The Lofties (The Echelon Book 2)

in the atrium. Elli lifted her phone, and the door slid open.
“Your phones’ll do the same, once you’ve got them set up. But if you ever run out of batteries, there’s a key under the mat.” She strode past the birdcage toward the stairs. Her dress trailed behind her, and I noticed it was two dresses, one flimsy and translucent and a heavier one underneath, printed with flowers and feathers. I wondered if she’d uploaded that to her tailor, maybe plucked a few birds to get the details just right. “Ground floor’s your party room, your swimming pool, your shared space for the building. Your personal residence is on five. You’ll find your own kitchen, your own rec room, a bedroom for each of you. I’ve left you each a few outfits, styles I thought you’d like, but I’ll take you shopping in a day or two, once you’ve settled in.”
“What about the other floors?” I squinted up the stairwell, trying to see.
“All separate residences,” said Elli. “We try to group friends together, so you three get your own floor.”
“Who else is here?” Lock’s expression turned eager. “Anyone I’d know?”
Elli’s smile widened. “I think so. The house is a bit on the empty side at the moment, what with us not having many Ascensions lately and older residents moving out, but Jack’s here, and Sonia. Come on. We’ll say hello.”
We found the two Decemites on the third floor balcony, stretched out on deckchairs and playing with their phones. Jack jumped up when he saw us and caught Lock in a crushing embrace.
“I knew you’d make it.” He thumped Lock on the back and hugged him again. “I kept saying, just wait. It’ll be Lock, it’ll be Samson, and we’ll get this party started. Tell him, Sonia. Did I call it, or what?”
Sonia flapped her hand at us, not looking up from her phone.
“Don’t mind her,” said Jack. “There’s this new game, Tangerine Rampage. She’s obsessed.” He spotted me and Ona, and his brow knit in puzzlement. “Who are these two? No Samson?”
“I’m Ona.” She jerked her thumb at me. “She’s Myla. My sister.”
“Two Decemites from the same family? How’d that happen?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Jack was full of questions.
“How haven’t we met? Shouldn’t I have trained you two?” He turned to Ona, eyes round with surprise. “Not to be rude or anything, but you look thirteen.”
“I’m fifteen,” said Ona. “I got early Ascension. I found how they mine rigur, so—”
“Early Ascension?” Jack looked bewildered, then almost offended. Then the clouds cleared, and he clapped Ona on the shoulder. “Well, whatever. You earned it, right? It’ll be fun, just the five of us. I’ll teach you air hockey. We’ll have ourselves a tournament.”
Sonia made a tutting sound. She got up and slunk past us, then disappeared into her room without a word. Lock’s brows went up.
“Did we say something wrong?”
“Nah. That’s just Sonia. Though, lately—”
“I hate to interrupt your reunion, but we’re about to be late.” Elli hustled us back the way we’d come, arms out to her sides to keep us in line. “The two of you have an appointment,” she said, waggling a finger at Lock and Ona. “A quick update for your nanobots, then you’re free to explore. Go ahead and wash up, slip into some fresh clothes, and I’ll be back in an hour. Myla—if you have a moment?”
I thought about pushing past her, pretending I hadn’t heard. I didn’t have a moment. A nanobot update—what update? What could they need with an update, now their careers were done? I needed to talk to them, come up with a plan. Stop them from—
“Just quickly,” said Elli. She took hold of my sleeve and pulled me onto the landing. “I know this must be strange for you,” she said. “I’d be weirded out, too.”
“Strange. Yeah.” I blinked. Her voice had changed, lost that bright, perky edge. She smiled at me, a new smile, kind of wry.
“I just wanted you to know I’m here for you, if you need anything at all.” For the first time, she looked uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot. “It’s just…the Decemites, they’re prepared for this. They’ve been waiting half their lives. For them, I’m just a tour guide. But you’ve had two days to adjust. Two days to say goodbye. I can’t imagine what that’s like. If you need a friend, someone who’s not a Decemite... Well, I wouldn’t presume, but just know I’m here.”
“Thanks.” I felt my ears redden. I’d spent the past hour thinking the worst of her, mocking her behind her back. Maybe she was everything I’d assumed—snide and pampered, empty-headed—but now she seemed earnest. Perceptive, even. I smiled as warmly as I could. “How would I call you, if I did need something?”
“When you set up your phone, it’ll update your contacts automatically. You’ll see me, Elli Vane.”
“Okay. Maybe I’ll call you, then.” I squirmed, suddenly awkward. “Well, I’d better—”
“Go ahead. Settle in. I’ll get out of your hair.” Elli gave me a little wave. I turned and raced up the stairs, catching Ona as she ducked into her bedroom.
“Me and Lock took the good rooms,” she said. “You get the one facing uphill.”
“Thanks a lot.” I did a slow turn, searching for Lock. “Lock? Get out here. I need to talk to you.”
“What?” He sauntered out bare-chested, a towel slung over his hips. He was still dry, at least, so I hadn’t interrupted his bath. “I do fit, by the way. In my tub. Every inch of me.”
“Good for you.” I turned my back on him, disconcerted by his nudity. “That nanobot update, though—do you know what that’s about?”
“Who cares?” Ona loosened her collar. “You saw Jack and Sonia. They’re fine. Whatever it does, it obviously doesn’t kill us.”
“Not right away, maybe, but—”
“You can’t stop yourself, can you?” Ona went to the French doors and flung them open, letting in that cut-grass smell. “Look at this place. It’s better than my best dream. If Mom