Crewel

to Loricel’s studio,’ I tell him as we run.
    ‘I know.’ His hand is on my arm, urging me along.
    At the door, he stops me and straightens a loose strand of hair. Looking at my feet he frowns. ‘Okay,’ he says, ‘this is how we’re playing it. I found you in here, and I’m taking you to Cormac.’
    ‘So I’m a prisoner?’ I ask.
    ‘Yes, so look scared.’
    ‘That shouldn’t be hard,’ I mutter.
    Erik opens the door and grabs my arm roughly, forcing me through. I find myself in a brightly lit hallway. Up at the other end, two guards snap to attention and head our way.
    ‘I caught her,’ Erik calls to them. ‘I’m taking her to Cormac now.’
    The older of the two men glances at his companion. Both of them must be ten years his senior at least.
    ‘I have level-eighteen clearance,’ he says, flashing a card from his hip pocket.
    ‘Yes, sir,’ both shout, but the eldest’s voice trips on ‘sir’.
    I shift my eyes to the floor and drop my shoulders as Erik leads me away. Once we’re around the corner, he loosens his grip on me but doesn’t remove his hand.
    ‘How did you find me?’ I whisper.
    ‘Cormac’s going crazy,’ he says under his breath. ‘We’re on level-three alert.’
    ‘But how did you know I was here?’
    ‘When I escorted you on the goodwill tour,’ he says, glancing back at me, ‘Cormac had you fitted with a tracking device—’
    ‘No, he didn’t.’ I remember Enora telling me how he wanted to insert a complant, but couldn’t.
    ‘Yeah, he did,’ Erik assures me. ‘They put it in your food. It’s programmed to lodge in your small intestine.’
    My hand flies to my stomach, and I stare at him. ‘So they’ve been tracking my every move for weeks?’ I ask.
    ‘No,’ Erik says, lowering his voice further. ‘I have. I corrupted their file. Only I have the tracking link now.’
    ‘Then you . . .’
    ‘Yes, I’ve been tracking you.’
    ‘But you haven’t—’
    ‘Turned you in?’ he finishes for me. ‘We have similar . . . allies. ’
    The last word is so strained that I almost don’t believe him, except that he’s here now. Something clicks into place in my mind, something that tried to be discovered earlier today but it can’t be correct. I search his face for clues and settle on his blue eyes.
    ‘Who?’ I demand impatiently. The vague double-talk is beginning to wear on me, but I’m afraid to utter my suspicions.
    ‘Now’s not the time,’ he murmurs. ‘I hope you have a very good plan to get us out of here.’
    ‘I told you I didn’t,’ I snap.
    ‘Then start thinking of one,’ he says. ‘I’m sure you have more tricks up your sleeve, and I can only get us so far.’
    I lapse into silence as Erik drags me through a set of white swinging doors. We’re back in the main hall of the Coventry, and my feet catch on the thick shag carpets as he pulls me along. He leads me away from the meeting rooms, and we walk quickly towards the upper studio’s entrance. Several men in the coal-black uniform of the Guild are blocking the entrance, and as we draw closer, one holds up his hand to stop us.
    ‘This area is quarantined, sir,’ he states in a voice that’s all business.
    ‘I know,’ Erik says, pushing me forward. ‘Here’s why.’
    ‘Um, I need to check with—’
    ‘Cormac sent me for her,’ Erik informs him, ‘but go ahead and call it in. He loves waiting.’
    The guard’s eyes shift from him to me, and a chill ripples through my arms, raising goosebumps. It suddenly occurs to me that Erik might not be my friend; he might be leading me right into Cormac’s hands.
    ‘Go on up, sir,’ the guard says, stepping aside.
    I keep quiet as Erik follows me up the stairs.
    ‘Any ideas?’ he mutters as we spiral through the tower.
    I shake my head, and he moans behind me. If he is playing me, any plans I share with him could be turned against me. Not that I’ve thought of any.
    When we reach the final twist in the staircase, Erik grabs my arm and drags me into Loricel’s studio. The walls are empty without the default image shimmering on them. I keep my eyes glued to the floor, but even without looking up, I see several sets of shoes around me: perfectly shined wingtips, red satin heels, and several pairs of thick boots. Between them, knees slump against the floor.
    ‘Darling,’ Cormac says in an irritated voice. ‘So nice of you to join us.’
    I take a deep breath and lift my eyes. In the corner, Jost – fresh blood trickling