"Let’s not worry about Vivian right now," I said, standing up. "We’ve got more imdiate problems."
"Like the fact that you’ve been exposed using unregistered abilities on TV?" Cheon suggested.
"Or that Aurora kissed you and ran?" ra offered.
"Or that Noel wants answers about your real abilities?" Cheon added.
I groaned. "Yes, all of those. Plus I’ve got semifinals for the Battle Trials on Monday, and I need to figure out what to tell Noel about my powers without giving away the whole ’I need to sleep with people to steal their abilities’ thing."
ra perked up. "You could always just sleep with her too. Solve two problems at once."
"I don’t think that’s a viable solution," Cheon said dryly.
"Why not? It worked for us."
"Because Noel actually hates Ro," Cheon pointed out. "Or at least, she thinks she does."
"Hate sex is still sex," ra shrugged. "And Ro’s drain works on strong emotions, not just positive ones."
I stared at ra. "How do you know that?"
"Because you told yourself that my Essentia was stronger when I was angry at you." She grinned wickedly. "Rember that fight we had?"
I did rember. ra had been furious about the money and when I’d grabbed her arm to keep her from storming out, the drain had opened like a floodgate. The sex that followed had been... intense.
"Okay, so strong emotions amplify the drain," I conceded. "But that doesn’t an Noel would sleep with just because she’s angry."
"You’re missing my point," ra said, poking in the chest. "Hate is passion too. If she feels strongly enough to hate you, she feels strongly enough for the drain to work."
I considered this. Noel had been carrying a grudge against for years, apparently. That level of sustained emotion might indeed create a powerful connection through the drain.
"It’s sothing to consider," I admitted. "But I doubt she’d let close enough to find out."
"You’d be surprised what people do when they’re emotional," Cheon said quietly. "Look at ."
Cheon had gone from the uptight class representative who couldn’t stand to sharing my bed with another woman in less than a week. All because I’d pulled her into a storage room and shown her what the drain felt like.
Could the sa approach work on Noel?
"Let’s table the ’seducing Noel’ plan for now," I decided. "First, I need to deal with this news situation. Then I’ll figure out what to tell her about my abilities."
"And Aurora?" ra prodded.
"I ant what I said. I’m going to be her friend." I couldn’t help the smirk that followed. "And when she realizes friendship isn’t enough, I’ll be there to offer more."
"You’re terrible," Cheon said, but her tone suggested she didn’t entirely disapprove.
"That’s why you like ," I replied, pulling her closer.
"It’s one of many reasons," she admitted, leaning into .
My phone buzzed with another call. This ti it was Usagi, my teammate from the Battle Trials.
"Hey," I answered, putting it on speaker.
"Ro! Have you seen the news?" Usagi’s voice was high and panicked.
"Yeah, I’ve seen it."
"What are we going to do? Noel is freaking out! She says our strategy for the semifinals is compromised because everyone knows about your gravity ability now!"
I sighed. Of course Noel would be worried about tactical advantages rather than my potential legal issues.
"Tell Noel to calm down," I said. "I have other abilities we haven’t shown yet."
"You do?" Usagi sounded surprised. "Like what?"
I glanced at ra, who was watching with amusent. "Let’s just say I’m full of surprises. We’ll discuss it during our strategy session."
"Okay, if you’re sure..." Usagi still sounded uncertain. "Oh! I almost forgot why I called. Professor Reeves wants to see you in her office Monday morning before the semifinals. Sothing about your registration status."
Perfect. The fallout was already beginning.
"Thanks for the heads up," I told her. "I’ll be there."
After hanging up, I flopped back onto the couch. "This is getting ssier by the minute."
"Welco to my world," ra said cheerfully. "I’ve been a visible Root-type my whole life. You get used to the stares."
"This is different," I countered. "People aren’t just staring at because I look different. They’re questioning whether I should be allowed to have the abilities I’m using."
"Welco to my world," Cheon echoed ra, but without the cheer. "Every ti I use my ability to analyze others, soone asks if I’m invading their privacy."
"Fair point," I conceded. "I’m new to the ’being different’ party."
"Don’t worry," ra patted my cheek. "We’ll teach you how to handle it."
My stomach growled, reminding that I’d never actually gotten to eat lunch thanks to Aurora’s visit and the robbery aftermath.
"First lesson," I said, standing up. "How about we handle dinner? I’m starving."
"What about the news situation?" Cheon asked.
"It’ll still be there after we eat," I replied. "And I think better on a full stomach."
As if on cue, my phone rang again. Unknown number.
"Another reporter?" ra guessed.
"Probably." I sent it to voicemail. "They can wait too."
I pulled both won up from the couch, one on each arm. Whatever was coming—reporters, NEA investigations, etings with professors, confrontations with Noel, and whatever ga Aurora was playing—I’d handle it. I had to. The system wasn’t giving a choice.
Six hundred and ninety-four days remaining on my quest tir. Two girlfriends down, five more to go. And now everyone knew I wasn’t just a pretty rich boy with a bad attitude.
"Let’s order sothing fancy tonight," I decided. "If I’m going to be infamous by Monday morning, I might as well enjoy my last weekend of relative anonymity."
"I vote sushi," ra said imdiately.
"I was thinking steak," Cheon countered.
They looked at each other, then at , waiting for to break the tie.
"Both," I declared, pulling out my phone to place the orders. "Why choose when we can have it all?"
ra laughed, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind as I searched for restaurants. "That should be your life motto."
Maybe she was right. Why settle for either-or when both was an option?
I thought of Aurora’s kiss, of Noel’s suspicions, of Vivian’s strange possessiveness, and of the quest requiring to collect them all.
Why choose indeed.
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