Gameboard of the Gods aox-1 Page 8

  But none of them really caught Tessa’s attention. It was the sight of Justin March, standing in front of the door, that made Tessa take notice.

  She hadn’t seen Justin in a long time. After her mother had insisted he move out, Justin had only been by a few times to visit her father. Most of their outings were now to restaurants and clubs, places that were inaccessible to Tessa. She’d never met anyone like him and missed having him around. Justin seemed glamorous and worldly to her, and most important, he never talked down to her. He always spoke in a frank, open way and wasn’t afraid to discuss the topics no one else would. “He has no sense of propriety,” her mother had once told Tessa. “But what can you expect from such godless people?”

  Justin certainly didn’t seem so glamorous tonight. His clothing was soaked from the rain, and the hair he usually kept so carefully styled was equally wet and disheveled. There was a bright, almost fervent look in his eyes that even Tessa recognized. He was drunk or high—maybe both.

  “Slow down,” Tessa’s father was saying. “You aren’t making any sense.”

  “I’m making perfect sense,” Justin insisted. He raked a hand through his wet hair and began pacing back and forth, a habit she recalled from when he was engaged in some intense mental exercise. “This is her out, Sergio. This is my out. Don’t be a fool and waste this chance. It’ll never happen again.”

  “Mr. March, you are out of line.” Tessa’s mother always refused to call Justin “Dr.” and was driving home her disapproval now by using the Voice. It was the one she reserved for lectures that usually resulted in Tessa being confined to her room. “If you truly have something important to say, please return in the morning when you are in a more presentable state.” Her tone implied that she sincerely doubted there was anything important here at all.

  Justin completely ignored her and focused his attention on Tessa’s father. “I’m not screwing around here! We have to—” His eyes flicked to the far side of the room, toward the doorway, and Tessa realized she’d been spotted. “There you are! Come here. Your life’s about to change forever. You can thank me later.”

  Tessa hesitated for a few seconds but then realized she might as well take the plunge. There was no more hiding. She stepped forward, and her mother nearly passed out.

  “Teresa! What do you think you’re doing? Return to your room this instant!”

  Belatedly, Tessa realized that maybe she should’ve pulled up her hair after all. It was bad enough for a non–family member to see her in her robe, even if it did completely cover her nightgown. Wearing loose hair, at her age, wasn’t something that women of her status did. It was the kind of thing you’d find in New Money or the lower classes, in women who worked beside men or ventured out alone.

  “No, no,” said Justin, taking a few steps forward. He didn’t go too much farther. Drunk or not, even he knew getting closer to a girl in her nightgown might spur the bodyguards to action. They knew him and liked him—and had won a lot of money from him—but some lines still weren’t meant to be crossed. “Let her stay. This is important.”

  “I don’t even know what ‘this’ is,” her father said, looking weary.

  Justin took a deep breath, seeming to finally realize he needed to approach the matter in a calmer way. “I’m going home, Sergio. Back to the RUNA.”

  Her father lit up. “You got your citizenship back?” Tessa noticed her mother looked happy too, but probably because she thought they’d be getting rid of Justin once and for all.

  “Not exactly.” Justin’s enthusiasm dimmed for a moment. “It doesn’t matter, though. I’m going back and talked them into making a visa exception.”

  Tessa’s father’s forehead wrinkled in confusion as he tried to parse the words. Then, suddenly, his face transformed. Never, never, had she seen such joy within him. “You did it,” he breathed. “You’re bringing us back.”

  Justin shifted and looked uncomfortable. “Um, not all of you.”

  That radiant joy went away. “But you always said—”

  “I know, I know. And I tried, but the borders are too tight. They can’t allow a group that big in, but…” Justin took a deep breath. “I can bring Tessa back with me.”

  Tessa hadn’t seen her mother look so horrified since the time Tessa had worn black shoes to Donna Carlos’s spring tea. “Why on earth would you do that?”

