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Talk to me.”
    He doesn’t stir, and again I wonder what they’re doing to him to make him so disoriented. “Jackson, wake up,” I say a little louder, ignoring the calls from some of the other prisoners to help them, release them. Right now, I can’t do anything, focus on anything but the broken boy before me.
    “Jackson.”
    Finally, as though the word held the weight of a punch, he startles awake, his eyes everywhere, frantic, and then they land on me, and a breath releases from his lungs, all the love he has for me pouring out of him.
    “Ari?”
    My throat closes up as I reach out, desperate to feel him, and he does the same, only to have a shock rock through him when he touches the bars, his teeth gritting together as his body shakes, landing him back hard against his bed. Tears rush down my face as I watch him tense in pain. Finally the tremor stops and I step away, afraid I set something off. Though why didn’t it shock me?
    “Are you okay? What happened?” But he isn’t moving now. “Jackson? Jackson!”
    “He is surrounded by an electrical field.”
    I release a slow breath and turn to see Kelvin a few feet away, his arms crossed, two Ops at his sides. I’d been so distracted I didn’t even hear them approach. “He’s unconscious now.”
    I start for him before logic overcomes my nerve. There are only three of them—I can kill them all and free everyone in these cells before anyone comes down here. But then what? I still won’t have any answers at all. The Ops step in front of Kelvin, but he only laughs, his eyes daring me to act. I can see it in his face—he wants me to attack him. He wants to test me, to see if I am as reckless as he thinks I am. After a moment, he cocks his head, a smile still on his face. “No need. She isn’t foolish enough to attack. Especially since I have Operatives manning her parents’ room, ordered to shoot them should I give the order. They are listening in to this conversation now. One word, and they are gone. Would you sacrifice your parents for this boy?”
    Rage rockets through me, my hands shaking from the effort to not Take him. I could. I could suck the very life out of him right this second. “Release him.”
    Kelvin tilts his head again, considering, then focuses again on me. “I think not. I think you have information I need. Or perhaps he holds the information, but either way, one of you is going to tell me what I need to know.”
    “We don’t know anything! Why can’t you see that? Only Zeus knows his plan.”
    “Maybe.”
    “You aren’t listening. Or perhaps you really are this delusional. Zeus is the Ancient leader, and he intends to attack Earth. Why would he tell us anything?”
    Kelvin takes a step. “Silly girl. I don’t think he would intentionally reveal his plan to you. I think he would slip. Say something that could be valuable to us. Or perhaps you were too distracted by romantic interests to pay attention.”
    I jerk upright at the accusation, but I can feel his words down to the bone. Had I focused so much on Jackson that I’d ignored other things? Would I have seen Lydian for the traitor she was? Would I have caught Zeus before he escaped? I’ll never know. My gaze travels down the hall before returning to Kelvin. “Why are these people down here?”
    Kelvin’s expression shifts to hate. “They aren’t people. They are Ancients. All of the RESs. I won’t allow a militant Ancient to be released in the Underground.”
    “Then why am I not down here?”
    “Who’s to say you weren’t at one time?” He turns to the Op on his left. “Bring Mr. Castello to the holding room for questioning.” Then to the other he says, “Take her to the interrogation room. We’ll begin early today.” Kelvin turns and walks away, and everything in me wants to scream at him to tell me what’s going on, tell me what he wants from us. But then the Op is inside Jackson’s cell, kicking his leg to try to wake him, the other is holding a gun