I don’t tell him about the Venus Lock because I assume he knows, and it’s embarrassing. Especially if it has to do with what I did on theIgo.
“You are the face of change for humans in the galaxy. I want it, the Sovereigns want it, and many in the galaxy want it.”
I wipe a tear from my cheek.
“I have to go before the Starlight Array picks this up as unauthorized and you get reprimanded for breaking your immersion training,” Cal says finally. “You can use this card three times in a galactic year for ten minutes of confidential talk. Sorry, I couldn’t afford more?—”
“Wait,” I say, but he interrupts.
“Stay strong, Eve. The eyes of the galaxy are on you.”
The red light fades, and I'm alone again. I pick up the black card, turning it over before sliding it back into my handbag's inside pocket. It's surreal to think that only two weeks ago I was on that bus, wishing there hadn't been an accident. Now I wonder if my guardian angel was trying to keep me safe from this.
I think about the woman next to me on the bus, whom I namedPythia. What did she say?If you push too hard, you might end up with the darker side of the fate you deserved.
Well, I certainly have landed on the darker side of something.
More alone than ever, I go to the beverage dispenser for water and find something already waiting for me. I assume it’s medical and something from Dr. Veil. Just one of the many decisions that has already been made for me.
I take the flask out of the dispenser. It’s warm to the touch, and makes a soft popping sound when I open it. I smell it. It’s faintly sweet. Without much thought, I take a sip.
The taste isn’t sugary—just thick. Heavy in a way that settles me almost instantly. My shoulders relax and my hands stop shaking.
All I want to do now is sleep. I guess the system has decided that for me too.
21
IN YOUR DREAMS, LORIAN
Steel crashes against steel,reverberating through the empty gymnasium in the heart of the Celestial Spire. Rafe and I are naked, our sweaty grey skin gleaming under the harsh lights as we circle each other, equally matched. Kellen, the gymnasium manager, observes us impassively, marking each strike from the ring’s edge.
This is the only way Rafe and I can get out our aggressions with each other, and I’ve just returned to the Spire, so this match is long overdue.
Rafe adjusts his grip on the hilt of his sword, and the silver ring our mother gave us catches the light. I don’t have the strength he has to wear mine every day and be reminded she is no longer with us.
I circle my twin with my blade poised. “I noticed that you were logged into our new human liaison’s room during the Fifth Chime last night.” I say, purposely provoking him.
“Security protocols.”
“Three hours of protocols?” I push forward.
He retaliates, his blade slicing dangerously close to my throat. “Says the one following her around the Spire with illegal stealth tech.”
We fight on, our bodies marked by shallow red wounds, locked in a stalemate.
“She’s different,” I say, blocking a fierce overhead blow. “More intelligent than most of our other hires, and I’m not just talking about the other humans we’ve hired in the past.”
“And good-looking,” Rafe admits quietly, surprising me. “She’s nothing like Autumn.”
The mention of Father’s pet catches me off guard, drawing forth memories I'd rather forget. Pain snaps me back to reality as Rafe’s blade slices my arm. I grimace, conceding the point Kellen announces.
We resume circling.
“Ardon Val touched Eve today,” Rafe says, and before I can ask where, he adds, “Who knows what he would have done had her pheromones not been dampened with the Venus Lock.”
“That only proves how attractive she is.”
“We’ve had one hundred and thirty-seven hologram requests since she began working,” he says, voice dripping with disdain. “All want her likeness for private use.”
