CHAPTER SEVEN
Cocktail hour was already almost over when Dade and Clarissa stepped into his family’s apartment in Sky Tower Two. Clarissa had talked him into running errands after the photo shoot since they were already dressed and could then arrive at his house together. He agreed because it meant putting off going home, and therefore avoiding any questions. They entered arm in arm, already playing their role as a couple.
Dade’s father glanced his way with a frown. He looked pointedly at his watch to note the time, but he didn’t acknowledge Dade beyond that. Most of the guests wouldn’t have noticed his late arrival anyway. They were well on their way to being high on drugs or alcohol, or both.
His mother sat on the sunken circular couch in the center of the room. The cushions were deep, covered in blue velvet that popped against the plush white carpet. She sipped her pink-tinted, bubbled cocktail while gossiping with several women.
Dade’s home was high-gloss, made to show off. Everything was arranged to demonstrate wealth, from the polished indigenous stone shelves of blue and silver, to the 3-D pictures of Dade and his parents. Music floated through the space, a soft, slightly whiny sound from a stringed instrument. Above them, orbs of poloosh lit the room. Poloosh was a glow stone that could be carved into shapes. Fifty hand-sized stones were clustered together to create a chandelier that continuously emitted light.
Dade wandered the perimeter of the room to the far side. Clarissa stayed on his arm until a waiter passed them. She reached out to snag two glasses, offering him one as they took up position against the window.
He tipped his glass against hers. “Cheers.”
The Sky Towers had been constructed to allow for maximum sun coverage. Long sheets of glass made up the back wall with the balcony beyond. The other walls were painted in a pearlescent sheen to catch the light and reflect it back into the room.
He looked over the clear purple sky, wanting the peace that usually came with it. The blood-orange sun was just beginning to set as their two moons rose in the distance. Far below, a blanket of gray static clouds cut off the view, making their Tower feel separate from the rest of the city.
“What are you daydreaming about?” Clarissa asked. They stood shoulder to shoulder, leaning into each other to ensure their conversation didn’t travel.
He shrugged.
“Well, get out of your head. We have work to do.”
He couldn’t shake his nervousness. Which was silly. He’d done things like this a hundred times. It was just that he tended not to do them directly in front of his father. It wasn’t like his dad was unobservant. Dade had a healthy respect for getting caught. If he did, it would ruin all his other endeavors.
Clarissa pulled out two small clear disks from her tiny purse. Both disks fit into the palm of her hand and appeared to be not much more than bits of stray plastic. She handed him one of the devices. “Bat your eyes, and she won’t see you coming. All the girls fall for it.”
“You don’t,” he pointed out.
“That’s because I’m smarter than most.” She turned toward the room. “Are you ready?”
“Why do we have to do this here?” This plan was insane, even for her.
“When else are we going to get the opportunity?”
“It’s like you’re trying to get caught.”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, but she just shrugged and coyly said, “Sometimes things hide in plain sight.”
That was the truth. The irony of the statement amused him as he slipped the disk into his pocket.
Dinner was announced, and the guests began to make their way into the dining room. Clarissa held up her empty glass, signaling to a waiter who hurried over to collect it. Dade followed suit, murmuring his thanks.
Her hands empty now, Clarissa slid her arm through his, latching onto his elbow. “Time to shine, darling.”
The dining room was surrounded by glass. In the distance, the sun had begun to set, sliding ever-darkening purple light filtering across the room. A long table ran down the center, seating up to fifty. Tonight every gold-leafed chair was filled while the servants buzzed in and out of the kitchen with trays piled with food.
Dade took a seat next to Clarissa halfway down the table near Chief Nakomzer. He didn’t fail to notice that his cousin, Rylick, sat at the head of the table closer to Dade’s father. In exactly the place Dade should have been. He would admit—to himself, at least—that it hurt that his father favored Rylick.
But then, Rylick was also watched more closely too. That was not something Dade could deal with.
Dade looked up, surprised, as Sophia took the empty seat next to him. It couldn’t have worked out any better if Clarissa had planned it. He looked to Clarissa, who offered him a wide grin. Almost like she could read his mind.
She winked.
Maybe she had planned it.
Clarissa turned her attention to chatting up Nakomzer, her target for the evening. Nakomzer was generally a cold guy, but around her he always softened up. In no time at all, she had him laughing and leaning closer to her.
Which left Dade with Sophia. Dade looked for an opening, but she kept her back turned toward him, talking with the gentleman to her other side. Dade shifted slightly to catch her attention, trying to get her to turn. “How are you this evening?”
Sophia slid her gaze sideways, leaving her body twisted away from him, so that she looked at him over her shoulder.
Dade cleared his throat and tried again, a little more hesitantly this time. He felt ridiculous, because she was making it obvious she didn’t want to speak to him. He wouldn’t want to talk to her either if he didn’t have to. “I heard that you just came back from one of the outer cities. Did you have a nice trip?”
Sophia sniffed.
Was that an answer?
Normally he could at least squeeze out one-word answers from her, even as rude as she usually was. The fact that he couldn’t even get that much tonight left him at a loss. He had no idea how he was going to pull this off. His attention slid to her purse. It sat in front of her plate, which meant that he could potentially drop in the disk when she wasn’t looking. Except that she kept placing her hand on top of it.
Clarissa had watched the exchange, and it was clear she was amused. She smothered a laugh behind her hand, then coughed gently into her napkin. She couldn’t hide the mirth in her eyes, though.
“It’s not funny,” he said, the words barely a whisper.
She lowered the napkin and agreed. “No, it’s not. You’re usually much better at this.”
“At flirting or getting the job done?”