by Cheree Alsop
“But they’re just kids,” Breccan said.
Both pairs of eyes locked on him.
“With leveled up hearing and an unerring sense of right and wrong,” Jorie replied in a whisper. “Not to mention they’re the first Fivers to ever grace the Edge. Be quiet or they’ll have you banned for life!”
But they were already walking over.
CHAPTER TEN
Out of the corner of his eye, Breccan saw that everyone’s heads were bowed and nobody made eye contact with the royal couple, but he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze from them. Neither child appeared over the age of six, but they walked with grace and a stride that told of endless patience. Breccan noted these things without looking away, for it was the children’s eyes that held his attention. They may have appeared young in form, but their eyes held the wisdom of years far greater than Breccan had lived.
As they approached, he found himself cowed by the expression of disapproval on the boy’s face. The girl’s gaze, however, contained humor along with curiosity.
“You should be obliterated for your obstinacy,” the boy said in a haughty tone. He lifted a hand.
The girl set hers gently on his arm. “Wait a moment, Count Firestorm. This one amuses me.”
The boy inclined his horned head. “Very well, my love. Have your fun.”
Breccan sat up nervously.
“Do you know why our preferred form is of children?” the Contessa asked.
The Count blew out a breath and crossed his arms, but he didn’t interfere with the questioning.
Jorie squeezed Breccan’s fingers, but didn’t look up.
Breccan felt like honesty would be the best route. “I don’t know why,” he replied quietly.
The Contessa gave him a childish smile. “Because children contain all that is good of the world outside of the Edge. It is only fitting that the form we take should remind others of that.” She lifted a hand. “As we age, we lose the belief that we can make our dreams a reality, but without those dreams, none of this would exist.”
“Were the original founders children?” Breccan asked.
The Contessa laughed. It was a light, musical sound that was answered by several who still knelt on the floor. Heads lifted hesitantly.
The Contessa touched Breccan’s chin. “You are a new one, aren’t you?”
Breccan nodded. “Yes, ma’am. This is my first time to the Edge. I’m sorry for my ignorance.”
She leaned closer and lowered her voice, but kept it loud enough for everyone to hear when she said, “Your ignorance is refreshing.” She looked around them pointedly. “What twist of fate brought a true newb to Topton? That has to be a first. Surely you didn’t receive an invitation?”
Breccan shook his head. “No invitation, but I defeated a Battle Boss. My ECs were enough to grant us passage.” He gave a wry smile and said before he could stop himself, “I guess the Edge isn’t that different from the outside world in that respect.”
Gasps ran through the crowd. The Count’s glower let Breccan know that he had pushed things too far.
But instead of anger, the Contessa’s face showed her understanding. “Count Firestorm and I reached Fifth status together, and were granted the topmost level of the Edge as our reward.” She looked at the boy. “We never planned for Topton to be exclusively accessible only to those with ECs or invitations. It was supposed to be a haven for all who wanted to enjoy the finest things the Edge had to offer.” She shook her head and sadness showed in her pale gaze. “But we learned one thing from our experience here.” She sighed when she said, “Human nature will rear its head no matter what form of avatar the user takes.”
Breccan thought of the two men in the alley who had refused to give his backpack back after the chase. “You can’t hide from nature.”
“We can here,” she replied. She slipped her hand into the boy’s. “Because invitations and high EC levels guarantee at least for the most part that those who are allowed access to Topton have longevity in the Edge. That kind of patience and persistence is rewarded by the chance to share it with others.” Her smile deepened, revealing dimples. “Yet you have skirted our guidelines quite handily.”
“Maybe you cheated,” Count Firestorm said; his eyes searched Breccan’s without revealing how he felt about his statement.
Breccan shook his head. “I beat Avit Torpedo fairly. The Techsec awarded my ECs without question. If anyone cheated, it was whoever told the fighters that Battle Bosses were undefeatable.”
