The Real Ram

Chapter 62

As we start running down the hallways I notice something. My dad is right, all the cells are empty. We finally reach the hallway Beast would be in, but I find it dreadfully silent. I run to the cell we were in, but it's dark and empty.

"No," I hit the bars. "No!"

"Zoe," Jack starts but I cut him off.

"He can't be too far. Where are they taking them anyways?" I ask Aspen. "Raven isn't leaving the compound with their prisoners right?"

"No," he pauses and I know he doesn't want to tell me his idea of what Raven does but he sighs and says, "As far as I can tell, Raven is taking their abilities within the compound and disposing of the bodies somewhere else."

"So if Beast isn't in here, then he might already by on his way to his death?" Reluctantly, Aspen nods. I start to pace in front of the cell. Jack tries to stop me but I pull away. "He was right here," I say. "If I hadn't been so...I wouldn't have missed him."

"We may still have time," Aspen says. "If we can catch them before they can take his ability, we may be able to ambush their system and save Beast."

"What about Trish and Shawn then?" I ask. "What about Nix or my cousin Maud or Jack's friends or—"

Aspen cuts me off, "Last I heard Nix was safe. She was off with John to find your mother, then they were planning to go find Trish and Shawn. I got Maud out once I found him. He's currently on his way to somewhere far from here. And as for Jack's friends..."

"There always has to be some sacrifices, right?" Jack says.

I look at him knowing he's lost so much. He never really had a family, that's why he couldn't understand friendship here. He never really had respect here, so he never felt like giving it out. He could never accept himself, that's why he hated me. He never felt accepted, that's why he envied me. But now look at him. He's done so much for me, for my friends. He's watched me break down before, he's been there when I was figuring things out with my mom's journal and he is here now. He's sacrificed the most, and it's all been for me...

My father seems to know what I'm thinking, because he says softly, "Come on, Zoey. There's no time to waste."

"Where would they have taken Beast?" Jack asks.

"To Kian. He's been channeling this...being," Aspen pauses.

"The black mist?" I ask.

He nods, "It's attacked you, I'm sure your aware. I don't know where it came from, but it's been able to get on Kian's side and together they've created an entire inner circle of the leaders of all the major compounds. Frawn and Red have given up their people, and now Omega is in the same process."

"What about Shadow?"

"That's another thing to discuss. Come on now we have to get back to Kian."

"Aspen," I stop him, "Whatever they do to drain an ability, it didn't work on me."

"I know," he says not even surprised.

"Why not?"

"We don't have time for this," Aspen emphasizes. "We have to get your friend and then leave this place."

"Hey," I stop him again from walking on. He stays in place and I ask him, "Why didn't it work?"

He takes in a breath and asks, "What did Maud tell you?"

"He told me the Shadows got invaded and they were killed if they didn't follow Star's new rules."

He shakes his head lightly, "I guess he got out early then."