I set my jaw and pressed my lips into a thin line when my father's thought crossed my mind. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention, but I didn't say a word to the man that I called my father while I looked at the young man that I had been set up with as a partner.

Timothy frowned and furrowed his brows, and a look of concern flashed through his eyes. "Joy?" he asked and cocked head to the side while he studied me with something in his eyes I couldn't describe that replaced the concern in an instant. "What is it? What's wrong? Are you ok?"

He hesitated before he stopped in front of me, and I held back an eye roll while I stopped in front of him before I ran into him, knowing full well that he wouldn't let me pass until we were finished talking about whatever it was he wanted to talk about. "What did he want? Or, well, what does he want you to do? Is it something dangerous?"

I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head, pursing my lips in annoyance. "He wants us to stop by the armory before we collect the kids," I replied coldly. "There is some armor in there that is supposed to be able to protect me from whatever we have to face in both this form and then the other form I possess."

Timothy frowned and furrowed his brows closer together, and a look of concern flashed across his face. "That's good, right?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me, and the frown grew larger. "I mean, it means that he cares about you."

I bit back a small scoff and rolled my eyes, pursing my lips in annoyance. "It doesn't mean a damn thing." I folded my arms across my chest and set my jaw, and I could feel my father cringe with guilt and shame. "It doesn't change everything that has happened to me."

"But he helped make sure that you stayed alive," he said and furrowed his brows. He looked around before he looked at me, raising an eyebrow in question. "Right?" He cocked his head and studied me with a small frown on his face and lips pressed into a thin line. "I mean, he gave you to the Committee so that you can grow up with at least a "normal" life and not live in the jail cell that you have lived in for however long you had been in it. You wouldn't be with us if it wasn't for him."

"I know," I said and set my jaw tighter until it started to quiver, and a wave of emotion washed over me. I hugged my gun tighter to me and bit back a small gulp. "And I was five when I had been taken from here and placed with the Committee."

Timothy bit back a small hum and slowly nodded without saying a word. A look of worry flashed across his face, and a trace of sadness flashed through his eyes when a thought crossed his mind that I didn't care for.

I didn't answer the look in his eyes and bit back a tired sigh. Which way is the armory, Your Highness? I asked, ignoring the guilt that I felt from my father. Like you said, we need to get it before we collect the kids. I cleared my throat and licked my lips, growing hesitant. Will it scare them?

I do not think that it will scare them, my father said and bit back a tired sigh. He cleared his throat while he grew serious, and I had a feeling that he stood taller while he shifted on his feet. Now, how much do you trust me?

As far as I can throw you, Your Highness, I replied sarcastically and pursed my lips in annoyance while I narrowed my eyes. Why?

My father bit back a small chuckle and bowed his head as if he had expected me to say that, and he didn't seem to be upset about it at all. I can lead you there without having to do anything to you, if you would allow me, he said.

"He helped you gain a new family," Timothy said, his voice barely above a whisper, and I slowly blinked and set my jaw while I stared at him, biting back a small snort and holding an eye roll.

Ya, right...

Timothy sighed, shook his head, and rolled his eyes while he a hand through his hair and pursed his lips in annoyance. "I mean, you have a family with the Committee, and you have a place to live, too."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowled, grabbing my gun tighter before I gestured toward the way that we were going. "Let's go ahead and start walking again, Copeland," I said coldly, not answering his comment. "I do not know why you have decided to start this now."

Timothy shrugged and looked at me nonchalantly. He gestured for me to start walking in a different direction, and I held back an eye roll while I pressed my lips into a thin line and started to walk while he followed me. "Now, say something about what I had just said with the Committee, Neeley. He did give you a family."

I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Most of them do not like me," I said coldly. "Hell, I don't even care about everyone with the Committee anyway, even though I will protect them with my life."

Timothy snorted and bit back a small smile. He looked this way and that before he looked at me with a small smirk on his face, even though I could sense this hesitance coming from him as if he was afraid of what my answer would be. "Come on, now, there has to be some people that you care about. You should be able to name them."

I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes, pursing my lips in annoyance but silently agreeing with him because there were a few people that I cared about living with the Committee. "Fine," I said and cleared my throat while I tapped my finger on my gun, glancing this way and that before I looked at him. "The only people that I care about are Briggs, Dr. Peters, Morph, a-"

"And me?" Timothy asked and nudged my arm with his elbow. He gave me a small smile and tucked his head closer to his chest. "I mean. You care about me, right?" He raised an eyebrow in question and studied me with a look of nervousness in his eyes.

Yes...

I didn't say a word and pressed my lips into a thin line, and my father bit back an amused chuckle. My cheeks turned a little red, but I made sure to keep my face as neutral as possible because I didn't want Timothy to know how much I did care about him.

However, it seemed like he knew something because he looked at me with another cheeky grin on his face, and he cocked his head to the side. "Well?" he asked and studied me before he narrowed his eyes playfully. "What's with the blush, Neeley? Did something I say make you blush?"

"Shut up," I grumbled, pursing my lips in annoyance. "That is nothing."

"Mmmhmm, sure," Timothy replied, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "What does it mean?"

Well? my father asked and mentally raised an eyebrow in question, and I could hear the amusement in his voice. Do you mind if I show you where to go? I promise that I will not do anything to harm you or your friend.

Comrade, Your Highness, I replied curtly. He is a comrade, not my friend.

Mmmhmm, my father said and bit back a small chuckle.

I bit back an annoyed sigh before I shook my head, pursing my lips in annoyance. But what did you want to do, Sir? I asked, changing the subject, and my father chuckled.

My father cleared his throat to hide a chuckle and mentally nodded. I know that you said that you didn't trust me that much, but I hope that you trust me enough for me to do this. He paused and bit back a tired sigh. You should also know that I will not do anything to hurt you.

I bit back a tired sigh and mentally nodded because I knew that he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, even though he didn't know me at all. I know, Your Highness, I said, and I trust you enough to do this. I do not know what you want to do, but I know that you will not do anything to hurt me.

My father breathed a small sigh of relief, and I could feel this sense of relief washing over him as if the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders as soon as I told him that I trusted him to do this and that he wouldn't do anything to hurt me.

Ok, he said before he cleared his throat. Then I am going to need you to stop and close your eyes. Let your friend know that I had told you to do that so that he doesn't freak out and become overly protective of you. Ok?

I rolled my eyes and mentally nodded. "His Highness wants us to stop for a second," I said, and Timothy instantly stopped and turned to look at me, expectantly, and I couldn't help but stop too. "Copeland," I warned, narrowing my eyes, and Timothy gave me a cheeky grin and shrugged.

"What else did he want you to do?" he asked before he cocked his head to the side while he studied me. "Also, are you going to answer my question about the blush? Or you can answer my question when I asked if you cared about me?"

"He wants me to close my eyes and then he will do something to help us get to the armory," I said and shrugged, pressing my lips into a thin line. "However, that is all I am going to say about it because I have no idea what he is wanting to do."

"But what about me?" Timothy asked, with a small frown on his face. Amusement flashed through his eyes, and he studied me with a playful look while he cocked his head and studied me. "Please? Can you answer that question?"

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded. "Yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, praying that I wasn't going to do anything stupid while I answered his question about me caring about him. "I care about you, too. Now, shut up so that I can focus on what the prince wants me to do. We're running out of time."

Even though time seemed to feel slower than normal, and I didn't know why...