I'm late for training the next morning, which is unlike me.

My instructor, Miss Night, pairs me up with a new Protector.

Tarak stands on the sidelines, watching us.

The new Protector, who introduces himself as Ryan, stands to the corner of a mat while I face another Hunter.

The Hunter is a younger girl who I've fought before. She's known to be ruthless. Her protector sits on his phone with his legs crossed.

"Alright, kiddos," Miss Night calls, "you know the drill. You are expected to hurt each other! No trying to kill each other, but your Protectors need to learn to heal too, so get to punching."

I roll my shoulders.

Miss Night circles behind the girl, giving me a glare. "Why were you late, Crane?"

The girl rolls her eyes. "Can we not do this right now? I'm itching to punch something."

Miss Night sets her jaw, staring me down. "Stay after class."

I give a sharp nod, then set my foot back.

"Remember not to kill him, Amanda."

Amanda sneers at me. "No promises."

"Yes, promises," Miss Night reprimands.

Amanda comes at me hard and fast, without even giving me a breath to prepare. She leaps inside my guard and punches me in the stomach, then brings my face into her knee when I bend over.

"Mason!" Tarak is there in an instant, grabbing my face.

Ryan shoves him away. "Back off, Singh," he snaps. "I'm his Protector."

"For class," Tarak snarls.

Ryan's healing sinks into my face, mending the break in my nose.

I sniff and scrape my hand under it to make sure it's fixed.

Amanda laughs, "wow, this guy needs two protectors. I don't even need one."

Amanda's Protector sighs.

I catch Amari and Sasha watching me from across the room. Amari's trying to focus on her opponent while shooting daggers at Amanda.

I reset my position.

"What are you doing?" Augustus mutters into my mind, floating around like a ghost from membrane to membrane.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Amanda knocks me off my feet and slams her heel into my ribs.

I wheeze and curl up on my side.

She kicks me in the head.

"Mason!" Tarak shouts.

Ryan holds him back. "Give him a chance to fight back!"

Amanda stomps on my nose.

"Shit!" Ryan shoves her.

She laughs, walking away, spreading my blood on the mat.

I lock eyes with Miss Night.

She scowls at me, her arms crossed, biceps rippling as she tenses.

Ryan heals me and helps me to my feet.

I shake myself off.

"Mason," Augustus whimpers as I let Amanda rush me.

I side-step her.

She slams her elbow into me as she passes.

I stagger.

She leaps on my back from behind and digs her teeth into my throat.

I roar and stumble back with her.

She howls with glee as she rips some of my skin off. She jumps off, kicking me in the back.

I go sprawling to the mat. The mat scrapes my skin, giving me harsh, red burns.

"Amanda," Miss Night warns.

"What!? You think an infected wouldn't bite him like that!? No wonder Singh's kept him locked up here! He's useless! Just like his parents!"

My jaw tightens. My nails bite into my palms.

Ryan squats next to me and reaches for my throat.

I shove him away and get to my feet, snorting like a bull.

"Let me heal you, man."

"I don't need your help," I snap at Ryan.

He doesn't deserve it. He flinches and pulls back, returning to where Tarak stands, biting his nails.

Amanda and I circle each other. My blood dribbles down her chin. She looks insane.

I must look worse, walking around with an open bite-wound. I roll my shoulders.

"Mason, stop-."

I cut Augustus off with a roar. I lunge at Amanda, tackling her around the waist.

Still, when she slams her arms into my back and rolls us so she's on top of me, I don't do anything. She locks my arms against my sides with her legs and grabs my throat in her hands.

My oxygen cuts off. I choke on my last breath.

"Amanda!" Tarak shouts. "Miss Night!"

Miss Night comes striding from the other side of the room.

"Mason, c'mon! Why are you holding back!? I know you can stop her!"

I hold Amanda's gaze as she laughs and squeezes harder.

"Amanda, that's enough!" Miss Night is nearly to us.

"Singh."

My eyes roll back, peering as far over my head as I can see.

Singh stands in the doorway, watching me. She's got a satisfied smirk on her face, staring me down. She leans against the doorframe.

"Amanda!" Miss Night shouts.

"It's not my fault he's too weak to fight back!"

I force my arms away from my body, and she's not strong enough to push them back in. I grab her legs and throw her over my head.

She cries out, hitting the mat with a thud.

I roll onto my hands and knees, huffing like I've breathed in smoke. My eyes settle on her.

She cradles her arm, which is twisted wrong. She stares at me in astonishment. "How-?"

I grab her by the throat and hoist her off her feet. I dangle her above me.

