Trust! He could trust her. He barely knew her, but he gave his whole heart to her. He had to. He had to build his whole life on her. He would crumble and die if he didn’t.
What could he do to repay her for this priceless gift? She said she wanted to find a way to exonerate him. Not even his own father did as much. The same old question haunted his parents’ eyes. They didn’t know whether to believe him or not. They wondered how their own son could do something like this.
She didn’t wonder. She didn’t question. She just talked to him. She listened. She believed. His heart thundered against his sternum. How could a person like her exist in this world? How could someone so fine and true live in a world with murderers and liars? She didn’t belong to this world. God sent her to Earth as a guardian angel to help him through this.
He sat down on his bed and picked up his computer. He looked her up on the main system, but found nothing he didn’t already know. The system showed almost nothing about her. She just appeared three days ago. She lived on the surface before then.
He took another turn around the room. He didn’t know what to do with himself. He spent his life getting information from computers. Now he couldn’t find anything there to help him. The computer couldn’t help him deal with her. She was an enigma, a cypher. When would he see her again? When would he talk to her again? When would he see those clear eyes looking up at him, encouraging him, believing in him?
63. Chapter 7
Eden raced home. She blasted into the apartment all out of breath. Her grandparents and Serenity sat at the table in the living room. They passed plates of food to each other and looked up when Eden entered. “Where have you been?” Tamar asked. “You’ve been gone for hours.”
“I went down to the Labor Pool building like you told me to,” Eden panted. “Then I ran into Damian Powers outside the council building. He’s been accused of Ryder Law’s murder.”
Jeremiah bent over his plate and shook his head. “I feared it would come to this. I don’t know what got into that boy.”
Eden rushed forward. “You can’t let this happen, Grandpa. You can’t let them put him on trial.”
“We have to, honey,” he replied. “If the Police investigation turned up enough evidence to make him look guilty, we have to try him. That’s the only solution.”
“What will the Elders do to him?” Serenity asked.
“I don’t have any idea,” he replied. “Nothing like this has ever happened before. I suppose we’ll have to discuss the options. It could take a while before everybody agrees.”
“Please don’t do this, Grandpa,” Eden begged. “You can’t punish him for something he didn’t do.”
“If we try him and find out he did do it,” he countered, “we’ll have to punish him. We can’t let him get away with it. The whole city would fall into ruin if we didn’t keep law and order.”
“Anyway, he did do it,” Serenity put in. “Everybody knows that. Have you seen the council circulars? All the evidence points to him.”
“He did not do it!” Eden spat out. “He’s innocent! You have to believe that, Grandpa.”
Jeremiah put down his fork and lifted his tired old eyes to her face. “Listen to me, young lady. If he didn’t do it, somebody else did. Somebody killed Ryder Law, and it’s as likely to be Damian Powers as anybody else. Just because you happen to believe he didn’t do it doesn’t make it a fact. The Police are very competent investigators. They have special training investigating crimes, and they’ve studied this matter a lot better than you have. I suggest you sit down, have something to eat, and stop telling everybody else in the world how to do their jobs.”
Eden sank into the nearest chair. “I’m sorry, Grandpa.”
He went back to his food. “I suppose you’re so upset because they finally decided to try him. It’s about time. I would have put him on trial days ago, without all this discussion. Everybody knows he and Ryder were bitter rivals. Everybody knows Damian would do anything to stop the Emergent faction.”
Eden stared at him. “You can’t honestly believe that. He and Ryder were friends, even if they disagreed on something like that. I’m sure you disagree with your colleagues sometimes, too.”
“I don’t disagree with them enough to kill one of them.”
“Damian Powers should pay for what he did,” Serenity muttered. “You should lock him up and throw away the key, Grandpa.”
“How can you say that?” Eden cried. “How can you say that about another NightShade? Where’s your compassion?”
“I’m surprised at you, Eden,” Serenity returned. “I didn’t take you for such a fool. He’s lured you in with his charming manners. You’ll wind up in a situation you regret if you’re not careful.”
Tamar let her fork drop to the table with a bang. “Can we please talk about something else? This is hardly dinner table conversation.”
Eden surveyed the table. Serenity and her grandparents went on with their meal. This case didn’t touch their lives in any way. Her grandfather considered Damian’s trial just another tedious piece of council business. Not one of these people understood a man’s life hung in the balance.
Her grandmother picked up a bowl of tender salad. She offered it to Eden. “Have some, dear. You haven’t eaten all day.”
Eden eyed the salad. It did look good, and her mouth watered. Maybe they were right. Maybe she should go on with her life the same way they did. Maybe she shouldn’t give this case so much attention. What did it have to do with her, anyway?
What did she find so interesting about it, after all? She couldn’t stop thinking about Damian. Was he confounding her with his charming manners or was it something more? How could she be interested in a murderer?
She shook those thoughts out of her head. “Thanks, Grandma. Maybe I’ll have some later.”
