The Carnelian Fox Read online

  “Next time you come see me, I’ll prove how much more grown up I am. I’ll drink like eight pints of water in a day. It won’t even be cola flavoured.”

  “Little steps, Sam.” He smiled and put his cutlery down, then pressed a few buttons on his eBand. Mine buzzed and popped up with a request to exchange details. “So I can check in on you?”

  “Maybe I’ll be checking on you, who knows?” I confirmed the alert to add Eli’s profile to my friends list. “So, I guess you aren’t planning on drifting out of my life when you leave? I was kind of thinking you were just waiting to dash off and do your own thing.”

  “I’ve got stuff, who hasn’t? But… I haven’t travelled with anyone for a while. Everyone I met at first all completed their challenges and settled down. Got a solid job or ducked out to get married or look after kids. It’s been nice to have a group again. Except looking at Lucy’s constantly furious face, I don’t think she likes me much.”

  “She doesn’t seem to like anyone or anything, not even herself. Once she gets somewhere, she’ll be better. Oh damn, I hope she is anyway.”

  “Do you think she’ll mind if I hook up with you guys in a few days?” His eyes carried a little hopeful spark and for the first time I believed that he genuinely got something out of being with us. I think maybe he was actually asking me if I minded. And after I’d told him he was holding me back earlier, what did I expect? So far all I’d seen was a badass Prime that was a billion times better than me. Now I saw that he was just another person, one that was lonely. That was struggling. Damn it, he’d held a gun against a woman’s head today, that had to be weighing on him.

  That was the first glimpse I got of how far Eli was willing to go for his Gems, and I admired him for it. Admired him for wavering on the verge of killing someone. I was so naïve. It was possible I was a little smitten. But there are some depths no one should sink to, not even for their team.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Breathe, Lucy. You’re amazing, your Gems are gorgeous and well-trained. And your hair looks fabulous today.”

  A smile had dogged me all day, and I wanted to spread my good mood. Eli left last night, but he was coming back soon. And he cared about me. Lucy had a less than stellar attitude about her. She paced constantly and ate about a spoonful of porridge at breakfast.

  “Thank you,” she said. “My hair does look nice.”

  “Ready to go get some challenge points?”

  “Actually, yes. I’m determined to make a proper show of myself. And if something goes wrong at the first hall, I’ll be moving onto the next and the next until I achieve a worthwhile result. Today is a new day, and it will be a good one.”

  “Awesome!” I leant in for a hug, but Lucy stayed stiff as I squeezed her. Not that it stopped me. “You’ll be so fabulous.”

  “Okay.” She nodded and composed herself as I released her. “The challenge halls around here all specialise in candy types but there are a couple you can pick from…”

  “Go with whatever. I always feel an idiot when I aim for ones that all my Gems have an advantage against, anyway.”

  “Beaux Farave has a hall across town,” she blurted.

  “Ooh, beautiful Beaux?” I teased, pressing my lips into kissy faces. “Does someone have a crush?”

  “Many people do, Sam, it’s human nature. Though I merely admire his natural talent.”

  “Huge biceps are not a natural talent.” I never got why the show Prime was so popular with teenage girls, I swear not a single part of his body was real. Maybe not even the bits he covered up.

  “He’s topped the rankings dozens of times. Don’t tell me that isn’t impressive.” She was getting defensive, and it was glorious.

  “And now he’s a plain old Challenge Master? Yeah, real superstar.”

  “Because he chose to be! Because he wants to see the new talent rising and help to nurture them along and coax more from people that need his wisdom and guidance.”

  “Yeah, he’s in a great place to coax stuff from tonnes of young girls.” I rolled my eyes and braced for the storm. Beaux fans were all the same. This was the line I’d wound Naomi up with on a weekly basis back at college.

  “Slander!” Lucy gasped. “That’s slander, Beaux would never do such a thing. He’s the purest most lovely human being in the entire world.”

  “Wow, I guess you’ve never watched TV? The only pure part of that guy is the percentage of steroids in his veins.”

