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“Any time,” called Lincoln. “We’ll see you around.”

“I can give you a tour,” said Jude. “The place is big. Everything looks the same. It’s all the same shade of gray. It’s easy to get lost.”

“I’d like that.” Octavia walked alongside Jude as they exited the vehicle bay and entered a large corridor. The floor was compacted stone and the walls had thick steel joists. She kept him on her left side, so he couldn’t see the right side of her face. She was putting off the inevitable. She’d have to reveal her scars at some point, but she wanted the illusion to last a little longer, to make him think she was beautiful.

The people who passed Jude all nodded and smiled at him. The place seemed friendly and organized. It was also warm. She’d spent too many freezing nights in her van. Heat felt like a luxury.

“When we first started this, there were less than a hundred of us here,” said Jude. “Heath began it all. He’d been unaffected by the hypnotic suggestions of the State. Similar to you, he’d sustained a head injury just before they came to power. He was in a medically induced coma when they took over. He woke up, and the world had changed. Heath didn’t like that. He came here and established a resistance movement.”

“Why weren’t you influenced?”

“I was.” Jude grimaced. “We have a device called the Jolt. It burns out the hypnotic suggestions and returns old memories. It’s not a fun thing to go through. We’re perfecting other methods that are not so brutal. Dragon hybrids use certain herbs to help restore memories. It’s a work in progress.”

“I’m glad you remember,” said Octavia. “I’d hate for you to be under the influence of the State.”

He grinned at her. “So would I, because that would make us enemies.” Jude pointed at a door. “This is our nursery.”

“You have families here?”

“Some. We rescued a group of infants who’d been experimented on by the State. They had their hybrid abilities activated while they were still young. We found them and brought them here.”

“And they’re doing well?”

“They love it here. We love having them.”

Octavia’s eyes widened as she continued to follow Jude. This place was more than she’d hoped for.

“We’ve got a training room and a weapons room to your right. Either of these corridors will take you to the living quarters. I’ll get you set up in one of those as soon as I can. Annie handles inductions for new arrivals.”

“That will be good.” Her own bed in a safe place. She couldn’t help but smile. Octavia tried to keep a mental map of where everything was as Jude continued to show her around. She was sure she would get lost.

“You’ve got the bio zone down there.” Jude pointed to the right. “We’re growing our own food and experimenting with modified crops to increase yield. It’s a great setup when you get the chance to take a look.”

“I’ll do that.” Octavia’s mouth watered at the idea of fresh food.

Jude pushed open the next door and walked through. “This is our canteen. This is where you get to eat.”

She hurried after him eagerly, the thought of food making her stomach growl.

“Go take a seat,” said Jude. “Is there anything in particular you’d like?”

“So long as it’s not cold and isn’t beans, I’m not fussy.”

He smiled at her before walking to an open serving area, where platters of food were set out alongside a row of white mugs.

Octavia watched as Jude chatted to the attractive brunette behind the counter. They seemed to share a joke and laughed together.

She was surprised to feel a stir of jealousy. Jude wasn’t hers. She had no claim over him. He could flirt with anyone he wanted to.

Tearing her gaze from his broad shoulders and the tight fit of his combat pants, she selected a table in the corner. It would be quiet here and they could talk without being disturbed.

Adjusting her scarf, she tilted the baseball cap and tucked her hair across her cheek. It probably looked strange, but if she sat at the right angle, Jude wouldn’t notice anything was wrong.

She raised her hand as she saw Jude turn, a tray full of food in his hands. He nodded at her and walked over, placing the tray in front of her.

Octavia licked her lips as she stared at the food. There was bread, apples, what smelled like coffee in the mugs, and a rich-looking slice of fruitcake.

She looked up as Jude chuckled as he sat next to her.