I see Alexis and Ludo meet eyes, a look passing between them.
—I’ll keep them safe—Ludo projects into our shared link.
—I know you will—Alexis replies.
17
Ican’t help it.
It’s just not possible to stay here in the tower without checking in on my Bully.
And my Sparkles.
Wes, Dono and Cos are all asleep.
Hmm, Ididmanage to get out and pull my Ludo-switch OK, so a little jog over to Defectivumshouldn’tbe a big deal.
Dressed all in black, I slide out the main tower doors.
Tee-hee, can’t catch me.
Suddenly, something hits me in the head.
I swivel, ready to get into it, when I see it’s my cousin.
Lexi cuffs me around the ear again.
Cuffs me!
Like I’m a little tike.
“What about ‘inconspicuous’ means sneaking out of Electus during curfew?” He pushes me against a wall as a patrol goes past.
They don’t notice us because we’ve got Kormovian commando power.
“Get back inside,” Lexi hisses. “Crankshawe has called me to her office.”
“Trouble?” I ask. “Maybe I should go with you.”
“We can’t assume it’s anything but a regular staff meeting,” he replies, boringly. “Please just go, and keeping your fucking head down.”
Fine.
“Never fear,” I tell him. “I’ll be a good boy.”
But I still might just pop in to see Sparkles and Lu.
Alexis gives me a skeptical look then disappears into the darkness.
I wait until his shadow is completely swallowed into the night before I slide in my earbuds, turn on some tunes, then move.
Being a "good boy" is a relative term—right?
I’m thirty feet from the Defectivum entrance when the world decides to be a dick.
"Hey! You!"
I freeze, then slowly turn my head.
