I know that I'll be writing for young adults for a long time. Mostly because I just love the readers and the teachers and librarians that I interact with.

She wanted us to have more than five choices. Now we have none.

I love you," I say. I said that once, before I went to Erudite headquarters, but he was asleep then. I don't know why I didn't say it when he could hear it. Maybe I was afraid to trust him with something so personal as my devotion. Or afraid that I did not know what it was to love someone. But now I think the scary thing was not saying it before it was too late. Not saying it before it was almost too late for me.

But now I know how large the world is... Well. I suppose I have grown to large out of my faction. As a consequence.

I’m not anyone,” he says. “I’m nobody. That’s what being factionless is.

People, even genetically damaged people, make choices. That’s what matters.’

We share a common enemy, but does that make us friends?