Free Ordinary (Exceptional Book 3) by Jess Petosa Page A

of the room that was different from the others. It was made out of a shiny, copper material. The same material as Luke’s cuffs. Luke was pushed into that cage, while Ally and the others were shoved into the cage next to it.
    “You can stay ‘ere for the night.” Martha stood over them with her arms crossed.
    “And then what happens?” Stosh asked, daring to speak for the first time since they were caught. It was better that he spoke though, because Ally was getting the idea that the men in this town didn’t take kindly to women speaking.
    Big Earl just shrugged and walked away from them, pulling the front door shut behind him. The cage smelled awful and Ally tried to breathe through her mouth only, failing miserably.
    “Luke,” she hissed.
    He was leaning against the side of the cage, his head hanging to the side. He still managed to look at her, looking very weak while he did so.
    “Can you get us out of here?” she asked.
    He shook his head slowly. “Can’t... abilities... work...”
    “What did he say?” Stosh leaned forward. “Did you catch that, Ally?”
    Ally shook her head with concern. Sabine crawled up next to her.
    “He said his abilities aren’t working,” Sabine said. “It has to be the cuffs, and the cage.”
    “How did you figure that out?” Ally asked.
    Sabine rolled her eyes. “Seriously? He gets put in a different cage, one that looks different than ours, and the cuffs he is wearing look just the same. Plus, why is he the only one with cuffs on?”
    “He’s the only Exceptional,” Stosh answered.
    “Exactly,” Sabine said.
    The door to the prison banged open and the three of them scurried against the back wall of the cage. Ally hadn’t felt this sort of fear since Aden pushed her off of a five story balcony and then sent her to a breeding center. This was way worse. At least then she had known what Aden wanted out of her. She felt tortured not knowing what the people in the town had planned for them.
    Big Earl and Big Dean approached their cages, both with a body slung over their shoulders.
    Max and Lilla.
    “Don’t try anything,” Big Dean growled.
    Ally held back an eye roll. If they weren’t going to try anything with Martha, they sure as hell weren’t going to try anything with these men.
    Big Dean opened the door to their cage and threw Max inside. He landed on the dirt floor with a loud thud.
    “Put the mutant over there,” Big Dean said while pointing to Luke’s cage.
    Lilla was placed in Luke’s cage, and Ally noticed that she was now wearing cuffs that matched Luke’s. She didn’t look good though. From here Ally could see how pale and sweaty she was, and she laid motionless on the ground. Still, the men had somehow deemed her an Exceptional. Once they were gone Ally took a deep breath.
    She crawled over to Max and took his head in her hands.
    “Max?” she whispered.
    He didn’t respond. She watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, and was glad to see that his cheeks had color and his lips were pink.
    “Oh Max, you are such an idiot,” she mumbled.
    “Ally,” Stosh said behind her. “We need to do something, Ally. They’re going to kill us. I can feel it.”
    He was sitting with his back against the cage, and Sabine was now wrapped tightly in his arms.
    “Not all of us,” Ally murmured.
    “What?” Sabine asked.
    “In the woods, when it was just me with those men, they said they could get a good price for me. And did you hear how they were talking about us outside? I think they’re planning to sell us to the other men in town.”
    Stosh looked disgusted. Sabine whimpered.
    Ally leaned against the cage and closed her eyes. They had come all this way and gotten so close to their destination. Back in Champaign, back when she had been planning her return trip to the City, she had felt so brave. She had felt like she could do anything. Now she felt scared and defeated. She felt like she had let everyone down.
    She wouldn’t give up just yet