Prologue

The moment I stepped through the door, the familiar scent wrapped around me, soothing me like it always did. The smell of dust and mustiness was the reason most stayed out of the library, which made it my favorite place. PARA acted as if this place didn't exist, and they barely kept up with their daily checks like they did with every other building.

"Good afternoon, Kali."

I lifted my head, giving Asami a wide smile. Her silky black hair framed her face, hanging just past her shoulders. In the years since I'd met her, more silver strands had appeared in her hair, but I'd never asked her age. She'd confided in me that she was married for ten years before she lost her husband during the war. She was always happy to see me, but the pain never seemed to leave her brown eyes.

"Hi, Asami," I said in a soft voice. We spoke in whispers, even though no one else was in here. "I've missed you."

She rose from her chair behind the old wooden desk stacked with random books and papers. The library was one small room, and at first glance, the entire space seemed crowded and unorganized. But after coming in here for years, I'd learned that Asami had her reasons. It was just another way to keep PARA out. There was one narrow pathway throughout the stacks of books, and one wrong move could have them falling. This place was forgotten about, even by the city, leaving Asami alone like she wanted.

"It's good to see you." She expertly weaved around the towering books to give me a tight hug. "You've been busy lately."

Guilt slithered around my heart and squeezed. Most of my time had been spent with Helena and Warner. One of the men who helped us since we were younger, Tim, was teaching us how to survive. He had told us we needed to learn how to fight. I had a feeling there was a much larger reason for his attention, and he'd made it clear he wasn't going to explain anything until we were older.

"School has been hard," I said lamely, knowing immediately that she wouldn't believe me. Whenever stress ate at me, the library was where I came to escape. "There's just been a lot going on."

She pulled back, her hands staying on my shoulders as she studied my expression carefully. "You know I'm always here if you need anything."

Warmth spread through me. Asami was always so sweet, and I felt terrible for keeping secrets from her. But Tim had made me swear not to breathe a word to anyone about the things he was training us in.

"I know," I whispered. "Things are just different now."

"I've seen you with Tim and Jill," she murmured under her breath. "Please be careful, Kali. You're not a child anymore, not in this life. I don't want to see you get hurt."

My stomach somersaulted, and I swallowed thickly, not trusting my voice. Asami was quiet. Always listening and watching, seeing things others ignored.

She bit her lip, nervousness flashing in her eyes before she grabbed my wrist, tugging me toward the back of the room.

"Asami, what are you doing?—"

"I know you won't be coming in as much," she cut me off gently. "And I've been struggling with this for the last year. But it's time."

I frowned when we stopped near the back wall. "Time for what?"

"Do you remember what I told you?" she asked, her eyes darting toward the entrance, as if making sure we were still alone. "About them burning books?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes…that when the war ended, PARA destroyed literature that they deemed dangerous."

"So many youths do not know how the world was before the war." Her voice took on a frantic edge. "PARA wants the old world forgotten so they can keep their power. And they're getting what they want."

"You've told me stories about how it was before," I said, still not understanding where she was taking this.

"It's not enough. I want to share something with you. But you have to swear not to tell a soul. Not even your best friends."

I licked my lips. "You're scaring me, Asami."

"Please, Kali." Her hands cupped my face. "I trust you. Only you. And I need someone to carry on what I've been doing."

"I'll do anything you need," I answered. "I can keep a secret."

"If Tim and Jill keep up what they're doing, this can help you in the future." Her statement made me wonder how much she really knew. "Only tell them when it's needed."

Confusion swamped me, but I didn't say a word when she turned away and crouched down. She quickly moved two stacks of books and peeled back an old blue rug, revealing the worn wooden floor. She stuck two fingers into a wide groove, and I sucked in a breath when she pulled the wooden plank up. Below it was a small handle attached to what looked like a hatch door.

"No one else knows about this," she said in a low voice as she removed more planks until the hatch was fully visible. "Only you."

"I won't say anything," I promised.

"Can you go lock the front door?"