  “Why do you think?” exclaimed Justin. “To get her out of here! I can only take one of you, and she’s the obvious choice. You can’t abandon your family, but she can strike out into her own future. She can get a student visa. She can study there—get a real education.” He stepped forward, catching hold of Tessa’s father’s arm. “Sergio, can you imagine it? Tessa in the RUNA, getting a Gemman degree. It’s the kind of thing that could get her citizenship, you know. I’ve seen it happen. And from there, it might open the door to the rest of you.”

  Her father caught his breath, his eyes going wide. Justin knew exactly how to get to him, exactly what words would make Sergio Cruz’s world come to a complete standstill. Tessa had seen Justin work that magic on others before.

  Her great-grandparents had left the RUNA years ago, back in the days of the first genetic mandates. In the beginning, the RUNA and EA had forcibly swapped large amounts of their population in order to create optimal genetic mixing. Those who tried having “nonoptimal” children were fined and imprisoned. Eventually, mandatory contraceptive implants ensured the government’s control. Her refugee great-grandparents had had to scrape and crawl their way to the top of Panamanian society, and they’d believed it to be a worthy sacrifice in order to be together and have their own children. But that hadn’t stopped them from singing the praises of their homeland, instilling a worship of the RUNA that had been passed down to their children and their children’s children and so on. The RUNA had almost become a mythical fairyland to Tessa, which was why Justin had always seemed so larger-than-life.

  Her father was especially obsessed with the RUNA. His adoration of all things Gemman had increased when he’d been allowed a couple of trading trips there. He’d come back starstruck, full of stories about the country’s technology and the luxuriant way its citizens lived. People could walk the streets safely, and everything was clean and bright and perfect. It was where he’d met Justin and why Justin had been allowed to stay with them when he’d first come to Panama City.

  “It’s impossible,” her father said at last, though she could tell from the faraway look in his eyes that he was already imagining this fantasy.

  “It’s completely possible,” Justin said, looking just as excited.

  Tessa’s father seemed to return to reality. “Why are they letting you go back?”

  Justin shrugged. “They want me to resume my old job. I was good, you know. One of the best. You saw the way I lived. I had access to all sorts of connections and opportunities—things that Tessa could be a part of. She could live like a queen.”

  There it was again, the wonder in her father’s eyes. Tessa had always believed Justin was a genius, but her mother had said he was a con artist. When Tessa had asked her father which was true, he’d said Justin was both.

  Her mother reminded the two men of her presence. “Sergio! You aren’t actually considering this, are you? She’s sixteen. You can’t just let her go off and live with some man, especially one like him.” Even while outraged, she couldn’t bring herself to use any improper language to clarify what she meant by “one like him.”

  “Oh, she wouldn’t live with me,” Justin said quickly. “She’d live with my sister. She’s a, uh, real lady. She’d look out for Tessa. She’d totally make sure Tessa’s protected and behaving properly. And well fed. Besides, let’s be honest here. What are you really going to do with her if she stays?”

  “She’ll do what all young ladies do,” she said. “She’ll finish her education and then marry someone appropriate.”

  Justin shook his head. “‘Education,’ huh? You mean more homeschooling with insip
id reading and remedial math? And do you actually believe it’s going to be that easy to marry her off?” He glanced over at Tessa. “No offense, sweetie.” To her parents, he said, “She sits out at dances. She says things she shouldn’t—in public. And worst of all, she’s smart. She’s cute enough that you’d eventually get someone. It’d be worth it for some up-and-coming guy just to connect to your family. She’d hate it, though. And you’d spend a fortune waiting for that someone.”

  Tessa wasn’t sure if she’d been insulted or complimented, but both of her parents fell silent. Even her mother couldn’t deny what Justin had said. Putting girls out on the marriage market was expensive. It required a lot of parties, a lot of clothes, and a lot of gift giving. Tessa’s oldest sister, Laurentia, was stunning. She’d been engaged within a month. Her next-oldest sister, Regina, was pretty too, but for whatever reason, it had taken her almost a year to make a match. Their family was well-off, but that year had strained their finances.

  Justin knew he was making progress. “You’ve got two more after her. Business is good…but is it that good?”

  “How do we even know any of this is true?” exclaimed her mother. “This could all be one big story so that he can take advantage of her.”

