Page 34 of The Brightness Between Us

“The Heartspeak Boys don’t throw impromptu concerts without very good reason,” he whispers. “Sri didn’t send me as an amuse-bouche. This is not an idle hookup.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I whisper.

Devon doesn’t take the bait. “I came up through the Dimokratía military academy.”

“I know,” I say. “Your childhood’s a lot like Sri’s. Your family sold you after they defected, because they didn’t have enough money to raise another child.”

“We didn’t call it ‘selling,’ of course, but yes. I was paid to leave my family and go work in the entertainment hostels of Fédération. Just like how the tax exemptions from Sri getting into the academy saved their family. Once I was alone and vulnerable, I was used like a toy. It’s no coincidence that Sri and I were both drawn to the Union for a Better Earth after starting life like that.”

“And I’m clearly drawn to you both, since I started the day in Sri’s arms.”

“I took the very little that life handed me and made a plan. I decided I’d scrape together whatever power I could, and use it to change the world. With the fame of the Heartspeak Boys, I finally have cards to play. We are big enough that both countries make exceptions to have us perform there. I still play concerts in Dimokratía. Nothing public, of course, but the elites there enjoy their indulgences, too. I’ve spent more than a few weekends at President Gruy’s lake houses.”

“Ooh. I’d like to hear about those,” I say.

“Stories for another time. The point is I’ve spent my life building this persona of gooey-pop-sexy Heartspeak Boy intentionally. It is a weapon, if used right, and I’ve been waiting for the right target. For the right opportunity to make a move. And the longer I wait, the more I’ve grown my devoted following, the more power that final move has, once it comes.”

Adrenaline is spritzing my neck. “That move is... this?” I ask.

“Ambrose,” Devon says, “I know you were never intended to go rescue your sister.”

“Mmm,” I say, keeping up the act even though my heart isn’t into making out anymore. My heart thumps just as hard as if I were still kissing him. How does he know this truth?

The dragon fruit and fennel scent from Devon’s fragrance mods comes out even stronger as his own pulse rises. “I see you know this, too,” he whispers, his lips so close to my ear that they tickle my skin. “Most of the people in Dimokratía believe, like most of Fédération does, that the rescue mission was scrubbed in favor of a last-minute switch to settling a new colony. They’re surprised and moved and hopeful, and most of alldistracted.Just as your mother and the presidents intend. But the Heartspeak Boys played for President Gruy and his cabinet last month, and partied with them afterward. One of the undersecretaries thought he could win me over by revealing that the distress call was fake. That it had to be faked, for the spacefarers to believe their lives had a purpose, and to spin out this Scheherazade tale of rescue to keep the two countries away from war for as long as possible. Of course, with the killing of the secretary of defense today, that’s proving moot as we speak.”

Through my drunkenness, I realize that I’ve been avoiding processing the assassination news I’d heard earlier.You get to wallow for a while, my drunkenness responds. I run back over Devon’s words. “Dimokratía is in on the lie?” I say, taking the opportunity to nibble on Devon’s earlobe. For verisimilitude.

“Yes. Your mother, and both presidents. All in on it. And that’s where I might finally know something you don’t,” he continues. “TheAurorais being readied. Dimokratía’sown equivalent to theEndeavor, funded by us and with the same base Cusk tech. This new colonizing trip will be a joint mission.”

A joint mission. A second ship. In the shock of everything my motherwastelling me, I’d never considered that even now she wasn’t revealing everything. She had the chance to come completely clean... and shestillheld back information?

“Ouch,” Devon says. I guess I nibbled his ear a little hard.

I wait for him to say more.

“Here’s the thing,” he whispers. “A Dimokratía spacefarer was training to go on a solo rescue mission, just like you, only his was supposed to be a national secret. It’s not known to the media, but his presence was mandated by the Dimokratía leaders if Cusk wanted to use their resources. TheAurorais intended to be joined to the FédérationEndeavorin orbit. It will have a crew of two.”

A second spacefarer. I can’t believe it. The rug’s being pulled out again. “What do you know about him?” I ask this question into Devon Mujaba’s mouth.

“Quite a bit.”

“Have you met him?”

“Maybe. Maybe I’ve come to youfrommeeting him.”

I want to ask Devon everything. But I have no reason to trust him, and we’re both traveling dangerous currents ofstate secrets and corporate espionage. The sorts of things that could get even celebrities like us disappeared or killed.

Me and this stranger stop kissing, lay our heads on the couch’s pink cushions, stare into each other’s eyes. His saturated bamboo-green irises flutter side to side as he gauges my expression. “Why are you telling me all this?” I ask.

“Because. With this great lie, and news of the assassination down below spreading like wildfire, we have a one-time opportunity to demolish the world’s political system. Incremental reform hasn’t worked. The world must be broken to be rebuilt.”

“Broken!” Breaking both the Earth’s countries? What does Devon want, anarchy?

“Ambrose! Think about the lies that are being spread inyourname. At the subterfuge that’s been done to you, and the dishonor to your sister’s legacy. You must be furious!”

Oh, don’t start me tapping into my fury. Not when I’m exhausted and drunk on PepsiRum and ginned up by the hot boy next to me on the couch.

“You don’t know the half of what I’m furious about,” I say acidly.

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