I scurried away, making sure not to bump into any books as I got to the front. I quickly flipped the lock before heading back to where Asami had opened up the secret door. She lowered herself into the dark hole, and I didn't hesitate to follow her. There wasn't a bone in my body that didn't trust her.

"Close the hatch," she instructed from below me.

I did what she said as I lowered myself down the ladder, apprehension sliding through me from not being able to see anything. My fingers gripped the metal ladder tightly as I slowly moved downward until my feet hit the solid floor. The air was cold, making goose bumps run across my skin.

"Hold on," Asami muttered. I heard her fumbling in the dark for a few moments before a flashlight beam sliced through the darkness. I stayed near the ladder, watching her grab a lantern from a small shelf and turn it on.

My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings. The room was as large as the one above us, but there were more books crammed into the space than I imagined possible. The walls weren't even visible because of how high the books were stacked. In one corner, there were boxes labeled newspapers. The only free space was in the center, and I stepped forward, reading the spines of the books closest to me.

"These are books PARA wants destroyed," she explained tightly.

"You're hiding them," I said in shock. "Asami, if they find out what you're doing, they'll kill you."

"I know."

"Why are you showing me?" I asked in a small voice.

"Because I won't always be here, and I need someone to carry on what I started."

"What you started?" I repeated, my eyes glued to the books.

"I want you to know everything," she said, grabbing a thick book and handing it to me. "Some of these are nonfiction—history. How civilians fought back against dictatorship. Others are stories of fiction. Ones of hope and love. Something PARA has tried to smother out. I can only tell you so many stories of my own happiness. These books…they'll show you why life can be worth living, not just surviving. It will give you inspiration."

I stared at the cover of the book she gave to me. "Inspiration for what?"

"To fix this cruel world. When the time comes—when people realize PARA will never stop and things will only get worse—there needs to be whispers of how good life was." A tear trailed down her cheek. "There needs to be hope. Because an uprising will happen."

My heart pounded against my ribs. Tim and Jill had hinted at the same thing. Asami nodded toward the boxes.

"Those are all clippings from when the war started. As the years go by, more and more who have no idea of the past or how it was before will be born into this world." She quickly brushed her tears away. "I know you're young, Kali. And it's not fair that I'm putting this burden on you, but you are the only one I trust."

"I don't understand," I said, waving my hand toward the books. "I can read all of these and learn everything. But I can't make a change, not against PARA."

"Maybe not alone," she agreed. "But you're not alone. You have your friends. Tim and Jill. Whispers of change can give people hope. Something that has been fading. I'm not saying it will happen anytime soon, but at some point, it will."

"I'm an orphan," I said thickly. "A child nobody wanted. No one will ever listen to me."

"You're strong, Kali. A survivor," she said gently. "Promise me that you'll read these. And when the time is right, share it."

"When will that be?"

"I don't know."

I stared at her, my mind swirling with all this new information. I wasn't sure what she wanted from me, but I couldn't deny the slice of excitement at learning about the past. I wanted to know everything.

"You have to keep your distance from me," she said, sadness clinging to every word. "We don't need PARA becoming suspicious. The older you get, the more eyes are on you. Only come in here every once in a while, and I'll give you books to read. But only read them in a safe place."

"But I love coming here," I protested.

"I know. I love it when you're here too. But this is more important. PARA leaves me alone because they see me as an old lady who keeps to herself. You coming and going can attract attention that we can't have."

I nodded, a lump growing in my throat. Her words sounded final, and I had a feeling the library wouldn't be my comfort place anymore. I blinked back tears, my hold on the book tightening.

"We should get back upstairs," she said as she grabbed a few more books. "Do you have a good place to hide these?"

"Yes."

"Good." She gave me a sad smile. "Be careful who you trust, Kali. Change will happen at some point, and I want you to be on the right side of it."

Change.Doubt filled me. PARA ruled everything in our cities. The vampires controlled the free land. Even if people did learn about the past—and gained renewed hope—would it really be enough for change to happen?