Daughter of Zeus ✔

7.2

Alone. It was a gift being alone. Things were quieter. No more lies about a fake daughter. No more arguments about driving. No more Glory Spice cologne, the smell of an old man who wanted to be young again.

-She's okay.

Ada reviewed the other messages, then flicked her wristlet to sleep mode.

Hours before, she messaged Cybil for another update on her mother. Gemina was still unconscious, but supposedly the nurse promised a status once her mother awoke.

What she loved most about being alone was the alleviation of guilt. Kressick's presence had been a painful reminder of her mother's condition—all my fault—and strangely, August's death.

All my fault.

Without guilt, she was free to concentrate on her task. She didn't allow herself to focus on the notion that once she was done committing patricide, she might suffer guilt of a serious magnitude.

She directed her thoughts at the shower interface: Off. The water pressure ceased.

"Would you like to be dried off?"

Sure.

Being dried off was a new experience. The shower at home never received the necessary upgrades. Hot air blasted from small holes below, next to, and above her. The escaping air smelled pleasant, warm. Her hair lifted, flying all about her face. After thirty seconds, the miniscule vents quieted, and her dry shining hair settled on her shoulders.

At her approach, the shower door vanished. An energy barrier created the appearance and feel of a door, but was nothing more than an electric field commonly referred to as a dissipating door. Back home, Ada only saw such upgrades in downtown State buildings. She had chosen a more expensive hotel for the added state security, but the tech benefits were nice, too.

Clouds of steam clouded the mirror.

"Drying."

The steam cleared in the next instant. Briefly, she assessed herself in its reflection: average body, average brown hair, average features. The only thing that stood out was her dark skin, an unspoken taboo among Prominents. Not that they would admit their prejudice.

People had called her plain all her life. But not him. August had called her beautiful. But he never would again.

Her vision clouded, and Ada shook her head. Tears brought nothing back that was taken away. Tears wasted you.

You could've brought him back, had you known how to control your powers at the time, a voice whispered. She'd heard the suggestion come from a dark place within many times over.

"Shut up. Not my fault."

You want someone else to take the blame. But his murder wasn't the first time. If only you hadn't looked down. Now you'll always see that face.

She slapped her hands to her cheeks, willing the voice to go away. It persisted in paining her:

Murdering like this will turn you into what you hate. A killer, like Him.

The voice had belittled her before, but never had it employed reason in its taunts. Reason was more the route Kressick would take.

Damnit, she left him, and he was still managing to annoy the shit out of her. Stupid accent. Stupid hair. Stupid...smartness. He made her feel like a kid, and since she was nearing thirty, the inadequacy wasn't something she relished.

Naked, she approached the dresser. She activated her wristlet, commanding a holographic search screen.

No "Brontes Corentin" in the Atlanta area. Hell, no "Brontes Corentin" in the Georgia area. Corentin's loser friend had lied, leading her halfway across the country on a ghost hunt. She should have checked the status of Corentin's residency before leaving Colorado. What a waste of time she made in journeying to Atlanta.

She felt like hurtling the wristlet interface across the room to watch it shatter on the wall, but the silicone construction could withstand plenty of abuse, and she would be deprived of the satisfaction of shattering something.

Getting to Atlanta had been a long trip, full of paperwork, clearances, and exchanges with Sammies. Getting back home would be harder. She had the option of traveling by zeppelin, but zeppelin travel required a higher citizen status. She would never be allowed to board.

A car would have to do. She liked her station wagon and wanted to take it back with her. But she had to stay a few days in Atlanta, to satisfy the interstate police. Kressick had told the last interstate agency that they'd both be vacationing at his condo, and the excuse was recorded into the system. She would need a signed record from his landlord if she wanted to drive back home without a problem.

She didn't want to see Kressick again. A visit with him would be saved for last. If she had to be stuck in the city temporarily, she planned to enjoy her stay. The five grand called her name, begging to be spent. In the messages from Cybil, she assured Ada the synth payment had still been marked PAID. All Ada needed worry about was finding Corentin.

She kept calm and searched the interwebs for another mention of her father, focusing on all the state and local officials in the Atlanta area. The interface flashed hundreds of photos on her skin, and synced with the tech as she was, they flashed in her brain as well. Ada scanned through them, but none of the faces jumped out at her. She stored the search in her head, carefully unpacking each image and putting it away when she was satisfied her father wasn't among them.

If she really wanted to catch a government official, she had to look the part. One look in the mirror at her large hair and lackluster clothes told her she needed a better costume to command respect from a Prominent.

~*~