  “Justin wouldn’t do that,” snapped Tessa’s father. Maybe he wasn’t sure about this offer, but he was confident of Justin’s character. He always had been.

  Tessa’s mother wasn’t convinced. “I don’t like it. It’s completely unheard of, and I won’t allow it.”

  Silence fell. Justin was watching Tessa’s father so, so closely. Justin knows, Tessa thought. He knows he’s got Papa. No other offer would’ve been so tempting unless Justin actually could’ve relocated their entire family. It was her father’s greatest desire. His grandparents had always hoped the mandates would lighten and allow their family to go back. Those mandates had indeed shifted. There were only small fines now for nonoptimal children, and those who followed the old ways were compensated generously. That didn’t change the strict Gemman policy toward immigrants, however. Still, Tessa’s father had clung to the family dream that some miracle might bring them back. Here it was, and there might never be a chance like this again.

  “She can go,” he said at last. His face hardened. “But you have to look after her. Swear to me you will.”

  Justin held up his hand. “As though she were my own daughter.”

  “No!” cried her mother. “Absolutely not. I won’t allow this.”

  Tessa’s father put on the fiercest look she’d ever seen from him. “I will allow it.”

  Tension hung between them, so thick that Tessa could practically see it.

  “Let Tessa decide,” said Justin. He sounded very reasonable and diplomatic.

  All eyes turned on her, and Tessa took a step back. She’d kind of liked it when everyone had forgotten about her.

  “That’s fair,” her father said, ignoring her gaping mother. “It’s up to you.”

  There was a knowing look in Justin’s eyes. She understood now why he’d so gallantly offered the choice to her. He thinks he’s already got me because he always gets what he wants. Well, aside from the exile none of them understood.

  “Go ahead,” he told her. “You’re going to piss off someone no matter what you decide. Might as well do what you want.”

  “I don’t know if I want to go to the RUNA,” she said haltingly.

  Justin’s smile faltered, but she’d spoken the truth. She was just as fascinated by that glittering, mythical country as the rest of her family, but completely relocating to a society so unlike her own was terrifying. Maybe she didn’t always like the way hers worked, but she knew it. It was comfortable. It was safe. Kind of.

  Then she thought about the reader, that beautiful and miraculous device. What would it be like to be surrounded by things like that? What would it be like to go wherever she wanted? What would it be like to make her own decisions? Of course, that was presuming Justin’s sister would let her. Tessa wasn’t entirely sure how strict she would be.

  “But I don’t know if I want to stay here either.” Her mother made some kind of strangled noise, and Tessa took a deep breath. “So…I’ll go.”

  Justin smacked his hands together and whooped with joy. “You won’t regret it. None of you will. This is going to change your life.”

  Tessa nodded weakly, unsure of what she’d just agreed to. Judging from her mother’s glare and red face, she suspected her parents would be continuing this conversation in private later. Her father would win out, of course. That was the way it was around here; the men governed the household. But not in the RUNA, she thought.

  Her father, face jubilant, looked Justin over and beckoned him forward. “Come in and dry off. Get something to eat—and some water. You can spend the night, and I’ll have my driver take you back to Cristobal’s in the morning.”

  That was too much for Tessa’s mother, and she stormed out of the room in a rage. Tessa quietly followed the men into the kitchen, mostly because no one seemed to notice she was still there. Her father walked on, but she daringly caught hold of Justin’s sleeve. He glanced down at her and grinned, still dashing even when wet and intoxicated.

  “You made the right choice,” he told her. “As soon as you’re there, you’ll never want to come back.”

  “But why would you do it? Whatever happened, I know you must have put up a fight to get me in. Why? Why would you do this for me?”

  A little of that pride faded, and she saw a faraway look in his eyes. “Because your dad took me in when no one else would. And when he did, I was so sure of myself—and so desperate—that I swore I’d get back home someday. I promised him I’d get him back too—all of you. He took a big chance on me and would’ve done it without any payback. But I owed him. I still owe him. I couldn’t deliver all of what I promised, but I can get you in. That has to be enough for now.”

