Edge of Truth (9781310978142)

by Hanova, Natasha

  “Is she going to be okay?” Rena whispered.

  “This happens sometimes when she overexerts herself. Between scanning the crowd yesterday and searching that Buyer’s mind today, she’s exhausted”

  Rena pressed her hand against her forehead. “I shouldn’t have gotten you two tangled up in this.”

  “She said she could handle it. Usually knows when she can’t.”

  “But—”

  “She’s starting to wake up.” He brushed Chai’s hair out of her face. “You okay, Baby Girl?” he whispered.

  Her eyes opened halfway, and a forced smile crossed her lips. “Yeah.” Her voice sounded weak.

  Nevan rolled her to her left side. “Headache?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Rena asked.

  He shook his head. “She’ll be back to her old self in five, ten minutes.”

  First, she’d asked Blaze to do something that had gotten her kidnapped. Then, she’d asked Chai to do something that hurt her. She didn’t care what Nevan said about being a team. She didn’t want him to end up getting hurt, too. Since she first showed up at their house, she’d brought nothing but trouble to their lives. No more. She hoped they’d be too distracted with each other to notice her walking away. No matter how soft she stepped, the gravel crunched beneath her shoes. She made it almost halfway to Market before Nevan spotted her.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” He shouted as he helped his sister to her feet.

  Rena walked backward as they approached. “I’m just going…to see if I can pick up a trail or find some clues. That way, we’ll know what direction they went and won’t waste any time heading the wrong way. The badlands are huge. They could be anywhere over there. Eastrock, Westrock—”

  “See now, that’s how I know you’re lying; you talk a lot.”

  Rena stopped. Heat flushed her cheeks. He was observant and persistent. “I can handle this by myself. Besides, you need to stay with Chai.”

  He paused and crossed his arms.

  “She’s obviously in pain.”

  He didn’t budge.

  “Look, the badlands are rough terrain. It’s hard enough to walk around out there when you’re not hurt.”

  “And you would know this how?”

  “I can’t say.” Great, why don’t you tell him about that synthetic cheese you swiped in second year while you’re at it?

  “We have a deal. You don’t strike me as the kind of woman who goes back on her word.”

  She rubbed her neck as she angled toward Market. A crowd lingered near the entrance. A woman who appeared nineteen, maybe twenty, waved in their direction. Rena didn’t recognize her.

  But Nevan did.

  The broad smile she shared with him made Rena think the two were more than friends. The delight in his eyes as he waved at the woman with her perfectly arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, and little round nose, brought a swift heat to the back of Rena’s neck. The woman stood beautiful and stylish in her ice-blue top, spotless pants, and wrinkle-free sunhat. Even on Rena’s best day, she didn’t appear half as confident.

  Her shoulders rounded. That woman was definitely going on The List.

  What boy wouldn’t be as thrilled as he looked with her for a girlfriend? She’d never seen the two of them together, but then again, she couldn’t exactly keep tabs on Nevan while she was in school.

  Obviously recovered and glad to see the mystery woman, Chai zipped past Rena. The joyful thump of each skip sent a cold wince through her. Rena struggled not to tremble as Nevan strolled forward, his pace steady.

  Torturous.

  Part of her wanted this over yesterday; the other wasn’t ready for her pretend relationship to come crashing down. She rubbed her forearm.

  “You know her?” Rena whispered when she finally found her voice.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  Oh, yeah? A jolt shot through Rena and slammed into the ground. A boulder near the woman cracked with an audible pop. The woman jumped. Rena stifled a smile. Spiteful, maybe. Worth it, definitely.

  “Come on.” Nevan closed the distance between them. “I’ll introduce you.”

  Rena crossed her arms. Did he honestly expect her to march over there to meet this woman, a possible girlfriend?

  “I don’t think so. I need to get Blaze.” Strictly business.

  “It’ll only take a minute.” He nudged her elbow with his hand to get her to start walking. “We can leave Chai with her.”

