I'm walking back to my dorm from lunch when my phone starts ringing. I sigh, thinking Janani is calling me again. She's been keeping constant tabs. But when I pull my phone free of my pocket, Mason's face is lighting up the screen.

I nearly swallow my tongue.

The picture is from the first field trip into the city we all took together. Sasha and Amari weren't fully together yet, both dancing around the idea of getting together. But they still spent so much time together, it left Mason and I alone together. We'd snuck away from the group for a few hours and found an ice rink where he'd bought apple cider and rented skates. He'd fallen on his ass at one point and busted his lip open.

I remember laughing and grabbing his face to heal him.

He's grabbed my wrist, snorting, "there's no need for that. It'll heal on its own."

"But I could make the pain go away."

He's grabbed a napkin and had me hold it to his lip. "All better," he assured.

It was the first time a boy made my heart race like that. The first time I'd ever noticed the way the light caught his green eyes and made them glow. The first time my hands came away trembling, unable to heal something because I was so distracted.

I quickly answer the phone before it can stop ringing. "Mason?" I breathe.

"This isn't a social call," he says, tersely, and I can tell he'd been practicing it.

"Are you okay?" My heart is in my throat as my brain runs through the list of possible horrible things that could've happened to him in the time we've been apart. I can feel him roll his eyes.

"I'm fine, Tarak. I need you to come to the city. I'll text you a place to meet. But I can't talk about this over the phone."

In my heart, I know he's going to ask me to betray my mother. Why else would we need to talk in person? He knows she'll be monitoring his calls. I should tell him now I haven't decided to turn my back on her yet. But then he won't let me come meet him in the city. I can tell him after he tells me his plan. Even if it upsets him, it'll be good to see him in person again. Feel him in my grip, knowing he's alive and safe.

"Tarak," Mason prompts.

"I'll be there," I tell him. "How are Amari and Sasha?"

He seems caught off guard for a moment. "They're... okay. Amari isn't doing too well, Sasha's worried about her."

I frown. "Is she okay? What's wrong?"

Mason sighs, and I know he's hanging his head. "I don't know exactly."

He hates not knowing. "Can I help?"

He's quiet for a long time. "I don't think so. I don't think even I can." Another long pause. "But thanks," he whispers. His voice is like honey to my ears.

"Mason," I murmur, but I've got nothing to say.

"Yeah?" he urges after a long minute.

"I... I look forward to seeing you," I rasp.

"It's not a social visit," he reminds me.

"I know. But it'll still be good to see you."

"Yeah," he sighs, then seems to realize he didn't mean to say that out loud. "Anyway... see you then. Bye." He hangs up before I can even say it back or tell him to be safe.

I grip my phone between my hands as I stare at his contact photo disappearing from my phone. I turn around from the dorms and march to my mother's office. "Janani, I need to-."

Her eyes cut up to me as she holds her own phone to her ear.

My stomach coils into itself and dies. I slink back into the hall and wait, forcing myself not to listen until she's done.

"Tarak. Enter."

I slither into her office with my head bowed.

She's not looking at me anymore, her head ducked over papers she's filling out.

"I need a release to go to the city."

"To visit the Crane boy?" she growls, still not looking up.

I look down at my hands, tugging at my fingers as my stomach riots. "I wanted to go visit Granny. It's been a while since I've visited her and she's... getting older." I don't know how this is the plan I landed on. If she is listening in on Mason's calls, she'll know he contacted me. And anyone within a five-mile radius of me and my grandmother knows how I feel about her.

But Janani sighs and waves me off. "I'll file the form later. Be back before Monday."

I blink at her, but I don't give her the chance to change her mind. It was almost like she was happy to let me leave. Maybe not happy, but at least... apathetic about it. Something is definitely up with that, but I'll jump at the chance to get my way without having to fight her.

I pack a bag and get on the first ferry off the island. I will actually have to visit my grandmother before too long to keep suspicion off me, but for now, I go to the location Mason texted me.

It's a small park, and by the time I get there, the sun is starting to set.

He stands from a bench when he sees me, offering a coffee cup. "Two sugars," he says.

Just like I like it.

I set my bag on the bench and take it, feeling the warmth in my hands as he settles back into his spot. I sit next to him, using my bag as an excuse to sit close to him.

His knee knocks into mine over and over as he stares into the little mouth piece of his coffee lid. "How've you been?"

"It's been tough," I tell him.

He looks up at me. "Your mom?"

"Without you."

Mason sighs and rakes a hand through his brown hair. "I'm just following orders," he says.

I want to argue that he's never been one to follow orders before, but I know it'll get me nowhere. Even if he does want me as his Protector again, he's bound to Ryan for the next year. Or... until Ryan dies. I clear my throat. "And you? How've you been?"

"It's been tough," he agrees.

"Being in the field?"

He meets my gaze – says nothing.

My chest grows warm and I press my leg into his. "Yeah," I whisper.

Mason drags a hand down his face and grunts, "anyway. We should get down to business. I'm not supposed to be off base for long."

"I'm Ishani Singh's son," I remind him. "I can get you out of trouble."

"I don't want people to know we're having this meeting."

"What about Sasha and Amari?"

"They know."

"Ryan?"

"No."

My lips threaten a smile that'll make me look like an asshole. I fight it, but Mason's exasperated look tells me I'm losing.

"Anyway. I need a favor. It's about your mother."

The coffee sours in my mouth. I knew this was coming, but I wish the comfort of his presence had lasted a little longer. I lean forward, my forearms on my knees, gripping the coffee cup in my hands. "Mason-."

"Wait," he orders. He shifts forward and grabs my wrist, squeezing. "Before you make a rash decision, I need you to listen to me."

