Kobee, not... whatever this is.
"At any rate," Kobee continues, "I didn't
foresee what happened. With you both gone, I did what I thought was right.
What I thought needed to be done. And done is done. But we need to pick up
these pieces quick. My not-revolution has the potential to become one. People
are talking—without me. Unfortunately, me convincing them that Lily wouldn't
be Lily also applies to you, Jason."
I'm still not quite sure what to make of all this.
"The people love us," I say, looking at ease, even though I'm not.
"We went out this morning, and it was clear from the way they reacted to
us. I'm not sure your little revolution carries any weight. Maybe it's all
just a bunch of hot air."
Kobee’s brow furrows as he frowns at me. "The people
who aren't out there smiling at you—they're the ones you want to worry about.
And no, you didn't see them. But they're there. And they're halfway
organized, too."
Jonas leans forward. "Right," he says.
"Then you get the hell out there and fix what you broke."
"It's not that simple, man," Kobee protests.
"I'm trying. Believe me. The bottom line is that they don't believe
you're you. I'm not sure I believe you're you." His gaze flicks back and
forth between us. "Would you even know if you weren't?" The
question hovers in the air for a moment before he goes on. "I can only
fix so much, and the rest is up to you. But you need to get on it. Now."
Jonas sighs. "...Suggestions?"
"That's up to you," Kobee says, climbing to his
feet. "I'm not gonna tell you how to be you." The three of them
head for the door. Only Moses looks back, throwing us an apologetic look.
Once they're gone, Jonas and I spend a long moment eyeing
each other. "What should we do?" I finally ask.
He shrugs, but he looks uneasy. "Damned if I know. If
it weren't for you and your stubbornness—and the stupid chip that needs to be
taken out of your head—I'd say it's time to move on before things get bad.
This is a dangerous game, Eden. It could go incredibly wrong and end up with
us getting roasted. I mean, we're not them. What are we playing at?"
I snort. "Speak for yourself. I don't know who I am,
that's true. But her... She's always weaseling her way into my brain, even
though I don't want her there." I stand up and walk toward the door.
Jonas' eyes follow me.
I'm halfway down the steps before I realize how I've opened
my mouth and let out the wrong thing. Do I want Jonas to know that? That
Lily's ghost is hanging around? Is it even true? I take a deep gulp of air
and freeze on the lowest step. I need to tell him about Apollon. I know I
should turn around and go back up. But can I really say that right after
admitting that I might be just a little bit Lily?
My feet get going with new momentum and I fly down the last
step and out the door onto the terrace. Swearing under my breath, I have no
idea where I'm going. It's all made worse when I see that Kobee, Harlan, and
Moses have paused on the terrace to conference before moving on. Their eyes
dart to me and stick. I hesitate. What am I doing? Where am I going?
I take a deep breath, put on an easy smile, throw my hands
up and say, "It's hot in there. This place is like an oven."
Harlan laughs—he has a surprisingly jovial laugh. "Just
you wait, Lily. This is nothing."
"Great," I mumble, and walk toward the railing to
look over. If they want to talk about us in private, they're the ones who will
have to move on. But no more than a minute passes before I see a familiar
tall, blonde figure heading up the stairs. Panic flutters around in my chest.
Apollon reaches the top of the stairs and looks around. His
gaze fixes on me and he strides over. I can almost feel the others summing him
up from behind me, but he pretends he doesn't notice them.
"Well," he says as he comes to a stop at my side,
"how did it go?" No small
"At any rate," Kobee continues, "I didn't
foresee what happened. With you both gone, I did what I thought was right.
What I thought needed to be done. And done is done. But we need to pick up
these pieces quick. My not-revolution has the potential to become one. People
are talking—without me. Unfortunately, me convincing them that Lily wouldn't
be Lily also applies to you, Jason."
I'm still not quite sure what to make of all this.
"The people love us," I say, looking at ease, even though I'm not.
"We went out this morning, and it was clear from the way they reacted to
us. I'm not sure your little revolution carries any weight. Maybe it's all
just a bunch of hot air."
Kobee’s brow furrows as he frowns at me. "The people
who aren't out there smiling at you—they're the ones you want to worry about.
And no, you didn't see them. But they're there. And they're halfway
organized, too."
Jonas leans forward. "Right," he says.
"Then you get the hell out there and fix what you broke."
"It's not that simple, man," Kobee protests.
"I'm trying. Believe me. The bottom line is that they don't believe
you're you. I'm not sure I believe you're you." His gaze flicks back and
forth between us. "Would you even know if you weren't?" The
question hovers in the air for a moment before he goes on. "I can only
fix so much, and the rest is up to you. But you need to get on it. Now."
Jonas sighs. "...Suggestions?"
"That's up to you," Kobee says, climbing to his
feet. "I'm not gonna tell you how to be you." The three of them
head for the door. Only Moses looks back, throwing us an apologetic look.
Once they're gone, Jonas and I spend a long moment eyeing
each other. "What should we do?" I finally ask.
He shrugs, but he looks uneasy. "Damned if I know. If
it weren't for you and your stubbornness—and the stupid chip that needs to be
taken out of your head—I'd say it's time to move on before things get bad.
This is a dangerous game, Eden. It could go incredibly wrong and end up with
us getting roasted. I mean, we're not them. What are we playing at?"
I snort. "Speak for yourself. I don't know who I am,
that's true. But her... She's always weaseling her way into my brain, even
though I don't want her there." I stand up and walk toward the door.
Jonas' eyes follow me.
I'm halfway down the steps before I realize how I've opened
my mouth and let out the wrong thing. Do I want Jonas to know that? That
Lily's ghost is hanging around? Is it even true? I take a deep gulp of air
and freeze on the lowest step. I need to tell him about Apollon. I know I
should turn around and go back up. But can I really say that right after
admitting that I might be just a little bit Lily?
My feet get going with new momentum and I fly down the last
step and out the door onto the terrace. Swearing under my breath, I have no
idea where I'm going. It's all made worse when I see that Kobee, Harlan, and
Moses have paused on the terrace to conference before moving on. Their eyes
dart to me and stick. I hesitate. What am I doing? Where am I going?
I take a deep breath, put on an easy smile, throw my hands
up and say, "It's hot in there. This place is like an oven."
Harlan laughs—he has a surprisingly jovial laugh. "Just
you wait, Lily. This is nothing."
"Great," I mumble, and walk toward the railing to
look over. If they want to talk about us in private, they're the ones who will
have to move on. But no more than a minute passes before I see a familiar
tall, blonde figure heading up the stairs. Panic flutters around in my chest.
Apollon reaches the top of the stairs and looks around. His
gaze fixes on me and he strides over. I can almost feel the others summing him
up from behind me, but he pretends he doesn't notice them.
"Well," he says as he comes to a stop at my side,
"how did it go?" No small
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