  “That’s it, you aren’t coming.” Lucy flashed me a dagger gaze, her eyebrows down low. “If you’re going to embarrass me like that in front of him, you aren’t coming.”

  “I’m messing with you. It’s not like I’d call him a freakishly proportioned pervert to his face, is it?”

  “That’s it.” She stomped out, leaving me running to catch her up.

  “You aren’t nervous anymore.” I flinched at the filthy glare she directed my way. “See, I’m helping.”

  Beaux’s hall was an impressive sprawl on the outside. But most of it was a studio, a massage parlour, a tanning salon, a nail bar, a dance hall, a gym, and one of those little cafes that only sell miniscule sandwiches with more garnish than filling. The overlying theme that tied each section together was silvery strips set with pink crystals. Yeah, real subtle and classy…

  Either Lucy was stalling or that girl genuinely wanted to waste hours in each area. We had to take photos of every square foot of the bloody place, even if it was all the same.

  “It’s about time we went to the challenge.” I tried to prod her on, not wanting to weather one of her outbursts with all the other people around.

  “But it’s always been my dream to come here, Sam. Look at the place!”

  “I have and that wall is no different from every other one we’ve passed so far…” So, this was how boyfriends felt when their partner dragged them around clothes shops. “We’re here for the points, Lucy. You can do the touristy stuff afterwards when I’ve gone back to the lodge.”

  “Fine,” she said. “You’re ruining it with your frowning face, anyway.”

  I let her have that, my chirpiness was decreasing by the second.

  When we made our way to the actual challenge hall, we came up against a pair of impeccably dressed security guards flanking a doorway with a velvet rope. Why does anyone bother using them? It’s not like they do anything to keep people out. The two guys with massive shoulders wearing sunglasses indoors already made you think twice before causing trouble.

  “You challengers?” One snapped, peering down at us. I wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart if I came back. Both had the same, dark suit, same buzz cut. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they had matching tattoos up those crisp sleeves. This was the bit I didn’t get about the culture of fashion and celebrities. It was about looking the same as everyone else, being just what people expected. In the show contests they even swapped out their teams in different years depending on what animals were the most fashionable. This wasn’t about getting better and improving. This was about conforming.

  “Yes, both of us want to challenge today, please. One show Prime, one battle Prime.” Lucy held out her glittery eBand for the security to inspect. The other one sneered at me, it was clear which of us was which.

  Beefcake number one let us through, unclipping the rope long enough for us to shuffle past. I resisted the urge to flip them off, the new mature me did it mentally instead. Would Rica pick up that picture if I summoned her? I still wasn’t sure exactly how her psychic powers worked.

  “This is stupid,” I hissed in Lucy’s direction as we entered the challenge room. Beams of pink and pale purple spun from the insane dance of lights that cut the dim, haze-filled atmosphere. There were people crowded against every edge, leaning on the bar or perched on skinny-legged, tall stools around metallic tables that reflected the lasers. The deep thump of bass pulsed up my calves and exploded in my temples. “It’s supposed to be a challenge hall, not a night club.”

&n
bsp; “There are no rules saying it can’t be both. These are Beaux’s most exclusive guests. If we win today, we’re allowed to stay in for the rest of the party!”

  “Why didn’t you tell me to change out of my travelling gear?” I grabbed her arm so she couldn’t wander off and leave me in this embarrassing nightmare.

  “I didn’t think you had other clothes?” Lucy turned a sympathetic gaze towards me.

  “I don’t. But you still could have told me.”

  She shook her head and dragged me on, circling the stage in the centre. Right around the opposite side, I glimpsed him.

  “Wow, that dude got old.” I whispered.

  “Sam!”

  Beaux had always looked gross and creepy. Now his unnatural muscles had a slight sag to them, his face had the frozen, plump flatness of a man that resorted to surgery rather than admit he had wrinkles. His wavy locks were thinner than I remembered, coloured with a perfect purple-black that not a single grey dared to escape. Time to kick his ass.

  “Challengers.” Beaux’s voice boomed out over the mess of sound; I spotted the little clip on his collar that hid a microphone underneath. “Come over here.”

