Page 95 of The Amber Sunburst

“Because we’re leaving too,” Alexander yells, cutting off their complaints. “He and I. We’ve been planning for weeks.”

Everything in the room goes silent and still.

“You’re running away?” Zeno asks hesitantly.

“Technically, I’m running back.” He takes a deep breath to brace himself. They won’t trust him if he doesn’t tell them the truth; he just hopes they’ll forgive him. “I don’t… I don’t belong here, Zee. I’m from somewhere else.”

“Yeah, I know. The countryside.”

Alexander can’t help a laugh. “A little further.”

When it’s clear that no one understands what he’s saying, Alexander addresses the ceiling and continues, “I washed up on shore in a shipwreck. I’m not from the Republic. There’s more out there, beyond the walls. And I need to go home. Or, at least, get out of here.”

He doesn’t have to glance down at them to know they’re shocked silent.

“I talked to Kallias, and we decided that… Well, we needed more hands anyway. And if you guys don’t already have a plan, which I presume you don’t, you could leave with us.”

“I have money,” Ophelia says. “Lots. It’ll be helpful. So, you know, we have something to offer, too.”

Alexander smiles at her. “Nice.” Then he looks back to his two best friends. “So, what do you guys say?”

Zeno gives Alexander a you better explain this all soon look but nods tightly.

Then Eudoxia glances at Zeno, and her face breaks into a grin. “Yes.”

24

ZENO

“Whoa,” Ophelia gasps when Alexander somehow makes an extra flight of stairs appear, lit by dim torches.

Zeno and Eudoxia don’t say anything.

It’s not like that’s the craziest thing to happen today.

The three of them—Zeno, Eudoxia, and Alexander—skipped breakfast and Alexander told them the whole truth. They ended up missing History of the Republic too, and if that doesn’t show how expansive this ‘truth’ was, he doesn’t know what will.

Maybe this is strange, but Zeno really wasn’t that surprised at what Alexander told them. He’s been thinking for weeks that Alexander acts like royalty. That he’s too clueless to have ostensibly grown up in the Republic. That he’s calculating as well as charming.

Zeno listened with empathy and understanding as Alexander came clean and immediately forgave him for keeping secrets, but a part of him still feels betrayed. This guy is his friend, and it hurts to know that his friend trusts Kallias more than him.

But there’s no point in thinking like that now, he decides as they descend the secret stairs. They’re going to get out of here together, and that’s all that matters.

“You guys have got to keep this place a secret, okay? Kallias will kill us if he hears that you told anyone.” Alexander crouches in front of the door to fiddle with the lock.

“Are you sure he’s not going to kill us anyways?” Eudoxia asks. She’s been getting antsier about Kallias’ involvement all day, and at this point Zeno can feel her vibrating. He’s inclined to agree with her. Alexander is so blinded by his obvious feelings for Kallias that Zeno suspects he wouldn’t catch it if Kallias was working against them. Involving extra people also makes things more precarious.

That’s why they’ve decided to keep Arete a secret from Alexander and Kallias. It was Eudoxia’s decision—they can find a way to get her out without them knowing. Better that than telling Kallias when he’s given them no reason to trust him.

“He’s not what everyone thinks he is,” Alexander snaps when he finishes picking the lock. Eudoxia crosses her arms and squints, but even her skepticism fades once Alexander opens the door.

This is the most beautiful place in the universe. He’s convinced of it, hands down. A library. With books and books. And soft lighting. And velvet curtains tied open.

Zeno has never seen so many books in one place. Auxiliaries and Guardians aren’t supposed to engage in something so trivial as reading for pleasure, and, though his dad hoards loads of them, this library has more than he could ever dream of.

Here, there might be children’s books for Arete. There might be musical anthologies with hundreds of songs. The gentle moonlight whispers to him that there might be anything in here, the possibilities endless.

Before Zeno can run into the stacks to look, he catches sight of golden hair.