TRINITY SAT UP. IT WAS NO USE. She was not getting any sleep tonight. If only she could find a softer place; there always seemed to be a rock under her back. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t sleep because she wasn’t safe on the ground. Not alone. Not at night. Gaar would be back tomorrow, hopefully, before Jackson returned. A soft breeze blew across the water. If it kept up, the Guard would have no trouble finding her.

A sound traveled across the lake. Something was moving in the forest. She scurried back into the bushes. The noise came steady and slow. Whatever it was, it wasn’t trying to be quiet. A large shadow emerged from the woods. It was a Grunt. She relaxed. Grunts were big, bigger than Producers but they harmed no one.

The Grunt carried something on its back and another being walked alongside, commanding it. She moved the leaves a bit for a better view. The other creature was short but that was all that she could make out because it was covered from head to toe in a cloak. It unhooked the object from the Grunt’s back and spoke quietly. She tilted her ears forward but she was upwind and caught only the whisper of sound.

The Grunt walked to the water’s edge, pulled the item off its back and dropped it into the lake. It was a canoe. The Grunt held a rope which was attached to the craft. The cloaked figure climbed aboard. Another whisper and the Grunt handed over the rope. The figure began to row toward the island.

Her heart raced. Who was this creature? Was it dangerous? Did it come here every night? She should have watched the island last night. She took a deep breath. Panicking wouldn’t help. She would either have to swim or hide. There was a loud splash and it wasn’t from the boat. That settled it; she’d hide. The creature coming to the island was small. She touched the knife at her side. She might be able to overpower it or at least put up enough of a fight to get away and to the boat. She smiled. When it wandered away from the canoe, she would hop in and take off.

The cloaked figure seemed unfamiliar with the task of rowing, repositioning several times to keep on course. The craft moved slower and slower. The creature was tiring which would give her an advantage if the encounter turned physical.

There was another splash. It was closer to the boat than the island this time. The creature stopped, looking toward the sound. It began rowing again with a little more vigor. She empathized. It was scary on the lake, especially with something large splashing nearby. If Christian was out there, hopefully, he wouldn’t attack. She needed that canoe.

The craft arrived at the shore. The figure stepped out of the boat, its cloak drifting in the water. “Crap,” it said in a feminine voice, pulling up the cloth to keep it out of the lake. She struggled with holding the cloak, clutching the rope attached to the boat and trudging through the thigh deep water. “Forget it.” She dropped the rope in the boat and pulled the cloak over her head, tossing the garment into the vessel. She grabbed the rope and trudged to land. She stopped, panting on the shore, her hair hanging in glossy curls.

It was Jethro’s sister. What was she doing here? Trinity backed farther into the bushes.

“Hello.” Kim called out in a hushed tone. “I know you’re here. Jethro said you were afraid of the water.” She looked back at the lake. “After hearing that splash, I can’t say that I blame you.” She walked farther onto the island. “Jethro begged me to come here. He’s worried sick about you. I’m his sister, Kim.” She stopped by the statue.

The Almighty was still a little out of breath. Trinity’s muscles tensed. She could outrun Kim to the boat, but she wasn’t sure that she would be able to push it into the water without getting caught.

Kim pulled out a flashlight from her back pocket. She turned it on, slowly scanning the area.

Trinity stilled as the beam approached the bushes. The light passed over her, then back and stopped.

“There you are,” whispered Kim, holding the flashlight steady.

She was like a rabbit, frozen in fear. Her heart pounded and her breath came in raspy pants.

“I won’t hurt you,” said Kim. “I promised Jethro to help you get off the island. Let’s get in the boat.” She waved the light toward the canoe and then back.

Did Kim really come to help? She was Jethro’s sister, but she was also an Almighty, one whose life she hadn’t saved.

Kim shivered. “It’s cold out here. Aren’t you freezing? Well, you’re probably hungry. Jethro said that you would be.” She stepped closer to the boat. “I have food. You can eat while I row us back to shore.”

The Almighty was now standing between her and the canoe. There was no way that she could get the boat back into the water without Kim catching her. She didn’t want to hurt the Almighty. In the long run that would not end well for her. No one was allowed to injure an Almighty without retribution, plus Kim was Jethro’s sister.

Kim sighed and sat down. “I guess it’s going to be a long night. I hope you don’t mind my chatter.”

This was her chance. The Almighty was sitting.

