his locks, they appeared to be chestnut brown. And he had a beard to match. “I’m afraid my friend here has no manners. My name is Rafe. I’ve known Dominic since we were young.”
I tossed a cautious glance at Dom.
He nodded and said, “It’s okay. He’s on the Rebels’ side.”
“I’m Kearly,” I responded. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, my dear,” said Rafe. “Now, Dom, we have urgent matters to discuss. You aren’t safe here.”
“We aren’t safe anywhere at the moment,” Dom argued.
“Right. But if I can find you, so can they. I’m doing my best to block my memories, but that’s never a guarantee.”
I piped up and asked, “Why would you have to block your memories?”
Dom answered before Rafe could. “He’s a mind hopper.”
“But aren’t you all mind hoppers?”
Dom and Rafe shook their heads in unison.
Rafe said, “My ability consists of scanning your deepest, darkest memories—a useful tool when one needs pertinent information that another isn’t willing to give up so easily.”
Dom joked, “We nicknamed him ‘Skipper’.”
“I’m still not amused,” Rafe stated, pokerfaced.
“Okaaay,” I drew out, “but I thought there were only two sides—people like Dom, or people like me.”
“He’s still considered a Realist,” Dom said. “He was trained just like me, except he and a few others gained unique abilities over time. His mental awareness is higher than normal, which allows him to inspect a person’s thoughts. He could speak to you mentally, if he wanted.”
Like this, Rafe said.
I flinched. “I’m not gonna lie—this makes me extremely uncomfortable. I don’t want someone lurking around in my thoughts. It’s bad enough that you guys strip people of their imaginations.”
“He also has the ability to erase memories, not just those associated with a person’s imagination,” said Dom.
I meditated on that for a second before answering, “So, erasing memories and erasing memories associated with traveling via your imagination are two totally different things?”
Dom shook his head. “Right. Only he, and a few others, can mind hop, speak telepathically, and erase memories outside of those associated with using one’s imagination.”
“You need to teach her to block memories,” Rafe told Dom. “When you two continue on this fugitive road trip—and you will—make certain to avoid as much human contact as possible. It wasn’t nearly as impossible finding you as I had hoped, but it was certainly tedious.”
“How did you find us? I thought I covered most of our tracks.”
“You did, for the most part. But the gas station clerk and an elderly woman glimpsing out her living room window as you two crept down the street were easy to read. After that, it wasn’t tough to decipher the general area. I bet you two didn’t notice the joggers on the opposite side of the park earlier, did you?” He gestured toward the expansive green area in front of my car. “I’m worried that if I can find you, so can Julian.”
“Julian,” Dom spat.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
Dom forced out a sigh. “Let me put it this way: Julian is the equivalent of Rafe, only he’s on the Ministry’s side.” Dom peered up at Rafe. “I’m assuming they’ve dispatched all of you?”
“But of course,” Rafe declared with a shrug. “They’re burning through all of their options just to find the two of you. Keep this up, and I’ll be asking for your autographs shortly.” He smirked.
Dom didn’t find it funny. “You remember before and what happened.”
Rafe squeezed Dom’s shoulder. “And I promise I will do everything in my power to make certain it never happens again.”
“This happened before?” I asked.
Dom opened his mouth, then quickly closed it, shaking his head. “Nope. I need a minute.” He practically shoved Rafe out of the way, marching into the deserted park. Rafe replaced Dom in the passenger seat.
“What’s wrong with him?” The words were hardly a breath leaving my lips.
“It’s…complicated,” Rafe answered. “But the gist is that Dom’s previous girlfriend defied the Ministry, and once they got a hold of her, she was never seen again.”
“Oh, my God,” I choked out. “They murdered her?”
Rafe’s head rocked back and forth. “Something like that. We believe they sent her to the celestial world, where a person—including their soul—is stuck for eternity. Dom almost lost his sanity after he found out where she was, and he was this close”—a thin amount of space separated his index finger and thumb—“to jumping in after her, just so they could be together.”
Everything inside me ached. An intense, shrill noise pierced my eardrums, while my heartbeat kept a rapid tempo. The pounding didn’t cease, even after I closed my eyes. Even after I counted to ten in slow, ragged breaths. Dom had mentioned the celestial world before, and the way he said it made me believe he had lost someone important. Family members, or a friend, were the first people who came to mind.
But after we had that discussion in the dark, damp hallway, what did he do? He took me to his office, forced me to watch a man lose his imagination, and then he let me go. He released me back into the real world, like nothing had transpired. Dom had never given me a reason for his decision, only that I’d be great in the resistance. The Rebels needed all the fighters they could recruit, and I was one. But that still didn’t explain why he saved me, why he started this mess in the first place. Why he couldn’t just erase my mind and forget we ever met.
Unless, of course, I was her replacement.
“Kearly!” Rafe shouted. His fingers were tightly wrapped around my arm, but I barely felt them. “Are you okay?”
“What was her name?” I hoarsely murmured.
Rafe froze, and then, one by one, his fingers lifted. Seconds ticked by, until his shoulders eventually sagged. “Cassandra,” he said, halfheartedly. Was that a hint of oops-I-fucked-up in his voice? “It probably wasn’t the best time to tell you that story.”
“No, it’s okay,” I said, even though that was a lie. “I’m glad you did. Better to find out now rather than later.”
Dom returned from his walk, seemingly in better spirits, judging by the barely-there smirk on his face. “I don’t know about you two,” he said, “but I’m ready for this to be over. I think we need to put our heads together and figure out a plan, even if it’s temporary.”
Rafe nodded. “I agree, but the Rebels need to be informed, as well.”
“We need to obtain a secure location before convening. And it might be too obvious if most of the resistance suddenly disappears from the Ministry. Maybe we should only ask a few to join us, and they can go back and inform the rest.”
“Agreed,” said Rafe. “Now, let’s determine where this meeting will take place.”
“Kearly and I will explore the area tomorrow and see if there are any empty buildings or houses we can utilize,” Dom said.
Rafe looked at me, but I a
verted my eyes. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Kearly. We’ll see each other again soon.”
“Sure,” I replied with a smile.
Dom switched places with Rafe, who bent over and spoke. “We’ll meet here again. Tomorrow night.”
“We’ll be here, hopefully.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” said a third male voice.
I twisted around in my seat, searching for the source. The man stood near the trunk of my car, and he glared at Rafe like he wanted to kill him. Dom’s cheek and jaw twitched, and his eyes darted back and forth at nothing in particular.
“Julian,” he hissed.
17