by Alexia Purdy
“What is that?” I asked.
“It’s the rebellion’s insignia for prisoners of war. I had to get one to look official. It’s where they imbed us with a tracker transmitter as small as a grain of rice.”
He pulled his sleeve back down and held his arm out to the dance floor. I took it and let him lead me across the ballroom floor.
“You don’t really believe they won’t just kill you if you return, do you?” I asked. “I thought your cover was blown when you helped me escape.”
Gideon’s eyes darkened as the music changed. “They believe Gigi was kidnapped, and the rebellion also overpowered and took me prisoner when you got away with their help.”
I frowned. “It’s not believable. You’ll never be able to pull it off.”
Gideon let go of me midstep and sighed. “You don’t think I can do it, do you?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s just that it sounds like an insane plan. I’m afraid something will happen to you. It doesn’t sound plausible.”
“I’m part of the strategic planning committee. We all had input into the plan. I volunteered to do it.”
“Now who’s suicidal? You and volunteering for these impossible missions makes me think you want to die. Do you?” I snapped, my cheeks flaring red.
Gideon sighed, rubbing his forehead. For once it seemed I’d hit a nerve.
“I think I’m going to grab a drink. I’ll get you one too.”
“Gideon,” I began, shocked by his abrupt exit. He’d already walked away, swallowed by the crowd as I rushed to catch up with him. The floor was thick with people, making it hard to get near the refreshments table. I searched for Gideon, but he wasn’t there. Wherever he had gone, it’d been too fast for me to catch it.
My heart sank. Had he left? Maybe I’d insulted him by saying the plan wasn’t plausible. Maybe it was, but the element needed to make it solid wasn’t there. Who could make such a plan work?
“Hello, Star.”
I twirled around and came face to face with Clyde, dressed to kill and looking as good as ever. Too surprised to move, my voice failed me.
Chapter Twenty-two
Star
“Clyde!”
“May I have this dance?” He held out his hand as he bowed, his eyes focused on me. The Waltz of Crystals music had begun playing, and couples were filling in the gaps around us in a flurry. I stared at his hand, unmoving.
“Um,” I stammered, unsure what to say.
“It’s considered sacrilege to turn anyone down during the Waltz of Crystals,” he stated, his hand still held out. I took it, unsure of what to do. Almost everyone was dancing, and those who weren’t were watching from the sidelines. I felt a heavy number of those eyes on Clyde and me. He was right, it was rude to decline a dance to this song. If I did, it wouldn’t go unnoticed.
I groaned inwardly and let him lead me into the thick of the crowd. It was too late to turn away now, I was committed. The intro ended, and the waltz part of the song began. Couples began to dance together, backs straight and chins held high. I followed Clyde’s lead as we spun around the room.
“Star, I don’t want to bother you, if you don’t want me to. I just want to say that I love you, and my intentions were only to save you at any cost. I can see that the price was far too high.”
“That’s right,” I said, sticking my chin out. Tears burned behind my eyelids, and I struggled against them to keep from ruining my makeup.
“I’m sorry. I can’t say it enough. I hate that I hurt you.”
“Then why do you keep doing it?”
His blue eyes shined, reflecting the rainbow colors flashing across the crowd as the lights darkened. The prisms were the only source of light, splitting the rays into bits of blue, red, and yellow. The crowd swayed in tandem, like one huge machine with the couples as the cogs.
“I’ll do anything to fix this. I will fix this,” he affirmed.
I shook my head. “It’s too late,” I whispered, looking away into the blur of people. I remembered wanting to be in his arms once again more than life itself, but at that moment, I wanted to run. I began to pull away, but Clyde held me fast.
“Please don’t go. I’ll do anything for you, Star.”
“Is that what you tell your fiancé?” I scoffed. He really thought I was that naïve? He had another thing coming.
“I don’t love Gigi. It’s all a front to get closer to Farlan.”
“Does she know that?”
