Chapter Thirty-Four

Caleb

No one came for me the next morning, so when I got hungry, I left my suite by myself and made my way over the dining hall. Neither Champion nor Charisma were there, but I got the feeling that all the other Superiors in the room were watching me. I ignored them, making sure to keep my head down as I ate my breakfast alone.

Once I finished eating, I quietly left the room. Twenty pairs of eyes followed me out the door. Remembering Nessa's request, I decided to look for Miracle, as I had been instructed to spend as much time with possible with her. The thought of it was more appealing to me than I would admit.

My feet seemed to be moving on their own as they navigated me down two flights of stairs and through the main building to the West Wing. I was surprised at how easily I was able to find Miracle's office; it was as if I had walked the path a thousand times before. Was that yet another one of Leary's intrusive tweaks?

I walked through the building feeling as though a veil had been lifted from my eyes. I observed the faces of passing Superiors, wondering if they hid any stray memories behind their haughty expressions. I watched the guards too, and the way they shrank away from me and the other Superiors as if simply looking at us would kill them. A few in particular gave me strange looks, and I couldn't help but think that their faces were familiar.

Before I could dwell on it any further, though, I found myself a few feet from Miracle's office, on a pathway that wound itself around a well-trimmed garden. Her door was cracked open, just slightly, but enough so that I could see what was going on inside.

Miracle was sitting at her desk, leaning her elbows against its surface. Two figures sat across from her with their backs to the door, but I knew immediately that they were Charisma and Champion. The three had their heads close together, whispering conspiratorially. Strangely, though, I could hear their conversation as clearly as if they were speaking it into my ear.

"—can't believe you let that happen," Miracle was saying, her voice an angry hiss. "I told you both to keep an eye on him."

"I'm sorry, Miracle," Champion replied calmly, "but Perfecta was adamant."

"Don't give me that." Miracle leaned closer, her eyes flashing. "We both know that the two of you could have easily stopped her from taking him. But you did nothing. Nothing."

"I don't understand why it's such a big deal," Charisma complained. "I talked to Perfecta, and she said that she was just showing him around."

"And you believe her?" Miracle demanded. "You know how bitter she is; you know how she still insists that Dr. Leary kidnapped her, even after all these years. She still wants her old life, the one she had before. Her loyalty does not lie with us."

Champion snorted. His voice was gruff as he snarled, "Her life here is infinitely better than any life she could have had with the humans."

"I know that," Miracle stated. "You know that. But that won't change her."

I frowned at that. Perfecta hadn't said anything about being kidnapped; in fact, I didn't even know how she'd come to be in the Capitol. For a Superior such as herself to be so blatantly against the government seemed to be unheard of, so this bitterness that Miracle spoke of made sense.

"Mira, I don't understand," Champion pressed. "If you don't trust Perfecta, why do you allow her to be so close to you?"

Miracle sighed. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'? I live by that. While I don't particularly enjoy her company, or have any faith in her decisions, it does allow me to keep an eye on her. However, I am not able to watch her every move. That's why I have you two, though you appear to have been slacking slightly on your duties."

"To be fair, you only told us to watch Caleb," Charisma reminded her. "Babysitting Perfecta wasn't in the job description."

Bristling slightly, Miracle narrowed her eyes. "I don't have time for your sass, Charisma. The welcoming ceremony for the new candidates is happening in two days, and I'm almost certain that Perfecta, and possibly Nessa, are planning something devious. There is no doubt in my mind that they will try to use Caleb to help them." With tight lips, she smiled. "This time, your orders are clear, and if I hear any word that you've strayed from them, I will not hesitate to punish you. I'd do it myself—watch Caleb, that is—but there are simply too many things to prepare for. So instead, the job falls to you. Don't let him out of your sight."

I chose that moment to make my presence known, stepping in the room with a distracted expression that made it seem like I'd just walked in. Miracle's mouth fell open, and she didn't even bother to close it.

"Hey, Miracle, I was wondering if—" I paused, pretending to have just noticed Charisma and Champion. "Oh, I'm sorry," I said, hoping it sounded genuine, "am I interrupting something?"

Miracle stood up quickly, smoothing out the front of her suit jacket and pasting a smile on her lips. It was forced, another plastic feature on her obscenely flawless face. But it was still mesmerizing.

