Van Terra [NOW A PUBLISHED BOOK]

Chapter Three ~ Bringing Good Vibes to a Gunfight

By the time the three came across an intersection in the tunnels, Grace's hands had finally stopped shaking. She still didn't feel anything remotely resembling calm, but her heart wasn't on the verge of exploding anymore, either.

Jasper nodded toward a smaller tunnel branching off the one they'd been walking through. "Get in position," she told Holly. "Make sure the others are ready."

A ladder waited on the opposite wall. While Holly disappeared into the darkness behind them, Jasper and Grace climbed the ladder, passed through a manhole cover, and emerged in an alleyway.

"Whoa," Grace breathed as she scrambled onto concrete. The buildings around them stretched into the upper districts, some for nearly a mile, leaving only thin slivers of the pale red sky peeking through overhead. "It's sunrise already?" All in all, she hadn't felt like they'd spent much time in the police station or the tunnels, but maybe all of the adrenaline coursing through her had warped her perception of time.

Jasper straightened up and adjusted her coat. "Yep. Follow me."

Grace was too nervous to annoy Jasper with more questions, so she trailed her silently through a maze of alleys. Her gaze darted in every direction as they walked. Dumpsters around them overflowed with garbage, and small rodents scurried into the shadows beneath as the two passed. Puddles of liquid that probably weren't water reflected neon signs and flashing billboards.

It was wildly different from the upper districts Grace had spent the past few years living in.

They finally stopped in front of a dented door in the side of a sleek black building. "You gonna ask what we're doing?" Jasper asked as she picked the lock.

"I wasn't sure you'd want to tell me," Grace replied.

"Well, we're going up."

"How?"

"Out of service elevator. My technopath—the aforementioned hacker—got it running with her—" Jasper spared a hand to make a wavy motion. "—techy mind powers." The door opened with a click. "We're going all the way to the top, so we'll have time to talk."

"About what?" Grace followed Jasper into the building.

"You, obviously." Lights flickered on, and a short walk down a hall brought Jasper and Grace to an elevator waiting with open doors. "Can you think of anything that would lead to Starr turning on you now?"

The elevator's silver—and slightly rusted—doors closed and reflected Grace's ragged reflection back at her. "It probably has to do with Kara Callisto," she answered, wiping at a dark smudge on her chin with her thumb.

"Thea, take us to the roof," Jasper said into her ear comm. The elevator jerked up. "Kara who?"

"She showed up at the palace a few pentasols ago and said she was an ambassador from Earth," Grace explained. "And then—well, a couple of hours ago, my math tutor didn't show up to my rooms for our usual lesson."

One of Jasper's eyebrows shot up. "That early?"

"My lessons have always started pretty early." Grace shrugged. "I'm always done by early afternoon, though."

"And that leaves you plenty of free time to...?"

"If I'm not invited to any events—" These days, that was usually one of Starr's public speeches or rallies. It had been a long time since Grace got to go to a party where people were allowed to mingle with her. "—I usually watch TV or read. I eat dinner in one of the dining halls and chat with palace staff." A bit awkwardly, Grace shrugged again. "My life hasn't exactly been exciting, until this morning."