My mother's office door opens as I'm starting the program on the phone Mason gave me. I snap to my feet, holding the phone close. "Janani," I greet.

She bares her teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"You... you asked me to tell you about my visit with Grandmother."

"Oh, did I?"

"And Grandmother wanted me to tell you something." Crap, how close did Mason say the phone has to be? How long does it have to be there? Did the program start before I turned the screen off?

Mother sighs, roughly, and opens the door fully. "Fine. In."

I slip inside and settle into one of the chairs at her desk, setting the phone face down on the glass top. "It was very good to see Grandmother. I know she's getting older. She's been having trouble walking on her own lately. It was also good to see the city, I-."

"Is this going somewhere?" Mother groans, leaning back in her chair.

Her phone sits on the desk across from mine and even though I'm sure they're close enough, I inch mine closer as I lean forward. "Grandmother and I were talking about my graduation. I want to take the tests again now and graduate. I want to be assigned to the city."

She licks her lips and quirks an eyebrow. "After all these years of failing, what makes you think you'll be able to pass them now? You didn't even pass them a month ago."

The last thing I'd ever want to do is admit to her the real reason I've been purposefully failing the tests all these years. Even if she knows it, I could never say the words without her slapping me. "I've been studying. I'm ready now. I'm certain. All I need is a chance, Janani. I can be a great Protector if you give me this chance. I'll go to the city where I belong and I'll-."

"What?" She sits forward and clasps her hands together, resting her forearms against the edge of her desk. "I wouldn't send you to the city. You're my son. You'd go to the capital, where you can be of some real use."

My heart stammers. "But... Mason's in the city."

Her grip on her own hands tightens until I'm worried she'll break her fingers. "Crane made the right choice getting a new Protector. I made a mistake putting you with him. Now that you're free, you'll be bound to someone more... compatible."

"Please," I scoff, "Mason and I are more compatible than anyone you could stick me with. Even if I go to the capital, you could send me with Mason."

"Crane is better in the field. You're not. He doesn't belong in the capital and you don't belong in the city. You'll do as I tell you, Tarak."

"As my mother or my commanding officer?" I snarl.

"Both," she growls back. She starts to reach for her phone. "Now, go, I have things I need to take care of."

I slam my hands into the glass top of her desk, startling her enough that her hand pulls back from her phone. I push to my feet and meet her steely gaze. "No."

She looks like she's trying to swallow a live mouse. "No?" It was one thing to have Mason disobey her in front of the entire Academy. It's another thing entirely for me to disobey her, even privately. "You will listen to-."

"NO!" I have to get it out before she commands me to leave. I have to make her listen to me for once, even if she kills me for it. "What will the people think if you send me to the capital before I finish my training in the city? They'll accuse you of playing favorites. The sooner you let me take the tests again, the sooner I can go do my training in the city, and the sooner you can ship me and Mason off to the capital."

Her jaw tightens. "Maybe I can concede on you taking the tests, son, but I'm not binding you to the Crane boy again."

"You gave me a job, Janani. A job to Protect the world from whatever he becomes. I can't do as you've asked if I'm not his Protector."

"No. Your emotions cloud your judgement when it comes to him. Not to mention, I've found someone else who can do your job. You're no longer necessary."

"Who? Ryan? That boy is as meek as they come. You think he'll be able to put Crane down when the time comes?"

"He's more capable than you think," she assures.

"Who do you trust to do the job more? Someone in it for their own reasons or your own flesh and blood? I was made to protect this family, mother. I can do the job better than Ryan."

Her eyes study mine. "You really think you could kill him?"

I surprise myself when I don't even hesitate to say, "yes."

She stands and circles her desk, grabbing me by the shoulders and giving me a little shake. "Very well, Tarak. You'll take the tests in the following weeks and if you pass them, we'll send you to the city for you to shadow fellow Protectors. We won't bind you to someone for now and, depending on the situation when Crane is no longer bound to Ryan, we'll bind you two again."

My heart threatens to jump out of my chest and start tap dancing. "Thank you, mother. You have no idea how much-."

Her grip tightens on my shoulders until it aches through my entire torso. "Don't. Just because I recognize the benefits of what you said doesn't mean I'm okay with how you spoke to me. If you ever speak to me like that again-." Her grip tightens on my shoulders until I nearly cry out. She leaves the threat hanging in the dead air between us. "And when the time comes... You will kill Mason Crane."

"Yes, ma'am," I whisper, ducking my head.

"Good boy."

Her phone starts to ring. "Now go. I have things to handle."

I grab Mason's phone before I can fully remember why I even came here in the first place. I get out of her office before I look down at the phone in my hand.

There's a live call on it, recording everything my mother and her companion are saying.

I bring the phone to my ear.

"-Fifth time this week, ma'am."

"Why is he going there?"

"We're not sure. The first few times, he was delivering food and clothes to the old man. We can't get inside without alerting Crane of our presence."

"Then, figure out a way to get answers. Torture the old one if you have to. We need to know what he was doing there. Asap. He could ruin everything."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Dismissed," my mother growls. The call disconnects.

My heart races as I stare at the phone. I'd done it. The cloning worked and now I can deliver all my mother's secrets to Mason.

I don't know how I'm going to be able to look him the eye when I told my mother so assuredly that I could kill him. When he'd asked me, I'd hesitated, and in the end, I couldn't even say no. What does it say that I'd been so eager to agree with my mother's plans for Mason's end?

I shake my head and look down at the phone in my hands. None of that matters now. The only thing that matters is that Mason and someone else are in trouble.

I have to warn them.