He flinched at my words. My heart hammered as I glared at him.
“I haven’t figured that out yet, but I won’t be marrying her. I came here to find her, but she’s become adept at evading me. Do you know where she is?”
I rolled my eyes. “You only come around when you need something, don’t you? No, I don’t know where she is, and I wouldn’t tell you if I did.” I tugged away slightly, but he still wouldn’t let me go.
He looked genuinely hurt, but I stared over his shoulder, avoiding his pathetic display of pain. “Star, you’re the only one I love. I need to repair this. Tell me what to do so you can see how sorry I am. I’ll do anything you ask. Even give up the rebellion.”
His words disturbed something in me I’d tried so hard to forget. His presence was enough to remind me of the deep and utter longing I had tucked away. It’d taken so much out of me to forget about him, and now he was here, holding me in his arms, whispering promises he couldn’t possibly keep. My heart felt heavy, tired of breaking, tired of bleeding. I couldn’t do this again. I didn’t know if I ever could forgive him and go back to way things had been, even though every cell in my body wanted to.
“Just leave me alone,” I responded, my voice cracking. I wanted to leave, but I also wanted to stay there with him.
“I’ll do whatever you want me to, Star. I won’t give up on us. Please just say you won’t give up on me either,” he begged.
“I—I can’t. Please don’t ask me this.”
I tugged once more, afraid of breaking down in the middle of the dancefloor. The music decided to come to an end at that moment, and the crowd cheered, roaring loudly. He let go of my hands and disappeared into the mass of people before I could respond. I felt numb. The burn of his fingers on my skin caused me to shiver and feel more alone in the crowded room than ever before.
“Clyde,” I cried under my breath. Feeling the weight of despair, I desperately searched the crowd.
“Star,” a familiar voice called behind me, and I turned to find Gideon standing with two drinks in his hands. He held one out as I made my way to him. Accepting the crystal glass, I took a sip. The cold punch cooled the inferno growing in the pit of my stomach, easing me back into reality.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
“I see I was too late to ask you to dance during the Waltz of Crystals,” he said.
I blushed, sipping more punch to hide my emotions. I cleared my throat. “Yes.”
“Who was the lucky guy?” he asked, peering at me curiously. His frosty gaze made me shiver as much as seeing Clyde beg. I didn’t want to answer him.
“I don’t know. He asked me to dance, and I heard it’s rude to decline.”
“I see.” Gideon finally took a sip of his drink. Whatever he had, it wasn’t punch. The pungent smell of alcohol filled my nostrils, and I wondered just how many of those drinks he’d inhaled watching me dancing with Clyde. “You guys looked familiar.”
“He was very kind.”
He nodded, finished his drink, and turning to grab another from the table behind him. I hadn’t realized I’d been dancing so close to the refreshments table. If he’d been there drinking, he would’ve had a perfect view of Clyde and me dancing.
“He looked like he had a lot to say.” Gideon chucked the next drink down his throat before slamming the glass down and grabbing yet another.
“How many of those have you had?” I asked.
He threw back another and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. His eyes were glossy, swimming ac
ross the view of people dancing. He had probably drunk half the cups on the table before the waltz had even ended.
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe you should stop,” I suggested.
Gideon laughed before he shook his head. “That was him, wasn’t it?”
“Who?”
“Him. Your beau, the guy who left you to rot in Farlan’s prison.”
“Clyde?”
He pressed his lips together as he placed his hand to his forehead. “Yeah. Clyde. Of course, that’s him.”
Confused, I placed a hand on his forearm. “What do you mean by that?”
“He’s my partner. Did you know I have to work with him on this next mission? He’s my in to return to Farlan’s service. He’s going to ‘capture’ me and vouch for my imprisonment and maltreatment by the rebellion.”
“What?” My eyes widened. “When did this happen?”
“At the debriefing, a week ago. Your ex is my partner.”
“Can’t someone else do it?”