  She stopped. Her lungs ached for more oxygen. She wasn’t about to find out the truth right in front of his girlfriend. He needed to say it now.

  “Who is she?” she asked.

  He dipped his head as if to get a better look at Rena’s face. A mischievous smirk crossed his face. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

  She huffed, hating how young it made her sound. “Just tell me.”

  “My cousin. Tawanna.”

  With the new knowledge, she studied the woman. The family resemblance was clear without jealousy clouding her vision. She drew down the front of her hat to cover her eyes. “She read minds, too?”

  He chuckled. “Nah. Chai’s the only one I know with any kind of skills.” He started walking and encouraged her into motion with a nod. “Come on.”

  “Okay, but make it quick.”

  “I promise.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  In less than five minutes, Nevan had greeted his cousin, introduced Rena, and made up a believable excuse for leaving Chai in his cousin’s care. Smooth. Very smooth. Rena smiled and waved at Chai until she disappeared into Market with Tawanna. Then she spun to face Nevan.

  “We need to talk.”

  He touched his fingertips to his chest as he bowed in her direction with a twinkle in his eyes. “Am I in trouble again?”

  Leave it to him to have noticed her reaction to his cousin. She wasn’t about to fess up. She gave him her best ‘Don’t know what you’re talking about’ look.

  “Aw, come on now, Lil’ Mama, you thought—”

  She punched his bicep. He winced. She grinned. He deserved it.

  He massaged his arm as he strolled beside her toward the shade. “You’re a lot stronger than you look.”

  “And don’t you forget it.”

  “Ain’t that the truth. In case you want to know.” He walked backward until they faced each other. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  Sweet. Mother. Earth. Nevan is flirting with me. I think. She used her brim to hide her face while she struggled to keep her expression calm, normal. What did he expect her to say? What could she say without sounding like a complete bodink?

  “I see.” She said it in an even tone, her enthusiasm tucked away in a nice, safe place as she leaned against a broad tree trunk. The wide canopy provided shade, but its thick leaves were already growing translucent. A number of trees still transformed for the Burning. Their leaves metamorphosed until they had no color and the harsh sunrays passed through without damage.

  “Seriously, though, what’d you want to talk about?” Nevan pushed back his hat. It dangled by the chin cord across his throat as he relaxed against the trunk a few inches from her. Close enough to touch. She tucked her hands behind her lower back as she drew a discreet breath.

  “Westrock is about a three hour walk from here.”

  “And we can’t leave yet ‘cause of the Burning.” He looked toward the horizon and his dreads shifted. The aroma of citrus and clean air clung to his hair. Must be orange harvest season. The thought of him in an agricultural dome, on a ladder, no shirt, plucking fruit, warmed her. It didn’t matter whether that was really how they harvested. It was how she liked to imagine it. She was glad he couldn’t read minds because she’d be in trouble.

  She welcomed the way Nevan distracted her from potentially earthquake-triggering emotions. It counterbalanced her angst and allowed her to focus on finding Blaze without worrying about demolishing the cities. “We need to find shelter until
it passes.”

  He followed her line of sight and shook his head. “We’d bake in that powerhouse. We’ll have to wait it out at Market.”

  “What if a Buyer recognizes me?”

  “Chai said they don’t know about you. The man you sold that book to didn’t give you up.” He pushed off the tree. “But you’re right; we need to keep a low profile. We’ll go to the Underground.”

  Rena remembered asking her dad about that place, which was on the other side of Market. He told her it wasn’t for kids; it was where adults went to forget their worries. There were blackmarket codes underage people could buy to temporarily alter the birthday information on their records. It showed up as a system glitch, which made it hard to track. She didn’t have a code, and as far as she knew, neither did Nevan. “We’re not old enough.”

  “You’d be surprised what a pretty smile can do.” He held her wrist, coaxing her away from the tree.

  Her arm tingled at his touch. “And you know this how?” She refused to linger on the fact that he said ‘pretty smile’ in reference to her.

