Infinite Risk (42 page)
Authors: Ann Aguirre
He lowered his head, but I went up to meet him. This kiss tasted of promises; it was the warmth of the hearth at home combined with longing that lit me up like kindling. My toes curled. When he pulled back, he pressed his lips to the curve of my neck. I shivered.
“Will that newfound strength let you remain with me, unbroken?” In the question lay a thousand years of anguish, a trail of bones from those he'd loved and lost.
Does he love me?
His devotion would be beautiful and terrible, like a storm over the open sea. I had feelings for him, powerful ones, and I'd missed him so much it hurt, but right now, I was brand-new, and we had time to burn.
So I only answered the question he asked, not the ones swirling between us unspoken. “Most definitely. The better question might be, will you go adventuring with me?”
In a flicker, he had us up on the ledge, one arm still around me. The sky opened before us, deep as a bruise. I knew no fear because falling couldn't kill me, bizarre to think that the only thing that
could,
I currently wore as a fashion accessory. And there might come a time when I'd be ready to fall on my sword to end the ennui. I couldn't imagine it, however. No matter what, giving up was no longer a choice I could make. As the Harbinger noted, like a flower in the cracks of the sidewalk, I had grown a ferocious, unstoppable spirit.
“Start your watch now,” he said.
I did. And together, we leapt. The wind rushed up to meet us, and I swallowed a scream as the sensation of free fall caught me.
This is how I leave my old life forever.
Before hitting bottom, though, we flickered, and when we reappeared, it was in a village in a country I had seen only in pictures. There were no power lines, no cell towers, either. The people were thin and sad, terrified because they lived on ground that more powerful groups coveted and clashed over. Bullet holes riddled the buildings and divots in the earth showed where shells had exploded.
This is my world. Welcome back.
“Here,” he said, “is where they need us most. I had nothing to do with the poverty and chaos, by the way. Humans have done all the work for me.”
Only when one story ends can the next arise.
A rumble sounded in the distance, clarifying into engine noise. Someone fired an automatic weapon in the air, warning shots or a promise of violence. The townspeople scattered. As an army truck full of troops approached the village, I called for Aegis, and a flock of angry ravens appeared from nowhere. They circled the vehicle as storm clouds formed overhead, shrouding the whole area in darkness.
The soldiers cried out, already alarmed, and the fighting hadn't even started. Good thing there were no rules preventing immortals from killing humans as they pleased. Some people needed it, and Govannon had given me the power to play executioner. He'd meant for me to wield Aegis against the immortals, but in a place like this, I'd raise my blade in defense of the innocent as well. For now, we would shield this village, and from this, our legend would grow. Not the old myths, new ones born of kindness and hope.
Our choices drive the narrative.
I smiled at my Harbinger and said, “This is where we begin.”
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FOUR YEARS LATER, SUMMER TIMELINE
Edie Kramer checks her reflection in a small compact. Her new purple glasses are cute, and she's never worn this plaid cardigan before. Combining science-themed T-shirts with a layering sweater qualifies as geek chic, she decides. She isn't wearing makeup, but she has good skin, nice eyes, and she's heard more than once that she has a pretty smile.
There's no reason to be nervous as she's been talking to Kian online for four years. He's GreenKnight; she's NamiNerd. They met in an anime forumâhe was branching out from old moviesâso she schooled him on what to watch, and he gave her good life advice. They went from board posts to direct messages to messenger chat to texting. Since he starts at Tufts in a few days, today she's meeting him in person for the first time.
He's sent pictures, of course. She made a collage of them in graphic art, but this isn't a big deal because she did the same with photos from other online friends. TimeWitch in particular travels to the most fascinating places, and occasionally, she sends visual evidence of her adventures. Edie likes the one of TW in a long-haired man's arms, perched atop an elephant. Her favorite photo of Kian is just a close-up of his smiling face. Sometimes she thinks of him as her online boyfriend, though that's not official. She's well aware that he's older and he usually has a girlfriend.
He probably sees me as a little sister.
Since she's a junior and he's starting college, Edie is prepared for this to go nowhere, though friends say he must like her, as her phone is constantly buzzing with messages. Right then it does too.
Turn around,
the text reads. Nervous, she spins, spotting him across Copley Square.
Their eyes meet, and the future unfurls.
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Ann Aguirre
has been a clown, a clerk, a savior of stray kittens, and a voice actress, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but she now lives in a terracotta adobe house in Mexico with her husband and two adorable children. The post-apocalyptic novel
Enclave
is her first book for young adults. She also writes the romantic science fiction series about Sirantha Jax, starting with
Grimspace
, as well as urban fantasy and paranormal romance. As Ava Gray, she writes paranormal romantic suspense. You can sign up for email updates
here
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CONTENTS
OF CONTRADICTIONS AND DARK WISHES
SILKEN ROPES AND UNSEEN SNARES
Â
A F
EIWEL AND
F
RIENDS
B
OOK
An Imprint of Macmillan
INFINITE RISK.
Copyright © 2016 by Ann Aguirre. All rights reserved. For information, address Feiwel and Friends, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2016937595
ISBN 978-1-250-02465-7 (hardcover) / ISBN 978-1-250-08683-9 (ebook)
Feiwel and Friends logo designed by Filomena Tuosto
First Editionâ2016
e-ISBN 9781250086839