The Thousandth Floor

Rylin’s breath caught. She opened her mouth to say something, to deny any feelings for Cord—

“Whatever. You’re right, it won’t, really. You don’t know where Hiral got these, though, do you?” V asked, with a sidelong glance. “He never did tell me.”

Rylin shook her head, feeling stunned. Hiral had told V that he was the one stealing the Spokes? He must have done it to protect her.

V swept all the drugs into his bag and gave a dramatic sigh. “I’m sorry, but this isn’t enough.”

“What do you mean, it’s not enough?”

V shook his head. “I can’t give you fifteen thousand for this. It’s barely worth ten.”

“You lying little—” Rylin lunged forward, but V put his hands out and grabbed her shoulders, squeezing them so hard that Rylin felt she was running into a wall. He gave her a little shove and she stumbled back, her breath still coming fast.

“Come on, Rylin,” V muttered, shaking his head. The inktats around his neck looked almost darker with his anger. “Play nice.”

She stayed mutinously silent.

“Now, about the extra five thousand.” His eyes traveled over her in a way she didn’t like. “You and I could always just strike up a little trade of our own.”

“Go to hell, V.”

“Thought you’d say that. But for some reason I like you, so I’m giving you one last chance. Tell Hiral he needs more Spokes,” V demanded, his words unyielding. “At least five more. You’ll have to grab them, since he’s locked up.”

“No!” Rylin shouted, clenching her hands, feeling sick. “I won’t do it, okay?”

V shrugged. “I don’t care one way or another. But it’s my final offer, take it or leave it, Myers. Now get the hell out of here.” He muttered something under his breath and the school’s security alarm went off.

Rylin stood there in stunned bewilderment. But V had already taken off, ducking through a gate she hadn’t seen on the far side of the playground. An instant later Rylin’s reflexes kicked in and she was running through the gate, sprinting headlong down the empty length of Maple Street. V was nowhere to be seen. Rylin kept running, so fast that she tripped over her own feet and fell forward, skidding angrily along the unforgiving pavement. But she picked herself back up and hurried on, adrenaline dulling the pain in her hands and knees, not daring to stop until she turned onto the main avenue.

Finally Rylin bent down and examined her knees. They were badly skinned, and blood was smeared on her palms where she’d fallen. Taking a deep, ragged breath, she started the long trip home.



AVERY



“I’VE GOT IT!” Avery called out, when the entrance comm buzzed later that night. Not that her parents were the type of people who answered their own door. But she wanted to give Watt a moment to collect himself before he met them, since they’d all be sharing a hover to the University Club. Atlas had already left to pick up Leda, which Avery was trying not to think about.

“Watt!” she said, flinging open the front door, and paused at the sight of him in his new tux. The elegant satin clung to his frame, making him seem taller than he really was; highlighting the strong, clean lines of his nose and jaw and the burnished brown of his skin. “It looks great on you,” she said, her heart beating unexpectedly faster. “The tux, I mean.”

“It was fun shopping for it.” It was fun, wasn’t it? Avery thought. “I got you something, by the way.” Watt cleared his throat and held out a small velvet box.

“Oh, you didn’t have to …” Avery trailed off as she opened the box. Inside was a miniature incandescent, one of the genetically engineered flowers that attracted light the way magnets attract metal. Already it was drawing some of the light from the room toward it, taking on a sort of ghostly glow, though it generated none of the light itself. Incandescents were funny; they’d become much cheaper since they were first bred decades ago, because they only lasted a few hours before dying. But they were truly beautiful if you caught them in the one night they bloomed.

“I know you hate cuttings,” Watt was saying, “but I couldn’t help it, I’ve been wanting to get you one of these ever since that night at Bubble Lounge.”

“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” Avery breathed. The actual bud was tiny, smaller than her fingernail, and was now positively glowing with a soft golden light. She tucked it into her updo, behind her ear. It went perfectly with her gown, which was long and slinky and covered in tiny pieces of mirror. She’d loved the delicious irony of it, that when people tried to look at her, they’d be forced to look at themselves instead.

“Is this the famous Watt?” Avery’s mom called out from the entryway. “Come in! We’ve heard so much about you!”

I mentioned him once. Avery flushed with embarrassment as she led Watt inside.

“Watt, it’s wonderful to finally meet you.” Elizabeth held out a hand, enormous diamond rings glittering on every finger.

Watt shook it, undeterred. “Thank you. You look lovely tonight, Mrs. Fuller.” To Avery’s surprise, he winked—quickly, but with just the right amount of flirtation to make Avery’s mom melt a little. How had he known to use that little trick?

“Now tell me,” Avery’s mom asked, a new warmth in her voice, “because Avery refuses to. How did you two meet?”