This chapter starts up with Day having a dream about his family. You would think that would be something sweet and heartwarming, especially given that he misses them so much. But you would be wrong. The whole dream is filled with ominous images. A broken radio. His mother’s bandaged hands. Eden’s drawing of soldiers breaking into their house.

Day wakes up. He is back with Tess again – and definitely worse for wear. He has also been unconscious for two days. As he starts remembering the events that led to all his injuries, he also remembers that he should have had some medicine. That had been the whole reason for the hospital break in, after all.

I try to sit up, but I move too fast and have to bite my lip from the pain. My hand flies to my neck — there’s no pendant to grab. Something aches in my chest. I lost it. My father had given me that pendant, and now I’d been careless enough to lose it.

While it is heartbreaking that he lost something that had been given to him by his dead father, I still don’t buy the fact that it’s just some little sentimental trinket. There is something important about this pendant. I don’t know what yet! But it has to be something!

Tess tells Day that she delivered the medicine and other gifts to his brother, John. Although Day hopes that John doesn’t know about the trouble he got in, news about the break in at the hospital has made the rounds, and John was not happy that Day put himself in so much danger. John also gives Tess other news: the person who is sick is Eden. His mother and John are both fine so far and Eden still seems pretty strong, despite having the plague. So they still have time to figure something out.

Day asks whose house they are staying in, and at that moment, they hear someone in the next room. A man comes in and asks if they will be able to leave in the morning. Tess reassures him that they will be gone by then and thanks him for letting them stay there. The man has also brought them some food. Day wonders why this man is helping them, but Tess tells him that the man seems fine. He had lost his son to the plague years ago and she thinks that Day reminds the man of his son, especially after hearing the hospital story.

Day falls back asleep and wakes again when it’s dark outside. He also reminisces about meeting Tess three years ago when she was ten — first off, I didn’t realize she was only thirteen. She seems so much older than that. Day also wishes that there was a family that could take her in, since she is an orphan, but that would mean that the Republic would know about her and make her take the Trial, since for some reason, she never took it before. He also worries that they would find out about her relationship with Day and interrogate her over it.

Their host has left some food out for them, which Day eats. After he finishes, the man comes back and tells them they need to leave now because he heard that someone was looking for them. Particularly, for Day.

“He’s telling people that he has plague cures for someone who needs it. He says he knows that you’re injured. He never gave a name, but he must be talking about you.”

Day recognizes this as a trap and has no desire to fall for it. Tess starts collecting their things, including some clean bandages, as the man instructs them to go out the back way.

I take a moment to meet his eyes. In that instant, I realize that he knows exactly who I am. He won’t say it out loud, though. Like other people in our sector who have realized who I am and helped me in the past, he doesn’t exactly disapprove of the trouble I cause for the Republic. “We’re very grateful,” I say.

I am wondering more and more what this guy’s story is. We may never know.

Day and Tess head out the back and down six blocks of alleyways. Day has to stop for a bit because his injuries are really hurting him. He also worries about his pendant, which I find particularly suspicious.

What if the Republic figures out what it is? Will they destroy it? What if they trace it back to my family?

Okay, I need to know what this pendant is now. I would understand if Day was only concerned that they would connect his family to him — that would definitely cause a problem — but why would the Republic destroy it? Why does Day hope they don’t find out what it is?

Tess recommends that they leave the city and Day really wishes that he could. But he can’t. It would be impossible to get his family out of their jobs and school without them becoming fugitives like he is, and even though their lives are hard, Day wants better for them. Instead they discuss this person who is looking for Day. At first, Day says that he doesn’t want to meet this person. It’s clearly some sort of trap, right? But then he admits that he is curious. Who is this guy? Does he really have medicine for the plague? What else might he want with Day?

Tess stares at me. It’s the same expression she wore the very first night I met her — hopeful, curious, and fearful all at once. “Well . . . can’t be any more dangerous than your crazy hospital break-in, yeah?”

Heck yeah! We’re going to meet this guy! Can’t wait!

Categories: Chapter-A-Long

Tags: books, chapter-a-long, legend, marie lu