Page 108 of Ember Rising

Jeff’s grin drops away. “The rest of us aren’t like Gabriel. Sela is trying her best to get the order to release you, but there are people in leadership who think we just haven’t convinced you of the danger you’re in if you leave here by yourself. They’re telling her we have a responsibility to keep you safe.”

“Classic patriarchy propaganda.”

“With you. Anyway, we have to go.”

I eye him suspiciously. “Go where?”

“Evander’s waiting for you. He’s getting you out.”

My lips part with hope and surprise. “He is?”

“He broke a guy’s arm trying to get through your guards before Diego sedated him, so we figured it would draw attention if he came and got you.”

“Wow. Okay ...” I try to remember what all I have in my bag back in my room. “I guess I don’t need my stuff; it’s all replaceable.”

“Evander has your bag.”

Jeff inclines his head and starts walking. I follow, confused.

“How can he have my stuff?” Then it hits me. “Oh. Sela was lying when she said she was the only one other than me who could get into my room. Color me shocked.”

“No, that’s true.” Jeff studies the sky like we’re on a casual stroll. “It’s weird. Your bag just appeared outside your door, even though Sela has no idea what’s happening. She’s been in a meeting with a bunch of other people for more than an hour now.”

My brain catches up. “She knows. But she’s looking the other way.”

“No one here agrees with holding innocent people against their will. What Gabriel did to you spread around this hub like a highly communicable disease, and people were ready to riot. The ILF is like any other large group of people—we have the occasional bad apple to root out.”

I take a deep breath, hopeful for the first time since I got here.

“Will you tell Diego how much it meant to me when he came in with the chocolate? Not just because the chocolate was life-changing.”

He puts a palm over his heart and smiles warmly. “It is, isn’t it?”

“I was afraid,” I admit. “Even though I was furious with Evander, him not showing up at all made me think he might have died. He was in really bad shape when I’d last seen him. I knew he would have come to see me if he could have.”

“That man is down bad, okay?”

I laugh, amazed how quickly I went from feeling like an outcast inmate to having a conversation with someone who feels like a friend.

“I know he feels bad about not being honest with me.”

“Can I just tell you—” Jeff leans in and gives me a conspiratorial look, taking my arm. “He showed up at my door after talking to you yesterday with a plan to bring you a gun and ask you to take him hostage to escape. He was frantic—like cool, calm, and collected Evander Holt’s unhinged identical twin.”

I sigh softly. “Well, if it means that much to him, I can hold him at gunpoint.”

Jeff’s snort-laugh gives me a pang of longing for Briar. We’re out of the stadium now, and he gestures at a souped-up golf cart.

“This is our ride.”

The cart has heavy-duty tires and it’s covered in gay pride rainbow stickers, a single Detroit Lions sticker looking out of place.

“I love the cart,” I say, getting onto it.

He smiles at me from the driver’s seat. “I used to work an actual job here. But then Diego started bringing people my chocolate bars, and there was a petition to reassign me to my current position. I drive all over campus delivering chocolate and other homemade delicacies, all day every day. I’m queer Willy Wonka.”

“I love that.”

“We would’ve been friends.” He gives me a solemn look. “If you had stayed. I know you aren’t, and I’m not trying to talk you into anything, I promise. I just want you to know how sorry I am that you were treated so badly. Most of us are decent people.”