“Things like me, Stayn?” I stare right into his eyes. And I know mine are lightin’ up because there’s a spark of fear in him. “You as much said so last night, right? All operating augments have to be registered as non-human active warfare weapons. Sound familiar?”
“Well…” Stayn forces a chuckle. “Of course. But you’re not operational, remember?”
This statement has two meanings. One. I am, of course, operational. So he’s telling me that I do indeed need to be registered as a non-human active warfare weapon. But he’s also saying that I could just agree with him. Say I’m not operational and he would look the other way.
Are most people really this spineless? That they would sell out so easily? With just the promise of safety?
Maybe they are. It’s a sad thought. But I barely qualify as people, let alone most people, so it’s not gonna play out that way with me.
When I don’t say anything Stayn keeps going with his bargaining. “That little god belongs to Tau City. And how far do you think you’ll get?” Anneeta whimpers when Stayn takes a step forward, but in the same moment a shield blast bursts out of the Versi as a warning. But it’s a very serious warning because the acoustic pressure wave is strong enough to make Stayn stumble back six feet.
Stayn puts up his hands. “OK. Look, I’m not here to fight with you, Tyse. I know what you are, I know what you and that weapon can do, and you’ve got a very serious do-not-fuck-with-me face on right now. But listen. You don’t have all the facts. There’s a reason we need this god. The rules have changed, and if you leave here with her, you’re gonna find that out real fuckin’ fast. There’s a war. The Game of Gods. Ever hear of it?”
I haven’t, but I don’t say nothing.
“It’s a real thing. And every city needs a god if they want to play. And trust me when I say this, we don’t have a choice. We play or we die. If you take her, you’re sentencing everyone in Tau City to death. Death, Tyse. Millions of people for what? One god? You can keep the woman.” He nods his head towards Clare. “We’ll order another Spark Maiden when the time comes. We get them from a factory. They make hundreds of them every year. She’s not even ripe. There are much better ones out there than her. We’ll get ourselves a ripe one and in a few months we’ll feed our little god, she’ll level up like she’s meant to, and it’ll all be fine. So take the woman, but leave the god. That’s all I’m asking. It’s fair. You know it is.”
I don’t say anything. I’m still sortin’ out this Game of Gods thing.
But the coolest thing about being an augment with a genetically assigned VersiStrike is that I have this luxury. I don’t have to pay attention. I have time to think my way out of things.
Too bad for Stayn he takes my distant look as negligence.
Big mistake.
Because he comes at me, and in the same moment, the Versi lasers are targeting eighteen men in a wide arc, at the same time.
“One more step!” I warn him. “One more step, Stayn, and you’re done. It won’t even be up to me.”
His lip curls up and his words come out as a growl. “Well… I think you’re a fuckin’ liar, Tyse. I think you’re playing big. Acting like you’re still in Sweep. But we both know you’re washed up.”
I sigh. Because he doesn’t understand. And it’s sad. I liked him. I did. But he’s gonna get himself killed here right now and there won’t be a damn thing I can do to stop it.
“One more step,” I warn again.
And once again, he curls that lip like what I just said was nothin’ but a dare.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Join us as we begin anew?
“Finn?” My mother’s smile is cautious as she comes towards me with arms extended. She takes my hands in hers. “You have questions, I’m sure.”
The only response I have is a huff.
“I know this is all very unexpected. It’s your father’s fault.”
Suddenly I have words. “How the hell do you figure that?” It comes out angry. Which is becoming a familiar feeling for me since my father died, but is completely at odds with who my mother thought I was.
So she hesitates. Reevaluates.
“He called them in, you know that right?” Her blue eyes are searching mine when she twists the knife in my back. Figuratively, of course. Though it doesn’t feel at all figurative in my opinion. “He called them in, Finn. Both Haryet and Clara. He rang those bells. He made those tower doors open. He sent her through. He did this to you. And do you know why?”
I sigh. Because this isn’t a surprise. I’m not shocked because I already figured it out.
If the Looking Glass controls the tower doors and the Extraction Master controls the Looking Glass, this means that the Extraction Master opens the tower doors.
“Do you?” My mother’s tone is sharp when she asks me this.
