Total pages in book: 210
Estimated words: 200837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1004(@200wpm)___ 803(@250wpm)___ 669(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 200837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1004(@200wpm)___ 803(@250wpm)___ 669(@300wpm)
“Huh. Well, it’s nice to know that the charities are taking care of her. Sometimes I worry, ya know?”
“Oh, it’s not charity. It’s the city. She’s even got her own personal shopper.”
I squint “Like a runner?”
“Yeah.”
“Where does she get the coin for this?”
Clara shrugs. “I don’t actually think they charge her for anything. She just takes what she wants.”
“That must be how she gets those clothes.”
“They’re cute, right? She’s got a very well-developed sense of fashion.”
“But why? That’s what doesn’t add up here. Why does the city pay for this? And why didn’t I know about it?”
“I dunno. Maybe you never asked.”
It’s true what she says, I never had asked anyone about Anneeta. But it’s weird to me that everything is free for her. I mean, it’s good. It’s nice. It’s generous.
But cities aren’t known for being good, and nice, and generous.
“Did she do anything weird?” I ask Clara.
“Define weird.”
“Anything.”
“Well, she calls herself a spark baby.”
“Yep. She was born in this tower.”
“So I think she’s like me, Tyse.”
A chill runs up my spine. “What makes ya say that?”
“Because she did something and I don’t think it was conscious. She was walking along that railing in the lake room and she was dragging her fingertip along the wall. And it left a trace of cyan-blue light behind.”
I picture this and a sick feeling creeps into my stomach.
Suddenly, Clara’s hand lights up. And she points a finger into the air. I watch, stunned, as she draws a heart. But the cool—or maybe disturbing—thing is, the heart lights up blue. Like she’s using a digital marker on a tablet instead of her finger in the air.
She draws some more things. Clouds, and arrows, and spirals. Then she smiles at me. “This was my display in the Choosing. No one had drawn things in the air like this before, so even though it’s a stupid trick, it was unexpected and people liked it. Back then, when I was eighteen, it could only last a few seconds, then the light would fade. But as I got older, I could make the light stay all night if I wanted. It was fun, for a while. Until my Extraction turned into a living nightmare and all my friends started disappearing through the tower door. Then I just forgot about the spark. It stopped being important, I guess. But here, Tyse, here, in this version of Tau City, I discovered I can do this.”
She touches me and before I pull away, my entire arm lights up blue with light and a shock shoots through my system. So powerful, I jump up, breaking contact, extinguishing the light, and spilling soda cans all over the table.
I get to my feet—Clara as well—and we stare at each other with just the small coffee table between us.
“Sorry. Did that hurt? I did it to Anneeta and she said it felt good.”
I’m still trying to figure out what happened, so I don’t answer.
She, of course, interprets this negatively. “Oh, my god. I’m so sorry. I fucked up. I should’ve never done that.”
I let out a breath. “It’s fine. You just… surprised me. I’ve never used a jolt or a jump, so I’m not sure what it feels like. But I think that’s what you just did to me.”
She pouts. “I didn’t mean to. Anneeta—”
“Yeah, well. Anneeta isn’t exactly normal, is she?”
This is when it occurs to me that Anneeta shares a lot more characteristics with Clara—and Clara with her—than either of them do with me.
And I’ve been neurologically altered, so I’m less, or maybe the right word is more, than human.
Which means both Anneeta and Clara have even less in common with the general public than they do me. And by general public I mean… humans.
Again, my silence makes her nervous. “I’ll clean up.” She drops some napkins on the spilled soda and starts shoving takeaway containers into bags.
“Hey.” I grab her arm, making her stop. I note that it’s not me touching her that starts the spark reaction, but her touching me. “It’s fine. It is. You just surprised me, that’s all.”
She doesn’t say anything for a moment. But then she lets out a breath and gives it a try. “I think I’m… like her.” I nod. “I think I was a… spark baby.” I nod again. “I think I’m not like you.”
I force a smile. “Thank god, you’re nothing like me. I’m ruined. Like this tower. But you, Clara Birch, you’re a very bright and shiny thing indeed.”
She manages a small smile. “I scared you.”
I want to deny it, but she knows she did. So instead, I joke. “Yeah. And that makes you one of the most badass people in this whole city. Because I’m a pretty scary guy myself.”
Finally, I get a real chuckle. “I was just very excited. I mean, about meeting her and realizing that I’m not some freak, ya know?”