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Cody crossed his arms and backed away, as if he would retreat into the house and slam the door shut. “No. I won’t. You can’t sacrifice Aussen.”
“I don’t want to sacrifice her! I can’t explain—but I think she has a special ability—”
“I’m not taking you to Aussen!”
Pietro stared. He had not factored this in. Jayla distrusted him so much that Cody wouldn’t even listen to him. “Then—will you go to Jayla and tell her what I said—begher, Cody—tell her from me—”
A slim Cordelano girl pushed past the roommate who still guarded the door. “You want to find Aussen and Jayla?” she said. “I’ll take you to them.”
Cody whirled on her. “Rovyn! You can’t!”
She shrugged. At any other time, Pietro might pause to analyze the malice in her expression, but today he didn’t care about anything except finding Aussen. “Thank you. I’ll pay you whatever your courier rate is—”
She flounced out of the doorway, not even looking at Cody. “Then let’s go.”
They formed an odd, uneasy procession as they hurried down the crowded streets, watching for the next chugger to come along. Cody and Rovyn were in the lead, arguing, while Pietro and Stollo lagged behind. Pietro was still keyed up with excitement, but he could feel weariness eating at the edges of his energy. When this day was over, he might simply disintegrate.
“I wonder what their story is,” Stollo murmured, watching the other two quarrel.
“She’s spiteful and he’s furious, but I don’t even care,” Pietro said.
“He’s furious, but he hasn’t physically restrained her,” Stollo said, a note of admiration in his voice.
Pietro glanced at the two couriers again. “Not Cody,” he said. “I don’t think he has it in him. Even when violence would solve his problems.” He flashed a look at Stollo. “And don’t say violence never solves problems.”
Pietro hadn’t been sure the gridway would still be functional with all the tremors still dancing underfoot, but they’d been following a cable line for half a mile when one of the big chuggers came rumbling up. It was empty except for a few nervous riders who looked ready to fling themselves out the windows at the first uneasy rattle. “We’ll get as far as we can,” the driver said. “If the way’s blocked, I’ll have to let you out.”
Rovyn flashed a smile at Pietro and Stollo as they clambered aboard, and Stollo smiled back. “I thought you couriers just ran all over the city on foot,” Stollo said to her.
She laughed. “We do whatever’s quickest. For short routes, especially through the Quatrefoil, it’s always faster to run. But long trips from one end of the city to the other, nothing beats a transport.”
“Rovyn. Don’t take them there,” Cody said, still not looking at Pietro.
She gave him one burning glance and turned her back on him. “In case we get separated,” she said, “do you know where Madeleine Alayne lives?”
Cody groaned and turned away. Pietro nodded. “Aussen lives with Madeleine?” he asked in some surprise.
“She lives with a guard named Jayla, who works for Madeleine,” Rovyn corrected.
Pietro’s eyes sharpened. He remembered now. Jayla had mentioned Madeleine’s name, claimed to have met her at some function. A lie, obviously. “Thank you,” he said. “That’s useful to know.”
Cody tilted his head just enough to address Rovyn. “I will never forgive you.”
The other courier a hunched a shoulder. “You don’t care about me, anyway.”
Beside him, Pietro heard Stollo sayahunder his breath. A love triangle, probably. Rovyn must have had her heart set on Cody. But he’d only had eyes for Jayla from the minute they met. That had been obvious even from the first campfire by the ruined Chibani bridge.
“He willkillAussen because of you!” Cody whispered furiously.
“I won’t. Cody, I swear I won’t,” Pietro said.
“I’m not talking to you!”
There was a long moment of silence except for the hum of the chugger and the occasional deep rumble of the ground. Pietro became aware that Stollo was watching him thoughtfully.
“You won’t, will you?” he asked presently. “Kill that little girl?”
“If you even have to ask me that, I’m astonished that you’ve spent five minutes in my company.”