  “Been here a time or two with an old friend of mine.”

  An old girlfriend, Rena wondered, too timid to ask after almost murdering his cousin. Rena’s stomach growled loud enough for him to hear it. She sucked it in, but it didn’t silence the protests. “Do they have food there?”

  “They do.” Nevan slowed down as he raked his hands over his hair. “I didn’t bring money, but I can probably carry some boxes for one of the vendors.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” She pulled a wad of cash from her pocket. “I came prepared.”

  “I forgot about that. How much d’you get?”

  “Five thousand, but I only brought two hundred.” She loved how he talked—the way he sometimes scrunched words, his old world lingo. She loved it almost as much as the pure delight sparkling in his eyes as he gawked at the bills. She fanned it out in a discreet manner, for his eyes only. “Blaze is an expert negotiator.”

  “Must be, if she got that much from that stingy vendor.”

  “There should be more than enough for food. Here, take half.”

  “It’s your money, you keep it.” He pushed her hand away.

  “Don’t be stubborn.” A few vendors in the market refused to deal directly with women. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself by discovering a new one. The best way for her to keep a “low profile” would be to stay in his shadow. Not optimal, but since he didn’t expect her meek obedience, she didn’t mind pretending. She let out an audible breath as she held her hand out to him, again. “You might need it.”

  “You don’t have to.” Understanding tainted the twinkle in his eyes. He shoved the money in his pocket, then put his hat back on. “Thanks. We should head inside.”

  “What if they won’t let us in?”

  “They will.” He sounded so confident, she wanted to believe him.

  She gazed at the rock face of the underground cavern as they neared it. A group of exotic looking women chatted near the entrance. Each wore an outfit in a color complimentary to her skin tone. The youngest-looking one wore a short, pale yellow skirt and stood apart from the others. With sadness in her eyes, she traced the heart-shaped locket on her choker. All of the other women wore identical ones.

  “Rena, d’you hear me?” Nevan asked.

  She motioned to the women with her chin. “They sure have pretty necklaces.”

  “You don’t want one of those. Trust me.” He didn’t look at them or break his stride. “Follow my lead. Try not to freak out,” he said as he draped his arm around her.

  Barely holding her gasp, Rena closed her eyes for a few seconds. She willed his warmth and the comfort of his strong arm to memory as they strolled toward the Underground.

  What the entrance lacked in height, it made up for in width. A rope of blue bulbs illuminated a path into the mountain. The bouncer, perched on a tall metal stool, wore a beige shirt and pants. The material fit snug across his chest and down his arms, leaving little to the imagination. The man definitely worked out, too much. He had piercings in every orifice on his face and metal in his mouth. Dark sunglasses and a worn cowboy hat rounded out his “enforcer” gear.

  She didn’t know about Nevan, but she felt intimidated. She’d rather take her chances with overheating in the powerhouse.

  Nevan tugged her closer, eyes focused somewhere inside the entrance.

  “Ya’ll gotchure IDs?” The bouncer asked.

  Rena tensed, ready to bolt.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rena’s heart pounded. If she got arrested and her dad found out she was trying to sneak into the Underground with a guy, it would be the end of what little freedom she had. She swallowed hard. Nevan looked back as if he believed the bouncer was talking to someone else.

  “I’m talking to you.” The bouncer stood and squared his shoulders, yet still couldn’t match Nevan’s height.

  Nevan stopped in front of the man. “Come on, man. We really have to go there?” Nevan’s voice came out lower than usual. She wasn’t sure whether he was trying to sound older or only adding more testosterone to the situation.

  The bouncer puffed out his chest. “Yeah, we do.”

  Nevan rested his hand in his pocket. Casual. Relaxed. “I’m trying to show my lady a good time. I’m sure you been there.”

  My lady? This must be what he meant by ‘don’t freak out’. Okay, let’s not disappoint him. Play along. Pretend it’s real.

  She leaned into him, wrapping her arm around his narrow waist. He squeezed her shoulder. Warmth radiated off him.

