“He has people in the Cellar?” I ask.

“Yes. But even if we arrest Navin, there’s an entire community of rebels that we have to fight.”

“One at a time seems better than nothing,” I say under my breath.

Every person in the car smiles. “What?” I ask, confused.

Arek shakes his head. “That’s just something Remy said every day.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I have never seen a private jet before. I stare at it for a moment, before Briston leads us up the ramp. Peter comes to my side. “It’s the best. One of the largest private Boeing 747s.” He’s young and impressed.

“So this is just normal in this world?” I ask him.

He smiles, “For some. For the Elite.”

As we walk on the plane, I notice “Landolin Enterprises” inscribed on the tailfin. Our clothes, even though most of us are still wet from snow, aggressively blow to the right from the wind. To keep my dry eyes from tearing, I block them with my shirt.

More moments of déjà vu hit me when we enter the belly and the stewardess is waiting with a smile.

“I’m glad you are all okay, sir,” she says to Briston.

“I wouldn’t say that.” He smiles as he passes her. “Make sure the pilots are ready as soon as possible.”

“Yes, sir,” she says, and hurries to the flight deck to knock.

Briston is intimidating. They have yet to tell me why he is of so much power and importance, but the ability he has to direct a room states clearly that he is used to being treated with reverence. Nothing seems important enough to say, so I find myself quiet around him.

We had driven nearly an hour to reach this airport and now the afternoon sun is falling as fast as my energy. The plane is extraordinary—tan leather seats and deep blue carpet with a large emblem of the letters L and E: Landolin Enterprises.

When I don’t know where to sit, Arek takes my arm. “Are you okay?”

I nod.

“Follow me.” He takes my hand and leads me through a hallway then up a set of stairs. There are no doors, but a wall sections off each room. We pass several, then he and I are standing in front of a large bed in a small room. It is beautifully presented with deep blue—almost black—blankets and large over-stuffed pillows in white cases.

“What is this?”

“This is what they call a bed,” he says sarcastically.

“Yes, I see that. But I didn’t know that they could have these on an airplane.”

“They can and do . . .” He runs his hand down my arm, sending shivers through my body. “We have a long flight.”

“I could sleep anywhere right now.”

“Good, then do.”

Without more prodding I crawl into the bed and sigh when I feel the softness beneath me. The moment my head hits the feather pillow, I find it hard to keep my eyes open. “Would you sit down for a moment?”

He seems hesitant, yet I don’t want him to leave; the longer he stands there, the more chance that he will say good-bye—even if only for a few hours. After a moment, Arek sits down on the bed next to me.

“I want to trust you,” I say.

“Good.” His serious eyes are tired.

“Why didn’t Elizabeth come with us?”

“Briston doesn’t want her involved. Besides, she’s not trained for this.”

“You all seem trained for everything.” When he doesn’t say anything, I continue, “Who is Briston? I can tell he is someone of importance, but you haven’t said what.”

“And I won’t. Not until it’s time.”

“Why is he here?” I ask.

This time Arek hesitates for so long I’m not sure that he is going to answer my question. He runs his hand along his jaw and looks away before turning to me.

“He’s here for the same reason I am . . . to make sure we do this right.”

Arek begins to reach toward my stomach and I feel the pounding of my heart in my throat. His hand touches my shirt gently.

“I think you might need to change.”

Suddenly I am concerned. “The flight attendants saw me looking like this with blood everywhere.”

“They’ve seen worse, believe me.” He stands up. “Just a minute.” He leaves the room only to return a couple of moments later with a white T-shirt in his hand. “It’s mine and clean.”

I climb to my knees. When I reach out and take it, his lingering touch is enough to remind me that Arek is my drug. For a moment his finger curls around mine, and it’s almost as though he might come closer. My heart falls when he seems to remember the rules he has created, and reluctantly withdraws.

Today, I don’t feel like letting him off so easy. An unexplainable confidence moves me just a bit closer, perhaps just to see what he might do, and I am pleasantly surprised when—although he looks elsewhere—he doesn’t retreat. The 747 rolls and climbs, yet he stands as though nothing can move him or his thumbs tucked in his pockets. During the silence, I take note of the small room, the clock ticking even though I have been convinced that time doesn’t exist in this new world. And in a way . . . it doesn’t. Not for them. And I guess not for me.

My skin presses against his arm just at the heartbeat of my chest. Finally, he looks at me and I can feel his breath on my cheek. His searching eyes ignite my heart like nothing ever before. It paralyzes me when he reaches down and kisses just to the left of my lips.

“Sleep,” he lightly commands. It is still several seconds more before he dims the lights and walks away. With sudden silence, it is painful to be awake.

At first my sleep is as deep as hibernation, but then I begin to dream.

I wake up at dawn staring through the glass ceiling above. Just beside me is a radiating warmth. Arek is there and rolls away, so I wrap my arm around his back. The smell of his skin fills my nose as I press my cheek to his bare shoulders.

Arek entwines his fingers through mine as I drift into sleep, but suddenly there is a large crash. The two of us are on our feet in seconds, my reflexes better than I’ve ever known.

Nearly twenty men rush into the room with their guns drawn, followed by Leigh.

“What’s going on?” Arek asks.

“Remy has to come with us,” Leigh answers.