"Now you want to talk about things? You didn't before."

"I didn't trust you before."

"What makes you think you can trust me now?"

His hand trembles. "I don't know that I can. But I hope I can. Tarak, I swear, I wouldn't ask you this if it weren't for a good reason."

I consider him for a long time before sighing and easing back against the bench. "I want the full truth, Mason. Everything you've found out that turned you against her. I can't make this decision without the truth."

Mason rubs his forehead. "The full truth? I can... do that."

He starts with his mission with Tae, Tomas, Sasha, and Amari. How they were searching the sewers for Jesus and after finding him, came upon an entire pack of Infected. After the fight, he discovered his suit had been intentionally ripped. Then, finding the man setting explosives in the water treatment plant. The emails to my mother. How the worker that sent them hasn't been seen since. He even tells me about a few nights ago when he found a man whose daughter was taken by Hunters.

He doesn't have proof for this, like with the emails, but I can tell he believes my mother is behind the girl's disappearance.

I wish I could say I don't. I wish I could stand behind my mother one hundred percent without doubt. But I'd have to be blind and stupid to never notice how my mother acts. The things she does. How far she's willing to go.

"I know it's a lot," Mason says.

Even with everything he's told me, I can tell he still hasn't told me everything.

I don't push him, even though I probably should. If he told me all that, I'm sure whatever he's keeping is either going to get me or someone else hurt. It's better to let him keep his secrets. "What are you asking me to do, Mason?"

He pulls a cell phone out of his back pocket and holds it out to me. "This phone will clone one within five feet once you start the program. I need you to clone your mom's phone."

"Are you insane?"

Mason flinches. "I know, Tarak. But I made a promise to Dion. If your mother is responsible for Daisy's disappearance, I have to know. What if this isn't the first time she's done this? What if she's responsible for those Infected in the sewers? How many people are going to get hurt if we don't stop this?"

"What if it's not her? What if you waste all this time looking at my mother and it turns out she's innocent?"

"Tae and Tomas are in a group that have been looking for answers for years, Tarak." He takes one of my hands and squeezes. "Look me in the eye and tell me you think she's innocent and I'll let this go, I swear."

I look him in the eye, but I already know I won't be able to. I don't say anything for a while, just enjoying looking into his green eyes and feeling his hand in mine.

"Tarak," he urges, before I'm satisfied.

I sigh and squeeze his hand. "You know I can't do that, Mason. Whatever my mother is... innocent isn't it. But what you're asking me to do is dangerous. If she catches me, it won't matter to her that I'm her son. The only thing that will matter is that I'm a traitor."

"If I thought literally anyone else would be capable of doing this, I would ask someone else. You may be the only person that can do this for me, Tarak. If I could get onto the island without her killing me, I would do it myself."

"She wants me to kill you." I say, before I can stop myself. I don't know why I say it. I've managed to keep the secret since the first time my mother gave me the look that said she'd finally be proud of me if I took his life. I sit there with my heart in my throat, waiting for him to call me a traitor. Waiting for him to snap my neck and dump me in the closest body of water.

He sighs, "are you going to?"

My eyes find his and I hate how tired he looks. His skin is pale and his green eyes are dull and lifeless. "I don't know," I whisper and I hate myself for it.

"Okay," he says.

I clench my fists, one still gripped in his hand. "Why aren't you angry? You should be angry!"

"Why? Because you said so?"

"Because I should've said no! Because it's insane that I'm sitting here with you talking about killing you because my mother asked me to and I said 'I don't know'."

"Could be worse. You could've said 'yes'."

"Please," I whimper, tears pricking my eyes. "Get angry."

Mason licks his lips, kicks a foot out against the ground, scans the bushes around us. "Look, Tarak, the way I see it, the only way for her to get away with murdering me without my parents' cult killing her in return is if I'm infected. You know the protocol if I'm infected."

"She's got her power," I remind him, ignoring his last statement. "She could protect herself from people trying to kill her. She could have me kill you easily."

Mason chews on his lip and turns his gaze to me. It's steely and a little pained. "I wouldn't want to live in a world where you chose to kill me anyway."

I get the urge to shove him, but we're both sitting. Instead, I get my fingers laced in his and grip him tight. "Don't say that," I plead.

"I'm not going to beg you not to kill me, Tarak. If and when she asks you to do it... that's going to be your decision. I'm not just going to let you do it. I will defend myself. But you're the one that has to decide if you're going to kill me or not."

I find myself sagging against him, our shoulders pressing together, hands clasped tight. "We could just go," I whisper, staring at the sky. "Take Amari and Sasha and get out of the city. Leave everything behind. Forget my mother and her corruption. Forget the Academy."

"Forget the infection?" he muses.

"People have survived on their own before," I reason. My body itches to do as I've said. To run. To leave it all behind. I want it more desperately than I've ever wanted anything before. I want...

Mason drops his head onto the top of mine and lets a long breath out, ruffling my hair. "I've got a responsibility to help people. To save them."

"Save them from what?"

He shrugs his free shoulder. "Corruption. Your mom. The Infection."

I disentangle myself from him and turn to face him. "You can't protect them from the Infection. No one can."

Mason opens his mouth, then hesitates. He looks back out over the bushes and shakes his head. "I could make a difference."

"Why you?" I rasp.

He reaches for his head, his expression tightening. "Because, I've got-." He's quiet a long time. Finally, he says, "I have to do right by my parents."

I want to accuse him of being no better than me and my mother. But his parents wanted to heal the world. My mother wants to watch it burn. I shift back against the bench and slide my hand into his again. This is how I know I'll do what he's asked. I'll betray my mother. Because no matter how much I want her to love me... I want to protect the world from her more.