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I crawl along the floor and dart to my office. It’s comical. Really, there’s no way they didn’t hear me.
I grab my block from next to the translator and message Kai, asking if I can come over tomorrow to look at Richeal’s books. I don’t expect her to reply, not with the chaos she brought on herself. I open the journal I was working on. This time I’m searching for the word Braesen in Dorian. I imagine if she was going to talk about the Braesen labs, it would be in her code. The one I can’t decipher. And I’m right. I don’t find any mention of the Braesen in anything I’ve translated so far. But it was worth a shot.
I jump when my block buzzes.
I’d love the company, Kai sends back. See you tomorrow.
There’s a knock on the door. Holter and Nico fill the doorframe.
“What were you doing, Belle?”
“Oh, searching for Braesen in the notebooks.”
“I mean back in the living room. Crawling?”
“I . . . Playing a game.”
“A game?” Nico steps into the room. “What sort of game? With the shark?”
“No, I guess with the two of you. It’s called hide-and-seek.”
“Is it now?” Nico’s tone drops.
“Yeah, one person is ‘it’ and the others hide. But I suppose I was playing that you both were ‘it.’ Marlee and I used to play all the time as kids. Maybe that’s why I decided to play.”
“And what does the ‘it’ player do?” Nico leans forward, and I’m not sure why I’m getting so wet.
“They chase the others until they catch them. And when they catch them, they tag them, and then that person either becomes ‘it’ or has to help the first person find the others.”
Nico grunts, “I will be ‘it.’”
“No, that’s not how it works. You don’t get to decree yourself ‘it.’ Plus, people usually don’t want to be ‘it.’”
“Well, I do. So there is no problem.”
“Nico, you’re missing the point. Let Belle decide.”
I look between the two of them. I really wouldn’t mind being chased. “I’m ‘it.’ One, two, three...” Neither of them move. “You’re supposed to hide.” I cover my eyes. “Four, five...” They both walk out of the room. “Six.” I better not give them too much time. “Ready or not...”
9
ANNABELLE
I poke my head into the corridor. Somehow, it’s even quieter—or maybe I’m listening harder. They’re not in the bedroom where Eros keeps his extra things. The next bedroom is completely empty. I check the bathroom; it has some towels hanging in it. I don’t know why, but I check behind them. And it makes me laugh at myself.
Living room, kitchen, other bathroom, laundry room—even the airlock is empty and completely dry. I should have given them a perimeter. No, they wouldn’t leave me alone. The pod room has only Eros sleeping in it, my lounge nothing, and our primary bathroom the same. I stop and watch him lightly snore.
What the heck, maybe they did leave? I’ve always thought of myself as good at this game. And then it dawns on me. Yeah, I’m not as smart as I think I am. My mates are basically Navy Seals. The Heroes of Hestertåtten. I’m thinking of places where Marlee would hide. Under cushions on the screen porch or under a pile of hay. I make my way down the hall and look up. Nico has himself pressed against the ceiling, his arms and legs spread wide.
“Found you.” I jump to touch his body, but when I do, he wiggles left and right and I miss each time. Then out of nowhere, my jump gets twice as high and I smack him on the stomach. My sudden ability to fly definitely comes from Eros’s arms around my waist, lifting me like a ballerina.
“She tagged you,” Eros says. His laugh is light and airy.
“With your assistance.” Nico lands on the balls of his feet as if auditioning for a touring production of Spiderman.
I turn in Eros’s arms. “I’m sorry we woke you.”
“You didn’t.”
