Page 129 of The Art of Exiley

Incoming call from PURPLEBOOTS.

I run over to click accept, and the moment I see Georgie’s wonky smile and hair—that’s now bubblegum pink—I want to cry and laugh at the same time.

“You!” she says with exuberant tenderness. “I miss your face!” I can see from the video that said face is quite blotchy and smeared with makeup, though my braid crown has held up surprisingly well. The ivy hasn’t even wilted yet.

“I miss you too, and I’m still so sorry—”

“Ada, we’re past that. Your email said you need help?”

“Right. I need you to put me in contact with Cicero,” I say.

“Okay…?”

“I think she has information I can use to stop something bad from happening.”

“Not a problem. I have a chat window open with her already.”

“You’ve been chatting with her? Georgie, that’s not safe. I told you who she’s connected to. I don’t know if she’s trustworthy!”

“Relax. She doesn’t know who I am. We mostly just talk about code and stuff. Plus, she’s… really cute.”

“So you can put us in touch?”

“Already done.”

A new window opens, and CICERO joins our call.

Izzy’s face is suddenly there, enlarged on my monitor. Thick geeky-chic glasses, spiky short hair. She does look really cute, and not the slightest bit surprised to see me.

“Hello, Ada Castle.”

“Hello, Izzy King.”

“Long time no see.”

“I wish it hadn’t been so long,” I say, words full of hurt I don’t have time to feel right now. I’m unsure where to begin. But nothing is worse than anempty page, so I splatter paint on it. “I need to know everything you know about Operation Genesis.”

She doesn’t look particularly surprised. “From what I hear, it’s only happening because of the information you provided.”

In the other window, Georgie’s eyes widen, and she sucks her cheeks into a ridiculous fish face, but she doesn’t say anything.

“Well, now I want to stop it.”

“And how do you knowIwant to stop it?”

“Well, don’t you?”

“Hell yeah.”

I smile. And Izzy smiles back.

Georgie’s face relaxes.

“So, Purple Boots,” Izzy says to Georgie, “you’re actually one of the Hidden?”

Georgie smiles sheepishly. “Kind of? And you can call me Georgie.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Izzy looks as if she would like to call her many things, but I’ve got a crisis on my hands.

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