She joins me at the window, peering down. “Nothing but hundreds of miles of water below us. Gotta make you a little nervous.”
“Huh?”
She grins. “I know what kind of swimmer you are.”
I shrug, turning my attention back to the stars.
“Hey,” she lays her hand on my shoulder, “you did well today. What a difference a week makes, right?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, everything’s changed now.”
“Aw, don’t be dramatic,” she replies. “Not everything’s changed. You’re still the guy I’ve gotta look out for.”
I scowl at her. “I did all right on the Surface.”
“Sure you did.” She smiles. “But you’ve got a lot to learn. Alien or not.”
I lay my forehead against the fiberglass. “Please don’t use that word.”
She laughs. “I thought you’d be used to it by now. It’s not like you’ve ever been normal, right?”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
She shrugs. “Take it for what it is, Fisher. At least now you’ve got a reason to be different.”
I turn to respond but notice Skandar sprinting toward us through the corridor. A heavy cast covers his right arm. He swings it around like it doesn’t hurt at all.
As soon as he’s within striking distance, he grabs my shoulder and spins me around, using me as a human shield. “Is he coming?”
I yank my shoulder free. “Is who coming?”
“Bergmann.” He crouches. “He was talking trash about you, Jesse. I nailed him right in the jaw.” He shakes his bandaged arm.
Eva rolls her eyes. “You punched him with your cast?”
He smiles. “Duh. It’s a lot harder than my fist.”
She shakes her head. “That arm doesn’t deserve to heal.”
Skandar stands up straight, staring over my shoulder. “I think I lost him outside the library.”
I wince at the thought of August Bergmann coming after us. “You don’t have to defend me.”
He grins. “Oh, don’t worry. Bergmann won’t be coming for you. I told him you could explode his head. You know, like a Pearl.”
Eva leans against the window. “That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Skandar shrugs. “Seemed to believe it.”
She sighs. “You’re a moron.”
My front pocket buzzes. Skandar notices it first. “That you, mate?”
Confused, I reach into my pocket and feel smooth plastic. The com-pad. Cassius’s com-pad. I’d nearly forgotten about it.
“We’ll have to talk later.” I step away from the window.
Eva’s eyes narrow. “Jesse, what do you have in your pocket?”
I back away across the corridor, heading for the elevators. “Just trust me for once, okay Eva? I’ll… uh… see you guys tomorrow.”
She steps forward, intent on following me, but Skandar juts out his uninjured arm and holds her back. I turn and race through the hallway. When I reach the elevators, I pull the com-pad from my pocket and answer it.
“Hey.”
There’s a pause, long enough that I figure the connection cut out. Then I hear Cassius’s voice, small and quiet coming from the tiny speaker.
“Hi.”
Another pause. I struggle to come up with something to say.
“Is there something wrong?”
“No,” he replies.
“Okay.” The elevator doors open and I arrive on Level Three. I crane my neck up and down the hallway, looking for agents. It’s empty for now. Still, I hurry toward my room.
“Listen,” he clears his throat. “Can we talk?”
I plug in the code to my room and open the door, slipping inside. “About what?”
He sighs, voice still low. “You know, just… talk. About things.”
“Yeah.” I slump face down on my unmade bed, turning the speaker’s volume up and setting it against the pillow.
Time to meet my brother. For real this time-without Madame or Alkine telling us what to say or do.
Two kids standing on opposite sides of a cold war. And still we managed to find each other. Now, linked across thousands of miles by little more than a shared frequency, we’re united. It’s just like our mother said. We need the time to build trust. After all, we’ve got twelve years to make up for.
I close my eyes and focus on his voice… imagining a future where all of us are together. Cassius. Our parents. Avery.
“I took down the Lodge’s central radar system,” he mutters in a tone that doesn’t sound quite happy or sad. “They’ll be off your case for the time being.”
“Thanks,” I reply. “Where are you heading?”
He clears his throat. “I’m gonna try to sneak through the Canadian Border… maybe head up to the Polar Cities until I can figure out what to do next.”
“We’re on course for Siberia,” I start. “You’re welcome to-”
“Not yet,” he interrupts. “You go ahead. I need some time to think.”
“Is it safe? I mean, what if Madame’s still alive?”
“You let me worry about that,” he replies. “Just… if you find them… if one of those Pearls you break is our mom or dad, let me know. Okay?”
“Of course.”
“Even after all I’ve done,” he continues. “You’ve gotta let me know.”
“Yeah,” I say. “Sure.”
Sirens blare through the com-pad’s speaker, interrupting Cassius’s voice. Then rustling. Panting.
I grab the receiver and hold it to my mouth. “Cassius, are you okay?”
The response comes seconds later. “Fine. I’ve gotta go, all right?”
“All right. I’ll talk to you-”
The connection fractures. I set the device on my pillow and sit at the edge of the bed.
As Skyship Academy drifts over the Pacific, away from Fringe Towns and Chosen Cities, I try not to think about what lies ahead. Siberia’s only the start. Getting away with this… breaking Pearls while the Unified Party remains strong-I can’t do it alone. Cassius can’t either.
They’ll want to shut us down, come at us from every angle until we’re both under their control. Or worse yet, dead.
I recline on the mattress and stare at the ceiling, exhausted. One thing’s for sure: I’ve really gotta start taking my training more seriously.