  Starry-eyed, Lucy drifted forward. I’d never seen her so meek.

  “Hi.” Even right next to her I strained to hear her pathetic peep. Must be something to do with the pumping dance music.

  The Challenge Master put down a tall glass filled with an assortment of plastic umbrellas, pieces of fruit, and a slosh of sparkling liquid. Even stooped with a mix of age and intoxication he towered over us. Golden rings smothered his fingers, thick bands with his Gem’s capsules set inside. All pink. I ran strategy in my head, but something told me this wouldn’t be a straightforward battle.

  “Ladies, absolutely wonderful to have you here. I do hope you win today; you seem like you could do with going wild in the most exclusive club in the world for the rest of the night.” He spoke to Lucy. You know, the show Prime with the trim suit and glossy hair. A scramble through a hedge would have made me more presentable.

  “We’d love to.” Lucy’s dipped head and bright crimson cheeks were bothering me now. Where was my tough chick that strove to reach her goals?

  “You go first, show him what you’re made of,” I said, nudging her forwards.

  She flickered a warning glance my way, then I didn’t exist again as she stepped over to Beaux and let him scan her eBand to check her points total.

  “I’m your first, am I? Relax, I have plenty of experience.” He winked at Lucy. I was ready to punch someone again. Maybe I needed to take up yoga or something…

  “Yes. But I’m determined to win.”

  “You’ll do just great, honey. You’ve already won my heart.” He snaked his arm around Lucy’s waist and turned her to face the huge, open area in the middle of the room. I hoped he wasn’t planning on trying that with me or I’d be under arrest for breaking his arm by the end of the night.

  The showy tosser clapped his hands twice and the entire floor opened, peeling back to reveal a maze of pits, tunnels, and beams below. It was some kind of extreme obstacle course covered in sparkles and diamonds. Piece of cake. If I had to stay at this damn club after I won, there better be cake.

  “You start here,” Beaux waved at a dais below him, “And your Gem must find their way over there to the streamers. Choose wisely, you only get one shot.”

  Lucy made me proud, she didn’t dither or speculate. She summoned her squirrel. Spritz was only a handspan larger than a normal squirrel, half of that was probably the immaculate, flowing pink fur that glinted whenever he was swept by a spinning laser. Good choice, he’d be nimble enough to take routes that some other Gems wouldn’t be able to. And I doubted they would let birds off if she’d picked her robin.

  “Start!” Beaux waved like a madman, pumping up the screaming crowd to fever-pitch as Lucy directed Spritz forwards. The thunder of the stamping feet made me flinch, I couldn’t believe how well-composed Lucy’s Gem was.

  The squirrel leapt down platforms set into the edge of the maze and landed on the starting area. He had the choice between a few different paths, but Lucy called out directions from above. It wasn’t the most entertaining challenge I’d ever watched. But she was new to this, I suppose. What was that orange-tinted man-whore going to throw at me?

  It was over in a few minutes. Lucy’s Gem scurried over swaying ropes, emerged from boltholes, and darted over see-saw bridges to claim her first ten points with ease. Her aloofness returned, and she recalled her Gem as soon as Beaux acknowledged her win.

  “Great work,” I said, restraining my urge to high five, whoop, or give her a hug so I didn’t embarrass her in front of her idol. It would have been the same as someone taking the mick of me in front of Sebastian Capshaw, which Callum did pretty much every time I’d gone to his house…

  I hoped my friend would have been proud of me, getting this far without him. I was still plodding on, hadn’t given up. Damn, it would’ve impressed Callum that I’d dressed myself every day. And here I was with thirty Challenge points, soon to be forty, and five Gems. Incredible Gems at that.

  “You’re up, battle Prime.” Beaux held out his hand towards me, like I should take it and melt into an enchanted puddle of girly goo at his mere touch.

  “Bring it on,” I said, folding my arms and staring him down.

  “This won’t be a fight,” he said, I wanted it to be one after the patronising way he spoke. “I’m not your enemy here, sweetheart. This is a guiding, learning process we go through together. And it’s the same for everyone that enters.”

