Saint's perspective

"Stop running after me, Frosty," Aris makes another one of his silly jokes. I always tell him he's not funny, but the guy has never accepts it.

"Don't call me to lie to her again. I'm lying enough as it is."

Aris stops walking, so I don't have to chase after him anymore. "What does it matter? One lie versus a hundred lies. The point is you're lying, and she won't trust you when it's all over."

He looks deep in thought when he speaks to me, and he's right. I've told Willow many lies, so one more shouldn't matter. I just can't believe that kid is here. Out all the people to be taken, Topaz had to catch somebody's eye.

"You had to choose him."

"We'll sell anyone. You know we have to. You know what we do here."

"I know, Aris," I say. "Why would you bring that kid to this level anyway?"

"Do not worry. The guard has been fired, and the boy has been sold. Everybody is happy, and unless you're planning on telling her, she'll never have to know her cousin was sold anyway. It's a good thing that Kane told you about her imagination," Aris smiles when he speaks.

"Kane told Mathea about the Purus protest, and Mathea told me."

I guess Kane did indirectly help make our lie to Willow more believable. It's also good that Willow hasn't been able to keep track of the days for a while now. If it wasn't for this, we wouldn't have been able to wait a couple days for the swelling on Aris' head to go down before waking her up.

"It doesn't matter. It just worked out for us. The poor girl thinks her mind is making things up again. Just let things be, Frosty," Aris tries to walk away, but he stops when I speak.

"Wait," I say, "are you sure she can't go home when it's all done? She agreed to live away from all of this, but she needs time to say goodbye. I know she won't tell them about the faces she saw here. She won't mention your name or even the damn cure she took."

"Saint," Aris places a hand on my shoulder. He always does this awkwardly, but I think he carries on doing it because he feels like it's more interactive, "you know I can't allow that risk. I'm happy to help you. If you don't have the balls to tell her when the time comes; I'll tell her for you. She can't go home. At least she'll get to say goodbye to her sister and friend as soon as we get them. Of course, while we're listening in on them. Privacy is overrated."

"We can listen in on her at home, just like we'll do while she speaks to them here," I suggest.

"They can tamper with our technology while she's there. It's too much trouble and risks with her revealing secrets. How will we even get her out of that house with the Gifted Program officials lurking around? And what happens when they take her back into the program? I don't want them testing on her after we've cured her. You never know what they can find out about our cure."

"A few minutes for her parents then."

"We have a drop-off point for Mathea, and she'll get home from there. Are you suggesting we give that location to the parents? We're not even sure when we can get the girl."

"Well—"

"That's enough of all this. You should hope she says nothing to her sister or that friend of hers. Then we'll have to ship them all off to a different location."

"At least let her be able to contact them when you move her." I can't stop trying to make things a little better for Willow.

"We can't monitor all her conversations or calls. She'll have no technology for the year. I'm sorry, Frosty. You know this. We should all move on with our lives." Aris nods his head.

"I know, but—"

"I'll do my best to send her to one of the best places. You can even visit her if you want. I see you're attached."

"I'm not attached."

"I don't care. I'm busy, Frosty." Aris starts to walk away, but I stop him once again.

"Wait," I say, "don't let anyone hold her down like that again. You should've given her time. She would've cooperated."

"It wouldn't matter if she didn't cooperate. We'd get in contact with her sister and blackmail her with Willow's life to get her to help us. Well, I guess it matters a little." Aris tilts his head. "It would be more difficult to blackmail the sister if Willow didn't show her cooperation. Stop focusing on the past, Frosty. Keep bothering me and I'll sell her."

"You're not funny."

Aris laughs as he walks away, and this time, I don't stop him. Hopefully, Willow will understand all of this in the end. I gave her as much as I could of what she wanted. Mathea and Kane will return home. She just won't have much time to spend with them, and she can't see her parents.

I wish things weren't this way, but we desperately need more of the Gifted to sell. We can't function without it. That's why I can't even tell her that her dad tried it to reach me. He's probably the one who sent that girl to find us. I didn't even know Marcus still speaks to that side of his family. I almost feel bad for letting Willow beat her, but I couldn't let the girl start talking. Anyway, this is also for her good, and it's too late to go back now.