"It isn't?" Blake said. "Oh no, I made a wrong turn."

I gave him a sneer that he answered with a grin. The elevator stopped at the top level, marked "Penthouse."

The doors opened to a very short hallway that led to another door. Blake inserted his key and unlocked it. Inside were dark wood and low lights. On the right was a curved bar, complete with an Ender bartender wiping a glass.

"Welcome, Blake."

"Hey, Henry."

Blake didn't pause but continued walking through the room, past leather chairs, to a sliding glass door. He waved his palm over a pad on the wall and the door slid open. We stepped out onto a large terrace.

A modern square fountain dominated the center, making a calming bubbling sound that covered the bustling downtown noise. I walked to the edge of the terrace and peeked through the potted palms bordering the railing. It was clear why the trees were there. Boarded-up, crumbling buildings surrounded this oasis. Some were completely demolished, as if smashed by a giant monster.

I turned my back to the sight.

"So this belongs to your family."

He nodded. "Yeah. We use it before the opera or receptions at the concert hall. The staff doesn't really like having to wait on me when my grandfather's not here, though. I'm just a kid to them."

"I'd be happy to be here no matter how they treated me."

He led me to a patio love seat. We sat side by side.

"Don't we have to get to the awards?" I asked.

"We've got time."

The bartender brought out two sodas. He placed them on the side table and then left.

"So, Callie, how do you feel?"

I looked up at the fluffy clouds in the blue sky. I felt like telling him everything.

"I'm all right."

He reached over and leaned his hand on the back of the love seat. He stroked the top of my head. He started to run his hand over the back of my head, but I stopped him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said, letting go of his hand.

"Callie, come on." He leaned closer. "What is it?" He looked at my head.

"Just not there," I said.

"Why?" He seemed almost amused. He held his hand over my head like some game, and I grabbed it.

What to say? I went for the truth. "I had some surgery."

His smile faded. "What kind?"

I tried to think of a believable lie. It wasn't coming. "I don't want to talk about it."

I looked at him. He was so concerned for me.

"It's ... personal," I said.

He took my hand. "I know we haven't known each other very long, but I thought you trusted me."

"It's not that, it's just that everything is so good between us."

"And you're afraid if you tell me what kind of surgery you had that I won't like you anymore? You think I'm that shallow?"

My lip quivered. "No, of course not."

He squeezed my hand. "There's nothing you could tell me that would change how I feel about you. I want to know you. Everything about you."

He had no clue how big this lie was. "Please don't make me talk about it. Okay?" I pleaded with my eyes. "It's just that sometimes, you do things you wish you hadn't."

"I don't think there's anyone who can't say that. You're not alone." He ran his thumb over my hand.

He was trying to be nice, backing off from pushing me to explain. If only things were simple. If only I had never gone into that body bank. But if I hadn't, I never would have met him.

Past the cityscape, the sun was making its exit. "Shouldn't we be going soon?" I asked.

Blake took my hands and pulled me to my feet. "Follow me."

He led me inside, down a hallway, and opened a door. The room was a girl zone, decorated in soft shades of pink.

"Consider this your personal boutique." He threw open the closet doors, revealing a shimmering rainbow of evening dresses, from gowns to little cocktail numbers.

"Whose are these?" I asked.

"My sister. She likes to shop." He rolled his eyes.

Many of the dresses were the latest in fabric technology, featherlight miracles of physics that changed colors. Others were retro gowns inspired by old films from the last century. On the shelf above, glittery heels and purses sat in clear cases.

Blake waved his hand over a sensor, and the cases rotated so that more came into view.

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"She's up north, with my great-aunt."

I ran my hand over the fabrics. "What's she doing there?"

"Shopping."

He leaned against the wall, near my shoulder. Looked straight into my eyes. I could tell he was about to pick up where he'd left off a moment ago.

His face was inches from mine. "Don't worry." He held up one hand and wiggled the fingers before putting it behind his back. "No hands this time."

I couldn't help but smile. He moved his face lower, slowly, and kissed me. And kissed me. I didn't want it to stop, ever. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did. I wrapped my hands around his neck and didn't let go.

Then he did hold me, slipping his hands around my waist. I pressed my back against the wall, pulling him closer, feeling breathless and dizzy. I leaned my forehead against his.

