Skyfall
~Eleven~
We arrived back at Nova Tower at midday, the sun high in the smog. It was a relief to pull back into the car park; the heat was beginning to seep into the car and I couldn’t roll up the sleeves of my sweater.
I wiped my eyes on my sleeve as we pulled to a stop. I knew I’d missed an opportunity. As for what that opportunity could’ve been, I didn’t really know.
My heart sank through the bottoms of my shoes and into the asphalt as I saw Lord Nova waiting for us beside the elevator. Calista, sensing my uneasiness, patted my hand, but I couldn’t help but notice her fingers trembling slightly.
“I’ll handle this,” she told me.
We climbed out of the car, Calista ahead of me. The car pulled away as Lord Nova approached us.
“Good day, ladies,” he greeted us, and it would’ve been a pleasant greeting if the smile on his thin lips met his ice cold eyes. “Where’ve we been today?”
“Actually, my Lord, we’ve just been to the hospital,” Calista said, putting her arm around me. “My Lady has received some terrible news about a friend.”
“Graham Lowry,” Lord Nova said, and I knew it was meant to sound like a question. I shuddered as Calista tightened her grip on my shoulders. “I was sad to hear about him. He used to be in Parliament.”
Why was he telling us what we must already know? Was he telling us he knew all about our little excursion?
“Yes, well,” Calista shifted uneasily. “I’m going to get Alexa upstairs. She’s a little shaken up.”
“Of course,” he accompanied us to the elevator. “Floor 40,” he said to the elevator. “Oh, Alexa, how did you know him?”
My heart stopped. There was no way I was telling him the truth, and besides, he knew I would be lying.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hitching my voice in my throat as though choking back tears. “It’s just too painful right now.”
“Of course, my dear, of course. Would you like me to send Louis up to your room for company?”
“No thank you,” I said quickly. “I think I would just like to be by myself tonight.”
We rode the rest of the way in silence. When the car finally stopped at our floor, Calista and I almost leapt out onto the car park.
“You have my condolences,” Lord Nova repeated as the doors slid closed.
Calista let out a sigh. I stopped her before she could speak. Together, we watched the lights blink up through the numbers, meaning that Lord Nova was being carried further and further away from us.
“That was uncomfortable,” she said finally. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” I lied, but she saw right through it. “I think I’m just gonna go read in my room.”
“Of course,” she said, as I began to walk away. “Alexa?”
I turned back.
“There are other ways of getting that information,” she said, determination in her eyes. “And I promise I’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, forcing a smile.
It took exactly a week, but when I saw Calista again, she was smiling in a grim, half pleased way.
“What, what is it?” I asked, immediately flinging the remote to my holo-tv away.
“I’ve found a way to get that information,” she began, wringing her hands. “About Lowry.”
“Really?” I scampered off of my bed, which hadn’t been made in a week. “How?”
“All of his info was still on the Parliament servers,” she said, the veins in her neck standing out. “There was just one thing-“
“Calista-“
“- I could only access it in a certain way.”
I moved towards her slowly, as though I was underwater.
“You didn’t,” I whispered, horrified. “Calista, please, tell me you didn’t.”
“It was the only way,” she said, and her left eye glowed a brilliant white.
I wiped my eyes on my sleeve as we pulled to a stop. I knew I’d missed an opportunity. As for what that opportunity could’ve been, I didn’t really know.
My heart sank through the bottoms of my shoes and into the asphalt as I saw Lord Nova waiting for us beside the elevator. Calista, sensing my uneasiness, patted my hand, but I couldn’t help but notice her fingers trembling slightly.
“I’ll handle this,” she told me.
We climbed out of the car, Calista ahead of me. The car pulled away as Lord Nova approached us.
“Good day, ladies,” he greeted us, and it would’ve been a pleasant greeting if the smile on his thin lips met his ice cold eyes. “Where’ve we been today?”
“Actually, my Lord, we’ve just been to the hospital,” Calista said, putting her arm around me. “My Lady has received some terrible news about a friend.”
“Graham Lowry,” Lord Nova said, and I knew it was meant to sound like a question. I shuddered as Calista tightened her grip on my shoulders. “I was sad to hear about him. He used to be in Parliament.”
Why was he telling us what we must already know? Was he telling us he knew all about our little excursion?
“Yes, well,” Calista shifted uneasily. “I’m going to get Alexa upstairs. She’s a little shaken up.”
“Of course,” he accompanied us to the elevator. “Floor 40,” he said to the elevator. “Oh, Alexa, how did you know him?”
My heart stopped. There was no way I was telling him the truth, and besides, he knew I would be lying.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hitching my voice in my throat as though choking back tears. “It’s just too painful right now.”
“Of course, my dear, of course. Would you like me to send Louis up to your room for company?”
“No thank you,” I said quickly. “I think I would just like to be by myself tonight.”
We rode the rest of the way in silence. When the car finally stopped at our floor, Calista and I almost leapt out onto the car park.
“You have my condolences,” Lord Nova repeated as the doors slid closed.
Calista let out a sigh. I stopped her before she could speak. Together, we watched the lights blink up through the numbers, meaning that Lord Nova was being carried further and further away from us.
“That was uncomfortable,” she said finally. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” I lied, but she saw right through it. “I think I’m just gonna go read in my room.”
“Of course,” she said, as I began to walk away. “Alexa?”
I turned back.
“There are other ways of getting that information,” she said, determination in her eyes. “And I promise I’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, forcing a smile.
It took exactly a week, but when I saw Calista again, she was smiling in a grim, half pleased way.
“What, what is it?” I asked, immediately flinging the remote to my holo-tv away.
“I’ve found a way to get that information,” she began, wringing her hands. “About Lowry.”
“Really?” I scampered off of my bed, which hadn’t been made in a week. “How?”
“All of his info was still on the Parliament servers,” she said, the veins in her neck standing out. “There was just one thing-“
“Calista-“
“- I could only access it in a certain way.”
I moved towards her slowly, as though I was underwater.
“You didn’t,” I whispered, horrified. “Calista, please, tell me you didn’t.”
“It was the only way,” she said, and her left eye glowed a brilliant white.