The 100 (The 100 Series) (9 page)

Glass began to smooth the sides of her wrinkled trousers self-consciously, wondering whether Luke preferred being with a girl who looked at home in these clothes. “It’s not that,” he said. “It’s your hair. Girls don’t wear it that long here.”

“Why?” she asked, realizing with a small measure of guilt that she’d never even noticed.

Luke had turned and began rummaging through a small storage bin against the wall. “Probably because it’d be too hard to take care of. We don’t get the same water allotment on Walden that you do on Phoenix.” He turned around with a look of triumph on his face and produced an ancient-looking stained cap.

Glass gave him a weak smile. “Thanks.” She took the hat from Luke, their hands brushing, and placed it on her head.

“I don’t think we’re quite there yet,” he said, surveying her with a frown. He stepped toward her and removed the hat with one hand, and with his other, reached over her shoulder to gather her hair, gently twisting it into a knot on top of her head. “There,” he said in satisfaction, placing the cap on top.

The silence stretched between them. Slowly, Luke reached up and tucked a few stray strands behind Glass’s ear. His rough fingers lingered on her neck, and he looked into her eyes, unblinking.

“Ready?” Glass asked, breaking the spell as she stepped to the side.

“Yes. Let’s go.” Luke stepped back stiffly and led her out into the hallway.

There weren’t as many circadian lights on Walden as there were on Phoenix, so although it was technically dawn, Snic"27" the corridors were mostly dark. Glass couldn’t tell where Luke was leading her, and she clenched her hands to keep herself from reaching for his.

Finally, Luke stopped in front of the faint outline of a door. He dug into his pocket, producing something Glass couldn’t see and holding it up to the scanner. The door beeped and slid open. Glass’s insides twisted as she realized that wherever Luke took her, he’d leave a trail of log-ins and access codes. She couldn’t bear to think what would happen when the Council figured out that he’d helped an escaped criminal.

But there was no other option. After she said one last good-bye to her mother, she’d wait for the guards to find her. She wouldn’t try to see Luke again. She couldn’t ask him to risk his safety for her. Not after what she’d done.

A faint light flickered wearily to life, casting a dirty, yellowish glow over machinery Glass didn’t recognize. “Where are we?” she asked, her voice echoing strangely.

“One of the old workshops. This is where they used to
repair the Earthmade equipment, before it was all replaced. I came here for some of my training.”

Glass started to ask why the guards would train here, but bit back the question. She always forgot that Luke had already started his mechanical apprenticeship when he was accepted into the engineering corps of the guards. He rarely spoke about that part of his life. Looking back, Glass was ashamed that she hadn’t tried harder to learn about Luke’s world; it was no wonder he’d turned to Camille.

Luke stood next to an enormous machine, pushing different buttons, his brow furrowed in concentration. “What is
that
?” Glass asked when it started to hum ominously.

“A laser cutter,” Luke said without glancing up.

Glass hugged her wrist protectively to her chest. “No way.”

Luke gave Glass a look that was equal parts amusement and irritation. “No arguing. The sooner we get that thing off of you, the better your chances of hiding.”

“Can’t we just figure out how to unlock it?”

Luke shook his head. “It has to be cut off.” When she didn’t move, he held out his hand with a sigh. “Come here, Glass,” he said, beckoning her over.

Glass’s feet locked into the floor. Although she’d spent the last six months imagining Luke calling to her, she’d never thought that a piece of deadly machinery would be involved. Luke raised an eyebrow. “Glass?”

Glass took a tentative step forward. It wasn’t like she had anything to lose. Better to have Luke slice her wrist off than a medic inject poison into her vein.

Luke tapped a flat surface in the middle of the machine. “Just put your hand here.” He flipped a switch and the whole machine began to vibrate.

Glass trembled as her skin made contact with the cold metal.

“It’ll be okay,” Luke said. “I promise. Just hold still.”

Glass nodded, too afraid to speak. The humming continued and was soon accompanied by a high-pitched screech.

Luke made a few more adjustments, then came to stand next to her. “Ready?”

She swallowed nervously. “Yes.”

Luke placed his left hand over her arm, and with his right, started to move another lever toward her. To her horror, she saw that it was emitting a thin Sttient thered line of light that pulsed with dangerous energy.

She started to shake, but Luke gripped her arm tighter. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “Just stay still.”

The light was getting closer. Glass could feel the heat on her skin. Luke’s face tensed with concentration, his eyes fixed on Glass’s wrist as he moved the laser steadily along.

Glass closed her eyes, bracing herself for the searing pain, the screaming of her nerves as they lost contact with her hand.

“Perfect.” Luke’s voice cut through her terror. Glass looked down and saw the bracelet had been split into two neat pieces, freeing her wrist.

She sighed, her breath ragged. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her, his hand still clutching her arm.

Neither of them spoke as they slipped out of the workshop and began to wind their way back up toward the skybridge.

“What’s wrong?” Luke whispered as he guided Glass around a corner and up another flight of stairs, narrower and darker than anything on Phoenix.

“Nothing.”

In the past, Luke would’ve reached over, taken her chin in his hand, and looked her in the eye until she giggled.
You’re a terrible liar, Rapunzel
, he’d say, a reference to the fairytale about the girl whose hair grew a foot anytime she fibbed. But this time, Glass’s lie evaporated into the air.