Gideon chuckled, clearly drunk. He shook his head and turned to walk away.
“Wait—Gideon!” I called out to him. He kept shaking his head, clearly upset. I ran to catch up with him as he reached the outer hall. “Gideon, please.”
“Did he beg you to go back to him?” Gideon had suddenly come to a stop, and I almost ran into him.
“Yes, he did,” I answered. Might as well be honest. I couldn’t lie myself out of this one.
That’s when Gideon paused, coming back to himself as his glassy eyes watched the dancing lights flashing from the ballroom entrance. “Do you love him?”
“I don’t know. I did once, but he betrayed me.”
“So, he asked you to return to him?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
He turned his dreamy gaze to me. “What did you say?” The hurt in his eyes burned like a knife to my heart. How had it gotten to be like this?
“I told him I can’t.”
Gideon’s face brightened as he smiled. “I’m sorry for being jealous, Star. I know how much you loved him. I just can’t lose you.”
“You won’t.” I slipped my hand into his as we began to walk out of the hall and into the streets of the Glass Sky. The streetlamps were dimmed but still lit the way well. The voices and music echoed as though we were still just outside the ballroom. It soothed my soul as we walked in silence, clutching each other.
“Star?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want to be in your way.”
“You aren’t.”
“I’m in Clyde’s way, though. He doesn’t appear like he’ll give up on getting you back.”
“Enough about Clyde. He had his chance. Things just didn’t work out. I don’t want to live in the past.”
Gideon nodded; his dreamy eyes and drunk smile didn’t make him any less handsome. Still, I wished he’d taken it easy on the drinks.
We reached the sleeping quarters I kept so I could be closer to work when large projects required me to be on-call. I had led him that way, for climbing to our waterfall cavern would be impossible in his state. Plus, I didn’t think I could climb dressed the way I was. In the room, I shut the door behind us and helped him undress down to his boxer shorts. Pulling the blankets over his body, he closed his eyes, ready to sleep more quickly than I’d ever seen him. I took my pajamas to my private bathroom to undress and wipe the mask of makeup off of my face. Brushing my teeth and changing, I watched myself in the mirror.
I’d been a different person when I’d gotten ready for the ball. Now I had come back as a stranger. I hoped that when all this was over, a piece of that naïve and hopeful girl wanting to work on gadgets still remained.
Chapter Twenty-three
Star
I stuck a fork into my runny eggs and took a bite; I barely tasted them. The cafeteria was loud and rambunctious that morning, and I’d hoped to run into Gideon there. I’d woken up alone and hadn’t heard him leave, which left me feeling hollow and glum.
He’d fallen asleep before I was able to speak to him. There’d been no time to talk after the ball. He’d slept hard, the alcohol radiating from his pores. Whatever they had served him at the ball had left its mark. I hoped morning would clear the air between us, but that opportunity had dissipated when I’d awoken to an empty pillow next to my own. I had no idea if he’d left on a mission again or was still underground.
I tried to shake off the gloom he’d left in his wake by diving into work. Breakfast had been a bust in finding him, assuming he hadn’t left yet. But maybe he had. Would he truly leave without saying goodbye? After eating my bland breakfast, I rushed toward my waterfall cavern home. Once I climbed to the top, I could tell there was no one else there. No other climbing gear met me as I slipped mine off and sat on the ledge of the small plateau hanging high above the Glass Sky City.
He’d left without saying goodbye. Why? Had my conversation with Clyde affected him so? I wished I hadn’t lied about who I was dancing with. It might’ve made a difference. I wasn’t ready to let my worlds collide yet. It didn’t matter though. They had crashed into each other, violently.
Now they’d be working together on some important mission aboveground, whatever it may be. I knew it involved getting Gideon back into Farlan’s good graces, but for what reason? Was it just to continue spying, or were they planning something else? I wished Gideon had told me what it was going to be. He probably kept it secret for good reason. I hated being out of the loop, but I wasn’t a top officer in the rebellion like Clyde or Gideon.