  Tessa had never known any of this. “But why me instead of one of the others?”

  That upbeat attitude was back. “Because you deserve it and can make the most of it. You’re smart—smarter than even you realize. You notice things no one else does, and I only know one other person that observant.”

  “You?” Tessa guessed. Dashing, yes, and also confident to the point of arrogance.

  “Exactly. See? That’s what I’m talking about. Keep watching the world, and you’ll go far. You couldn’t do that here, and I hate to see waste.”

  Tessa studied him a few moments more. Maybe she really was as observant as he said, because she suddenly knew there was more. “What other reason? Why else would you try to lift me up?”

  He smiled, probably at having his assessment of her confirmed further. “Because someone once did it for me.”

  CHAPTER 7

  FAIRYLAND

  Tessa had never flown on a plane, and as she and Justin walked across the runway the next morning, she wondered if she could actually bring herself to do this. She hadn’t been able to sleep last night, and now, coming face-to-face with her transportation to Fairyland, her nervousness shifted to complete and total fear.

  Justin, however, had other concerns.

  “Do you know how primitive this is, actually walking across the tarmac?” He was smoking a cigarette, and despite his complaints, there was a swagger to his step. He’d woken up hangover free this morning, something her mother said could only have been accomplished through a deal with the devil. “You’ll see when we get home. There are Jetways to all the planes, and the airports don’t look like shantytowns.”

  Tessa nodded. He’d been “enlightening” her all morning with tales of the RUNA, which he was already calling home again. She’d listened to his stories for the last few years, but there was something different about them now. Before, he’d been wistful, describing something distant and unattainable—almost exactly the same way her father spoke of the RUNA. Now Justin was already acting as though he’d never left and Panama was just some layover, rather than the place he�
��d called home for four years.

  Two armed soldiers in gray-and-maroon uniforms stood stiffly at attention outside of the plane, but Tessa didn’t find them nearly as intimidating as the plane itself. Everyone in this city walked around with guns; she’d seen them her entire life. Nothing new there. The woman who emerged from the plane, however, made Tessa do a double take.

  “Prætorian Koskinen,” Justin called, giving her a mock salute. “Good morning.”

  “Dr. March,” she returned, crossing her arms. Her expression was calm and unreadable, like a marble statue’s. “So nice to see you again.”

  Justin stopped and put his arm around Tessa. “First test,” he whispered. “Is she telling the truth?”

  “No,” said Tessa.

  “I didn’t think so.” More loudly, he said, “Tessa, this is Mae. Mae, Tessa. She’s the prodigy I told you about. She’s super good at this stuff. Almost as good as me. You’ll be impressed, just wait.”

  “Wow, almost as good as you?” asked Mae dryly. “Is that even possible?”

  Tessa regarded Mae with apprehension. She wasn’t in uniform but still radiated strength and dignity. Justin had spent a considerable amount of time describing her this morning as he analyzed how a Nordic woman had ended up in the military’s highest ranks. Occasionally, he’d gotten sidetracked and expounded on her hair and eyes. Tessa, however, had stopped paying attention to his discourse after he’d said the word “prætorian.” Prætorians. The monsters of the RUNA. She’d heard about them, of course. Everyone had, and even if this blond woman didn’t look like a killing machine, Tessa vowed not to say anything that might test that observation. She simply gave a polite nod as she walked up the steps.

  The wry expression Mae had reserved for Justin transformed into a smile as Tessa passed. “Prodigy or not, I’m very glad to meet you. You’ll love the RUNA.”

  Tessa blushed and nodded again, overwhelmed at such kindness from a woman who managed to be both glamorous and dangerous at the same time. Justin lingered on the ground and dropped his cigarette onto the tarmac. He gave it a fond look before stamping it out. “The only thing I’ll miss from around here. I’m quitting here and now. Nothing that good back home anyway—well, at least nothing legal that’s that good.” He shifted his messenger bag on his shoulder and headed up after Tessa. It was his only luggage, since he’d claimed he had nothing here that was worth taking back. Tessa was starting to wonder why he’d ever come to Panama at all if he hated it so much.