"What the hell was that?" I scream at Saint, pushing my soaking-wet hair out of my face as we walk on the shores of the lake.

"We're at my house now. You'll hear what you need to, but we should hurry. Your father will be sending people after us. You need to hear this first, Willow, and if you want to go back, I'll take you there myself."

I follow Saint up the stairs of his house and, seeing as he doesn't bother wiping his shoes on the mat placed outside, I don't either; walking into his home after he unlocks the door. He walks over to a shelf and starts digging through it, throwing random objects to the ground as he does so.

I take this time to look around his house. There are no paintings on the wall, but he does have some picture frames placed on a table in the middle of this room. I think of going closer to see the people in it but fear he may judge my curiosity.

The walls are beige and the paint on them is peeling, showing Saint does not take care of his house very well. Perhaps he hasn't been here for some time. It is likely seeing as he has been in the Purus compound with me for a while now and seeing as he is—or rather was—a volunteer. He could have mainly been living in the Purus compounds.

"Here it is," Saint says.

He holds up a tape recorder, one of an older model that I have never seen before, in his left hand and walks to his beige couch. I follow Saint and decide to sit on the coffee table facing him, seeing as the other couch is on the far end of this parlour.

"You need to listen, Willow."

Saint presses the play button on the tape recorder, and I listen closely as familiar voices fill the room.

"You know what to do, Mathea."

"Yes, Dad. We've been through this."

"Let's run through the mission again."

"Mum is talking to Aunt Ankah about getting Willow help from the Purus."

"Your mother should not find out that you know. We only need their connections to get inside peacefully."

"Yes, dad, I know. Once we're in the Purus compound, I'll see Saint. He'll help me find the records I need for this infiltration. Saint will later escape with Willow, Mum, Aunt Ankah and Topaz."

"The most important?"

"The most important person is Willow. She needs to leave before the Purus take her Gift away. The Gifted Program will cure her without taking her Gift away, but they only agreed to help her if I succeed in this mission since a lot of resources are needed to help Willow. Also, the Foster government is working on establishing a law to imprison Gifted who accept the cure. We can't risk that."

"What must you do, Mathea?"

"I must stay in the Purus compound to complete my mission. I will memorise their passwords, all their codes, information on all their members and information on their compounds. We'll be relocated to a different Purus compound after everyone escapes, but I shouldn't worry; you have people there. I'll keep in contact with you through them just like I will through Saint."

"What is your mission in the new compound?"

"The same as before; I will memorise their passwords, all their codes, information on all their members and their compounds. If they isolate me, because they can't trust me; I'll leak information about the Gifted Program to gain their trust. If that fails, the people you stationed there will help get me everything I need to memorize."

"What happens if you fail?"

"Willow could go to jail or the Gifted Program won't cure her. I won't fail." Mathea says, sighing as she does this. "Are you sure they can cure Willow?"

"They have the resources, Mathea. They're our best chance for things to go back to normal. Once you get all the information you can, I'll have people attack the compounds and extract you. Now tell me what happens if they find out you're a spy?"

"I won't fail. You need to trust me."

"That confidence will get you killed. What happens if you fail?"

"I'll burn the place down. I'll kill us all."

"Don't say it that way, Mathea."

"That's what you all want from me; you want me to become this killing machine."

"I'd never wish that on any of my children."

"Don't you think this is wrong? Even if I don't end up hurting anyone myself, the people you send will do that. They'll hurt them, won't they? I don't think it will be necessary to hurt them."

"Don't think about that now, but you know what must be done."

"I know."

"No survivors."

"Not even me. I know, dad."

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I've put this on you, but I do this knowing you won't need the last resort. You'll all be alright."

"It's alright. Willow would do it for me. Anyway, I know I won't fail."

The recording comes to an end, and I'm left staring at Saint. This is Mathea's mission; a mission she took for me. Our entry into the Purus compound was never about me; it was always about getting Mathea in, so the Gifted Program can finally eliminate the Purus.

"Your dad pulled Mathea out of school, and they discussed everything here. Your sister was never coming out with us. The only problem was your mum and Kane being left behind, but Kane wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. The Gifted Program usually kill defects if it can't help them, so this mission prevents that."

"Saint, my sister is risking her life to save me," I say, rage filling me, "and you decide to bring me here. Are you trying to make her risk everything for nothing? Let the doctors help me. I want to go back."

"Willow, her mission has failed."

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't able to reach your father to report to him, but your sister contacted me during the car ride to the station. She heard people talking about relocating to Compound X. After that, she went silent. I haven't heard from her since."

"Why does this mean her mission failed?"

"That isn't a registered compound, Willow. I've never heard of it, and your dad has never heard of it through any of his spies. I'm sorry, but your father won't have people there."

"What happens to Mathea?"

"Since your dad won't have people there; Mathea can't report anything. She's stuck there, Willow. I'm sorry."

I force myself to calm down. There must be something I can do. "What's this choice you told me about earlier? How can I help her?"

"That wasn't what I meant, Willow. I don't know anyone there that can help her. But I know a way to help you."

"How can I help Mathea?"

"There's a friend of mine who has some sort of a cure—if I can call it that."

"How can I help Mathea?" I repeat. There's no point to Saint telling me anything else but the answer to my question.

"You should leave everything behind and start over."

"You make it seem like I can leave that easily."

"No offense, but you're not important enough to be chased to another country. They won't waste much resources."

"Okay...why are we hiding?"

