"He's your son?" Jake asked, looking shocked.

"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you didn't say skinless. We don't use that word here," Jeremiah replied.

"What do we call him?"

"His name is Isaac."

"It's nice to meet you, Isaac," Jake said. He extended his hand briefly, but Jake pulled it back when he noticed Isaac didn't move.

Isaac stood at the end of the hallway, his hands in the pockets of his hooded jacket. The hood obscured most of his face, but what showed left everybody unnerved. They could see the muscles underneath his skin. Isaac was the first one of the infected any of them had met. Jeremiah noticed the tension in the room and tried to ease their fears.

"Don't be afraid of him. He is in full control," Jeremiah said.

"Really?" Shaylie asked.

"Isaac comes from the outer rim of the zone. They were the farthest from the blast and were the least affected. Everyone there is stable."

"How have we never heard about this before?" Van asked.

"I don't think the crown has discovered this yet, and it has to stay that way. If they knew, they would probably experiment on them," Jeremiah said, looking worried at Isaac. "There are rumors among people in the zone about the crown taking infected people away. That's why those on the outskirts don't want anyone knowing they're different."

"You think they're already experimenting on the ones they took?" Van asked.

"It's safe to assume. Why else would they do it? I bribed a guard to help me get Isaac out so they wouldn't take him to the tower."

"You would think the crown would want the least infected for their experiments. Wouldn't it be less dangerous?"

"They probably don't think they're powerful enough. The crown most likely wants to understand why they can do the things they do."

"What can they do?" Shaylie asked.

"They can use all three types of magic, and they can heal rapidly," Jeremiah said. This revelation sent another wave of uneasiness around the room. Given recent events, unlocking that power was the last thing anyone wanted the crown to discover. Unfortunately, Jeremiah had more. "These abilities mean they are practically immortal. Their bodies adapted to the infection in ways no one expected. Magical radiation does strange things to you."

Everybody sat in stunned silence. Jake squeezed Shaylie's hand because she looked pale. She didn't even react. He knew she was deep in thought. Isaac took the opportunity to sit while they were too distracted to react to his presence. He sat down quietly but didn't make eye contact with them.

"Isaac, you should show them your artwork," Jeremiah said, looking for a subject change. This broke the tension, and Shaylie seemed surprised to see Isaac sitting among them. She hadn't noticed him sit down. "He loves to paint, and he's quite good at it," Jeremiah added.

"I'm not that great," Isaac mumbled.

"Nonsense! Don't be so humble, or shy, for that matter. He usually talks more than this, but he's nervous," Jeremiah said, waving his hand.

Isaac appeared to take this as a challenge. He sat up straighter and looked around the room. As he did this, his expression changed to confusion. At least, Jake thought it was confusion. The translucent skin made it hard to tell. He didn't want to stare at it long enough to discern the truth.

"Why are you all disguised?" Isaac asked.

"What?" Jake asked. He sat up so quickly that he almost knocked Shaylie over. She had still been holding his hand.

"He can tell?" Shaylie asked under her breath.

"It's okay!" Jeremiah said before everyone panicked. "We understand the need to hide. Keep your disguises."

"Sorry," Isaac muttered, but he continued looking around the room. His eyes fell on Maya, and he focused on her long enough to make her squirm in her seat. "Poor girl. You've seen it, haven't you?" Isaac asked.

"What!?" Maya replied. Bret saw her tense up like she was preparing for a blow.

"You've seen how you're going to..."

"Enough! It's not nice to read someone's mind without asking!" Maya yelled, making Isaac jump.

"Wait, his eyes aren't glowing. Is he channeling magic?" Shaylie asked. Jake felt she was trying to deflect the conversation before anyone asked what Maya saw. The question was in his mind, but he didn't dare ask it.

"Their eyes don't glow when they use magic. I don't know why," Jeremiah said.

"I'm sorry—again," Isaac said. He slumped in his seat and pulled his hood farther over his head.

"He's not used to guests," Jeremiah explained.

Bret looked at Maya. She was having an internal struggle while everyone else spoke. Maya looked at Bret and the door. She twitched like she was trying to will herself to move but couldn't quite do it. Finally, she grabbed Bret's hand and stood. "Come with me," she said, leading him to the front door. They went outside and walked halfway down the path before Maya stopped and turned to him. "Look, here's the deal. I like you—more than you realize. But I can't give you what you want. It wouldn't be fair."

"Why not?" Bret asked.

Maya closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "There's a way a yellow mage discovers if they are a true oracle. We see a very specific vision."

