ad expression on their stone-straight-faces. But Starlight City Central isn"t anything like that. The people smile, the air smells of Lav

here"s the

ds and said, "You know what? Let"s make this place look like a pit of agony and des

f the halls for a fluff of dirt. Spic" and spam. I should feel at ease with all the cleanliness, but I want to run away. Gats seems equally nervous, twisting

y heart quickens with each step. It"s like we"re going into a tunnel. At last, we st

once part of an experiment like Gats and I or if doctors are actively using her to test stuff on. Either way, ju

oors. A whirlwind of emotions swirl in my chest, first with Hev

ng color. Curtains separate each little room and doctors pace like rats in a cage. Experimental. The word punctuates each little thought.

k I"ll

at the door and catches me by th

n"t k

ab my hip for a sword before I even realize what I"m

lost?"

curity clearanc

. "Juniper Fibbs, husband

ous eyebrow. "May I see so

and the nurse steps aside at the sigh

niper has security clearance

ient. Would you happen to

recognize Toby almost immediately. He isn"t hard to miss, even when he looks less

er. Even though he"s legally old enough to be Heaven"s father, that

be, and oozing the same authority Hev shows in Galaxy form. As much as he breaks into our conversati

" Jun

he "please" said so meekly, I feel a little sick. My mind"s whirling anyway, with the June having security clearance thing. What

I hang back. He fixes his clothes for the umpteenth thousand time, and I try to put myself in his shoes. What is he thinking? There"

" he

I sa

d at me for s

the nervous twitch of his fingers, the soft flick of his ears beneath his beanie. Whatever. He"s a cat. Cats are scared

rry," h

ts me a grateful smile and we weave into Heaven"s room. Jay stands at the door like a guard, her

. Hev lies in a bed, sheets rolled over her chest and tubes running up and down her arms. A sick feeling claws at my stomach. I d

n asks, pointing to a boxy

le, keeping her vitals working," Toby says, his voice so soft he"s a

lightsaber battles and the times we spent sitting in the low branches of park trees, legs swinging and vanilla cones in hand. What do I say now? That I don"t want to lose her? That I"d do anyth

hand on her cheek so gently she must not feel it at all. "Hello, Hev. You are

ks with a pained smile.

least, I th

t of me. "Why is H

miling. "I m

ha

ng to die. Doctors don"t want a healer looking at her, a

unpredictable. They could just as easily rewire

d very taboo. Their drained powers can be used to strengthen others, enhance weapons, or even be put in drugs, SEs. Pretty dangerous stuff, but the

e when one of your boys goes into cardiac arrest

lin

his deal?"

y, very bad mistake. For the drug tha

ans over him and touches one of the machines. Her eyes are shut.

Dials and lights on other pieces of tech go ballistic, breaking and crashing all over th

don"t follow. I just stand there, watching the doctors maneuver, shocking Hev with

I hear, and "...m

ven doesn"t die. She ju

heels in

ere! Get these pe

t Gats catapults over him. Anothe

? Where am

almost do the same. Another nurse squad barrels in,

s equipment?" asks a doct

whispers of "impossible," and

elicate, you know." I see Hev sit up, her curls tumbling out over the back of her shoul

holds him back with an arm across his c

ce in a group k