“So how have you been?” she asked finally, when she couldn’t bear the weight of the silence any longer.

Luke glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you know, apart from being dumped by the girl I loved and then having my best friend executed for a bullshit infraction, I’d say not too bad.”

Glass cringed as his words landed in her chest. She’d never heard that kind of bitterness in Luke’s voice before.

“But at least I had Camille.…”

Glass nodded, but as she stole a glance at Luke’s familiar profile, shards of indignation gathered, sharp and dangerous, in her mind. What did he think she had done to be Confined? Why wasn’t he more curious or surprised? Did he think she was such a terrible person that she would have committed an infraction?

Luke stopped abruptly, causing Glass to stumble into him. “Sorry,” she muttered, scrambling to regain her balance.

“Does your mother know what happened?” Luke asked, turning to face her.

“No,” Glass said. “I mean, she knew I was Confined, but she can’t have known about the Earth mission.” The Chancellor had made it clear that the operation was top secret. Their parents wouldn’t be informed until it was certain their children had survived the journey—or until the Council was sure they’d never return.

“It’s good that you’re going to see her.”

Glass said nothing. She knew he was thinking of his own mother, who’d died when he was only twelve, which was why he’d ended up living with his then-eighteen-year-old neighbor Carter.

“Yeah,” Glass said in a shaky voice. She’d been desperate to see her mother, but even without the bracelet, it wouldn’t take the guards long to find her. What was more important?
Saying good-bye? Or sparing her mother the pain of seeing her daughter being dragged away toward certain death? “We should keep Se s

They crossed the bridge in silence as Glass drank in the sight of the twinkling stars. She hadn’t realized how much she loved the view from the skybridge until she’d been locked in a tiny, windowless cell. She stole a glance at Luke, not sure whether to be hurt or relieved that he didn’t turn to look at her.

“You should go back,” Glass said as they reached the Phoenix checkpoint, which was, as Luke had promised, free of guards. “I’ll be okay.”

Luke’s jaw tightened and he gave her a bitter smile. “You’re an escaped convict, and I’m
still
not good enough to meet your mother.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, thinking of the scan trail he’d already left behind. “It’s not safe for you to help me. I can’t let you risk your life. You’ve already done so much.”

Luke took a breath as if to say something, then nodded. “Okay, then.”

She forced what she hoped was a smile, holding back tears. “Thank you for everything.”

Luke’s face softened slightly. “Good luck, Glass.” He started to lean in, and Glass couldn’t help tipping her head up, out of habit—but then he stepped back, wrenching his
eyes from her with an almost physical force. Without a word, Luke turned and moved soundlessly back the way they’d come. Glass watched him go, her lips aching for the good-bye kiss they’d never feel again.

When she reached the entrance to her flat, Glass raised her fist and tapped lightly. The door opened and Glass’s mother, Sonja, peered around it. A symphony of emotions played across her face in an instant—surprise, joy, confusion, and fear.

“Glass?” she gasped, reaching for her daughter, as if she wasn’t sure she was really there. Glass leaned gratefully into her mother’s hug, drinking in the smell of her perfume. “I thought I’d never see you again.” She gave Glass one more squeeze before pulling her inside and closing the door. Sonja stepped back and stared at her daughter. “I was just counting down the days.” Her voice faded into a whisper. “You turn eighteen in three weeks.”

Glass grabbed her mother’s clammy hand and led her to the couch. “They were going to send us to Earth,” Glass told her. “A hundred of us.” She took a deep breath. “I was supposed to be one of them.”

“Earth?” Sonja repeated slowly, holding the word almost at a distance, as if trying to get a better look. “Oh my god.”

“There was an altercation at the launch. The Chancellor…” Glass’s head swam as she recalled the scene from the launch
deck. She sent up a silent prayer that Wells was okay down there on Earth, that he was with Clarke and didn’t have to grieve alone. “In the chaos, I was able to get away,” Glass continued. The details weren’t important right now. “I just came to say I love you.”

Her mother’s eyes widened. “So that’s how the Chancellor was shot. Oh, Glass,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around her daughter.

The thud of footsteps echoed out in the hallway, and Glass flinched. She looked warily at the door before turning back to face her mother. “I can’t stay long,” she said, rising shakily to her feet.

“Wait!” Sonja jumped up and clutched Glass’s arm, pulling her back to the couch. Her fingers tightened around her wrist. “The Chancellor is on life Sr ied up ansupport, which means that Vice Chancellor Rhodes is in charge. You shouldn’t go yet.” She paused. “He has a very different approach to… governing. There’s a chance that he’ll pardon you. He can be convinced.” Sonja stood and gave Glass a smile that did little to illuminate her glistening eyes. “Just wait here.”

“Do you have to go?” Glass asked, her voice small. She couldn’t bear to say another good-bye. Not when every good-bye could be forever.

Her mother bent down and kissed Glass’s forehead. “I won’t be long.”

She watched Sonja apply a hurried layer of lipstick and slip out into the still-empty corridor, then pulled her knees into her chest and hugged them tightly, as if trying to keep everything inside her from spilling out.