Count Firestorm’s eyes narrowed. “The Chasm at the Volcanic Gateway was thought uncrossable until a year ago. Now look what’s happened.”
Breccan held his gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Count Firestorm watched him for a moment, his expression unreadable. When he reached out a hand, Breccan was afraid he was about to be obliterated or banished or whatever the worst thing was that could happen at the Edge.
Instead, the Count’s hand touched Breccan’s head. “I don’t know why, but I like you. I feel that someone with your outlook on life could be an asset to the Edge. Enjoy your invitation.”
Breccan felt pressure on top of his head. It let up the moment the Count removed his hand, but something remained there. Breccan didn’t dare reach a hand up to see what it was.
“Do you approve?”
Breccan thought the boy was talking to him, but looked up to find that Count Firestorm was addressing the girl.
She nodded. “I look forward to more interesting conversations with this one. Uniqueness is an asset in and of itself.”
“So you keep telling me,” the Count replied. He held out his hand. “Come, love. Let the newb enjoy his first night.”
The Contessa took the offered hand and walked beside the Count for a few steps before she paused and met Breccan’s astonished gaze. “And Game Breaker, please refrain from defeating too many of our Battle Bosses. We need something to give the fighters a challenge.”
“I will,” Breccan promised.
The crowd watched as the Count and Contessa returned up the stairs and disappeared through the doors beyond. A gong sounded and the music started again. Everyone rose.
“That was incredible!” Jorie said in a breathless voice.
“Good job,” a woman told them.
A man clapped Breccan firmly on the back. “Welcome to Topton.”
“Uh, thanks,” Breccan replied. He took several more congratulations before moving Jorie toward the refreshments table. He made a show of getting them both punch. “What was that?” he asked in an undertone.
“You just made friends with the highest of Edge royalty,” Jorie told him. “You’ve received a lasting invitation to Topton!”
“Yeah, what does that mean? An invitation?” Breccan replied. He lifted his hand to his head, and then paused. “Are these horns?”
“Yes, they are,” Jorie replied with a proud smile. “That’s your invitation. You’ll always have a place here!”
Breccan noticed as they walked back toward the stairs that the looks he received from the other ball goers were now friendly. Smiles, nods, and even a few bows greeted his gaze. He returned the bows with stiff ones of his own.
“I feel ridiculous doing that,” he said in an aside to Jorie.
“What’s wrong?” she teased. “Don’t bow much in real life?”
Breccan chuckled. “No, and I’m not about to start.”
“Why not?” she pressed. “Too gentlemanly?”
“Yes,” he replied. “And it’d be awkward with one—” He caught himself before he finished the statement.
“One what?” Jorie asked.
Another gong sounded. This one was deeper and seemed to come from the air itself instead of a particular source. Breccan felt the sound to his core. The hairs on his arms stood on end and his breath caught in his throat.
“What is that?” he asked.
Jorie’s smile was sad when she replied, “That’s goodbye, Gabe.”
> “Goodbye?” he repeated.
Around them, couples were hugging, kissing, or saying a few final words. Several then vanished before Breccan’s eyes.
He shook his head. “But I don’t want to go.”
Jorie gave him an understanding smile. “I’ve had a great night.”
“Me, too,” Breccan replied. “I don’t want it to end.”
Jorie held out her hand. “It was nice knowing you, Gabe.”
Shaking her hand felt too final. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
Sadness Jorie tried to hide showed in her gaze. “We can’t do this again. It’s too dangerous. But I’ll always remember.”
“What do you mean, it’s too dangerous?” Breccan asked. Prickles ran down his skin. Other couples disappeared. Desperation filled him. “What do you mean, it’s too dangerous? We had a great time. We should do it again,” he pressed.
Jorie leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Take care of yourself, Gabe.”
Breccan blinked and found himself sitting in the chair in the dilapidated building. The others around him were unplugging and rising from their seats. Breccan turned to find Jonny watching him. The chairs Murphy and Minx had occupied were already empty. Jonny gave him a half-smile.
