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Chapter 11.2
Traipsing downstairs and still yawning, Nyla found Edmond and Eason waiting for her. “Ready?” Edmond asked, glancing at his phone. Nyla nodded, and stepped down next to them. Edmond turned and strode up the hall, Eason and Nyla trailing in his shadow. Instead of walking next to her, Eason walked ahead. She could have easily caught up to him, but he was firmly planted in the middle of the hallway with no room on either side of him for Nyla. She found herself frowning.
Whatever happened last night between us didn’t solve whatever problem he has. The thought unsettled her. How could she fix it if she didn’t understand? She just wanted her friend back.
The five-hour car ride was silent. Edmond sat on his phone, typing away to invisible people. The moment Eason had settled into his seat, he had closed hi
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His speech then turned to Nyla and her accomplishments both on the battlefield and in the classroom. He motioned her forward, and Nyla realized that the crowd was silent again, engaged in his tales once more. I’m the main focus. I can turn the tide of their opinion. Without thinking, Nyla gestured for Edmond to stand aside so she could stand at the podium. He hesitated for only a moment before announcing, “And now I give Nyla the opportunity to speak on my behalf.” His hard eyes dug into the back of her skull. He’s scared of what I’m about to say, but he knows they aren’t buying his speech either. “First,” Nyla said, h
What Is Love? Chapter 12.1
As Nyla approached the door, it opened not by a sensor but by a maid dressed in a classic black and white outfit. The sight of the woman took Nyla aback – the maids at the Braun’s household didn’t wear anything nearly as atrocious. The style had fallen out of fashion several centuries ago, even she knew that.Passing through the rooms in the shadow of the maid, Nyla took in the grandeur of the house. It was almost as stately as the Governor’s mansion except here everything reeked of old money passed down through the generations. Every room had its own style of décor, but the whites were all faded to a dull cream, and the air was a bit stuffy.The maid deposited her into a small dining room meant for intimate meals among the family. Two people sat waiting for her at the small table: a stunning, older woman with a single inky black braid cast over her shoulder and someone who looked exactly like the Major. It was like looking at a picture.
What Is Love? Chapter 12.2
“Why wasn’t Carter buried with these? It’s part of the dress uniform?” Nyla asked, bewildered. Had they broken protocol for some reason? Silence stretched out, and she glanced up to find the James’ staring not at her but at each other. “They didn’t tell her?” Michael asked his mother, his face ashen. “They must not have.” Madame James turned back to Nyla. “Dear, there wasn’t anything to bury. None of Carter made it home. His – his body was destroyed by the blast.” Nyla stared at the older woman uncomprehendingly. The Major had been shot, and yes, there had been an explosion, but he hadn’t been destroyed in it. Nyla had pulled him out of the rubble. There hadn’t been a se
What Is Love? Chapter 13.1
“Yes?” Nyla called out, swiveling in her desk chair to see the newcomer enter her room. Eason stepped in. He had his large hoverboard under one arm. Lifting it up slightly, he asked, “Want to learn how to ride this thing?” Nyla beamed – she’d been craving a lesson since Eason had told her he knew how to fly. “Yes!” She bounded out of her chair and grabbed her shoes, putting them on as they walked out the door and down the stairs. “Where are we going to practice?” Nyla asked as they stepped onto the back patio. “Over by the tennis courts,” Eason pointed with his free hand. “I know you don’t want to be too close to the pool, even if there’s no chance you’ll fall off and through the pool room’s roof.” “How do you know I won’t fall?” Nyla asked with a serious tone to her voice. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but she knew falling off a moving board going twenty miles per hour would hurt immensely. Even Menhits, who were hardier than normal humans, would be damaged
What Is Love? Chapter 13.2
Eason didn’t say anything, but instead hopped off the board. He ran his hands through his hair and muttered at the ground. Spinning to face her, with a wild glint in his eyes, he asked, “Even with Mason hating your guts? You’ll stay here with us?”Nyla nodded slowly. “Do you ever think Mason will leave her room?” The girl had refused to leave her suite except for dinner. She was like a ghost.“Yeah, she will. She just has to cool off, and in this case, who knows how long that will take. She still thinks she was in the right, that’s the rough part. I hate that she hates you, Nyla. I wish I could make it easier on you.”Nyla toyed with the words rolling around her mouth as she stared at Eason. She knew it made Eason uncomfortable for some reason when she spoke about the Major – sometimes it even seemed to make him mad. Did she dare tell him what she’d found out about the Major’s body? But if s
What Is Love? Chapter 13.3
Nyla considered the proposition. Almost instantly, she discarded the notion; school was too stressful for her and in general, a waste of time. Anything she read, she immediately memorized. “After I’m done at Alet, I think I'm going to be done with school in general. But I know you’d be a good teacher, Eason. A really good one. You’re so patient with me.” “I just help you identify what you already feel. That’s not really teaching. You’re still human, I’m not really teaching you anything new.” Nyla rolled over onto her side so she could see his profile. “But I’m a Menhit, Eason.” She watched his scowl. “That doesn’t mean you aren’t human, Nyla.”&n
What Is Love? Chapter 14.1
Time started to fly by for Nyla. February slipped quickly into March, bringing only slightly warmer weather. Fighting to keep her eyes open as Mr. Richards droned on and on about the War of Attribution, Nyla regretted for the first time her ability to memorize whatever she read. The ring didn’t diminish that ability, and it made class dreadfully dull. She jerked to attention by Sarah jabbing her hard in the side. Casting her a questioning glance, Sarah motioned towards the front of the room.“We’ve finished the War of Attribution early. I thought it’d be interesting to open the floor to any questions you may have. They can be over the topics we’ve covered or something else, it’s really up to you.” Mr. Richards stood waiting for someone to raise their hand.The room erupted into whispers, but only one student, a loud-mouthed boy who often berated Nyla, was brave enough to stick his hand up. “Where do Menhits come from?&rdq
What Is Love? Chapter 14.2
No one spoke, waiting for her to go on. “That’s it,” she said lamely.“Doesn’t it bother you? Not remembering?” Dylan asked.Nyla shook her head. “I’ve never considered it before.”“How have you not wondered what your parents are like? Why they let you leave? Or be taken?” Eason exclaimed, riled up by the conversation and Nyla’s apparent lack of interest.“How do you know her caregivers were parents?” Sarah interjected.“Well, everyone is born, aren’t they?”Or are they? Her eye’s met Sarah’s father’s, and a silent understanding passed between them.“Have you ever thought about having parents? What kind you would like?” Dylan asked.Turning the question over in her mind, she finally answered, “Parents like yours, Dylan.”Their father looked touched. Nyla avoided his gaze
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