crossed the road and he still hadn’t responded to me. “But–come on. I said I was sorry.”
“It’s becoming a habit.”
Ouch. Again. “For God’s sake, slow down!” Gritting my teeth, I marched after him across the road.
“Don’t you have to meet your brother?”
Damn. “I just thought… wait.” I dodged another group of tourists, who appeared to be angling for a close look at Central. “Where are you going?” We’d turned into the street to the Alliance’s training complex.
“To beat the crap out of virtual monsters,” he said, without stopping. “And not think about bloody centaur politics.”
“Centaurs?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“That’s becoming a habit, too,” I retaliated. “Quit deflecting my questions. I don’t want to argue with you.”
“Well, there’s a simple solution, isn’t there?”
I stopped, speared by the genuine anger in his voice. Without looking at me, he used his key card to open the gate. And went inside.
The fury drained out of me, making me feel even more tired than before.
And that’s how you ruin everything, Ada.
CHAPTER FIVE
KAY
As opposed to beating up monsters, I felt more like beating my own head against the wall. Dammit, Kay.
Instead, I fired up the highest setting on the virtual training menu, and an eight-foot-high, winged lizard exploded into life in front of me. The wyvern slammed its tail down with a noise that never failed to surprise me at how lifelike it sounded. Its fangs were bared and wicked-sharp claws gleamed white. One dagger versus twelve claws. Seemed a fair match.
I’d killed dozens of these things in simulation–as opposed to reality–since the real-life version had nearly killed me. The sure-fire way to deal with fear was to face it head-on, and kick the crap out of it. Worked for me.
Except I wasn’t dealing with it, really, I couldn’t help thinking as I dodged the wyvern’s claws, spun and kicked and stabbed the dagger point through the weaker joints in its thick armour. I was running away. I’d completely panicked when Tara had brought up how I’d killed those magic-wielders—one of whom had been Ada’s friend. Ada had used magic against others in self-defence, not with the intent to kill like I had, and she most likely wanted to forget the whole experience. But I couldn’t afford to, not if I wanted to stop it happening again. Just the thought of her looking at me like Tara had made me feel sickened and angry with myself, even though I was jumping to conclusions as easily as she had. I didn’t know Ada well at all, but maybe it was for the best she didn’t know me. She’d suffered more grief than anyone should have to at the hands of the Alliance already.
Damn Tara. And Aric. Of all versions of the story about the attack on Central, I hadn’t heard that one before… obviously. It was a pretty stupid lie. Probably, he’d just wanted to wind both of us up. As for what the hell he’d even been doing over at the West London Alliance branch, I had no idea. Let alone the tech office. I was pretty sure the moron could barely operate a communicator.
The wyvern lunged for me, I drove the dagger into the roof of its mouth. Right into the brain. Red blood drenched me, and I staggered back as the illusion disappeared in an instant. Breathing heavily, I let the loading screen fade so I could reassure myself I was still here in the booth, not in a simulation anymore. I wondered how Ada had dealt with her first experience here.
Why the hell did you say that to her?
Just when things might actually have been going my way for once, I had to wreck everything, with more efficiency than the way I’d crashed that blasted hover bike. Thanks to the Aglaian crisis, I’d be lucky to run into her again anytime soon, and if I did, she’d turn the other way. And her dick of a brother hadn’t helped. She’s always had a thing for your type. And she always gets hurt.
“Goddammit,” I said to no one in
“It’s becoming a habit.”
Ouch. Again. “For God’s sake, slow down!” Gritting my teeth, I marched after him across the road.
“Don’t you have to meet your brother?”
Damn. “I just thought… wait.” I dodged another group of tourists, who appeared to be angling for a close look at Central. “Where are you going?” We’d turned into the street to the Alliance’s training complex.
“To beat the crap out of virtual monsters,” he said, without stopping. “And not think about bloody centaur politics.”
“Centaurs?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“That’s becoming a habit, too,” I retaliated. “Quit deflecting my questions. I don’t want to argue with you.”
“Well, there’s a simple solution, isn’t there?”
I stopped, speared by the genuine anger in his voice. Without looking at me, he used his key card to open the gate. And went inside.
The fury drained out of me, making me feel even more tired than before.
And that’s how you ruin everything, Ada.
CHAPTER FIVE
KAY
As opposed to beating up monsters, I felt more like beating my own head against the wall. Dammit, Kay.
Instead, I fired up the highest setting on the virtual training menu, and an eight-foot-high, winged lizard exploded into life in front of me. The wyvern slammed its tail down with a noise that never failed to surprise me at how lifelike it sounded. Its fangs were bared and wicked-sharp claws gleamed white. One dagger versus twelve claws. Seemed a fair match.
I’d killed dozens of these things in simulation–as opposed to reality–since the real-life version had nearly killed me. The sure-fire way to deal with fear was to face it head-on, and kick the crap out of it. Worked for me.
Except I wasn’t dealing with it, really, I couldn’t help thinking as I dodged the wyvern’s claws, spun and kicked and stabbed the dagger point through the weaker joints in its thick armour. I was running away. I’d completely panicked when Tara had brought up how I’d killed those magic-wielders—one of whom had been Ada’s friend. Ada had used magic against others in self-defence, not with the intent to kill like I had, and she most likely wanted to forget the whole experience. But I couldn’t afford to, not if I wanted to stop it happening again. Just the thought of her looking at me like Tara had made me feel sickened and angry with myself, even though I was jumping to conclusions as easily as she had. I didn’t know Ada well at all, but maybe it was for the best she didn’t know me. She’d suffered more grief than anyone should have to at the hands of the Alliance already.
Damn Tara. And Aric. Of all versions of the story about the attack on Central, I hadn’t heard that one before… obviously. It was a pretty stupid lie. Probably, he’d just wanted to wind both of us up. As for what the hell he’d even been doing over at the West London Alliance branch, I had no idea. Let alone the tech office. I was pretty sure the moron could barely operate a communicator.
The wyvern lunged for me, I drove the dagger into the roof of its mouth. Right into the brain. Red blood drenched me, and I staggered back as the illusion disappeared in an instant. Breathing heavily, I let the loading screen fade so I could reassure myself I was still here in the booth, not in a simulation anymore. I wondered how Ada had dealt with her first experience here.
Why the hell did you say that to her?
Just when things might actually have been going my way for once, I had to wreck everything, with more efficiency than the way I’d crashed that blasted hover bike. Thanks to the Aglaian crisis, I’d be lucky to run into her again anytime soon, and if I did, she’d turn the other way. And her dick of a brother hadn’t helped. She’s always had a thing for your type. And she always gets hurt.
“Goddammit,” I said to no one in
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