She went to her room and shut the door. She flung herself down on the bed and stared up at the lights embedded in the ceiling. She made up her mind to put the murder out of her head forever. She had a date with Eli tonight. She could look forward to that. Life went on. She was young with her whole life in front of her. Why should she wallow in someone else’s misery?
The day collapsed into night. Footsteps moved around the apartment outside, but she stayed in her room for the rest of the evening. She picked up her computer screen from the table by the bed and searched until she found an outfit she liked. She plugged the screen into the wall and hit Print.
A moment later, a panel in the wall swished open and she took the clothes from the alcove inside. She spread them out on her bed and gave them her strictest inspection. Yes, they would work. She tried them on in front of the mirror in her bathroom and smoothed the sides down her hips.
She turned this way and that. She scrutinized herself from every angle. She pulled her hair back out of her face and let it fall. She did another search for hairstyles, but she didn’t find one she liked.
Damian liked her hair this way. Why shouldn’t she keep it that way? What if Ridge shag did become the next fashion craze? She couldn’t think that way. She had to come up with a more city hair style. She couldn’t show up at the Social Club looking like something the cat dragged in.
Then again, what if she saw Damian again? He would be disappointed if she changed the look he said he liked. What if he didn’t like her new style as much? What if he thought she didn’t look as good?
What was she thinking? She didn’t want to see Damian again, and she didn’t want to look good for Damian. She was going out with Eli, and he never said he liked her looking like something out of the broom closet.
She searched and searched. Whenever she discovered a promising style, she broadcast a projection onto the bathroom mirror of herself wearing the style. She rejected each style in turn. She’d seen herself with this mop for the last twenty years. She could keep it for the next few days, at least until she found one she liked better. If Eli didn’t like it, he could live with it. It was just hair, after all.
&n
bsp; Her heart pattered when eight o’clock drew near. What if Eli was the man for her? What if he kissed her or tried to touch her? What would she do? She never got to spend a lot of time with guys on the Ridge. She kissed Arryn Stark a few times. That was nice. She wouldn’t mind kissing Damian like that—she meant Eli, not Damian.
All the excitement went to her head. She did her best to get her thoughts in order. Eli. Not Damian. There was no Damian. Damian didn’t exist. The computer chimed eight o’clock. She paced around the room. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her dress. She checked her appearance in the mirror again, but when she took a look at her hair, the doorbell rang.
She raced into the living room, but her grandmother beat her to the door. Eden hung back while he grandmother greeted Eli. Then Eden sauntered into the living room like she went out with guys every night of the week.
Eli burst into a bright grin, and Eden smiled back. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He held out his hand. “Shall we?”
They strode down the hall. Eli stopped in front of the elevator. “Would you like to drive or would you rather teleport?”
She shifted from one foot to the other. “I don’t mind. Either one is fine with me. Which would you prefer?”
He took her hand and massaged it in his warm fingers. “I would rather drive. I would rather spend as much time as possible alone in your delightful presence.”
She laughed, but she couldn’t stop her cheeks glowing. She never got this much attention from men before. He escorted her into the elevator, and they rode down to the street. He pulled a handheld device from his pocket and touched the screen. A second later, a hovercraft floated down from the sky to park in front of them. The door lifted back, and he handed her into the seat.
The door slotted closed behind them. Eden smoothed her skirt over her legs. She hadn’t noticed when she saw it on the computer that it would ride up so high. Her bare thighs showed for all the world to see.
Eli touched the bright computer panel next to the door, and the hovercraft flew away. He turned around to see her straightening her clothes, and he gave her legs an approving glance. That look should have embarrassed her, but it only excited her. A quivering thrill rushed up her legs into her guts. She was riding alone with a guy, sailing off into the night for an evening of fun and adventure.
When did she turn into this? When did she stop being a simple country girl and become a denizen of the city? She smiled up at Eli, and he inched closer to her on the seat. The craft elevated above the city, and the streaming lights spread out below her. That view never ceased to fill her with awe and joy. She loved Arion. She loved everything about it, its limitless possibilities, its aesthetic sensibilities, the cosmopolitan social life. Why had she waited so long to move downstairs?
Eli’s hand crept across the seat to take hers. She peered into his eyes. His face hovered just inches away from her, and his lips twitched when he surveyed her mouth. Was he thinking what she thought he was thinking?
He lowered his eyelids and looked away. “I hate to admit this, Eden, but I really want to kiss you right now.”
“Why do you hate to admit that?” she asked. “I want to kiss you right now, too.”
He stole a glance at her. “I’m not going to, though. I wouldn’t want to spoil it.”
“How could you spoil it?” She squeezed his hand and moved just a little closer to him. “We’re sitting here together in this car. We’re all alone, holding hands. You want to and I want to, so why don’t we?” She pressed her body against him.
He came back around to stare into her eyes. “I…I suppose…”
He let his lips dropped onto her mouth, just the tiniest touch, before he moved away. That kiss shot lightning bolts into her heart, but the next minute, he retreated out of range. “I really want to, but I want to respect you and your family. This is our first date. If it’s meant to be, there will be lots more chances for us to get close.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re a gentleman. I appreciate that.”
