Read Exiled: Kenly's Story (A Talented Novel) for Free Online

entirely
uncaring, and unfeeling. Her bottom line was keeping governments
happy, not watching out for the Talents she was supposed to be
protecting.
    “ Thanks to the courage and
hard work of UNITED’s Manhattan Team 2, all of the culprits have
been apprehended. Not a single one is at-large. And this I promise
you: they will be dealt with both swiftly and justly.”
    My heart sank. It was political jargon for
executed. My earlier anger over Alana’s stupidity turned to deep
heartache. She was my best friend. Only she and Francie had made my
time at the McDonough School fun. Only the two of them had remained
after my supposed-mentor became a traitor. The three of us had
banded together when the world began falling apart, promising to
stay strong, do the right thing and, above all, watch out for each
other. But I wasn’t there for Alana.
    Truth be told, after I’d gotten over my
original reluctance, I’d spent the last weeks obsessively checking
for both her and Francie’s names among the casualties from the
battle in D.C. Neither one had shown up in the long lists online
and in the world newspapers. After the first few days of searching,
I’d allowed myself to hope. I’d hoped they were alive, hoped they
were hiding, like me, and that someday soon we would be reunited.
At this point, it might’ve been better if Alana’s name had been
listed, after all. I couldn’t imagine what was happening to her now
that UNITED had her in their clutches.
    As if my thought had spanned the distance,
Walburton finished her sentence—she was still talking about how
great the UNITED agents were, shamelessly self-promoting—and nodded
to someone off-camera. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes
bugged out of my face. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
    A line of ten slumped forms
emerged from the double doors of the building. Nice tactical move , I thought
grudgingly. Though my heart was breaking, my brain couldn’t help
but acknowledge Walburton’s genius. Showing the culprits yielding
to the Councilwoman and her UNITED operatives reinforced to the
viewers that the situation was under control. Parading the rebels
for the camera also sent a message to anyone else with similar
ideas. The meaning transcended the ocean that separated our
physical locations: Do not try it. You will not succeed.
    Tears sprang to my eyes, and I couldn’t help
myself as they spilled down my cheeks. I gently touched a face on
the screen, of a girl near the center of the line. The Councilwoman
droned on about her plans, but I no longer heard her words. The
girl’s chin rested on her chest, as though her neck could no longer
support the weight of her head. Her lithe body drooped as if it had
wilted entirely. Without the UNITED agents standing on either side
of her, their arms looped through hers, the girl probably would’ve
collapsed completely. But worse than all of that…when she lifted
her head just slightly and opened her eyes, I saw a girl whose
spirit had been crushed. The beautiful strong warrior who’d been my
best friend, she’d been broken. I couldn’t stop the sob rising up
in my throat, and I shook as tears racked my body.
    I couldn’t stand seeing her like that. Alana
may have gone about it all wrong, but she’d had the best, truest of
intentions. She’d been trying to honor the Director, the man who’d
given us a home and a purpose, who’d supported us, and defended all
Talents. He’d died trying to fulfill the vision he’d had for the
future. Where everyone who wanted to could be Talented. A world
where we were no longer freaks but embraced and applauded for our
special gifts. And now Alana and the rest of the Created on stage
would be giving their lives for that vision, as well. It was noble,
but I longed to reach through the screen and pull Alana through to
me, to save her. Watching the scene in New York, one thing was
painfully clear: they wouldn’t be saving themselves.
    In addition to the two UNITED