"It's quite all right, Caleb," Miracle assured. "Charisma and Champion were just leaving."

"Yes, of course," Charisma said, grinning tightly as she and Champion stood up. When my brother turned around, I had to bite down a gasp. I knew what to expect, but now that I knew who he was, I couldn't help but be surprised. He regarded me with a blank expression, and I remembered something Nessa had told me. Like me, Champion had had all of his memories wiped, and now knew nothing about the brother he'd had.

I forced myself to look indifferent as the pair approached the door, brushing past me as they exited. Once we were alone, Miracle strode around her desk, pausing with her hand on its corner.

"Did you have something to ask me, Caleb?" she questioned quietly. Something about her demeanor seemed cautious, anxious even. I ignored it, focusing instead on her face as I replied.

"No, it was nothing," I told her. "In fact, I don't even remember."

"Well, that's all right. I had wanted to talk to you, anyway. Since you've woken up, we haven't had any time alone." She took a slow, deliberate step forward. "I want to change that."

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way her hips swayed as she walked.

"What about Champion?" I managed to say.

Miracle raised an eyebrow, smirking. "What about him?"

"Aren't the two of you—um—involved?"

The Superior laughed shrilly. "Oh, spare me. There is nothing going on between Champion and I." Her expression suddenly became solemn. "But I really do need to talk to you, Caleb. It's rather important. Please, take a seat." She made a sweeping gesture to the couch, and I sat down obligingly.

"What is it, Miracle?" I asked. .

Miracle sat down before answering. She leaned toward me, the exposed skin of her leg pressing against the coarse fabric of my suit. The skirt she wore was short; I couldn't help but stare at her legs, and she knew it. Laughing dryly, she lifted my chin and turned my head so that I was facing her.

"I heard that you've been spending some lot time around Perfecta and Nessa."

Hypnotized by her eyes, I nodded dumbly.

"I'm sure that, since you've forgotten so much because of the accident, they've been telling you things, trying to fill in your memory. They might had something to say about me, about Dr. Leary, and about the Superiors as a whole.

"Those things aren't true, Caleb. In your amnesic state, it's very easy for people to take advantage of you. That's what those two women are doing; they're trying to fill your mind with false ideals that coincide with their jaded beliefs."

Briefly, I wondered if that could be true, but I was quickly distracted. Miracle leaned in closer, her hair brushing against my cheek. It smelled clean and airy, like fresh laundry or morning grass. Pointedly, her eyes traveled down to my lips, and I knew what was about to happen. I recognized that mischievous little smirk.

"I'm sorry if they bothered you," Miracle whispered. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

And then, just like that, she was kissing me. It was so sudden that I hardly had time to react. As her lips pressed to mine, I fought between repulsion and attraction, leaning toward her yet trying to pull away.

Finally, gasping for air, I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away from me. She didn't seem fazed in the least. Her eyes were alight with a satisfied air, her mouth curved up at the corners. I, on the other hand, could only stare at her like an idiot, my mouth gaping open in a fish-like manner.

"I—I," I stuttered.

Miracle's shoulders lifted once in silent laughter before she pushed herself off the couch, brushing invisible dust particles off of her skirt. I rose automatically.

"I wish we had more time," she breathed, "but sadly, I have many preparations to deal with."

"I could help you!" I blurted desperately, still reeling from the kiss.

She just laughed. "That's alright, Caleb. You should get back to Charisma and Champion. I think they had a few things planned for today."

"O-okay," I replied, all thoughts of Nessa's orders and Miracle's deceit forgotten.

"I'll visit later," Miracle promised as she escorted me to the door. Once we were in the doorway, she grabbed my hand. "And remember. Perfecta and Nessa are only using you."

She stepped toward me on tiptoe, and for one urgently hopeful moment, I thought she was going to kiss me again. But she just brought her lips to my ear, so that I could feel her cold breath on my neck.

"This is your only warning, darling," she murmured, ice coating her voice. "Stay away from them."

A/N: Editing/re-writing this chapter made me feel icky. I'm pathetic, I know. I am SO not good with writing about kissing and other such actions. I feel all awkward, like I'm spying on my characters.