“When I get nervous, I talk. I’m kind of nervous now. I’m not used to being in the woods at night without a Guard.”

She tensed. Was there a Guard lurking on shore?

“Don’t worry. I didn’t bring anyone with me tonight. Well, besides for Cack, but Grunts don’t talk so you don’t have to worry about him. We should go before dawn though. Jackson will come looking for me if I’m not back by breakfast. He still thinks he has to protect me.” She smiled shyly.

That was just perfect. She couldn’t leave Kim stranded on the island unless she wanted the Guard to come back first thing in the morning.

“Jethro really likes you.”

“He likes me. Really?” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Kim nodded. “He would have snuck out himself but…well, my parents were really angry at him.”

“Is he okay?” Almightys could be cruel but would they harm their own offspring?

“Yeah. Of course. Dad would never hurt him…not physically, but…” Kim shrugged. “Family. We all have our issues.”

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“What did your father do to him?”

“My parents took his chair away.”

“He can’t move then.” That was horrible.

“I know. I’ve told Dad for years that he shouldn’t punish Jethro that way, and he usually doesn’t but this time….well, Dad was sick with worry and he was furious when he found out that Jethro was down here by himself.” She raised a brow. “Jethro refused to say anything about you. He thinks you ran away from home. Is he right?”

She remained silent for a long moment. Whatever she told Kim would be relayed to Jethro. She didn’t want him to worry that she was homeless. “I didn’t run away exactly. I left to find something. I’m going back as soon as I can.”

“Are you lost? I can get Jackson to escort you…”

“No.” It came out sharper than she wanted.

“Jackson may look dangerous, but he isn’t. You can trust him.”

She snorted. That was rich. She could trust the Guard hunting her.

Kim touched her necklace. “He used to be my Guard. My dad bought him to protect me when I was five. Jackson was only ten. We were inseparable. He was my best friend.”

The longing in Kim’s voice struck a note with her. She understood what it meant to lose a friend.

“When I turned fifteen my mom thought that I shouldn’t have a male Guard.” Kim leaned forward a little. “Between you and me, she was right. I’d had a crush on Jackson for years. Anyway, he was reassigned but we’ll always be friends.”

From what she saw they were more than friends, or at least they wanted to be.

“So, you can believe me when I tell you that he’ll help you if I ask him.” Kim glanced at the forest. “The woods are scary at night.”

They could be scary during the day too, but right now Jackson was scarier.

“He said that there is a pack of Guards roaming the forest,” said Kim.

Great. She’d forgotten that he’d mentioned that when he was arguing with Kim. Now, she had to avoid two groups of Guards.

“It isn’t safe for you to be alone out here. Most Guards are okay but when they start running in packs…well, it can be dangerous.”

“Jackson was in a pack.” She bit her lip. Why did she keep speaking?’

“That was different. Jackson doesn’t always travel like that. He was hunting a…” Kim shone the flashlight slowly over Trinity’s body and then scrambled to her feet. “Holy Araldo, you’re the Producer. I have to tell Jethro to keep his mouth shut. He hasn’t said anything to Dad about you yet, but he will, if I don’t warn him. He thinks you’re a stray House Servant.” She started to laugh a little hysterically.

Her stomach coiled in knots. How did Kim know what she was? “Why didn’t Jethro recognize that I’m a Producer?”

Kim glanced at her. “He hasn’t taken the tour yet. He will this year, after he graduates high school. It’s going to be hard on him, harder now that he met you.”

Every year in the spring a group of young Almightys were brought to the camp. Her mom didn’t allow her out of the cabin that day for fear someone would identify the House Servant in her. She’d always thought they were paranoid. Obviously, she’d been wrong.

“I can keep Jackson busy for another day or so but eventually he will come after you.” She started to pace. “Please. We have got to go. You need to get as far away from here as possible.” She took a step toward the boat.

She still wasn’t positive that she could trust Kim, but she really didn’t have much choice. With the wind blowing, she had a better chance avoiding the Guards in the forest than stranded on the island. She stepped out of the bushes and they headed toward the boat.

“I’ve seen Producers before but never actually met one. What’s your life like?”

No one had ever asked her something like that. “What do you mean?”

“Uhm, do you go to school? Have friends? Are you and your kind okay with the way things are? Do you have a boyfriend?”

