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Sylas picks up a can of food and shakes it "They say they’re out of food, but only because they’re too scared to look for it"

"That’s not all they’re afraid of" I inch closer to hiet to the cave, thethis with me because…"

"Because I need your help with so"

He considers this with amusement "And you think I’d help you because…"

My hand twitches, thinking of the days when I didn’t have to ask for help "Because I asked you nicely"

He presses back a grin and chucks the can of food to the side "Well, I’s just because so enough that if I refused, you could make me do it"

"You are such a--"

He covers er "I’ll make you a deal Proure out whatand then I’ll help you" He drops his hand

"And what about rit my teeth "The one’s Aiden has are the iet them without Ryder’s help"

"Leave Ryder tosmile

I don’t ask him what his plan is because I don’t want to know I proceed past the silver-laced water that blocks the pipe to the underground hideout I breeze by it, but so pulls me back

"What’s up?" Sylas is by o in?"

Most of the water has evaporated, but a shallow pool still touches the pipe "The water’s laced with silver"

He shrugs "And your point is…"

"You can’t go in" I hover at the shore of the water "But this is where Dominic lived and I never did search it s"

"But what’s your sudden interest in Dominic?"

"I just wonder why he would do it Why he would turn over everyone to the Highers so he could go back to The Colony? Besides, he worked with Monarch and knew about the experi in there that could lead us to the truth Maybe he has soes"

"What would that old man know that could possibly be important? All he did was sit here and tell people what to do"

"He had a Higher in there," I tell hiainst it to find out if I was one"

"He had a Higher?" he asks "What, like as a pet or soher that still had hu to save the world"

Sylas runs his tongue along his teeth "And what happened to this Higher? Did you kill it?"

"A Higher can only be killed by another Higher"

"I know" A pause "So did you kill it?"

"He killed himself" I wade into the water and stop when it hits my knees "Have you ever been in here before?"

He stares blankly at , I put the needle in ed"

"That quick huh?" The water soaks higher on my jeans

"I didn’t have a choice," he says, watching me become drenched in the silver-laced water "Aiden wasn’t the only one Monarchabout it--I chose to live" Before I can respond, he takes a giant leap and flies over the water, arriving in a crouch on the pipe

"You know there’s water running down that pipe right?" I stride further into the water and peer down the dark pipe There’s a thin strea to the bottom "How intolerant to silver are you exactly?"

Sylas gets on his hands and knees, and drops his head down into the pipe "I’ll be fine" Then, like a lizard, he shi onto the roof, he scuttles down Dressed in black, he blends with the dark

"You ive out instantly and I fall on ainst the metal The wet surface carries me down to the pool of water at the end, which inds like a drain and is cluttered with leaves, dirt, cacti, and blood

Sylas ht as I’e in the water He swerves me around until my feet touch the platform

"You okay?" he cocks an eyebrow atthe botto his rock hard sto’s erratic I furrowmy hands

"I’m fine," I say defensively "Are you okay?"

"Absolutely" He turns to the barred door with no handle

"It’s a one way door" I runthe outline of the door "Who the hell shut this?"

Clasping the knife, Sylas puts his ear to the door, listening for noise

"Hear anything" I press my own ear to the door "It sounds quiet to me"