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)
If a trickle of water could defy gravity, that is. Because her spark is aimed upward. And there’s only one reason for this.
She wants to light up the room.
She wants to see.
“Clara…” But there’s nothing Anneeta can say. Not at this point. So she doesn’t get past Clara’s name.
Clara, to her credit, is in complete control of her emotions. And once again, I see that training she’s had. It goes far beyond politeness and manners. It’s self-restraint, and composure, and discipline.
Any other woman—hell, even a man, probably—would be losing their shit right now if they were looking at the remnants of their friends on the floor and they didn’t have her training.
Anneeta sighs. Then, unexpectedly, she gives up. “Forget it. You two go. I’m staying.”
I’m ready for this. I’m all for it. So I’m not about to argue with her. I reach for the hand Clara’s not holding up in the air, but she shakes me off and turns to face Anneeta.
I hold my breath, wondering what she’s gonna say.
Anneeta looks up at her and then breaks. Starting to cry. Because what is there to say?
There are bodies on the floor in different stages of decomposition. There are bones. There is skin. There is some flesh.
Still, Clara hasn’t decided what to say yet. She just stares at the hungry little god like she’s running scenarios through her head the way I used to when I was in Sweep.
Hell, what do I know about Spark Maidens? Maybe they can run scenarios in their heads?
Clara sighs. Then looks over her shoulder at me. “One of them is missing. Haryet is missing.”
“I told you!” Anneeta is overreacting. Like a child might. Which, of course, she is. So these words come out too loud and with too much emphasis. She’s also sobbing. “I didn’t see her! I didn’t feed on her! I’m not even hungry!” She screams this last part.
Clara does not so much has flinch. She is the definition of temperance. She takes one step towards Anneeta and points at her. The spark is still spilling out of Clara’s finger, but it doesn’t reach all the way to Anneeta. “I believe you.” Clara’s words are calm. Soothing, even. “We’re never gonna talk about this again. But I’m making a rule right now. If you ever”—I can’t see Clara narrowing her eyes, but I know she is—“ever—steal spark from someone, I will end you. I will fill you up with spark until you explode. I don’t care if it happens next week, or next year, or next life time. You have a new rule, Anneeta the god of Tau City Tower Ruin. And your rule is you will never, ever again take someone’s spark without permission. That’s what animals do.”
Anneeta recoils, gasping.
I might have things in common with her, but I don’t know what kind of existential crises a little god might grapple with. If I had to guess, though, I’d imagine there’d be a lot of angst inside this girl about what she is. And more importantly, what she isn’t.
“Do you understand me, Anneeta?”
Anneeta has been knocked so far off her high horse, she can’t even speak. She just nods her head at Clara as tears stream down her frowning face.
The spark disappears from Clara’s fingers, my overlay switches off, and we all let out a breath as the near-darkness surrounds us once again.
“Come on,” I say, pushing past Clara and taking her hand at the same time. I saw the door when the spark lit the place up, so we’re out of here. Anneeta follows, sniffling. Trying to get herself under control.
I pull the door open and suddenly I’m lit up with lasers.
The Versi comes out of the holster on instinct. Even before Stayn has a chance to say, “Drop your weapon!”
There isn’t a chance in fuckin’ hell I’ll ever drop my weapon. And it’s too late, anyway. Everything about how I use it is automatic and Stayn knows this. Because he knows what I am.
I think something, and the weapon reacts. It can even pick rounds. Flechette for moments when ya just wanna make a point. EMP for when the machines are comin’ at ya. Time disruptors when the Omega dimension breaks through the veil. And lasers when you want a former friend to understand that if he targets you, you’re gonna target him back.
“Hold your fire!” Stayn yells this. But their lasers still dance across my chest.
There is a connection between the Versi, and my arm, and my brain. A connection that was, up until last week, rather degraded. So much so that I had completely forgotten what it was like to be connected to the Versi in this way.
But a lot has changed in a week and let’s just say, my memory has now been jogged.
There’s a reason for the hair trigger that almost got me shot with flechette darts when Clara was waving the Versi around. It’s because it’s part of me. And sometimes—lots of times, actually, at least in the last seven years—it goes off without my permission. It could even be used by someone else.