Page 59 of Legacy of Chaos

She had worn contacts anyway when she went out in public or hung out with her human friends, but at least she didn’t haveto wear them all the time. She could get away with sunglasses most of the time now.

“When were you at the academy?”

She was pretty sure he already knew the answer to that question. “Same time you were. We’re the same age.”

He laughed. “We’re the same age, but I graduated six years earlier than you did.”

“I know. You were twelve when you graduated, and then you attended college virtually.”

“I see you did your research.”

Obviously, he had done his as well. “You can find that factoid in every interview you’ve ever given. Plus, it’s on the StryTech website.” She knew because she’d read or seen every interview, and she had the StryTech website memorized. But not in a creepy way. Really. “Your parents didn’t want you in college until you were old enough not to draw attention.”

“A twelve-year-old kid in advanced physics classes would have drawn attention we didn’t want.”

“That didn’t turn out well, did it? You’re the most well-known demon in the world.”

There was a moment of silence. “Things don’t always turn out the way we plan, do they?” She got the feeling his question was posed more to himself than to her. “So,” he continued, “what made you want to become a technomancer?”

The sub was deep. Was it supposed to be this deep? Oskar seemed unfazed, making her feel a little better. “It’s what my species does.”

“Not all of you have the gift of being able to manipulate technology.”

“Only about half of us,” she acknowledged. “My mom couldn’t. It’s why she went into psychology.” The craft shuddered, and she took a moment to catch her breath. “My dadalmost didn’t take her as a mate because of it. He wanted to make sure his offspring would beblessed with the gift.”

There was another pause. Then Stryke’s voice, laced with curiosity, crackled over the increasingly sketchy connection. “I find it interesting that your species went from being one of the most reviled to one of the most celebrated in the matter of a century.”

Reviled was one word for it. As demons with no unique powers, her kind had learned to avoid Sheoul, where they were tortured and often eaten simply because they were weak compared to most demons.

“That’s why so many of our holidays center around the discovery of electricity and the industrial revolution.”

The miracle of technology had changed their lives. Even the weakest Cyberis technomancers were now in high demand in the demon realm. They had status, power, and seats in the Maleconcieo, basically the Sheoulic version of the human realm’s United Nations. No one fucked with them anymore, and if they did, they’d better not be wearing—or be near—any kind of advanced technology.

Their power was also what made them feared and heavily regulated in the human realm.

“Where are your parents now?” he asked.

“You did research,” she said. “You tell me.”

“Your father suffered an accident on the job,” he said. “Your mother died six months later, a result of your species being lethally affected by a broken mate bond.”

“She didn’t justdie,” she said bitterly. “She gave up.” Yes, it was rare to survive a broken bond, but it happened. “And my father was killed by a faulty StryTech product.”

There was silence. Even Oskar’s soft breathing stopped.

“I’m sorry,” Stryke said. There was more silence, and then, “I hate water.”

“What?” She scowled at the speaker. “Did you say you hate water?”

“You asked me to tell you something about myself that you didn’t know.” There was a little static, and the craft bounced, but she barely noticed. She was too curious about where this was going. He might be trying to change the subject, but she got the feeling it was more than that. He was giving her a private, personal piece of his life, revealing a vulnerability, something she doubted he ever did. “Water feels weird on my skin.”

That explained the invisible umbrella he was working on. “But you have a pool and a hot tub.”

“They’re for Masumi. I don’t go in either.”

If she had a pool and hot tub, she’d be in them every day. “How do you deal with showers?”

“They’re tolerable, but I don’t linger.”

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