“So what did you think of the Edge?”
Breccan shook his head. He tried to voice how it had felt, but he couldn’t.
Jonny set a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I understand. We’ll come back tomorrow night.”
“But she won’t be there.”
Jonny’s eyebrows rose. “You met a girl?”
Breccan nodded. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear her final, sad smile from his mind, but it refused to leave. “Yeah, but she said I wouldn’t see her again.”
Jonny shook his head with a barely suppressed smile. “Too bad, Romeo. Girls at the Edge are like ECs. Hard to get and fast to go.” He held out his hand to help Breccan up.
Breccan shook his head and attempted to rise without his cousin’s help, but he fell back when the hand he tried to use wasn’t there. Embarrassment burned across his cheeks. He hoped Jonny hadn’t noticed, but when he glanced up, his cousin looked away fast enough that there was no denying it.
Breccan stood with an angry huff and stormed from the room. They walked in silence through the lightening streets of Holram City. Already, adults were hustling home to eat before they left to their daytime jobs. Breccan couldn’t help feeling as though the kids had it much better. His thoughts were clear as though he had slept the entire night. It was strange, but refreshing. He only hoped his mom didn’t push herself too hard; he couldn’t imagine working a physical shift during the day and then a mental one at night.
They were nearly back to the Catlan apartment when Jonny cleared his throat and said in a hesitant, searching tone, “The Edge is pretty cool, isn’t it?”
Breccan had to give him that much. “It’s amazing. I had no idea a place like that existed.”
“A thousand places,” Jonny replied with relief. “Anything you can imagine is there.”
“I noticed that,” Breccan said. He glanced at his cousin. “Have you ever ridden a dragon?”
Jonny laughed. “No, but I’ve always wanted to.” He looked behind them to make sure nobody was listening, then said, “I’m afraid they’ll eat me. It’s happened to other avatars and they say it’s unpleasant.”
“Nobody could eat Bullshark Venom,” Breccan said.
“Shut up!” his cousin ordered. His eyes were wide. “You don’t say avatar names out here.”
Breccan was surprised by his cousin’s harsh reaction. “Why not?”
Jonny spoke quieter when he said, “Because it’s dangerous. People have died for what their avatars can do.”
Breccan waited for him to laugh it off as a joke, but Jonny’s severe expression didn’t change. It was the most serious Breccan had ever seen his cousin. “You’re not kidding.”
Jonny shook his head. “I wouldn’t joke about that. You’ve seen what we do for ECs in there. Some people feel that their Edge lives are worth more than what they do out here. They live for the Edge, and they’d kill for it, especially if they get desperate.” His voice lowered and he said, “I’ve also heard of people being killed and their ports taken so that their ECs can be transferred. It’s pretty messed up.”
Breccan thought about how grateful Sneedle had been when he transferred the ECs. The realization that Jonny was telling the truth sent a chill down his spine. They both knew he had enough ECs to be killed over. The thought was a sobering one.
“I’m sorry,” he told his cousin.
“That’s alright,” Jonny replied. “You didn’t know.”
“I have a lot to learn about the Edge,” Breccan admitted.
Jonny grinned at him. “You lasted longer than I did. I waited half the night for you to unplug!”
Breccan chuckled. The sound echoed along the buildings around them. “It was quite the experience.”
“What did you do after I was killed?” Jonny asked.
Breccan thought about seeing Garrick, his mad rush to find his brother, Jorie finding him instead, and their adventure to gain entrance into Topton. It felt as though he had experienced a month inside the Edge instead of just a night. But it was a night he didn’t know how to put into words.
“I saw the sights,” he said simply.
“There’s a lot of sights to see,” Jonny replied.
