Page 67 of Amethyst Flame
“No, no. Please don’t. It’s what Alling offered me when he wanted me to…stay.”
“Ah.” She released me to call the elevator. “I’m glad you told me. That is, in fact, what I want to discuss with you.”
We went up to the fourth floor. Her office was all warm light and had a wall of green, thriving plants—so she was one of those people. You know, the ones who can keep plants alive. Another wall featured a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, stuffed and messy as if she regularly used it. Her desk was a warm wood table cluttered with papers and a closed laptop.
I debated hacking it with my moths but then decided against. Could be bait.
She took me over to a cozy sitting area where a breakfast spread had been laid out for us. No cookies, but I was pretty sure that a few of those croissants had chocolate on the inside. She gestured to one of the seats, and I lowered myself onto it, perching slightly on the edge. Nervous. She took a chair opposite me with much more grace, crossed her ankles, and tucked them back.
“I want to apologize for yesterday.” She neatly folded her hands in her lap. “For the trap I set for you. For the tests I ran soon after. And for asking you to perform for me. I was excited to discover you, but I hadn’t thought past that. My behavior was unconscionable. You are not a lab rat. You are a person, intelligent and quite gifted, even without the hive in your system.”
I had no idea where she was going with this. “Okay…?”
“I want a collaboration, in the full spirit of the word, and that requires trust.”
I stared, and when it went on too long, I had to fill the silence. “I don’t trust many people.”
“Nor should you. Trust is earned. I trapped you. I have access to money and resources you don’t. If I were in your shoes, I’d be afraid.”
Terrified, actually. “Sooo…?”
“So. I’d like to begin again—not that it can erase my mistakes—but so that I can start getting some things right too. Your position here at BantaMatrix—your job description, if you will—is one I’d likeyouto help me create. Obviously, we must investigate your synergistic relationship to the nanobots and the opportunities it presents. But, also, and more importantly, I want you to be spiritually invested in the work beyond simple survival. Your work here hasto meansomething to you…or you’ll leave as soon as you get a better offer.” Her green eyes were steady and serious. “Believe me, Imogen, there will be better offers. But if you believe in your work here, then maybe you’ll choose us. I want this to be your passion, your calling in life, and an expression of everything you have to offer the world. It must speak to your soul.”
There was another long awkward pause before I had to fill it again. “Yeah, I don’t know what to do with all that.”
She sat back with a laugh. “It was a lot, I know. I heard how I sounded as I was speaking, and I reminded myself of some kind of cult leader, a criticism I’ve unfortunately heard before. I’ll try to tone it down.”
“Maybe go decaf?”
She laughed again. “Good point. I didn’t sleep a wink last night, but I got my ten thousand steps already by pacing. I was so scared you wouldn’t come back. That I’d messed everything up on day one.”
I opened my hands. “But here I am.” Apparently, the chill one. Weird.
“Yes. Here you are.” She took a deep breath. “How about we start by going over the projects we’re working on here—both the public-facing ones and the ones we keep quiet? You tell me if there’s anything that interests you. Feel free to brainstorm ideas. Sky’s the limit. And we can integrate the investigation of your hive into a way to impact the world that makes you feel fulfilled and gives real meaning to… Well, there I go again. Let’s just get started.”
Hours later, I left her office in a daze, my belly full of breakfast pastry, my hive happily buzzing.
I was going to take Adley’s advice and think about it—no hasty moves—but I was pretty sure I was quitting the Freeze. Again. We even worked in getting my art degree.
More than anything, I wanted to talk over Adley’s offer with my mom.
And Jacob?
Dane?
I had no idea how they’d respond to all these new plans, except that, yes, Adley Ruskin had a viable dragon hive, and she would show it to me herself.
A leap of faith, she said. So, yeah, still talking a little like a cult leader.
I checked in with Jacob-Dane.Get the bubbly ready, baby! Guess who got the promotion?
Translation: I’m still alive.
“Imogen?”
I startled and turned toward the voice. Found Will. My lunch date. I hadn’t mentioned his shifty shit to Adley. Maybe I should have. Maybe I would later.
He frowned. “Don’t look at me like that.”
