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toward my former building, then came to an abrupt stop when I saw who was waiting outside.
    A man wearing a white jacket stood at the front entrance. In the gray atmosphere, the white of his coat almost glowed like a lamp. I knew immediately who he was.
    Ruth’s been Taken, Naomi had whispered one evening as she peered out the window. I stood next to her, on tiptoes, to look out the high windows of the apartment complex across the concrete expanse. A man with a white jacket was slowly walking around our neighbor’s building, as if looking for something. “Who is he?” I asked.
    “The Examiner.”
    And now, a man in a white jacket waited for me. I took a slow step forward, then another. I was in no rush to hear the news. It was now obvious that David had been Taken.
    I blinked rapidly, fighting with everything I had against the tears. In the memory of my caretakers, I at least owed them the control that Naomi had taught me. The gravel crunched under my feet, and as I forced myself to walk, small pebbles scattered. The man in the white jacket watched me, not giving anything away in his expression. My stomach felt as if I’d eaten a large stone. I couldn’t even swallow; my throat was too tight. Although I had been on my own for many years, it wasn’t until this moment that I truly felt alone.
    I forced myself to make eye contact as I neared the Examiner. His eyes were a watery blue, his face pale with a faint pink hue. He wasn’t much taller than me, and his shoulders sagged away from his neck. When he held out his hand, I hesitated, then extended my own. He gripped mine briefly. His hand was dry and rough and cold as I imagined paper to be—the kind displayed in the City Center Museum.
    “Jezebel James, offspring of David and Naomi James,” the man said in a nasal voice. It was then that I noticed a leather satchel next to his feet, and he picked it up and gave it to me. He opened his mouth, then closed it, as if changing his mind about something. Finally he said, “This is your inheritance.”
    Forbidden tears stung my eyes, as I fought against them. Receiving my inheritance meant it was over—truly over. David was gone, my childhood past.
    I clutched the bag, its weight heavier than I expected. Maybe there was more than one memento from the apartment. I wondered what David had chosen but I didn’t want to peek with the Examiner still standing there like a statue, his gaze hard on mine.
    With a glance at the door, I knew I couldn’t attempt to go inside; it was prohibited. The rooms would be sterilized and a new couple assigned. I wondered if they’d have a child—someone to sleep in my room, in my bed.
    I carried the satchel and made my way back to the tram depot with measured steps. The man’s eyes stayed on me, and I gripped the handle tight to prevent my hands from shaking. I didn’t want him to see.

Five
    When I entered my dorm room, I turned on the lamp and stopped cold.
    Chalice was in bed, sleeping, her back turned toward me.
    Relief washed over me, and I turned the lamp off and listened to her steady breathing. She seemed peaceful in the glow of the streetlamp coming through the window, as if she hadn’t been hauled off to Detention at all.
    I curled on my bed and pulled a blanket around me, letting the tears escape. Chalice was back, but both my caretakers were gone, forever. It felt final somehow, more than when Naomi had been Taken. The emotions rocked through me, making me feel sad and angry at the same time. Why did I have to feel so much?
    I could almost hear Naomi admonishing me, Don’t give them any excuse to send you back to B Level.
    I exhaled in disbelief, letting the tears run down my face in the darkness. Perhaps there was an accident at David’s factory. Perhaps he’d broken a rule. My chest ached as I worried it had been more; worried that it was something I had done.
    The only things I had left now were memories and whatever was in that satchel. With Chalice asleep, this was my