Chapter 24
Luca
Choose your opponents wisely. Sometimes it’s better to complete side quests first, collect XP, and come back to strong enemies when you’ve leveled up.
“What are you grinning about? Has Hank been buttering you up again?”
Maleek is almost horizontal in his chair, feet propped up on his desk—without his shoes, mind you.
He tossed those on the floor behind him about two hours ago.
He’s nearly made himself at home here these past few days.
Different types of coffee beans are lined up on the windowsill, neatly sorted into tins.
On the left side of his desk, there are little figurines and pots of paint, because he’s started using his lunch break for his Warhammer figurines.
No wonder: Free time is nonexistent right now.
The stuffed capybara Aria sent us sits on top of Maleek’s desk lamp.
I’m sure Sophia wouldn’t care much for the idea.
Maleek made him a little Bytes I know.”
“I know you know. But I also know that feelings have very little to do with knowing.”
“Oh yeah?” I raise my eyebrows, glancing at him. “Amanda?”
“Like I said: I’m not letting you off the hook so fast! Getting involved with Lara would be the worst decision you could make. Not just because one of you is going to lose, but also because of what Hank told us. You don’t want to be on their side when the shit hits the fan.”
“Do you think it’s actually going to? Hit the fan, I mean.”
Maleek shrugs. “I mean, he’ll have to do something about it, won’t he? You know Hank, he’s brilliant, but I wouldn’t want him as an enemy. I bet he’s just waiting for the moment that’ll hurt the most, and then he’ll strike. I doubt he’ll let her win with a stolen game.”
I mutter my agreement, but I can’t stop the thought from making me feel queasy. Not because of Sophia, but because of Lara.
“She has no idea,” I say, and Maleek tilts his head to one side.
“How do you know? Did you talk to her about it after all?”
“No, but the way she talked about the game . . .” I shake my head. “She doesn’t have the faintest. But she ought to know, don’t you think?”
Maleek lets out a huff of air. “You’d better stay out of this. Hank told us all that in confidence. If you tell Lara, you won’t just put yourself in a shitty situation—it’ll be her too. She’ll have to tell Sophia, and then she’ll be more involved than if she’d had no clue to begin with.”
But if I don’t tell Lara, I’ll be on the sidelines again—this time, watching the demise of the game she’s poured all her blood, sweat, and tears into over the last few years.