Page 42 of The Infinite Glade
“But if she doesn’tknow—” Jackie began but Frypan cut her off.
“She knows a hell of a lot, this young one. She’s just simmering is all.”
Ximena looked up at Frypan with sad eyes. “Gracias. I’ll get them to take me to the Master Villa once we drop you off. There’ll be something there I can use in my favor—I know it.”
“That’s your grand plan?” Isaac’s worry increased tenfold. “Go to the Master Villa and see what you can find?”
Ximena rolled her eyes. “You should be thanking me. They didn’t want to waste their fuel on you.”
“Well, yes. Thank you for getting us to Alaska,” Jackie said, but Ximena didn’t look overly appreciative for the gratitude.
“You should be thanking me for going to the Master Villa to destroy whatever I can, because somewhere in their records is where Annie Kletter got the coordinates to your little island of Immunes.” She said each word with increasing ferocity. “And who knows how long it will be before someone else even dumber than Kletter is sent out there to gathermoreof you.”
Her words,gather more of you, stabbed Isaac in his other calf. His feet felt pulled from under him. He never thought their island could be at risk all over again. Old Man Frypan cleared his throat. Jackie just shook her head. Isaac thought Kletter’s journey had been a once-in-a-lifetime lucky shot at finding them, not a coordinated plan with actual coordinates. His eyes stung as he thought of everyone back home. Their lives were at risk.
“You didn’t think of that, did you?” Ximena asked him, and that did it. Made his decision for him. He would stick with Ximena and go to the Master Villa, to provide any help she might need. But most importantly, he planned to destroy all records pertaining to their island of Immunes. Especially the coordinates.
This time, as Alexandra approached the Villa, she was free from all harm. No traps. No trip wires. No axes. And there it was, hidden in the tall pines. The Villa.
“Come,” she called behind her to the others. “It’s right here.” She couldn’t believe the smell of fires hung in the air this far out into the Alaskan islands. The Goddess looked at the skyline, a faint red glow of her city turning to ash with the aurora dancing above it.
“Careful,” Orange said. “There’s wires along the tree there—they must have alarms set or something.” She pulled on one of the wires like an idiot. “Let me go first.”
“No. Those have already been spent.” Alexandra straightened her oversized cloak and double-checked that theBook of Newtremained secure. “Come. Now.”
There was no clear path to the Villa.Create the path by walking, Nicholas used to say. She hated that all of his quips and phrases and words of wisdom still knocked around her brain, but most of those ideas, thoughts, and beliefs weren’t even his. He’d pretended like all the wisdom he shared was his own genius, but most of it was stolen straight out of the books he’d hoarded in his library. He allowed Alexandra to have her innate knowledge, the knowing that came with her evolved virus and her sequencing that she could tap into from the Infinite Glade, but he forbade her from the history and books in his library. A slow smile spread across her face and she realized all of those books, every last one of them, everything Nicholas had once owned and loved, was gone.
Up in flames. Ashes. Dust.
Alexandra had no sadness for the loss of things that were never hers.
She had the one and only thing she cared about.
“We’ll go in first, make sure everything’s clear,” Orange said, but the Goddess was accustomed to walking into rooms before her Evolutionary Guards.
“Clear?” Alexandra scoffed. “No need. It’s just three little ladies testing combinations of the Cure. If anything, you’ll startle them, I’ll go in first.” This was her city. Her Villa. Her Cure.
“But if there’s?—”
“I said, I’ll go infirst.” Alexandra walked to the door on the lower level and opened it slowly. She had arrived back to the Villa sooner than the scientists probably expected, but forgoodreason. And with the Orphans and their guns, the Goddess could get the women to give her everything she wanted this time.Everything she wanted for the Evolution and more.
“Hello . . .” she called into the empty room. Echoes replied.
Minho and Orange stepped in front of her, their guns drawn to inspect each room. Alexandra recited the digits in her mind. If they insisted on meeting the women first, fine. She walked into the next room with books lining its walls. She would soon be writing new history for all future generations. The fire of St. Petersburg was tragic, the most destructive and stupidest thing Mikhail could have done, but the Goddess would use all his failures to her advantage.
Every last one.
After all, those lowly Pilgrims of the Maze would be dead, all the crum of the city would be wiped clean, and Alexandra could now populate the city with those whochosethe Cure. No more need to campaign and convince them to join the Evolution. She’d be better off rebuilding from scratch, with better citizens—trusting, moldable inhabitants . . . like the Immunes. Alexandra turned and smiled at Sadina. “Come, they’ll want to meet you.” She pulled Sadina along with her into the next room.
Empty.
“Hello . . .” Alexandra announced herself louder. Apparently scientists went to bed as soon as the sun set. She’d wake their tired little brains and get them on their feet. “Wake up! Rise to see your Goddess!” She walked through another darkened room.
“They already know about me?” Sadina let go of Trish’s hand and clasped Alexandra’s.
The child’s palm was sweaty and gross, but Alexandra squeezed it and led Newt’s great-niece into the Villa. “Are you kidding? Your bloodline is the one they’ve been waiting for.”
“Are you the one who told them about Sadina?” Trish asked.
