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“I'm talking about the election campaigns,” I clarified.
This time, David raised his eyebrows, smiling.
“Waste of time, Miles,” Adrian said grimly, looking around the campus with his usual devastating angry-vulture gaze. He seemed more tense than usual.
“You’re doing what?” Olivia blurted out, pushing herself into my field of vision. “Is there a reason?”
A reason…
I stared at her.
There had been a reason. I had wanted to drive Emely crazy and play a little with the Copeland dogs. But did I still want that? Or, to put it better, did my intentions still have the same root cause?
“The reason is called Copeland,” David said with a slight smirk, studying me intently. “And I still think you should stay away from them if you don’t want any trouble with their Alpha.” His gaze became more serious. “Or with the Rolanows.”
That name alone ignited anger in me.
“Or if you don't want to end up as their dog food,” Adrian added.
I would never have believed that the Senseque were superior to me, but ever since they had something that seemed to attract me like a magnet, I had a weak spot.
“I see,” Olivia mused, and she began twirling her red corkscrew curls between her fingers again. Something I had enjoyed doing with her back then. Now the memory only triggered oppressive melancholy, which was why I looked away.
“You want to give those jerks a taste of their own medicine,” she said with a grin, her eyes flashing red. “Good idea.”
A static noise came from the elegant lanterns, on which, next to the dark green Vanderwood banners, hung black posters with purple slogans such as We don’t need order. We need freedom to develop! or The Eye. Our Messiah.
Most often, I read Down with the uniform! spray-painted in white on black skirts, which raised the question of where all the guys who hung these skirts got them from.
The best ones I had read today were Let's put the leopard back in the zoo! and Meeting, tonight at Harlow's front door. Bring duct tape and handcuffs.
I wondered how crazy people really were, what this hacker could incite them to do.
Even more questionable was why this woman was still here instead of having already left town. No one wanted her here except the leader of the opposition to the Quatura Circle.
After a minute, a voice cut through the static on the loudspeakers.
The entire campus seemed to be listening.
“Attention!” Harlow's voice echoed. “Attention!”
Whispering broke out, probably because everyone had expected The Eye.
Larissa had appeared next to David and shook her head, her hands on her lower back.
“I'm not sure I want to hear this,” laughed a guy who was walking past us with his two buddies.
“An important announcement!” Harlow's voice rang out, followed by an unpleasant squeaking sound.
We covered our ears, my face contorted in pain.
Many times, I had been tempted to tear down those stupid loudspeakers.
“Due to the recent brutal hacker attacks on our order-valuing institution, the following measures will be taken.”
I heard a few sighs and annoyed groans from the people in the parking lot.
“Let’s see what she has in store for us this time,” I laughed with a sense of foreboding.
