Prodigy

her,
Kaede had told me.
You two match.
I shoot Tess a small smile in greeting. “No idea,” I reply. “I was getting some rest. Couple hours, maybe?”
    “Razor’s asking for you out in the main room. They’re running a live feed of June. I thought you might be—”
    Live feed?
She must have made it. She’s still okay.
I jump to my feet. Finally, an update on June—the thought of seeing her again, even if it’s on a grainy security cam, makes me dizzy with anticipation. “I’ll be right out.”
    As we head down the short hall toward the main room, a number of other Patriots greet Tess. She smiles each time, exchanging gentle jokes and laughs as if she’s known them forever. Two boys give her good-natured pats on her shoulder.
    “Hurry the hell up, kids. Don’t wanna keep Razor waiting.” We both turn to see Kaede jog past us in the direction of the main room. She pauses to swing one arm around Tess’s neck, then ruffles her hair lovingly and plants a playful kiss on her cheek. “I swear—you’re the slowest of the bunch, sweetheart.”
    Tess laughs and shoves her off. Kaede winks back before picking up her pace, disappearing around the corner into the main room. I look on, a little surprised at Kaede’s display of affection. Not something I’d expect from her. I’d never thought about it before, but now I realize just how good Tess is at forming new bonds—I sense the Patriots’ ease around her, the same ease I’d always felt with her on the streets. That’s her strength, no doubt. She heals. She’s comforting.
    Then Baxter passes us. Tess turns her eyes downward as he brushes her arm, and I notice him give her a brief nod before glaring at me. When he’s out of earshot, I lean over to Tess. “What’s his deal?” I whisper.
    She just shrugs and brushes my arm with her hand. “Don’t mind him,” she replies, repeating what Kaede had said back when I first arrived at the tunnel. “He has mood swings.”
    Tell me about it,
I think darkly. “If he gives you a hard time, let me know,” I mutter.
    Tess shrugs again. “It’s okay, Day. I can handle him.”
    I suddenly feel a little stupid, offering my help like an arrogant knight in shining armor when Tess probably has dozens of new friends eager to help her out. When she can help herself.
    By the time we’ve made it out to the main room, a small crowd has gathered in front of one of the larger wall screens, where a tape of security cam footage is playing. Razor is near the front of the crowd with his arms casually crossed, while Pascao and Kaede stand beside him. They see me and motion me over.
    “Day,” Razor says, clapping me on the shoulder. Kaede gives me a quick nod in greeting. “Good to see you here. Are you okay? I heard you’ve been a little down this morning.”
    His concern’s actually kinda nice—it reminds me of the way my father used to talk to me. “I’m fine,” I reply. “Just tired from the trip.”
    “Understandable. It was a stressful flight.” He gestures up to the screen. “Our Hackers got us footage of June. The audio’s separated out, but you’ll get to hear it soon enough. I thought you’d want to see the video regardless.”
    My eyes are glued to the screen. The images are crisp and colorful, as if we’re hovering right there in the corner of the room. I see an ornate dining chamber with an elegantly decorated dinner table and soldiers lining the walls. The young Elector is seated at one end of the table. June sits at the other, wearing a gorgeous dress that makes my heartbeat speed up. When
I’d
been the Republic’s prisoner, they’d beaten me to a pulp and thrown me in a dirty cell. June’s incarceration seems more like a vacation. I’m relieved for her, but at the same time, I’m a little bitter. Even after betraying the Republic, people with June’s pedigree get to coast, while people like me suffer.
    Everyone watches me watching June. “Glad she’s doing good,” I say to the screen. Already I’m disgusted with myself for dwelling on such mean thoughts.
    “Clever of her to start talking to the Elector about their college years at Drake,” Razor says, summarizing the audio as the video plays. “She planted the story. They’re going to have her take a lie detector test next, I’d imagine, and we’ll have a straight path to Anden if she’s good enough to pass it. Our next phase tomorrow night should run smoothly.”
    If
she’s good enough to pass it.
An early bond.