The Escape by Teyla Branton Page B

their genealogy records too far back for you to trace and set their family on the political trail in the hope they would someday come to power. Either that or they’ve figured out a way to create new Unbounded.”
    Stella shook her head. “Not necessarily. If the Manns underwent fertility, the Emporium could have tampered with the sperm.”
    “You have a point.” That was how I’d become Unbounded. My brother, too, though he was still unaware of it.
    “They could have also killed the real Patrick Mann and had someone take his place,” Jace put in.
    “Uh, his parents probably would have noticed that.” I took my hand from the blanket over my wound long enough to knead a pounding in my left temple. “Even if the Emporium had a sensing Unbounded remove memories of Patrick when the Manns were unconscious, they couldn’t cover a lifetime of memory gaps. And there’s nothing in his parents’ minds that doubts Patrick’s identity.”
    Stella’s attention wandered back to the screen. “I’m going to keep looking, but if it turns out the Emporium has figured out a way to create new Unbounded, or to impregnate women in prominent political families, Patrick Mann might not be the only one we need to find. Hopefully by the time Ava gets here with Tenika, we can come up with some idea as to what we should do next.”
    That’s right. I vaguely remembered Stella saying something earlier about Ava bringing the leader of the New York Renegades back with her. I rubbed my face, feeling cold despite the blanket.
    Stella looked up at the door, though I hadn’t heard or felt anyone coming. “Ah, there you are, Ritter,” she said. “How’s Keene?”
    “Good, now that Dimitri’s given him the antidote for the poison that was on the knife.”
    “Stinking Emporium bastards,” Jace muttered.
    Stella cocked her head in apparent interest. “Was it one of the poisons I found listed on the thumb drive?”
    “Yes. Lucky for Keene we already had the antidote.” Ritter came around beside me and pulled out a chair, placing a syringe with a needle on the table, followed by a mound of gauze and a roll of medical tape. He reached for my blanket, but I pulled back so he couldn’t take it away.
    “Hey, it’s cold in here.”
    “No, it’s not.” He tugged off the blanket, his eyes going to my wound.
    Odd that it was still drizzling blood.
    “See that green tinge around the edges?” Ritter asked. “That’s from the poison. Not something that would kill you, of course, but it’s going to prevent healing for a good long time. Fortunately, we have something better than an antidote.” He mopped up the wet blood and began injecting the clear substance we called curequick, a sugar-based substance containing proteins reduced to their most usable form, which sped up even our accelerated healing by as much as five times. Eight different injections went into my flesh around the slash that looked more gruesome than I remembered at the hotel. His hands were gentle, but the needle felt like fire.
    “You should give her the antidote as well,” Jace said, coming over to watch.
    “It’s mixed in.” Ritter finished and mopped up more blood before taping a patch of gauze over the wound. “You should be feeling better in a bit.”
    “Why don’t we get you upstairs to change before Ava arrives?” Stella removed her headset and placed it on the table. The numerous metal protrusions on the bottom and inside, usually hidden by her smooth dark hair, gleamed brightly under the light.
    “I’ll take her.” Ritter stood, looking far taller than I recalled. And why had he suddenly started swaying back and forth?
    “Good idea.” There was laughter in Stella’s voice. “She looks like she might pass out.”
    Ritter leaned over. “Want me to carry you?”
    “I’m fine.” I stood, my scowl daring Ritter to try.
    “I can see that.” His eyes traveled down the length of my body and the scrap of red that hugged my breasts and waist like a