"They'll take you back if they see you and the costs aren't much on their side. And you should know they like keeping their property, especially the Gifted. Maybe they'll run after you if they're short on Iron Rods, but a defect isn't anything special. Although, you might go higher on the hit list, because people are started to be afraid of defects."

"How common are we?"

"Not common, but the thought of you is scary. If it gets to the point of investors being scared away from Geode, you'll surely be taken out before you get a chance to run away."

"I'm not leaving."

"Willow, take the cure my friend has. You won't live long taking it, but you won't have that pain in your head. My friend will help you get out of the country. You'll have a better life, Willow. You won't be a lab rat."

"Tell me how to fucking get Mathea!" I lunge at Saint, but my strength vanishes as soon as I hit him. Saint grips my shoulders and pulls me in, holding me as I cry on his shirt. "Please, tell me how to get Mathea back. Please, Saint, tell me."

"Willow, there's nothing I can do for your sister. I'm sorry."

"Tell me how to help Mathea," I beg Saint, hitting his chest as I do so.

"Willow, I can't. You need to make a choice. Can I take you to my friend or are you going back to the Gifted Program."

"Can your friend help me? Can your friend help me get Mathea?"

"Willow...I don't know if he can."

"Please, ask your friend. If your friend helps me get Mathea, I'll take whatever cure he gives me. I'll live some fantasy life out of the country. You want that for me, right?"

"Do you want that for yourself?"

"I do. I just need to help Thea then I'll go."

"It's a long shot, Willow."

"Tell me, please?"

"I can't promise we can help Mathea. Hell, I don't know if we can even find her."

"I'll take the chance."

"Willow, you should think about leaving this place." I see urgency in Saint's eyes, but there are more important things to me.

"I'll leave, but let me help my sister."

"I don't think..."

"Please."

Saint stares at me for some time. His eyes are filled with pity and understanding, and I can see he is beginning to understand that helping my sister is a bigger priority than saving myself.

"Okay." Saint sighs, pulling me away from him and taking a seat on the beige couch. This time I stand, looking down on him. "I know someone who might be able to find her. He may only say where her location is. I can't promise what help he'll give you beyond that."

"That's alright."

"When Eve pulled the alarm on us, I started thinking. It didn't make sense how she woke up so soon. I called a friend during the drive to the station—after Mathea called me— and he was able to get some information on Eve."

"Finding Eve can lead to us finding Thea."

"Exactly. So this friend of mine has been watching Eve and other Purus members for some time now. He thinks Eve is privately treating people, and all her patients happen to be Ex-Immuyonitiacs; otherwise known as Filters."

Filters are the Gifted whose body filter out harmful or certain substances, preventing certain medications, poisons or substances from working on them—or at least, working effectively.

"You think Eve is a Filter? That's how she woke up quickly and pressed the alarm."

"I think so."

"Why wouldn't Eve cure herself if she were Gifted? She clearly believes Gifted people shouldn't exist."

"That's what I can't figure out. I didn't have time to talk to my friend for long, but if we meet up with him; I'm sure we can get more details. If you do find Eve, the information may help you."

I can't help but notice Saints use of pronouns. "You won't be coming with me then? I have to find her on my own?"

"I'll get you to my friend, Willow, but that's as far as I'll go. I hate to say this, but staying around you will probably get me killed."

I try hide the pain in my voice, and even though I am sure Saint can hear it, we both pretend I don't feel hurt. "Your friend will help me find Mathea?"

"My friend will give you any information on Eve and anything else he knows. As for helping you get to her, I can't promise you any help with that."

"Then let's go. I'll take the chance."

"If he does agree to help you, Willow, then you probably will have to take their cure. They won't feel safe around you if you don't. We never know when your infection will take over, and I never took enough sedatives for this change of plan."

"I'll take their cure," I say without hesitation.

I start to wonder who Saint's friend is and how he has a cure for my infection. Honestly, I never knew there were various cures available.

"Willow, you should know it's not really a cure. It'll just keep your infection at bay for some time, and you'll still be an Iron Rod."

"I said I'll take the cure. We should leave now."

"When that time is up, your infection will spread, and you'll be in more pain than ever."

"I said I'll take the damn cure. Let's go, Saint. We can't let my father try and stop me. You should keep in contact with him in case he wants to help."

"I'll let him know you want to get in contact with him," Saint says. "Willow, once the infection spreads...there's no doubt about your death. I knew a girl like you; the pain will be too much."

I only stare at Saint. There seems to be a catch to everything these days. I wish things didn't turn out this way, but I have no other choice. Mathea needs me.

"I wanted to offer you a short life, but it would be a good one until your time is done; a life away from everything. I thought you'd prefer that; living freely in a different country."

"I'll use my time for Mathea. It's alright, Saint. My options aren't anything great either way. I can be a lab rat until the Gifted Program gives up on me, or I can live a short life in a different country. That life won't be the happy life you suggest if Thea is stuck here."

"I guess I should've expected this." Saint chuckles.

"Who is your friend anyway?"

"That may also be a problem. There's a rumour going around about you killing one of his collectors. People say you owe him."

I remain silent for some time, knowing exactly where Saint plans on leading me and knowing I have no other choice but to go there.

I cannot leave Mathea with the Purus. If she refuses to take the cure, she may never return home. Wherever she is may also be using more forceful methods to motivate her into taking it, and if she does take the cure, I now know she could go to prison.

"He works for the black market?" I ask Saint.

"He owns it."