It was high time I became a bit more involved. I’d lost so much from being naïve in the past. Maybe I could join an aboveground task force in some form. That way, I could get into the briefings without being too conspicuous. Maybe that way, I could see both Clyde and Gideon without being in the middle.
I perked up at this and smiled, grabbing my flask of water, and sipping on it as I watched the city below waking up for a new day. I loved it up there. It was home now, but I also missed my home aboveground. Where could my parents be? Maybe I would run into them while working for the aboveground task force. I would have to surely rein in my long red hair; it would give me away in a minute. I tugged it out of the ponytail and ran my fingers through it. It was long and healthy, untouched by too much fuss lately. I twirled it in my fingers as I listened to the noise of people and machines working together. The whole city was so much like the city aboveground, but down there, I was free to do what I wanted.
I stroked my long hair once more before wrapping it into a ponytail again. It would have to be cut and colored. I could dye it brown. Something darker, but not too dark. Something that wouldn’t stand out too much against my pale skin. I sighed. It was time to see Janis’s hairdresser again, and not just for a hairstyle this time. I’d have to morph into another woman if I were to get around Petra or even the city of Lionel without being discovered.
A new hope blossomed in my chest as I grabbed my climbing gear, ready to hop down the cavern wall toward my new life.
***
A week later, I found myself walking toward the Commons, where the headquarters of the rebellion was housed. I tried my best to keep my bravado from slipping. Inside, I was drowning with apprehension, cowering in my boots. I knew what I had to do and how to do it; I just wasn’t sure how it was going to end. Plus, the fact that Clyde and Gideon might also be there was the reason I wanted to turn around and run away as fast as I could.
Would I lose my nerve when I came face to face with them? I shook my head. No, I wouldn’t. I couldn’t let my personal feelings stop me from doing what I needed to do. I wanted in on the topside of this conflict. I was tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching the people I loved risk their lives for the cause. I didn’t want to be left behind. Not anymore.
I slicked back my now medium-brown hair, dyed to complement my creamy skin. It was a couple inches shorter but not by much. I looked different, but I hoped it was enough to keep any attenti
ons off me aboveground, where I was determined to go. My father, Vince Rickton was the Chief Superior of the underground. Apparently everyone had known it when I’d first come to the Glass Sky City, but no one had offered the information. But I knew now, and that was how I was going to weasel my way into the higher ranks of the rebellion. I didn’t know if my parents had made it out of Petra after Farlan had abducted me, but I figured there was one way to find out for sure.
I walked to the front desk where a woman sat with sleek blond hair tied into a severe ponytail. Her makeup was immaculate, along with her perfectly manicured nails. Her hands tapped on the keyboard in front of her with a frantic speed, as though if she slowed, the words would dissipate from existence. I tried to hide my wonder at the computer in front of her; I’d never seen a working one before.
“Hello, I’m here to see Chief Superior Rickton.” I cleared my throat, making sure to straighten my spine and lift my chin up to stare down my nose at her. My attempt at looking regal didn’t seem to faze her.
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked without looking up at me. She was now tapping at a touch screen next to her keyboard. Tap, tap, tap went her nails. It was oddly annoying.
“No, but I was told it wouldn’t be needed. It’s important. Classified.”
“What is your name?”
“Star Rickton.”
At the mention of my name, the secretary looked up from her station, eyes widening. “Oh, Miss Rickton. I apologize. They didn’t tell me you were coming. It won’t be a problem. Chief Superior Rickton is upstairs now in a meeting with the other leaders. I’m sure that’s what you came for today?”
I nodded, pressing my lips together in annoyance as though she were wasting my time. My heart thumped madly beneath my chest as I held my breath, hoping she wouldn’t see through my charade. So my father had escaped. Did he know I was in the underground as well? Why hadn’t he tried to find me?