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‘You said he sent you . . .’ I trail off, not wanting to talk too much about what Jost told me in the cell in case the Guild has installed audio transmitters in our motocarriage.
‘Jost is the head valet,’ Erik informs me. ‘When I couldn’t come to your cell, I asked him to attend to you.’
‘Okay.’ I nod, not sure I believe it’s as simple as that. Jost spoke as though he knew Erik. As if they had a history of some sort, and not a pleasant one.
‘Are you nervous about rebounding?’ Erik asks, changing topics.
Out of the corner of my eye I spy Jost settling back against his seat, but his eyes remain on me.
‘Yes,’ I admit, trying to ignore the steady gaze of Jost’s blue eyes. ‘My first experience wasn’t very pleasant.’
‘Well, that was not a typical experience,’ Erik tells me.
‘I forgot. You were there,’ I remember out loud.
He nods. If he’s sorry about ordering the medic to dose me, he doesn’t show it.
‘Enora gave me this,’ I tell him, producing my digifile from my handbag.
Erik lets out a low whistle. ‘Fancy gift.’
‘Really?’ I ask, flushing. ‘I assumed most Spinsters got one.’
‘Nah, Maela has one, but only because she sits on the training panel. Enora pulled some strings for that,’ Erik says.
‘I had no idea,’ I admit.
For a brief second Erik’s eyes flash to Jost’s, but whatever prompted the look, neither speaks. The conversation trails off again and I’m grateful the ride is short, because my stomach is doing cartwheels.
The rebound station that sits outside the compound walls is small and unassuming. Erik escorts me through the double brass doors into a small lobby with one brushed-velvet chair, which I’m forced to sit in. Behind us, my team, along with my gowns, bags and carts, filters in, packing the tiny room. A polished woman in a sky-blue suit appears from the hallway and speaks briefly with Erik. I watch as he nods and gestures to the group. A moment later, she strides over and beckons for me to follow her. I walk by her side. Behind us I hear Erik smoothly dir
ecting the rest of the group into an ordered line.
‘You’re rebounding into Nilus?’ the woman asks me evenly, and I manage a nod. She’s older, with her hair neatly kept in a simple bun, and she guides me with the expertise of someone who’s done this her whole life.
‘Your rebound will take about an hour,’ she continues, leading me into a softly lit room and directing me to sit in an overlarge leather seat in the dead centre of the chamber. She reaches towards a panel beside me, and I hear the click of a button as she pushes it. I tense, waiting for the metal helmet to lower onto my head, but instead a small oak tray table glides over my lap. I exhale as she fastens a long, thick belt diagonally across me.
‘Have you rebounded before?’ she asks curiously.
‘Yes.’
‘I’m sorry to ask,’ she says. ‘You seem nervous. Most people aren’t as scared the second time around.’
I shrug weakly, not wanting to tell her I was chained to the chair during my last rebound.
‘You’ll be fine,’ she tells me sweetly. ‘I’ll bring you some tea.’
She disappears out the door, and Erik’s head appears in the doorway. ‘I’ll see you at Nilus.’
‘See you there,’ I manage.
He continues past my door and Jost follows him. Our eyes meet for only a moment, but I can’t think of anything to say to him. As soon as he’s out of my sight, the stewardess reappears with a glass of iced tea.
‘Best not to drink anything hot until you’re more accustomed to rebounding,’ she advises, setting it neatly on a square white napkin in front of me.
‘Thank you,’ I tell her sincerely, and she pats my arm as she exits. I feel my chest constrict, the memory of my last stewardess tugging at my mind.
After the door is shut, the room begins to shimmer, fading in and out around me. This time without the helmet blocking my vision, I’m struck by how beautiful it is. Strands of golden light wind around me, and the rebound chamber gradually dissolves. I relish the few moments when everything is pure time, knitted with raw material, as it is seconds before the weave binds together into the new room. I forget about the tea and the digifile I’m clutching in my sweaty palm as the room flickers in and out of my vision and another slowly and gracefully replaces it. I relax back into the chair as the hour passes, noting how each piece of the room is carefully rewoven until I’m in a bright red space decorated with a vibrant pattern painted in gold along its walls. As the last bit of the chamber settles into place, a pretty young girl bounces into the room.
