“See things so clearly.”
She smiled—that soft, wondering smile that made his chest ache. “I’ve had a lot of time to think. And a lot of books to help me. Philosophy, ethics, history... I’ve read everything Ari would give me. It’s not the same as experience, but it gives you a certain perspective.”
“It gives you more than that.”
Her smile widened, then faltered. “About leav?—”
He cut her off, reaching for her hand.
“Come with me.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Liora obediently took Baylin’s hand and followed him as he guided her back to the bedroom. Her stomach did an excited little flip, but instead of stopping at the bed, he guided her into the attached bathroom and turned on the shower.
“What are you doing?” she asked when he made no move to undress.
“I know we can’t really hide anything from ARIS, but perhaps it’s time to have a conversation without it listening in.”
Her eyes widened. The idea had never occurred to her before. “Can we do that?”
“The pipes run through the maintenance shaft. I could hear the water flowing when I was climbing up. I think we’ll be able to talk without being overheard if we stay in here.”
She watched him for a moment, then nodded. He turned away to give her privacy as she quickly stripped off everything except her undershift and stepped into the shower. Once the door slid closed behind her, he joined her.
She was disappointed but not entirely surprised that he hadn’t removed his pants before taking a seat on the small bench and pulling her onto his lap. With a small sigh of pleasure, she curled up against his broad chest and let the hot water relax her muscles.
“Does this make you uncomfortable?” he asked.
“This isn’t uncomfortable. This is wonderful.” She shifted so that she could look up at him. “So what’s your plan for when we escape?”
When. Not if. She’d already accepted the necessity of leaving.
“I’m taking you to Rykan and Ember. They have the resources to provide you with protection and the kind of security that doesn’t require cages.”
“You trust them.”
“With my life.” He turned his hand over, lacing his fingers through hers. “And with yours. And there’s something else. Your father must have been the one to make the arrangement with Ember’s father for the supply drones. He kept that secret all this time.”
She nodded thoughtfully. No matter how it turned out, her father had been trying to protect her. If he could trust the Duvain family, then she thought she could as well.
“Then we should start planning. How do we get past ARIS?”
“I intend to investigate the other rooms in the lower level and look for a way to override the system.”
“I may be able to help,” she said slowly. She’d never thought about escape before, but she’d been documenting everything she observed for years, including ARIS’s responses.
“You’ve been building a comprehensive map of the entire system without even realizing it.”
“I was bored. Twenty-one years in the same seven floors. You develop hobbies.”
“Most people wouldn’t choose ‘inadvertent systems analysis’ as a hobby.”
“Most people don’t grow up with an AI as their primary companion. But I know that power usage spikes every third day around sunset. A power draw indicates some additional activity which may provide a distraction.”
Or it might mean nothing. Automated systems often had quirks that defied explanation.
“It’s worth a shot,” he said finally. “When is the next one? The longer we stay, the more time ARIS has to figure out what we’re planning.”
