54
With a shaky hand, I pull the sword free, only to discover it’s so much longer, sharper, and heavier than I ever expected it to be.
Does that mean it’s real?
Either way, I figure I’ll just swing it around for a bit, enough to ward off the crowd, then maybe grab hold of the riding crop and…and then what? Gallop into a hologram sunset when I’ve never even been on a horse?
I can feel the weight of everyone watching me fail. And the worst part is, I’ve dug myself into a hole so deep, there’s no foreseeable way to save myself.
Next thing I know, Elodie emerges from the crowd. When she stands before me, arms crossed at her chest, lips pushed into her infamous smirk, it’s like the sword takes on a life of its own.
“Jeee-sus!” a voice cries. I think it might’ve been Keane, but there’s no way to be sure. “Someone stop her before…”
I ignore the voice and make my advance. Elodie may have a mob at her back, but from what I can see, I’m the only one armed.
“I’d be careful with that if I were you.” Her voice is tart, showing no signs of fear. “You have no idea how to use it.”
“You sure about that?” With a quick flick of the wrist, I jab the tip to a tender patch of flesh just under her chin. “Looks pretty self-explanatory to me.”
Her blue gaze narrows on mine. “You don’t have the guts to go through with it,” she says, but her jaw is clenched, as though she’s actually a lot less sure of that.
I give another light jab, not enough to break the skin but certainly enough to make her second-guess everything she thinks she knows about me.
“None of this is real, you know. It’s all just a construct.” She speaks through gritted teeth.
I shoot a quick glance around the space before returning to her. “Yeah, no kidding.”
She rolls her eyes, but I ignore it. For some reason, I’m more interested in the choker that circles her neck.
“What I mean is,I’ma construct,” she says.
I stare at her in disbelief.What sort of game is she playing?
“Don’t believe me?” she taunts. “Go ahead, give me the full Marie Antoinette and see what happens.”
My gaze locks on hers.
“I mean, you hate me, right? For wrecking your life and bringing you here? So now’s your chance to see if you can get rid of me for good.”
Taking the bait, I twist the hilt ever so slightly, causing the tip to screw into her flesh as a tiny drop of blood drips from her chin.
Would a hologram blade cause a hologram person to bleed?
In Arthur’s world, anything is possible.
“Is someone going to stop this?” a voice cries. Keane again? Hawke? I no longer care.
“And yet,” Elodie says, “you have to admit this is way more fun than Mr. Osbourne’s tedious AP History class.”
I swallow. Fight to keep a steady hand.
Would a hologram know about Mr. Osbourne?
Probably.
Most likely.
But still…