He kissed her on the head. “I want to earn your heart. I want to deserve you.”
64. Chapter 8
The hovercraft landed on the street corner somewhere far from the central district. Eli pushed a button to open the door and handed Eden onto the sidewalk. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She never attended anything like this party before, and walking up the steps into the Social Club with Eli at her side excited her beyond comprehension.
Crowds of young people blocked the entrance. They had to pause long enough to hold their thumbprints against the computer screen by the door before they could enter.
Eden cast a glance at Eli. He smiled and squeezed her hand. She drifted closer to his protective bulk. He would make sure nothing happened to her. When their turn came, they both pressed their thumbs against the screen until their names popped up on the list of guests. The door slid out of the way, and they hurried inside.
Thousands of people packed the place. A low entrance hall opened into a massive room. Heads bobbed on every side. A band played loud music in one corner. People danced in couples or alone in front of the stage, but an electronic sound barrier stopped the noise from disturbing the rest of the party. Another band played soft easy dance music somewhere else. A curtain of electric charge stopped the two sources of music from interfering with each other.
In the center of the room, between the two bands, the crowd milled around a brightly lit area full of buffet tables and drink stands. People wandered around between the tables. They clustered in knots of conversation, and anyone who wanted to could move from one social group to another and back again at will.
Eli paused in the doorway. “What would you like to do first? Oh, there’s the games area. Would you like to ride on the merry-go-round?”
Eden looked everywhere at once. “I think I’d like to go to the tables. Let’s just talk to a few people before we get crazy.”
He led her into the mixing throng. In the blink of an eye, more people surrounded Eden than she could talk to in one evening.
Eli stopped at the first group he came to. He addressed a well-presented young man in a fancy suit. “I should have known I would find you here, Fisher. You’re like a bad smell. You keep coming around even when I think I’ve gotten rid of you.”
The young man laughed. “What’s the news, Powers? Who’s your friend?”
“This is Ms. Eden Black. She’s Elder Hood’s granddaughter, so mind your manners.”
Fisher’s eyes widened. “Elder Hood’s granddaughter! How did you swing that?”
“By being more of a gentleman than you could ever be. I see you’re here alone again. No luck?”
Fisher flinched. He tried to smile, but Eli’s words stung him, nonetheless. Eden saw that clearly enough. “No luck—not yet, anyway. Still haven’t found the right girl, but, hey! That’s what we’re all here for, right?”
Eden glanced at Eli and blushed. That’s what everyone was here for, wasn’t it? No one wanted to live without their mate. All these young people struggled through life because they hadn’t found the right person, the right combination of work and family and love, to get them through. Every person alive had to work out so many tiny details before life started working the way it should.
Eli never let go of her hand, and she kept a firm hold of him. She didn’t want to get lost in here among a bunch of strangers. She didn’t care if he wanted to go dancing or riding the merry-go-round as long as they went together.
Fisher looked around. “Where’s your brother?”
Eli slapped his arm. “You clod! Don’t tell me you haven’t heard.”
“Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot all about it. You don’t think about things like that at a social gathering like this. I’m so used to seeing you two together, it doesn’t look right you showing up with a girl instead.”
“We’re not joined at the hip, you know,” Eli returned. “His business doesn’t concern me. If he wants to get himself in trouble, that’
s his problem. I’m not going to give up the chance to go out with a beautiful girl just because he doesn’t know how to behave himself.”
“Of course not,” Fisher replied. “No one expects you to. It just doesn’t seem like a real party without him standing over us all the time.”
The rest of the group laughed—all but Eden. She shifted from one foot to the other. She didn’t want to talk about Damian or the murder case.
A young woman not much older than Eden spoke up across the circle. “Did you hear how he crept up behind that poor kid and smashed his head in? How could he be so heartless?”
“I was thinking about that earlier today when I read about the case on the circulars,” another man added. “I always thought Damian was a nice guy, maybe a little reserved, but harmless, you know. After I read about the case, though, I started thinking. He always struck me as a little creepy, the way he brooded to himself and how much taller he was than everybody. He never fit in, no matter how nice he was. Just thinking about him makes my skin crawl.”
Eden couldn’t listen to this anymore. “If that’s how you feel, then don’t think about him.”
“Oh, I don’t,” the man replied. “Sometimes you can’t help it, though. Like now, we’re talking about the case, and I can’t help but remember the way he acted.”
“I hope I never see him again,” the woman put in. “I hope they send him somewhere far away from here.”
“Can we stop talking about the case?” Eden heard her voice rising, but she couldn’t stop it. “There must be something more pleasant to talk about.”
“Have you heard he used his computer training to tamper with the system?” another man asked. “He must be really evil to come up with an idea like that. I’m glad he didn’t get away with it.”
“Don’t you people ever think for yourselves?” Eden blurted out. “Why would he use his computer training to tamper with the system? If he went to the trouble of planning this murder, he must have known his programming background would make him look guilty. He would have used some other way to hide his movements instead of doing the one thing most likely to get him in trouble.”
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