hunches down lower, checking for snipes.
Samara bangs the ground softly with her bat only every other second and looks around, bewildered. Only once she catches Joseph gazing at her does she put a bit more effort into the game. George ran so far down the meadow that it’s hard to tell exactly what he’s doing. His movements are rhythmic so I guess he’s following Joseph’s instructions, but definitely not with the same gusto as Trent.
“You’re evil,” I say, allowing the smile I’d been suppressing to unfold.
“Oh, Stark, you have no idea.” Joseph gives a fake evil laugh as he puts his arm around my shoulder. “Did you get the inside scoop on snipe hunting by spying on my thoughts?” he asks.
“Well, and my fake brother took me one time,” I say, bitterly remembering the wasted summer night.
“I think I would have liked Shiloh.”
“Yeah, too bad Zhuang had to murder him. You two could have exchanged stories of ways you like to antagonize me.”
“I really hope if Zhuang kills me, that you don’t speak about my death so casually,” he says, squeezing me into him.
The thought of something happening to Joseph sends aches orbiting around my chest. My emotions for my fake family aren’t undeserving. It’s hard to truly love people who were embedded to accept me, but never truly did. I wonder if the emotional modifier had been invented then if they would have loved me. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked on them, because the original modifier didn’t work well enough. Maybe we’re that different. But I love Chase and I’d like to think that I’m nothing like him.
I push away these worried thoughts. “So how long are you going to let them go on like this?” I ask Joseph, who’s resting his arm on my shoulder like I’m a piece of furniture.
He shakes his head. “I started the game, but they’re the ones who have to end it.” He turns me toward the water in the distance and points. “Our job now is to bathe in that geothermal spa. I have no doubt they’ll come and find us when the game is over.”
The light turquoise water is mysteriously beautiful. Steam billows off its surface giving it a magical quality.
“What’s that?” I ask in awe.
“ That is Iceland’s Blue Lagoon. It supposedly offers its bathers some nice healing properties. I say we check it out firsthand. But don’t make any unnecessary splashes. We don’t wanna freak out those Middlings over there,” he says, gesturing at the figures bathing in the distance.
“When do we get to freak out Middlings?” I say, summoning my bathing suit underneath my clothes.
“Probably when we inherit the Institute and make our own laws.”
A laugh bursts out of my mouth. “Oh, is that what you think is going to happen? I don’t think Trey is leaving us his legacy.” I pull off my shirt and jeans, leaving them in a pile on a nearby rock.
“One can dream, right?” Joseph says, a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve always wanted to be the president of the country. Being a leader over an entire society actually sounds much more appealin’ now.”
“You are ambitious,” I say, toeing the water. It’s hot.
“And you’re too cautious,” Joseph says, entering the water with a small dive. He swims under the surface for a few seconds and then pops up some thirty feet away. “Get in already!”
I hesitate briefly before walking into the Blue Lagoon. The water is smooth against my skin. After a few careful strokes I turn over and float on my back, looking up at the brilliant blue sky, enjoying the feel of warm water in my ears. The steam rises in columns all around me. Remembering what Joseph said about the water having healing properties I sink down until it almost covers my eyes. The water here may heal physical ailments, but I’m doubtful it fixes emotional problems.
“Roya,” he whispers, his voice caressing my name, making it sound like something he needs, enticing me with the promise of something indulgent. I flip upright.
Samara bangs the ground softly with her bat only every other second and looks around, bewildered. Only once she catches Joseph gazing at her does she put a bit more effort into the game. George ran so far down the meadow that it’s hard to tell exactly what he’s doing. His movements are rhythmic so I guess he’s following Joseph’s instructions, but definitely not with the same gusto as Trent.
“You’re evil,” I say, allowing the smile I’d been suppressing to unfold.
“Oh, Stark, you have no idea.” Joseph gives a fake evil laugh as he puts his arm around my shoulder. “Did you get the inside scoop on snipe hunting by spying on my thoughts?” he asks.
“Well, and my fake brother took me one time,” I say, bitterly remembering the wasted summer night.
“I think I would have liked Shiloh.”
“Yeah, too bad Zhuang had to murder him. You two could have exchanged stories of ways you like to antagonize me.”
“I really hope if Zhuang kills me, that you don’t speak about my death so casually,” he says, squeezing me into him.
The thought of something happening to Joseph sends aches orbiting around my chest. My emotions for my fake family aren’t undeserving. It’s hard to truly love people who were embedded to accept me, but never truly did. I wonder if the emotional modifier had been invented then if they would have loved me. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked on them, because the original modifier didn’t work well enough. Maybe we’re that different. But I love Chase and I’d like to think that I’m nothing like him.
I push away these worried thoughts. “So how long are you going to let them go on like this?” I ask Joseph, who’s resting his arm on my shoulder like I’m a piece of furniture.
He shakes his head. “I started the game, but they’re the ones who have to end it.” He turns me toward the water in the distance and points. “Our job now is to bathe in that geothermal spa. I have no doubt they’ll come and find us when the game is over.”
The light turquoise water is mysteriously beautiful. Steam billows off its surface giving it a magical quality.
“What’s that?” I ask in awe.
“ That is Iceland’s Blue Lagoon. It supposedly offers its bathers some nice healing properties. I say we check it out firsthand. But don’t make any unnecessary splashes. We don’t wanna freak out those Middlings over there,” he says, gesturing at the figures bathing in the distance.
“When do we get to freak out Middlings?” I say, summoning my bathing suit underneath my clothes.
“Probably when we inherit the Institute and make our own laws.”
A laugh bursts out of my mouth. “Oh, is that what you think is going to happen? I don’t think Trey is leaving us his legacy.” I pull off my shirt and jeans, leaving them in a pile on a nearby rock.
“One can dream, right?” Joseph says, a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve always wanted to be the president of the country. Being a leader over an entire society actually sounds much more appealin’ now.”
“You are ambitious,” I say, toeing the water. It’s hot.
“And you’re too cautious,” Joseph says, entering the water with a small dive. He swims under the surface for a few seconds and then pops up some thirty feet away. “Get in already!”
I hesitate briefly before walking into the Blue Lagoon. The water is smooth against my skin. After a few careful strokes I turn over and float on my back, looking up at the brilliant blue sky, enjoying the feel of warm water in my ears. The steam rises in columns all around me. Remembering what Joseph said about the water having healing properties I sink down until it almost covers my eyes. The water here may heal physical ailments, but I’m doubtful it fixes emotional problems.
“Roya,” he whispers, his voice caressing my name, making it sound like something he needs, enticing me with the promise of something indulgent. I flip upright.
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