Twisted Stars (Hardest Mistakes #3) by Dannielle Wicks Page A

position. “Did they hurt you?” Concern creases his brow as he studies me.
    “I’m fine.” I shake my head and look at the tiles on the floor in front of me. “What are you? What I mean is, why do they keep asking me questions about you?”
    Jayden hesitates, watching my face carefully. “In the lab, they started calling me lögun-breyting . It means shape-shifter. I guess they want to know how far my abilities have developed. As far as I know, I’m one of only two experiments that worked. The rest of them died…including my brother.”
    I’m silent for a moment then ask, “How does this place even exist? Who would do something like this to you?”
    “My parents.”
    “Excuse me? Your mom and dad? They did this…they killed your brother…?”
    He shakes his head. “I guess some people are just pure evil—my mother especially. Always seeking something better, something superior. They had this dream of creating a super race. Obviously, they’re not even close.”
    I drop my head into my hands. “This is it, isn’t it?”
    “What do you mean?” He moves to the bars and leans against the cage beside me.
    I close my eyes, a stray tear dribbling down my cheek. “We’re going to die in here, aren’t we,” I say it as a fact rather than a question—I suppose I already know the answer.
    Jayden reaches between the bars and catches my tear on his finger. “I won’t let you die here. I promise.” I glance up at him in surprise. He nods once before turning away and avoiding my gaze. I watch his T-shirt stretch across his back as he lays his head on his knees.
    “Why would you stay in Black Pike if you knew they would come after you? Why not run? Why attend a class at the university, of all places?” Why make me fall for you?
    “I didn’t want to be alone anymore,” he whispers, lying back down on his side, facing away from me.
    I have no words.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    I wake from my nap, alone. The doors at the end of the room slam, and voices reach me.
    Jayden is pushed back down the hall and back into his cage by two heavily armed soldiers. They give me a sneer as they pass. He spits out a mouthful of blood as his knees hit the cement. As soon as we are alone again, I shuffle over to the bars separating us.
    “What did they do to you?” I ask. His gaze flicks to mine briefly before he coughs up another mouthful of blood. I rest my forehead against the bars. “We can’t just escape. We have to stop this…it isn’t right, and no one else should ever have to go through what you’ve gone through.”
    He moves closer, leaning up against the bars beside me. This close, I can make out the dark shape of a bruise forming over his right cheek. The striking color makes the scar on the side of his face stand out sharply. I slip my hand through the bars and run my fingers gently down the ruined edges of his skin. He closes his eyes with a soft sigh, leaning into my hand.
    “What are we going to do?” I whisper. I don’t expect an answer, and I don’t get one. We sit in silence together, just being. It’s all we can do…
     
    ***
     
    Sunlight hits my closed eyes from the window above me. I squint and roll over, stretching my arms above my head. Ah, my back. The cement does not make a good bed. Jayden is already awake on the other side of the bars. How many days have we been here now? I’ve lost count.
    “Morning,” I mumble, sitting up. He doesn’t answer. Frowning, I move closer to the bars. “Hey?”
    His head tips toward me.
    “What’s wrong?” I ask quietly.
    He shakes his head and turns away. “I don’t know how.”
    “How to what?”
    He smacks the cement with his palm. “I have no idea how to escape, Ashlee. Not a single clue. I promised I’d get you out of here, but I have no idea where to start.”
    “It’s okay…” I reach a hand through the bars. “Hey, look at me.” He drops his gaze to mine. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure it