Page 92 of The Towering Sky
“There you are,Calliope,” Livya said smugly, turning the corner from her bedroom. She walked with small, mincing steps like a snail leaving a glistening trail of slime behind her. “We’ve all been so worried about you.”
“I’m sorry,” Calliope began. “I never—”
“You were at the inauguration ball, weren’t you?” Nadav asked, and his words fell like sharp-edged stones into the screaming quiet.
It went against all Calliope’s instincts to tell the truth in situations like this, but she also knew better than to tell a blatant lie when she’d been cornered.
“You’re right,” she admitted. “I was at the inauguration ball. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about where I was going, but I was afraid that you would say no, and I had a good reason for wanting to go. The mayor’s new public health team was there, and I’ve been trying to petition them about the hospital’s emergency response teams—they don’t have adequate equipment....” Calliope was pulling this story out of thin air, but she had to admit it wasn’t half bad; she was still a decent liar under pressure. “I went to the inauguration ball because it was the only way I could think of to actually talk with them face-to-face.”
Livya rolled her eyes. “Cut the crap,” she declared, and Calliope was gratified by the shock on Nadav’s features. Neither of them had ever heard Livya curse before. She threw a great deal of enthusiasm into it, for someone so ostensibly sweet-tempered. “Why don’t you tell the truth about where you were tonight? Or rather,whoyou were with?”
“I don’t...” Someone must have told Livya, she realized with a sinking feeling. That room had been packed with hundreds ofpeople, and any one of them could have casually mentioned the fact that Livya’s stepsister was there with the older Anderton brother.
“She was out with Brice Anderton,” Livya announced, turning triumphantly to her father.
Nadav seemed to find his voice again. “Calliope. You went out with Brice, even after I told Livya to warn you about him? Why would you do that?” He sounded more hurt than angry.
Calliope blinked, a little startled that Nadav had been the one behind Livya’s ominous words at the wedding. “Because IlikeBrice. He isn’t a terrible person. Please don’t judge him based on his reputation.”
“I just wanted you to be careful,” Nadav said reasonably. “An older, more experienced boy like him, he might take advantage—”
“But, Daddy, Calliope isplentyexperienced. If anyone was taking advantage, it was her,” Livya cut in, and turned sweetly to Calliope. “You’re sleeping with Brice because he’s rich, right? But then, you learned from the best. Like mother, like daughter—”
“I’m notsleepingwith him—” Calliope interjected, her hands balling into fists at her sides; but Livya just talked louder, almost shouting to be heard over her.
“I always suspected that you were a liar, and now I have proof! You’re a lying gold digger, and I bet your mom is too!”
“What are you talking about?” Calliope asked, even as her stomach somersaulted in fear. Wherewasher mom?
Livya smirked. “Calliope, I was soinspiredby your devotion to the hospital that I decided to make a donation in your honor, to the children’s wing.”
Calliope felt a cold dread gathering in her stomach.
“But when I called the hospital to make a donation, they had no idea who you were.” Livya feigned confusion. “They had no record of all yourcountlessvolunteer hours.”
Nadav frowned. Light from the windows streamed in great thick bars over the curlicues of the carpet, over the salt and pepper of his hair. “Calliope,” he said heavily. “All those times you said you were going to the hospital, where were you really going?”
Livya cut in. “To go meet up withBrice! She’s been putting on an act this whole time, don’t you see? She doesn’t care about philanthropy at all!” She rounded on Calliope. “I always thought there was something fishy about you. And it turns out I was right.”
Calliope didn’t argue, because for once, she couldn’t think of a lie to tell.
“What’s going on out here?” Elise glided calmly into the living room. She was wearing a simple white shirt with lace detail at the throat, making her look innocent and girlish. Calliope felt a measure of relief at the sight.
If anyone could fix this situation, it was her mother. There had never been a person alive, man or woman, that Elise couldn’t calm down. She was the world’s greatest living expert on bending people to her will.
“Elise,” Nadav said, and Calliope knew what was coming: He would punish Calliope, deprive her of whatever remaining freedoms she had, and she would never see Brice again. Fine, she could take it; she would take any abuse right now to spare her mom. Calliope squared her shoulders and lifted her head, ready to plead for forgiveness.
She never expected what Nadav said next.
“Have you been lying to me?” He was looking not at Calliope, but at her mom.
Elise hesitated—only for an instant, but a crucial one, because in that instant her face revealed the truth. “What do you mean?”
“Were you honest with me about who you are? About your past? Or were you telling me what you thought I wanted to hear?”
Calliope saw her mom teeter uncertainly on the edge between a lie and the truth. She landed on the truth.
“I—I may have exaggerated our charity work,” she stammered. “We didn’t travel the world as roving philanthropists.”
