The Sowing

She taps a few keys on a control panel and the screen dominating the chamber flickers on. Half of it displays images of the five Recruits: Cage, Drusilla, Boaz, Crowley, and Preshea. The other half is a blur of shuffling images moving faster and faster, racing to catch up to the rhythm of my heartbeat.

The first of the Incentive images freezes, then slides into the slot next to Preshea’s image.

It’s Rodrigo.

Then Dahlia’s image appears and moves into place besides Crowley’s.

A few seconds later, Leander’s face takes it’s place besides Boaz’s.

Just two more. Arrah and me.

Faces slide across the screen, right in between Cage and Drusilla, hesitating for an instant—and then my image glides into place besides Cage, the one rebel I personally betrayed. The Recruit who I’m sure would be more determined than any of the others to make me pay for what I did.

Arrah buries her face in her hands as her image connects to Drusilla’s. I’d experienced that same feeling when Cassius informed me that my new second Incentive—replacing Mrs. Bledsoe—was Digory.

Of course, the Establishment has planned these pairings for maximum effect. We’re all just pawns in a game for their twisted amusement.

“And there you have it,” Slade hisses. Her eyes fix on me and her tongue darts across her lips. “This should make for the most intriguing Trials ever to take place.” She motions to the guards. “Make sure our Incentives here are nice and comfortable, regardless of the length of their stay.”

———

“C’mon! C’mon!” one of the Imps barks from behind.

A squad of Imposers herds all the Incentives single-file off the sub. From there we exit the docking bay and pass through an aircraft hangar, heading into a section of Infiernos I’ve never seen before. With the muzzles of Imps’ guns pointed at our backs the entire way, we trudge over a narrow underground gangway. We’ve been placed in alternating order—each former-trainee Incentive followed by a family-member Incentive. Cage’s other Incentive and I are at the end of the line.

I’d expected Cage’s other Incentive to be Jeptha. A logical choice. After all, not only is he Cage’s father, but he’s also a member of the rebellion. But instead I’m unsettled to find myself teamed up with a teenage girl, maybe a year or two younger than me. From the color of her hair and tear-soaked eyes to her facial features, it’s obvious she and Cage are related. His younger sister, I’d bet.

Even if Cage didn’t already have reason to want me dead, I’m sure he’ll do anything to protect his sibling.

After all, I did.

Hopefully that blood bond will translate into logical thinking and he’ll put aside any possible thoughts of throwing a Trial just to get his revenge on me. The sooner disposes of me, the closer he brings his sister to death. And the longer he avoids getting the lowest score on a trial, the longer I have to plan my escape.

The girl’s foot collides with the back of mine and she gasps. I turn just in time to see her teetering over the edge of the gangway, and I grab onto her.

For a few seconds, I’m staring into the abyss below, a landscape of twisting machinery and pipes extending hundreds of feet, flowing through and around the natural rock formations. I hold on tight as I pull her up, just as much to make sure I don’t go over myself.

“Thanks,” she half-sobs into my shoulder, her arms noosed around my waist.

I wonder if she knows that I’m the one responsible for what’s happened to her brother, and for what’s about to happen to her.

A dark caul descends over us.

Slade.

She leers at us like she’s stepped in shit. “Spark! Of course you’d be the reason for the delay!”

I untangle myself from the girl and carefully rotate on the walkway so that she’s now behind me, away from the sergeant. “She tripped and almost—”

The snout of Slade’s gun shoves into my gut. Sparks of pain rip through me as if I’ve been stung with a cattle prod.

I double over, trying to snag a breath, wiping the blurry moisture from my eyes.

“I’m not interested in your pathetic excuses.” Slade grips me by the hair and pulls me to my feet. Her eyes glance at the chasm, then back to me.

I take a deep breath. I can’t make my move.

Yet.

When I look around, I catch a glimpse of the others staring at me. Arrah’s face is cold, impassive. She’d probably push me over herself if she could.

Guess she’ll have to wait her turn, in line along with everyone else.

I focus on the back of the person ahead of me as the queue continues moving forward.

We reach two massive gleaming doors on the far side of the gorge. They rumble open.

“Welcome to Purgatorium!” the Imposer at the head of the line grunts as we follow him through.

The massive cavern we enter resembles the insides of a behemoth’s rib cage. Bonelike support braces made of metal are spaced a few feet apart. They curve up the walls and fuse at the ceiling. Between each rib is a small, transparent cubicle with barely enough room for two bunks.

Holding cells.