Free The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele

police lights. Liv’s eyebrows shot up, sending a spark of pain across her hairline. She winced.
    â€œYes. Here in . . . well, pretty much all English-speaking countries, we call those men the police .” Liv put a finger to her temple and rubbed, trying to ease the pain there. At this point, she wasn’t sure how much of it was caused by her head cracking against the concrete and how much was caused by trying to carry on a conversation with Cedric.
    â€œYou may call the men in blue if you wish, but if you do, we will be long gone before they arrive,” Cedric said. “We have already had interactions with those men—the police—and they only tried to separate us. They threatened to send us away. Though to where, I know not.”
    Liv flinched reflexively. They only tried to separate us. She thought of Peter and Maisy, then pushed them quickly again from her mind.
    â€œThey cannot help us,” Cedric continued. “We are alone.”
    Cedric’s voice wavered when he said this, and Liv felt her frustration ebb a bit. She knew what it was like to feel thatthere was no one who could help. She also knew exactly how the LAPD could be when dealing with street kids. Still, she couldn’t shake the physical memory of how the black-eyed man had pinned her to the ground, how he’d fought . . . something was wrong with him. Really wrong.
    â€œOkay, I won’t call the police. But only if you explain what the hell just happened. That’s all I ask. Give me one straight answer.”
    Cedric breathed out. “Okay, I will try,” he finally said with a short sigh. “But not out here. Let us go inside. We will clean your injuries, and I will tell you what you want to know. Though I promise you will not believe me.”
    â€œDon’t be so sure,” Liv said. “I mean, maybe it’s the gaping head wound, but I’m feeling pretty open-minded.”
    She smiled up at Cedric, but he shook his head, confused.
    Liv dropped down to the grate. “No one ever gets my puns.”
    Careful not to touch her injured hand against the concrete, Liv crawled through the grate hole and out the other side. After a moment, Cedric came through behind her.
    â€œWhat is this place, anyway?” Liv asked.
    Cedric’s voice was hushed when he answered. “It is an old part of the museum, I believe, that has been closed off. I found the opening in the alley wall, and it led to this.” He gestured to the tunnels.
    â€œAnd the other opening, to that room with the books? Did you just find that too?”
    â€œThat was originally a small hole in the wall that I . . . helped along. I needed access to—” He cut himself off.
    â€œTo what?”
    â€œShh, we are getting closer.”
    They walked back through the wooden panel that led to the main blocked-off hallway. Wordlessly, Liv followed Cedric through the tunnel entrance, past the bookshelf, through the small room, and into the hallway beyond.
    The door to the archives room was still locked, so Cedric took Liv through another series of halls before leading her to the public portion of the museum. Once there, he quickened his steps and craned his head to look around every few seconds. He only slowed down when they got to a large black door labeled with an M . He pushed the door open and made to go inside.
    â€œWait, what are you doing?” Liv hissed.
    Cedric turned around, confused.
    â€œWe will need water to wash your cuts.”
    â€œThis is the men’s room.”
    For a moment, Cedric just blinked, uncomprehending. Then his mouth burst open with a laugh that completely transformed his face. His serious features melted away, leaving him looking almost like a different person. A different person who was still frustratingly attractive. And just plain frustrating.
    Cedric clapped his own hand over his mouth, silencing the laugh. His eyes still gleamed as he walked into the room and motioned for