  I let him scan my eBand at arm’s length to maintain whatever personal space I could.

  “I just have to do your maze thing?” Nothing about this guy made me trust him at his word. “No battle?”

  “No, honey. Step up here.”

  I slapped his grasping hand away before it could slip around my hips, and a chorus of gasps went up from his entourage. With a controlled breath I took myself to the edge of the pit, mapping out my options, ready to execute my plan.

  “Start already,” Beaux said with a twitch at his lip. That’s the most his face skin had moved in years.

  I tapped Rica’s dual-coloured capsule and the red panda materialised.

  ‘Can you hear me?’ I projected with everything I had, unsure how to fire up our connection.

  ‘No need to shout, Sam.’ She could hear me.

  ‘Can you just run this freak’s maze so we can get out of this awful place and go somewhere that doesn’t hurt my ears please?’

  ‘Imagine having the senses of an enhanced animal.’ Weird how she spoke in such a dry tone when she didn’t even have a tone.

  ‘If I tell you what I see from here will it make it easier?’

  ‘Yes. An extra viewpoint will be of assistance.’

  Rica leapt down to the starting area. Her purple and yellow fur rippled and crackled with static. She was about five times larger than Lucy’s Gem, so she wouldn’t be able to take the same route. Not that there weren’t plenty of options available.

  Her four paws grasped the ropes as she shuffled over a dark pit, her weight made a dip in the middle with the slack. I had to keep reminding myself she was already an adolescent though; she was so small compared to Finn.

  Then Rica disappeared. Her panic blitz my skull. Not words. A mental scream.

  ‘Rica!’ I dived onto all fours to peer over the edge, ‘What happened? Are you okay?’

  “Too bad, battle Prime,” Beaux’s oily smile made my stomach wrench, “She fell.”

  “Where is she?” I demanded. “Give her back right now.”

  “Eject this loser,” Beaux boomed over his speaker system. “It’s time to celebrate our winner for this evening. Ladies and gentlemen, the beautiful Miss Lucy Corcheck!”

  My protests and questions drowned out as the music erupted at twice its previous volume. One bouncer, or another dude that was their clone, dragged me to a sad little side door and
shoved me out. As he ripped it closed behind me, I saw it was a one-way trip, no handle this side.

  Where was I? How did I get back? Where was Rica?

  ‘Here…’

  A woman walked down the narrow, grey corridor I found myself in. Such a plain, drab environment after the explosion of light and colour. I suppose some people might call the scrap of silver material plastered to her body a dress, and she wore heels that made my ankles ache in sympathy. She carried Rica.

  The red panda clung to the woman’s arm, leaving little red lines from her claws. My heart broke at the furrows in her fur where she crushed her eyes closed.

  ‘I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have made you do that so soon after…’

  ‘No. He pulled me. I did not fall. Cheating scumbag, I swear I’ll electrocute those plucked eyebrows right off his smug face next time I see him.’

  ‘Atta girl.’ I took Rica from the woman’s arms, trying to thank her. But she cut me off with a sigh and pointed towards a door with an exit sign at the end of the corridor. ‘He said there wasn’t a battle, and we had to do the same challenge as Lucy. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted that gremlin.’

  ‘He had a shadow type down there so I couldn’t sense it.’ The weight of Rica’s disappointment eked into every inaudible word.

  ‘It’s fine, if we’d won, we would only have had to stay there all night. Lucy can have her fun. We’ll go back in the daytime when he hasn’t got as many half-cut, skimpily dressed girls to impress.’

  Turns out I had that D-bag figured out. And he did not like that. He didn’t let me win the next time either, not that I expected Challenge Masters to let me win. Some people just don’t enjoy playing fair when they aren’t in control.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Seriously, you tried again?” Eli’s voice crackled over my eBand, but I still melted at that soothing tone. I’d needed to vent about the crap show that Beaux had pulled the other night in the club. So, Eli got the full force of my contempt for the supposed superstar. And we called each other for the next couple of nights too. The lodge had vidlinks, but I wasn’t stupid enough to badmouth the heartthrob of the entire town in public. Tonight was different though.