"What is it?" Bret asked when Maya went silent for a moment.

"We see our death. Being able to view the future can go to a person's head. They think the death vision is a way to keep us grounded and humble."

"You know how you're going to die?" he asked. She nodded while Bret asked what was next on his mind. "But it's a long time from now, right?"

"No, it's not. I don't know the exact date, but I know it's soon."

"There has to be a way to stop it," Bret whispered. He was trying to keep from stumbling over his words because his lip trembled.

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"There isn't. Many mages have tried, but none have succeeded."

Bret became desperate. He looked around as if searching for answers. His eyes glanced toward the house. Maya thought she knew what he was thinking, but it wouldn't work. She reached out and took his hand. "I appreciate you want to help, but you can't do anything. Please understand."

Her touch calmed him a little. Bret nodded and said, "So, this is why you hate visions. I get it now. I would, too." He took a deep breath and voiced the other question Maya dreaded. "How does it happen?"

"No, I'm keeping that much to myself. If I told you, you would try to do something foolish to stop it," Maya replied.

Bret opened his mouth to protest, but he closed it again. He realized any form of denial would be an obvious lie. She watched his mouth twist as if trying to keep the words inside. Bret nodded instead, but it pained him.

"Come on. Let's go back inside. Dinner should almost be ready," Maya said.

***

Victor Snyder stood and watched the aftermath of another failed experiment with a disgusted look. It wasn't because of the gore. He had already become desensitized to that. Darian's potential reaction was what bothered him more. When Victor heard the doors open, he tensed and readied himself for the onslaught.

"Relax, it's only me," Renault said.

Victor released a long and loud sigh before answering. "Is the king coming?"

"He's in his lounge. I doubt it."

"Let's not tell him about this one," Victor said, pointing into the room.

"I agree. He has enough to worry about."

"We will never succeed with these specimens," Victor continued, nodding toward the room with the skinless man inside. "But I have an idea. Jayson was probing the latest specimen's mind and caught a glimmer of hope. A rumor has spread throughout the zone. They think the skinless on the outskirts are less volatile."

"Do you think it's true?" Renault asked, raising an eyebrow. "They won't be as powerful. Those skinless might not even be immortal."

"It's still worth a try."

"Yes, but that means collecting more. We had a hard enough time finding people who wanted to do that task when we had a full mage society. No soldier is going to want to do it."

"At least run the idea by Darian," Victor said, giving Renault a tired expression.

"I will see what I can do," Renault replied. He patted Victor on the back and turned to leave. Renault took the elevators to Darian's lounge and found him still standing at the window.

"Has anything changed?" Darian asked without turning.

"Victor has an idea. He discovered a rumor. Some of the skinless think their brethren on the outskirts are less volatile. Victor thinks we should experiment on them instead."

"Do you think it's true?" Darian asked, looking at Renault hopefully.

"It's worth a look if we can find anyone to collect more specimens. Do we have someone willing anymore?"

"Send O'Connor and his men."

"O'Connor? I doubt he would want..."

"If you pay him enough, he will do it," Darian said, interrupting Renault before he could finish. "Offer him double the reward for the Red Sparrow if he finds her along the way. That should give him more incentive to get out there again."

"Do you think he will?"

Darian shrugged and said, "Who knows? As long as he gets off his butt and does what we ask, it's worth it. I kept him around for this kind of dirty work. It's time to use him. Send him to the northeast portion of the wall. They've had the least number of incidents lately."

"Very well," Renault said. "In the meantime, get some rest. There are sleeping pills in the cabinet."

"I'll rest when the Sparrow is dead," Darian grumbled.

***

Over the next few days, more people joined the training sessions outside town. Some came to see if it lived up to the hype, while others simply wanted something to do because they were bored. For what felt like the hundredth time, Jake and Marcus explained they weren't preparing for a revolution, which turned away a few of the newcomers.

"We're not storming the tower?" one man asked.

"No, I'm sorry," Marcus replied and watched him slink away.

Meanwhile, Bret and Maya improved as a team. Bret hadn't told anyone else what Maya had revealed to him at Maya's request. He knew Shaylie was aware, but Bret didn't share it with Jake. Nevertheless, Jake could tell something was different. He sensed an increased determination in Bret. Van continued teaching him techniques, and Bret kept meticulous notes. Jake laughed as he watched Bret scribble on a notepad while Van talked.

