his temples wearily. “We’re not wrong. You need to understand—”
“No, you need to understand,” Chris said rudely. “I will never agree to risking Jack’s life. If I’m so damn important, then I’m important enough to listen to.” With that, Chris dumped his mug on the table and stormed out the kitchen.
Drustan turned to me.
I shrugged. “I’ve only been in Biggs Hill for three months. I barely know Chris.”
But I recognised a threat and we both knew Chris had just issued one.
When Drustan started for the door, I called out in panic, “Everything’s going to be alright. Isn’t it?”
“Of course.” Drustan threw me a glance with those stony greys. It wasn’t cold though. There was warmth and empathy reaching out to me, willing me to take it and be comforted. “Everything is going to be just fine. I promise you.”
And why not?
If Drustan said he was going to fix this, I was just scared enough to believe in him.
It’s not terribly grown up, I know, but it’s what I do when things go too horribly wrong. I become the ostrich, head in the sand, and let the adults deal. I’m very smart that way.
Ten minutes later, Drustan popped back into the kitchen to say goodbye. He was leaving, to do his thing. I don’t know whether he’d decided to risk Chris’s wrath (or whatever), but I had to believe Jack would be fine. Drustan had said everything would be fine.
Chris was fuming somewhere else in the apartment. Or so I assumed, until Gale barged into the kitchen.
“What did you do to Christian Wood?” she demanded, all but throwing two brown parcels in my face.
I started counting to ten. I got halfway and decided Gale wasn’t worth the other five. “I didn’t do anything to your Christian Wood. What am I? This season’s target bunny? If you’re so concerned, why don’t you go comfort him and leave me alone?”
She took my advice with a huff and a strut.
As soon as she was out the door, I stripped the parcels and took me and my new clothes off to my (or Drustan’s, I suppose) room. I couldn’t even begin to wrap my mind around the speedy delivery service, but hey, if I had to live with the headaches of the 22 nd century (i.e. Gale), then I fully intended to enjoy the perks.
I stopped in at the bathroom on the way to brush my teeth and splash cool water on my face. The corner shower was two parts glass and two parts wall, the whole of which was splattered with flat nozzles that would pummel water at me from all sides. I was tempted, but couldn’t see a towel-rack and didn’t rate my chances at getting anything out of Gale. So I picked up my parcels and promised myself a spa sensation as soon as I’d conned Gale into pointing out the linen closet.
The clean pants were heavenly; the bra was a revelation. I already knew what mini-me looked like with pop-out breasts, but now I knew what it felt like too. Kind of sexy as well, I thought, turning this way and that before the mirror.
The door burst open.
Chris!
Heat shot to my face as I crossed my arms over my chest and wished myself invisible.
But it wasn’t Chris.
“See what you’ve done now!” shrieked Gale, flying at me with enough force to topple me over. “Christian Wood is gone!”
Chapter 6
T he lobby of Drustan’s building was spacious and elegant and quiet, with a thick oyster carpet that absorbed my footfalls. The walls were murals in varying shades of brown and cream with soft flowing lines. We’d arrived here the old fashioned way, via one of three circular elevators housed in enormous marble pillars that spiked through all the floors. Me in fab new jeans and a tight white T-shirt that contained my breasts better than the bra, and Gale in a sickly yellow that had struck her tubing upstairs and showed no signs of dimming.
“What if we don’t find him?” asked Gale. She twined and twisted her arms together until they resembled a gnarled grapevine. “What if he’s lost? What if
“No, you need to understand,” Chris said rudely. “I will never agree to risking Jack’s life. If I’m so damn important, then I’m important enough to listen to.” With that, Chris dumped his mug on the table and stormed out the kitchen.
Drustan turned to me.
I shrugged. “I’ve only been in Biggs Hill for three months. I barely know Chris.”
But I recognised a threat and we both knew Chris had just issued one.
When Drustan started for the door, I called out in panic, “Everything’s going to be alright. Isn’t it?”
“Of course.” Drustan threw me a glance with those stony greys. It wasn’t cold though. There was warmth and empathy reaching out to me, willing me to take it and be comforted. “Everything is going to be just fine. I promise you.”
And why not?
If Drustan said he was going to fix this, I was just scared enough to believe in him.
It’s not terribly grown up, I know, but it’s what I do when things go too horribly wrong. I become the ostrich, head in the sand, and let the adults deal. I’m very smart that way.
Ten minutes later, Drustan popped back into the kitchen to say goodbye. He was leaving, to do his thing. I don’t know whether he’d decided to risk Chris’s wrath (or whatever), but I had to believe Jack would be fine. Drustan had said everything would be fine.
Chris was fuming somewhere else in the apartment. Or so I assumed, until Gale barged into the kitchen.
“What did you do to Christian Wood?” she demanded, all but throwing two brown parcels in my face.
I started counting to ten. I got halfway and decided Gale wasn’t worth the other five. “I didn’t do anything to your Christian Wood. What am I? This season’s target bunny? If you’re so concerned, why don’t you go comfort him and leave me alone?”
She took my advice with a huff and a strut.
As soon as she was out the door, I stripped the parcels and took me and my new clothes off to my (or Drustan’s, I suppose) room. I couldn’t even begin to wrap my mind around the speedy delivery service, but hey, if I had to live with the headaches of the 22 nd century (i.e. Gale), then I fully intended to enjoy the perks.
I stopped in at the bathroom on the way to brush my teeth and splash cool water on my face. The corner shower was two parts glass and two parts wall, the whole of which was splattered with flat nozzles that would pummel water at me from all sides. I was tempted, but couldn’t see a towel-rack and didn’t rate my chances at getting anything out of Gale. So I picked up my parcels and promised myself a spa sensation as soon as I’d conned Gale into pointing out the linen closet.
The clean pants were heavenly; the bra was a revelation. I already knew what mini-me looked like with pop-out breasts, but now I knew what it felt like too. Kind of sexy as well, I thought, turning this way and that before the mirror.
The door burst open.
Chris!
Heat shot to my face as I crossed my arms over my chest and wished myself invisible.
But it wasn’t Chris.
“See what you’ve done now!” shrieked Gale, flying at me with enough force to topple me over. “Christian Wood is gone!”
Chapter 6
T he lobby of Drustan’s building was spacious and elegant and quiet, with a thick oyster carpet that absorbed my footfalls. The walls were murals in varying shades of brown and cream with soft flowing lines. We’d arrived here the old fashioned way, via one of three circular elevators housed in enormous marble pillars that spiked through all the floors. Me in fab new jeans and a tight white T-shirt that contained my breasts better than the bra, and Gale in a sickly yellow that had struck her tubing upstairs and showed no signs of dimming.
“What if we don’t find him?” asked Gale. She twined and twisted her arms together until they resembled a gnarled grapevine. “What if he’s lost? What if
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