The Fence

Chapter 25: Plan

I don't understand why I'm so shocked.

Demi being a yukos isn't that big of a shock. It's not something I saw coming, but it's not something I didn't see coming. I wish I had put two and two together. I paid attention to the signs, but I never connected anything. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't be so mad at myself right now.

It was so obvious now, but none of us had seen it.

"Nixon, how can you tell?" Donte asks, his brow furrowed in concern.

"A yukos can tell another yukos apart from a human," he answers, and it sounds like he's calling us dumb without saying the words. "I mean, her diamond is right behind her ear. Have you ever met another human with her color eyes?" Nixon's eyes dart from person to person, staring at us like we're stupid. "Did you really not know?"

"I've never heard of a yukos having an unusual eye color," I murmur, staring at my lap. "I thought they were contacts."

"I feel like an idiot!" Val mutters. "I had that lesson when I first got here! I should have seen it!"

"No," I say. "Like Grey said, there's no technology that tells us whether someone is a yukos or not. We never saw her diamond."

"She probably used concealer," Val adds, her eyes bolting to Nixon. "Just like I did."

I stand up, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "None of us saw it." I pause once I reach the door, feeling tired and ready to fall asleep forever. When my hand rests on the doorknob, I suck in a breath. "None of us saw it except for Grey." I don't wait for Donte or Val to answer, and I definitely don't wait for them to stop me. I rush down the hallway, ignoring the snail speed elevator and taking the stairs instead.

hurry to the Bottom Floor, where I had last seen Grey. I clear my mind of thoughts that didn't matter at this moment and instead fill my head with pictures of Grey's face. I have to find him.

Once I reach the Bottom Floor, I realize that the area is only illuminated by flashing purple, green, and blue lights. Since this was the recreational floor, it was more club like than anything I've ever seen, and quite unlike how it was just half an hour ago. Music blasts in my ears as I ask the bartender if she'd seen Grey.

"Not since you were last here with him, Hon," she slurs. I can tell she's stolen some alcohol from behind the bar. "You wanna drink, Sweetie?"

I hold up my hand. "No."

"You sure? It's good stuff."

"I'm sure it is," I snap. I scan the room for Grey's midnight hair and monolith eyes. Finally, after what seems like forever, I spot him. He's talking amongst Luci's mentor, Axel, and Rin. I don't bother introducing myself and instead yank Grey away from his group by his arm, so quickly that his fellow mentors look around to see where he'd disappeared to. Grey stares down at me in shock before glaring at me with heat.

"What the heck, Marcus?" His voice is so sharp that I almost flinch. "I was talking with some other mentors!"

"Yeah, I know," I growl in return. He seems taken aback by my coldness. "You weren't supposed to be having a chat with your friends. You were supposed to be discussing Luci's transfer with Donte."

"We may be getting along better now," Grey mutters. "But that doesn't mean you have the right to rip me away from my conversations."

"Guess who walked in when I went looking for you," I snap, completely ignoring his comment. "Demi."

Grey hides the panic on his face well, but I know him well enough that I can see through his facade. "Apparently Demi already knew about Nixon. So you told her? You told the girl you hate?"