Ven and Carvanna caught up on the latest gossip. Someone married someone else. Someone's sister left the planet. Someone had engineered a short-life, weapon-grade plant virus and nuked the rival's garden with it. Names floated by her. She could've used her training to memorize them, but she didn't bother. What was the point? They were too vivid and too bright, too familiar with each other, and she simply faded in the background.
Later Claire found herself back on the balcony, standing at the rail, watching the last splashes of sunset as the star rolled behind the gardens. Ven came looking for her. At first, she ignored his approaching mind, then she ignored his footsteps, then he leaned on the rail next to her, and she couldn't ignore him any longer.
"Do you like them?" he asked.
"They are very pretty," she said, surveying the flowers.
"I meant Celino and Imelda."
Why did it matter if she liked them? If she said no, what would it change? "They are wonderful hosts."
He leaned closer, searching her face for something. "Did you not like being here? You didn't say more than two words at dinner."
She wanted to grab him and shake him. Why? Why would he bring her here to this little paradise and show her what she could never have? Why introduce her to a perfect woman she could never be? It was cruel. "I'm just a little tired," she said with a small smile.
Ven turned, leaning with his back on the rail. "Was someone rude to you?"
"Not at all. Your friends were perfectly courteous."
"Then what is it?"
"It's nothing, Venturo. I am just a little tired."
He exhaled. "This would be so much easier if you were a psycher."
She pushed from the rail. "Well, I am not." And even if I was, I would lock you out of my mind.
His mind reached out, hovering next to her.
"No," she said sharply. Now wasn't the time for mind scans. If he discovered her shell, he would put two and two together. He still didn't know if he wanted to hire or to kill the mysterious psycher. Venturo was proud. If he realized how thoroughly she tricked him, he would feel extremely foolish. The choice between kill and hire wouldn't be so difficult then. If he fought with her, one of them would not survive. She didn't want to die and she didn't want to hurt him.
Venturo peered at her. "How did you know I wanted to scan your mind?"
She gave him a cold look. "I guessed. You have difficulty taking no for an answer."
"Does this mean you didn't really want to come with me?"
"That's not what I meant."
"Claire, I told you, you didn't have to accept my invitation if you didn't want to."
"I wanted to come," she said.
She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't believe her. "I think it's better I take you home," he said. "After all, I promised to return you to your life at midnight."
He strode back inside the house. She wanted to scream, but venting her frustration in a loud shriek was out of the question, so she clenched her fist and smashed it into the rail.
Chapter Seven
Claire awoke instantly. Someone's mind had brushed against hers. She could still feel the traces of the foreign presence.
Claire rolled out of bed. The owner of the mind waited outside. It wasn't Venturo. His mind felt differently. Besides, after their silence-filled flight back to the city, a visit from him was highly unlikely.
She pulled a pair of pants over her underwear and stepped out onto the balcony.
The light-eyed DDS psycher stood on the ground below her windows. His name surfaced from her memory: Pelori.
He tossed back his long hair, jumped, and scrambled up the wall, swinging himself up to crouch on the rail of her balcony. A combat agility implant. Nice.
A thought zinged to her. "I know you are not what you seem."
She'd thought as much. He had touched her mind and sensed the shell.
"Escana doesn't deserve you. He doesn't even know and he is too blind to see it."
Ven would know, but he was too polite to go ruffling through her thoughts. It was a courtesy she treasured.
"Join us. We will give you things. Money. Prestige. Respect. Safety. Better house."
"You're wasting your time," she said aloud.
"Why do you stay with him? What has he done that we can't duplicate?"
"He brings me tea."
"What?"
"When I hit rock bottom and needed help, he gave it to me expecting nothing in return. He takes interest in me. He cares about my welfare. He is kind to me."
Pelori turned his head, like a bird examining an interesting time. "Castilla will give you enough money to buy all the kindness you want."
"No."
"What if I make you come with me?"
Claire laughed. "If you touch me, I will take your mind apart."
"You don't have the power."
"Try me."
He pondered it for a long moment. He had no way of gauging her power or guessing at how fast she could dismantle the shell.
Pelori dropped off the balcony, landing in an easy crouch. "I will return."
Claire went inside. She was watched. She wasn't sure if he had contacted Castilla or if his visit was an independent effort. Either way, it would end badly.
Her magic dream of happy life was beginning to unravel at the seams. If she let herself get caught up in mourning the unfairness of it, she would fail to hold it together. The mere possibility of losing everything filled her with fear.
Claire crossed her arms. She had to keep it together. She had to function and she would fight for her dream.
Monday came too fast. She had arrived at her regular time and sank into work, refusing to permit any distractions, including Ven's mind in the nearby office.
The digital screen in her desk chimed, sending a glowing pulse of pale blue through her screen. She checked the origin. Calena, Building Security. Now what?
She took the call. Calena's face filled the screen. "Claire, there are people here to see you," she said. "They say it's an emergency. They seem agitated."
Calena panned the camera to the side. Tonya, Charles, and Doreem Nagi leaning on a teenager who had to be Edu for support. Her stomach lurched. Something bad had happened. "I'm coming down."
Claire hurried to the elevator, her heels clicking on the transparent floor. A few seconds later the elevator spat her into the lobby. She crossed the tiled space.
Tonya saw her and would've ran forward if Charles hadn't caught her. Doreem's face looked grey. Edu stared at her, wide-eyed.
"What happened?"
"They arrested Kosta!" Tonya breathed.
"What?"
"He got a recommendation for a job," Charles said, his face pale. "They looked at his job history and made him log into the bionet. He had no choice."
And the moment he logged in, his mind lit up with an AI's mark.
Her mind slipped into battle calm. "Where is he now?"
"The Security Forces took him away," Tonya said.
He was in physical custody. There was nothing she could do through the bionet or out of it.
"They're going to deport him. Melko will kill him," Tonya moaned.
Melko would definitely kill him.
Doreem Nagi pushed away from his grandson. His knees began to bend. "Please save my grandson..."