Her voice sounds genuine, and her expression looks genuine, but I stay wary, waiting for her to make some unexpected move. What did you work on at the institute? And what, exactly, do you do for the Blackcoats?
“I hope you understand how important your role is.” Taylor gives me a nod before she rises from my chair and straightens her blouse. She nods toward the streetlights outside the window. “Look.”
Two new virtual figures appear to hover underneath each light, followed by a wave of cheers and boos from the revelers on the street. I recognize my own rainbow hair instantly.
IVO ERIKKSON of SWEDEN | ANDROMEDA
EMIKA CHEN of USA | PHOENIX RIDERS
At the same time, a message pops up front and center in my view.
Congratulations, Emika Chen!
You have been chosen as a
TOP TEN PLAYER
of the
WARCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS VIII
Taylor smiles at my stunned expression. “You’re the only one chosen so far by write-in votes alone,” she says. “Very impressive.” As she walks past me, she says something in a voice just loud enough for me to hear. “I won’t tell Zero about our conversation, but let this be the last time we need to have one. I think you owe it to all your fans to perform well at the closing ceremony.”
Then she’s gone, leaving me standing in the middle of my room alone with all my questions.
15
Three Days until the Warcross Closing Ceremony
The few hours of sleep that I manage to get are plagued by nightmares, visions of myself standing in an arena, a woman sitting in my chair, a girl with short silver hair training her gun on me, Hideo pulling me close in a bedroom made of glass. I dream of Tremaine leaning against the wall at the Innovation Institute and watching the rain.
That’s what finally shakes me awake—the image of him standing there, unaware of someone watching him in the shadows. I jerk upright in bed mumbling his name, trying in vain to warn him.
By the time I meet the Riders at Asher’s place, I’m an exhausted mess, with dark circles prominent under my eyes. Secretly, I count my blessings that at least the event I’m attending requires makeup and formal wear, so that I don’t show up looking like a ghost.
Asher answers the door. “You look terrible,” he says, leaning one elbow against his chair.
“You too,” I reply.
He flashes me a grin before ushering me inside. “Well, Hammie’s going to do something about that.”
Hammie’s already here and waiting for me. She takes my hand and leads me to Asher’s bedroom, where she shuts the two of us in and pulls me over to the closet. I find myself staring at a small rack of dresses.
“I did a little shopping,” she says, holding one of the dresses up against me. She squints an eye shut. “These look about your size.”
I’m quiet as I change out of my clothes and slip on the first dress. It’s Givenchy, a shimmering sea of midnight fabrics that hugs my hips.
Hammie studies me with a thoughtful frown. “It fits a little weird up here,” she says, tapping my shoulder. She turns to grab another dress. “Let’s try a Giambattista Valli. Give you some volume.”
She holds up a beautiful, fluffy pouf of a gown in pale champagne pink. I stare at myself, drowning behind layers of tulle, and imagine what it will be like to see Hideo in person again. “Maybe this is a bad idea,” I start to say.
“Mm, you’re right,” Hammie ponders out loud, hanging the dress back on the rack. “Too much pouf. How about a Dior?”
“No, I mean—” I take a deep breath and close my eyes. “Hideo. This isn’t going to go well.”
Hammie pauses to look at me as she holds up a new ball gown with a bold black-and-white print. “You’re afraid to see him, aren’t you?”
My eyes meet Hammie’s in the mirror. “You didn’t see the look in his eyes when we last talked. He’s not going to hear me out. More likely, he’ll have his bodyguards on me the instant he knows I’m at the party.”
Hammie doesn’t deny it, and I’m almost grateful she doesn’t try to console me with any lies. “Listen,” she replies instead. “One time, my mom and dad had an argument before New Year’s. I don’t remember what it was over. Walking our dog? Something dumb. Anyway, they both decided, regardless, to go separately to their friends’ New Year’s Eve party. I went with my dad. When we got there, my dad saw my mom, sparkling in the most gorgeous silver gown you’ve ever seen in your life. Know what he did? He walked right up to her, said he was sorry, and then they kissed over and over and over. It was disgusting.”
I give Hammie a withering look. “That’s different. Your parents are in love. And they weren’t fighting over the fact that your dad wants to control the world.”
Hammie waves a flippant hand. “Details. I’m just saying. You think you’re not over Hideo? He’s mad about you. You heard Kenn say it. Even Zero knows. And now the girl he can’t get out of his head is going to show up right in front of him, without warning, in a stunning dress? You’re going to knock his socks off with a battering ram.”
“Well, I’m glad one of us thinks so.” I pull on a new dress and adjust the straps. This one fits like a glove, with a plunging back and a full skirt ending perfectly at my feet. “I don’t think being unpredictable is a good thing with Hideo,” I say.
“Everything about you has been unpredictable since the moment you hacked into his game.” Hammie steps back, admiring the dress’s clean lines. “If he doesn’t at least give you the time of day when he sees you like this, he really has no soul. Then you can kick his ass.”
We pause at a knock on the door. Hammie calls out that we’re done, and it opens to reveal Roshan leaning against the doorway. He glances over at me with an approving look.
“Car’s here,” he says.
“Give us a sec,” Hammie replies. “While I do her hair and makeup.”
The world is hanging by a thread, and yet here the Riders still are, acting like this is nothing more than getting me ready for a party. I feel an overwhelming rush of gratitude for them.
“Hideo’s going to know you all helped me,” I say to Roshan.
“You don’t need to worry about us right now,” Roshan replies. He meets my gaze with his steady one. “Just be careful.”
I close my eyes as Hammie starts dusting glittering shadow on my eyelids. It’s just as well. Tremaine’s story about their past is still fresh in my mind, and looking at Roshan’s unsuspecting face sends an ache through my chest.
Finally, I’m ready. As I head out of the house, I hear Hammie call out one last “Good luck!” in my direction. Then I’m getting into the car, and the door seals me in.
I spend the entire ride with my hands clasped tightly in my lap, lost in the silken folds of my dress’s skirt. Beyond the window, high-rises blur by with little shrines squeezed between them, followed by garden walls and an expansive park. The sun is already setting, and more neon lights are starting to turn on. As we drive alongside a river that reflects the subways running on the opposite side of the banks, I can see the interior of the train cars packed with people, many of them decked out in their Warcross virtual outfits.
Too anxious already, I force myself to look away, then concentrate on overlaying a randomly generated face on my own. My rainbow hair turns into sleek dark brown, and my eyes change to a pale hazel. When I see my reflection again in the car’s rearview mirrors, I look unrecognizable.
I don’t need to tell him much tonight, I remind myself. Right now, I just need to convince the Blackcoats that I’m making progress in getting closer to Hideo. I need Hideo to agree to meet me again in private, so that I can talk to him safely.