Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“The FEA isn’t like that. Maybe they manipulate and lie when it’s to their advantage, but they’d never hurt innocents. They’ll probably try to use your parents as leverage to make you feel guilty or make you do something rash and stupid, but they won’t actually do them any harm.”
And though I didn’t trust the FEA and Major, I knew it was true. Major had certain morals. Sometimes he bent them if it suited him, but that certainly wouldn’t make him hurt Devon’s family.
“I don’t like the thought of Major talking to my parents. He’ll just tell them more lies and make them worry. They’ve been through so much and now this…” He trailed off, swallowing hard. His eyes darted to me again. “Do you think we could check up on them? To make sure they’re all right and so they know that I’m okay too?”
I hesitated. I could tell how important this was for Devon. “We definitely can’t go there. They’ll probably have the house under surveillance. Same for your dad’s vet practice. It’s too dangerous. But we could stop at a public phone later to call your parents and try to lay their worries to rest.”
Devon’s shoulders slumped, though I knew he had expected me to say that. He looked so sad. I touched his arm. His muscles were tense under my fingertips.
“Devon, we need to stay focused. We have to talk to my mother’s ex-boyfriend in Detroit and find my mother. That’s our top-priority. Holly needs us. And I really believe your parents aren’t in danger. I promise you they’ll be fine. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“I know,” he said and covered my hand with his. “How long will it take us to get there?”
“Well, I think the drive to Detroit will take thirty-six hours. But we’ll have to rest. I could drive of course, but I don’t have a license, so we better not get caught.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind driving. We don’t even have to look for a motel. We’ll just use the sleeping bags my uncle gave us. That way, fewer people will see our faces.” He glanced at me. “Why don’t you just turn into someone else? Nobody would know that it’s you.”
“But Major would still know if he saw me with you.”
“So what? I could change my appearance. You know, dye my hair black, wear contact lenses and dress differently. And Abel’s Army would still be thrown off the scent.”
I stared at Devon’s lovely blond hair. “Maybe a wig would work too. You could buy several wigs and quickly change your look if needed.”
“A wig?” He laughed. The giddy sound eased the knot in my stomach. “Are you serious?”
I smiled but then I thought of something. “I don’t remember which of the people’s appearances that I’ve stored in my DNA I’ve used during practice before. If I use a person I’ve been around Alec or Summers or Major, they could still make the connection.”
“Then you’ll have to find new people whose appearance you could use.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’ll just have to bump into a few people on our next rest stop and make sure that I touch their skin,” I said.
“So that’s all it takes? Touching someone’s skin?” His voice had changed and I knew what he was thinking of. “Did you touch her?” he asked quietly.
I stared out of the passenger window. He didn’t have to tell me who he meant. I knew. “Yeah, I had to. I visited her in the hospital a few days before she died.” I winced.
Devon and his parents hadn’t found out about Madison’s death until after the mission was over. Sometimes I wondered if Devon wished he’d been there when his twin sister had died.
“How does it feel?” Devon asked hesitantly, as if he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know the answer.
“You mean to incorporate a person’s data?” A moment too late, I realized how cold that must have sounded to Devon, but I couldn’t take the words back.
“Yeah, if that’s what you call it,” he said. There was an edge in his voice as he kept his gaze trained on the windshield.
“It’s hard to describe. I can feel my body absorb the information. It’s a bit like a charge, like a flow of energy. My body memorizes the DNA and most of the time, my shape is eager to change immediately.”
“How was it to touch Maddy? Was it different because she was…”
I didn’t know how to answer him. I wasn’t really sure if her case had felt much different. That day had been too stressful for me to remember every detail.
Devon rubbed a hand across his eyes and a heavy silence fell over us. I thought it might suffocate me. But I didn’t know what to do.
After a few minutes, Devon cleared his throat. “What I’ve been wondering since I found out about your Variation: have you ever tried to change into an animal?” I could tell that it was difficult for him to make his voice sound calm and light.