The amiable atmosphere that surrounded them continued when they changed their clothes at the Catlan residence before heading to school. Breccan pulled on a clean shirt and then slipped into the gray jacket he always wore that had the Nidalin wolf on the back. The way the sleeve of the jean jacket hung made it hard to tell that he was missing an arm. When he grabbed his backpack, he couldn’t help thinking of how good it had felt to use his right hand in the Edge. He shook his head at the futile sense of longing and drew one strap of the backpack Jonny had let him borrow over his left shoulder.
Breccan’s mom stopped him in the hallway. “Did you have a good time?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Breccan replied. He looked at his mom closely. “You look tired.”
She gave him a weary smile. “Jenny says mental fatigue is normal during the first couple of weeks. She says I’ll get used to it. I just have to ease in.”
“Are you working again tonight?” Breccan felt truly concerned about his mother.
She nodded. “Don’t look at me like that.” Her warm smile eased the severity of her words. She smoothed his unruly brown hair. “You know I do better if I keep busy. Have a good day at school today, Brec.”
“I will,” He replied automatically. “Thanks.”
He was almost to the door when Jonny caught up to him.
“Let’s get out of here,” his cousin said.
“You boys need to eat something,” Aunt Jenny called out from the kitchen.
“Run!” Jonny urged in a whisper.
But before they could move, Aunt Jenny came in with two pieces of toast smeared with peanut butter and jelly. Breccan breathed a sigh of relief at the normal-looking food.
“Thanks, Aunt Jenny,” he said; he took the toast with the realization that he was indeed very hungry.
“You boys have a good day,” she told them.
Before Jonny could move, his mother leaned in and planted a big kiss on his cheek. His face twisted in indignation.
“I know, gross,” she said without waiting for him to protest. “I’ll get it.” She wiped his cheek with her hand, leaving a smear of peanut butter there instead. “Now you boys be safe and come home in time for dinner.” She speared Breccan with a look. “Make sure you come straight home. With those hooligans out there, the streets aren’t safe, and we can’t afford to replace backpacks right and left.”
“I’ll come straight home,” Breccan promised with a twinge of guilt.
“I’ll come straight home,” Jonny mocked the moment they were outside with the door
shut behind them. “Keep it up and my mom will replace me with you.”
Breccan shook his head. “I’m the one who lost the backpack.”
“I left my last one at Building Seven.” At Breccan’s blank look, Jonny explained, “Where we always hook up to the Edge. By the time I went back, my backpack was gone. Mom’s been pretty uptight about backpacks ever since.” He grinned. “Especially since my Philosophy drive was in there and it took my teacher a week to download a new one. I got off without any homework.”
“Nice,” Breccan replied.
He couldn’t help the feeling of dread that pressed against him when they climbed the steps to Holram Southeast Secondary School. Even the name didn’t sound inviting. The students that ran past bumped shoulders with him; he nearly lost his backpack when someone was busy talking to one of their friends and ran straight into his back. Breccan barely managed to keep from falling on his face by grabbing the railing with his left hand.
“Watch it!” Jonny said.
The boy lifted his hands. “Hey, sorry. I was telling Blake about the avatar who defeated the Battle Boss.”
“Yeah,” Blake replied. “I wish I had been there! Last night was my seventh. Why do exciting things always happen when I’m not there?”
Jonny and Breccan exchanged a glance. Jonny’s eyebrows rose. Breccan shook his head.
“I was there,” Jonny said. “I saw Avit Torpedo get beaten by the newb.”
“He was a newb?” Blake said. He stared at his friend. “You didn’t tell me that!”
“A newb or someone who found a way to break the system,” a girl walking by said. She shook her head at them. “No newb could have beaten a Battle Boss. My brother’s gone against Avit Torpedo thirteen times and was hacked to pieces each time. Something’s off for sure.”
“If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
They all turned to see a boy at least two years older than them watching their group. For a moment, Breccan was afraid the boy was going to start laughing, but he merely whistled. “I’ve never seen anything like it. That newb dropped Avit Torpedo like a sack of boulders. And he got the ECs for it. That’s no cheat.”