  A crooked grin crossed the bouncer’s face. “We might be able to work something out.”

  She had a creepy feeling he was studying her behind his dark classes. Her skin crawled. Nevan bristled. He must’ve sensed it too.

  The bouncer stood there for a moment, face unreadable, body language unchanged. He was going to turn them in. Yet, Nevan’s face remained relaxed, like he had nothing to hide, like they weren’t trying to break the law. He gently squeezed her arm and she wanted the reassurance to wash over her, but anxiety trumped it.

  Nevan cleared his throat as he took his hand out of his pocket. “Think we can come to a different kind of understanding?”

  Her skin stopped crawling as the bouncer turned his head slightly toward Nevan.

  “Might be.”

  “Thanks, man.” He shook hands with the bouncer then lowered his arm to her waist and guided her inside.

  The transition from bright daylight to the dark tunnel disoriented her. It was short and wide. The number of people talking as they passed through made it impossible to hear distinct conversations. There was no accountability for toe crunching, elbow bumping, shoving, or groping. Anonymity in the darkness reigned in the sea of people.

  “I can’t see anything.” She blinked a few times, but everything remained obscure.

  “Your eyes will adjust soon. Besides, I know the way.” He tightened his hand around her waist and she relaxed into him.

  Through ground vibrations, she sensed his footfalls. His were confident, hers were stilted. The floor slanted downward, not much, but enough to make her shift her weight to keep balance.

  He leaned down to her ear. “Fifty-three more steps ‘til we’re inside.”

  “Thanks.”

  Twenty-two steps into it, he ducked. Something slapped against the rock above her.

  “Only checking,” Nevan said. “Low ceiling. That’s a lesson you only have to learn once.”

  She chuckled, but the crowd drowned out the soft sound.

  “I felt that,” he said.

  “Felt what?”

  “You laughing at me.”

  “I’m not laughing at you. It makes sense now, the faint scar on your forehead.”

  “You noticed that, huh?”

  She opened and closed her mouth. There was a character on the Galaxy Bounty Huntress series—Ionracas—who had a trans-universe effect of making
other beings divulge the truth, no matter what. Nevan had that effect on her. Could he possess an ability he wasn’t aware of? Either way, Rena sympathized with the villains who came up against Ionracas.

  The light brightened as the slope of the floor increased. A constant high-pitched trill fused with the hum of voices. Countless caves in a variety of sizes pockmarked the interior cavern walls like a sponge. A casino stretched along the length at least a hundred feet below them. The ceiling reached the same height. A discolored biosphere dome covered the entire expansive opening like some sort of rain and sun protection.

  “Wow,” Rena whispered as she stashed her hat in her backpack.

  “Same thing I said my first time here.” He guided her down the path snaking around the outskirts of the casino. With his rolled hat, he motioned to the stairs and metal ladders that reached up from the ground to various caves. “They designed it to drive traffic through the core to get from place to place.”

  Some caves had numbers painted above them. Others had more descriptive signs: Fortunetelling by Islee, Lost Waters, Paloma #57832. All looked like forbidden hangouts for someone her age.

  Nevan took Rena to an eatery called Olive Tree. The interior walls were rugged, natural. Light filtered in from the core. Where it couldn’t reach, fat white candles illuminated the tables sporadically placed around the cozy space. The real wood tables along the wall conformed to fit the shape of the rock rather than the other way around. Naturally worn paths ran along the floor between the sitting areas and what Rena assumed to be a kitchen. She respected the harmony of it.

  He guided her to a two-person table near the entrance, yet tucked away. Once they sat, she noticed the music—a silky voice, too soft to decipher, accompanied by a relaxed guitar and drum tempo.

  “How’d you convince him to let us in?” she asked.

  He handed her a menu. “Bribed him.”

  “When? I didn’t see you give him money.”

  “That’s how it works.” Nevan winked at her.

  Again.

  Twice in one day.

  She struggled not to fan herself with the menu. “What’s good here?”