Page 96 of Wings of Ebony
“Exactly! So I worked really hard to blow people away, prove them wrong,” she says.
“Me too, I—”
She cuts me off. “Be the smartest Zruki in all of Ghizon.”
I get it. Make a way out of no way.
She turns to me, pain written on her face. “But you’re telling menone of that work matters. Not anymore.” She cleans more tears with the back of her hand. “Like, every single thing I’ve done was pointless because it was all built on a lie. And I’m justsoangry he would do this!”
This is messed up on so many levels. But why we still talking about her? I mean, she didn’t really get the shortest end of the stick here. Did she even hear what I said? I stuff my hands in my pocket and stare at my shoes.
“I just… ugh!” She growls in frustration, tossing her red frames on the bed. “IknewI shouldn’t have made that watch,” she whispers under her breath. “Then none of this would have ever happened.”
Did she just…?“Whatdid you just say?”
She sighs. “I just mean—”
“Nah, don’t backtrack. You regret making me this watch? The watch that let me visit my sister without setting off Patrol? The watch that lets me go back and forth between here and there to protect her and figure this magic shit out without getting hemmed up by the Laws?”
“The who? No—I…” She rubs her temples. “I just meant all this trouble started with that. I should have known that chances are this would snowball.” She paces faster. “You’d see your sister. Miss being home. Of course it would be hard to not touch her, she’s your family.”
“I TOUCHED HER TO SAVE HER FROM BEING KILLED IN A CAR WRECK!” Is she serious? “That’s what you do when youcare,Bri—you take risks.”
“Rue, I’ve been there for you since day one. Don’t even act like that!”
“I’m not acting like anything. You were my girl, true, when itdidn’t cost you nothing. And sure you’re angry now, but what you gon’ do? Anything?”
“Rue, this is not my fault and I came to Ms. Leola’s at my own personal risk.”
“You know damn well this watch makes travel undetectable. You said it yourself. What risk? And no, this isn’t your fault. I’ve said that a thousand times, even though you’re not listening! But what do we do now, Bri? You still sportin’ my people’sstolenmagic on your wrist.”
She holds her arm to her chest, aghast. “What, you expect me to get rid of it? Iearnedthis!”
You can’t earn something that’s stolen. But I let her talk. That’s what people do when they can’t hear.
She goes on. “I’ll have you know that hacking is very dangerous and—”
“—it’s encrypted so no one knows it was you. You cover your tracks well.”
“So you’re saying I’m not a real friend.”
“I don’t know what you are anymore. First thing out your mouth is how you the victim. And I mean, sure, believe that. But eventually I hope you realize this is bigger than your straight A’s not meaning anything. At the end of the day you still have all that knowledge you stacked up. You got freedom. What they got, Bri?”
She looks shocked, like I slapped her. Like she gotta choose to mourn the shit she lostorfeel for me.
“An entire people’s culture was ripped away, their right to live taken, the gifts that make them special used and perpetrated by someone else. Bri, people are dying. Fuck your straight A’s.”
She’s beet red. “Rue, I didn’t know!”
“No, you didn’t know. But now that you do… what? Youregreteven making my watch in the first place?That’syour takeaway?”This is so fucked up.
This is getting way out of control. I grab my cuffs from the table. “I need some air.”
She glances around nervously.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Ain’t nobody gon’ hurt you here”—without my say—“so you can wipe that look off your face.”
“Rue—”