Kim was obviously still nervous because she was still chatty. If she were honest, talking helped calm her a little too. “I don’t know what school is, so I guess I’ve never gone. I don’t have any friends but not because I’m a Producer. Other Producers have friends.” She paused. “I don’t know what you mean about being okay with how things are. Things are how they have always been.” She wasn’t going to answer the boyfriend question.

“Why don’t you have any friends?”

“I had a friend. He was taken away by your kind.”

Kim stopped, her eyes widening. “I’m sorry.”

She frowned and continued toward the lake. What good was an apology? It didn’t change anything. At the shoreline, Kim held the rope as they pushed the boat into the water. They got in and Kim began to row. She took one of the two paddles from the Almighty.

“Thanks,” said Kim. “It’s harder than it looks.”

She grunted as she shoved the water back with the oar. They slowly moved away from the island.

Kim picked up a bag from the floor and turned, handing it to her. “Food. Jethro had me pack some cookies. He said you really liked them.”

That made her smile. Jethro was sweet. “Thanks.” She placed the bag on her lap. “I’ll eat later, after we get to shore.”

Kim stopped rowing and touched the chain around her neck, her fingers drifting to the small blue heart hanging from it. “Jackson gave this to me when I turned sixteen.”

Was Kim just talking, or did she have a point? “It’s pretty.” No reason not to be polite.

“If anyone, especially, my father, found out that Jackson gave it to me, we’d both be in trouble.” She started rowing again. “Jackson told me that someone knows about his gift and is threatening to tell my dad if he doesn’t find you.”

That was impossible. No one was supposed to know that she’d escaped. “Who?”

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t say. I tried to convince him that he doesn’t have to worry about the necklace. My friend, Viola, knows about the gift and has pretended that she gave it to me for years, but he won’t listen to me.”

Great, so the Guard was in love with the Almighty and she was being hunted because of it. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I don’t know. I guess I want you to understand why Jackson is doing this to you.”

She snorted. Like that made it any better. She was still being pursued and someone in camp had discovered her escape. Were her mom and Remy okay? She had to go home.

They rowed the rest of the way in silence. When the boat approached the land, they hopped into the water and trudged the remaining few feet to shore, towing the boat behind them. Kim handed her the rope and walked over to Cack, who was hiding in the trees.

She glanced around. She could take off now and there was nothing that Kim could do. Of course, she’d have to drop the rope and the canoe would probably float away. She glanced at the Almighty. Would Kim get in trouble for losing the boat? She sighed. She’d wait. Unless this was a trap, she could outrun Kim.

“Come.” Kim tried to pull the Grunt to the lake but he refused to budge. After several moments, she gave up, walking back to the water. “Cack is spooked. I can’t get him to mind. We’ll have to pull the boat ashore ourselves. If you’ll help, that is?”

She nodded and they bent and pulled the canoe onto the shore. It was heavier than it looked and hard to pull up and out of the water, but once it was on land it was easy to drag into the forest. They covered it with vegetation.

“I’ll come back for it in a few days,” said Kim. “Don’t stay too long. I won’t tell Jackson that I saw you, but remember, I can only keep him busy a day, two at the most.”

“Why aren’t you going to tell Jackson about me?” It didn’t make sense, considering Kim’s fondness for the Guard.

Kim paled. “I shouldn’t say anything, but…I don’t think it’s right what we do to your kind. Don’t go home. It isn’t safe.”

“Why?” She held her breath, waiting for the answer.

Kim wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I can’t say any more. I’m not allowed, but don’t go back. No matter what.” She turned and started to walk away.

She grabbed Kim’s arm. “Wait. Please, tell me.”

Kim shook her head, tears in her eyes. “I can’t. I’m sorry.” She pulled free and headed for the path to her home.

She stood alone in the dark. What did the Almightys do to them? Gaar had said that he wouldn’t take her to the Producer’s final destination, but maybe, she could persuade him to tell her what happened to them. She darted into the woods in the opposite direction from where she normally stayed. She’d eat and then when she was sure that Kim was really gone, she’d go back to where Gaar had told her to stay and wait. Once out of sight she scurried up a tree and dug into the bag from Jethro. Besides for the food, there was a pencil and a pad of paper. Inside the notebook was one picture.

She ran her finger along the image. The young girl had large eyes that tipped upward at the corner. Her hair hung loose, blowing in the wind and she was smiling, not afraid to show her teeth. This girl was lovely and wild. This was how Jethro saw her.