"We'd better go," I whispered. "Or we'll be late."

He nodded. We released each other and he slowly backed out of the room. "Call when you're ready."

I touched my lips after he left. They were warm and puffy.

I ran my other hand across the fabulous clothes. How could I choose? It was like picking only one flavor of ice cream. But there wasn't time to waste. I put on a sleeveless blue gown with a matching shawl. The dress shimmered all the way to the floor but weighed less than a handkerchief. It was pretty and appropriately unrevealing. I wanted the senator to believe me. I remembered hearing once that blue was a color that made people trust you.

After a few minutes, Blake knocked at the door.

"Come in."

Blake was wearing a tux. He looked fantastic. His eyes got big when he saw me, but he switched to cool mode. He picked up a metal wand that was hanging in the closet and waved it over my dress.

"We don't have time to play," I said.

"Just watch."

An airscreen in the closet came on. An image of the dress appeared in 3-D, twirling. Images of shoes, a purse, earrings, and a bracelet also popped up.

The clear cases of shoes rotated until the pumps shown on the airscreen were in front. I took them out-heels decorated with a small silver whale clipped to each shoe.

"Whales. Your favorite," he said.

"Wow." I slipped into them. "We're the same size. They're perfect."

He handed me the purse and then held up a beautiful antique bracelet, filigree with blue stones, and matching earrings.

"You sure she won't mind me wearing her things?"

"Look at all this stuff. We could clear out half of it and she wouldn't notice."

"No, but the computer would definitely remember."

He reached for my wrist and saw the charm bracelet. "Pretty."

I offered my other wrist and he put his bracelet on it.

I turned to the mirror to put on the earrings. When I caught Blake's eye, the look on his face was worth memorizing. First the left side of his lip curled up slowly. Then his eyes crinkled and sparkled as his mouth went into a full-on grin.

"You look so amazing, you're going to steal my grandfather's thunder."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

As we approached the Music Center plaza that night, I felt like a princess making her entrance at a royal ball. It was like a dreamscape, with tiny lights sparkling in the trees, larger ones highlighting the buildings, and spotlights illuminating the sculptural waterfall that danced in the center of the plaza.

We entered the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where chandeliers as big as minicars glistened over our heads. We climbed the grand staircase to the second level. The pre-awards party was in full swing. Ender waiters weaved through the glittery crowd with trays of champagne and punch. The guests were mostly rich Enders, but there was a sprinkling of wealthy teens like Blake.

And then there was me.

"Where's your grandfather?"

Blake handed me a glass of punch. "I'll go find him. You'll be okay here?"

"I'll be fine," I said, looking at the buffet table.

He craned his neck to look over the sea of silver heads and then disappeared into the crowd. I walked up to the buffet laden with shrimp and crab and lobster. Tyler's eyes would've bugged out of his head.

I was tempted to taste something when a voice surprised me.

Callie. You went after all.

It was inside my head. Helena. So she hadn't left the body bank.

"You're back," I said quietly. "I need an exorcism."

Everyone around me was too busy socializing or eating to notice me talking to myself. I didn't know whether to be angry or relieved.

I'm glad you saw the light.

"Don't thank me. I'm not here to kill anyone."

The senator is a monster. You let him get away, he'll be on that plane to Washington tomorrow, and the fate of thousands of teens will be sealed.

Her drama was not working on me. "You don't know that."

They say you can judge a man by the company he keeps. Well, the senator is in cahoots with the man who heads up Prime Destinations. The Old Man. He's the worst excuse for a human being in the universe.

"Then maybe I should kill him." I hoped the sarcasm was drippy enough for her.

You should. But he has too much protection. The senator is our immediate concern.

Sounded like her kill list was getting longer.

By stopping the senator from getting on that plane tonight, we can prevent this thing from exploding. I'll pay you five times what Prime offered you. And I will give you a home.

I made a point of not reacting. I stepped out onto the balcony. I walked past the red glow of cigars held by Enders no longer afraid of early death. When I reached the far end, I stopped and looked at the evening skyline. Beyond the borders of our luxurious surroundings, the graffiti-ravaged buildings were a harsh contrast.