She gags and kicks her feet, trying to hit me.

"You think it's funny?" I snarl, staring at Singh. "To bully people? To torment them with memories of their parents? You think it's funny to pretend like you're infallible? One of these days, someone's going to rip your throat out with their teeth and no one will be able to save you because you thought you didn't need them!" I throw her with the last of my strength.

She hits the cement floor and rolls to a stop at Singh's feet.

Singh lifts her chin, then turns on her heel, and marches away.

Amanda curls into a ball.

Her Protector rushes to her side, but he's never had to heal her before. He isn't exactly sure what he's doing.

"Tarak," Miss Night orders, "help heal her. Take her to the infirmary."

Tarak's eyes dart to me. "But-."

"It wasn't a request."

He nods and goes to Amanda.

"Class dismissed!"

I snatch my bag off a bench and start for the door.

"Ah-ah! Not you, Mr. Crane! Meet me in my office."

Sasha and Amari give me a tense glance before they slip out of the training room.

I storm into Miss Night's office.

She shuts the door behind me, then circles to her desk and settles on it. She puts one foot in a chair and shakes her head at me. "What was that, kid?"

I look away, balling my fists. "I overreacted. I'm sorry."

She sighs and looks past me, to the students milling out of the room. "I've been waiting for someone to teach that girl a lesson. Didn't expect you'd be so rough, though."

"I'll apologize to her. It won't happen again."

She grabs my wrist. "Kid, I know things can feel hopeless at times. I know your parents were-."

"No, you don't," I snarl.

She licks her lips and nods. "You're right, I don't. But they were good friends of mine."

"Is this the part where you tell me they'd be ashamed of how I've been acting?" I growl.

She hesitates, dropping my arm. She takes a shaky breath. "I don't know that I can say that, kid. I knew your parents. I knew what they were like." She scratches an eyebrow and knocks the chair her foot is resting on to the floor. "That felt good," she says.

I shake my head at her.

She sighs, "right again. It didn't." She stands and grabs my shoulders. "What I'm trying to say is-." She shakes her head. "-I don't know. You wouldn't be the first Crane to hate Ishani Singh. You're not the first person to try something to get her out of here."

"You're talking about the dissenters?"

"Your parents told you about u- them?"

"No. They said I was too young. But I'm not stupid, Miss Night."

She bites her lip. "You're not," she agrees, "but you're not being careful either."

"I'm not doing anything."

"You practically threw a gauntlet at her feet. More than a gauntlet, in fact, Mason. You're starting a war you can't finish."

"You're wrong."

"How so?"

I lean in close, narrowing my eyes. "I can finish it."

She gulps. "Mason.-"

I leave, slamming the door so hard the glass cracks along the walls of her office.

"You're just like your parents," Augustus whispers, then disappears into the depths of my mind.

I freeze in the hallway, searching for them.

"Mason!"

I lift my head at the voice, leaving Augustus alone for a moment.

Ryan is jogging up to me, smiling like a golden retriever. He settles his hand over the bite on my throat. "I wanted to talk to you."

"I don't feel up for talking."

"Well, it's not optional. I'm your new Protector."

I snap my hand into his wrist, pushing his hand away. "I don't need a new Protector."

"It was my understanding that you were the one to request the transfer."

"I requested I be put in the field without one."

"You know that's not going to fly here, Crane. Especially with Singh."

"Does it seem like I give a damn what Singh wants?"

"You know you're not leaving this island without her approval. I'm one of the less asshole-ish Protectors. Take what you can get."

"And what happened to your Hunter? You fail to heal them?"

Ryan runs his tongue over his teeth and glances at his feet. "Ah, no. They... They-." He closes his eyes. "The official story is they couldn't handle the pressure."

"Official story?" I ask, biting the inside of my cheek.

He glances up and down the hall, then leans close. "I was never allowed to see the body. They went into the city to visit family, then never came back."

"When was this?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Could answer some questions. Yours and mine."

Ryan steps back. "Nah, man. I've already gotten in trouble with Singh for looking into it before. She'll strip me of my title if I try anything else."

"Then you should really want to get away from me."

"You don't seem that bad."

I shove past him, knocking our shoulders together. "I am."

"Don't be like that!" Ryan calls. "Will I see you tomorrow night for the bonding ceremony!?"

"No! I don't want a damn Protector!"

"She said if you won't take me, you have to stay with Tarak!"

I stop, gripping the strap of my bag.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow night, then?"

I half turn to him, scowling. "Fine."

He nods, half-smiling.

The bonding ceremony.

I can't believe I forgot about the damn bonding ceremony.