"Sometimes you have to improvise in tight situations. Draw from the elements around you to make quick weapons. Watch," Van said. He lifted a hand and pulled bits of dirt and rock toward him. Van pressed them together and threw a glowing rock into a clearing. It exploded upon impact like a grenade. Bret hastily jotted down the information as he explained which elements he used. Nearby, some of the townspeople had jumped in fright at the explosion. They picked themselves up off the ground and muttered curses.

Jake laughed at this, but then he noticed Lana approaching the group. Shaylie crossed her arms and stared at Jake as he ceased his laughter. Jake cleared his throat and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't make eye contact. He let Marcus take the lead when Lana arrived.

"Hello," Marcus said. "Any word from your boss?"

"Yes, that's why I'm here. He has agreed to a meeting," Lana said.

"So, when will we meet?" Jake asked.

"He changed his mind. The Shark wants to meet with him now," Lana replied, pointing at Marcus. "He seems to be in charge around here."

"Fair enough," Jake said, trying to hide his disappointment. Jake turned to his side and found Shaylie looking too satisfied for his taste. She smirked at him as he shook his head.

"Also, I would wrap up this training session and put this on hold for a while. We have visitors in town. They're the kind you wouldn't want seeing all this. Don't worry. We directed them away from this area when they arrived, but we got lucky," Lana said.

"Who is it?" Marcus asked.

"Do you know who Darren O'Connor is?" Lana asked. When she saw Marcus' reaction, she said, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Why is he here?"

"He just says he's here on crown business but won't say what it is."

Jake saw Shaylie shiver. He started to put an arm around her, but she whispered, "Don't draw attention." Jake stopped short and pretended he was stretching instead. Thankfully, Marcus knew better than to look in her direction.

"When is the meeting?" Marcus asked.

"Right now, if you're ready."

"Jake, end the training and tell everyone to go home," Marcus said, and Jake nodded. Then, Marcus turned to Lana and said, "Lead the way." He followed Lana as they walked toward the mansion. They walked silently for a few minutes, which increased Marcus' nerves. "Where are O'Connor and his men staying?" Marcus asked.

"We told them to go to the Parkside Inn. It's on the other side of Ash from where you are."

"Thank you," Marcus said. "I'm surprised you have two inns."

"Rick and Lenny, the owners of the inns, had a dispute and split. Lenny started Parkside to spite Rick."

"Ah, I see," Marcus laughed. It was empty. He did it to calm himself, but it didn't work. Marcus felt thankful when they reached the mansion. Lana led him inside and told him to wait in the den. Marcus found the place surprisingly bare. He could see where furniture used to sit because of the spots worn on the floor. On the wall, he spotted sections where the paint was less faded. They were in the shape of paintings that once hung there. Marcus examined one of these until someone spoke from the doorway.

"People looted this place years ago before I arrived," a young man said.

Marcus turned to find a blonde man who seemed to be in his early thirties. The hair was an obvious dye job because Marcus could see his roots showing. His young age surprised Marcus, who expected someone older. "You must be the Shark," Marcus said.

"I am," he said, shaking Marcus' hand. "Have a seat."

Marcus sat in one of the few chairs in the room. It was comfortable, but it still didn't ease his tension. The Shark chose a nearby couch. He looked as unnerved as Marcus. "I'm sure Lana told you about O'Connor. I need you to be upfront with me. Is he here for the blonde girl in your group?"

"I hope not," Marcus said.

"He asked Lana about someone called the Red Sparrow. O'Connor said her name was Shaylie Lucas," the Shark said. Marcus couldn't stop his reaction, no matter how hard he tried. The twitch was brief, but the Shark noticed. "Darren says there's a reward for her. Based on that flinch, I'm guessing she is your friend."

"What did Lana tell him?"

"She didn't tell him anything because she doesn't know about your friend."

"No, but you do. I know you read her mind."

"Only briefly, and I apologize for that. My curiosity got the better of me."

"So why should I trust you?"

The Shark rolled up his left sleeve and showed Marcus what was underneath. He had a red shark tattooed on his upper arm.

"Now the nickname makes more sense, but why would this change anything?"

"Do you know what this tattoo means?"

"I'm aware."

"So, you know I'm no friend of the crown."

"As far as I know, they don't exist anymore," Marcus said, pointing at the tattoo.

"Oh, they do. Trust me," the Shark said, but he could tell Marcus still had his doubts. "Fine, I was hoping I could hold onto this secret, but you're still on the fence. Maybe this will convince you," the Shark said. He leaned forward and quietly told Marcus his real name. When Marcus heard it, he understood completely.

"Okay, I trust you."