A Hero Rising by Aubrie Dionne Read Free Book Online Page B

food in her belly. The opulence of the upper levels disgusted her so much, she almost lost her appetite. She glanced over at James and watched him flinch as a waiter passed. Had he the same disdain for the upper class?
    “Skye…I’m hungry.” Carly tugged her arm to get closer to the silver trays.
    “No, absolutely not.” She felt like such a prude, but she couldn’t explain to Carly how much danger surrounded them. She didn’t want to upset her. Besides, they had no cards with credits. She couldn’t so much as buy one bite.
    “Soon.” James flashed his misty eyes at Carly, and she quieted, staying by Skye’s side.
    A woman in red silk sat on the fountain’s edge, watching Carly stare at the dolphins like watching an imp steal a piece of cheese. The woman raised her hand to brush back her wavy, auburn hair, exposing a series of blue numbers on her wrist. Everyone on the upper levels had the barcodes, identifying their status. Hers and Carly’s had disappeared in twenty-four hours, like the guard had said. If anyone saw their bare wrists now, they’d thrown them back into the alleys—if they were lucky.
    Skye twisted her wrists down to hide the pale, bare skin, feeling ugly, naked, and small among the cultured citizens with their sleek hair, straight white teeth, and tailored clothes. It was like walking into a movie on the wallscreen, where everything and everyone looked picture perfect.
    “You’re doing great,” James whispered in her ear, as if sensing her self-consciousness. “Just a few more steps.”
    They reached the far side of the room, where a ramp attached their building to the next.
    A voice boomed on the intercom. “The Heritage will be accepting its first round of passengers in one hour. Everyone with A-group boarding passes may report to the roof immediately.”
    “Seems we’ve stumbled upon a farewell party,” James whispered as he bowed to another man like he knew him. “Good day, sir.”
    “And yourself.” The man waltzed off with a complacent smile on his face. Skye watched him through the crowd, narrowing her eyes as she heard him compliment the weave of the napkins.
    He must be in A-group.
    She wondered what it felt like to live the life of the elite, to never freeze in an alley or chew plastic to stave off hunger. Yes, they were beautiful, but they were also soft, their conversations pleasant but meaningless, which made them more vulnerable than she was. For a moment she was proud of her orphan upbringing. It had molded her into a survivor.
    And she planned to stay that way.
    Just a few more tables separated them from the ramp leading to the adjacent building. Skye glanced over her shoulder, feeling her skin prickle. The woman in the red silk dress spoke with a security guard near the fountain. She stared in their direction, and then turned back to the guard. Skye tensed, trying not to break into a run. She squeezed James’s hand and he bowed his head to hear her voice over the conversations in the room.
    “I think we’ve been spotted.”
    He kept his eyes on the ramp. “We’re almost there.”
    A guard speaking into a mini mic stood in the middle of the ramp. He gave James a wary look. “Let me see your family’s boarding passes, sir.”
    “We’re not going on the ship. I merely came to say good-bye to a friend.” James’s voice was smooth as velvet, and Skye thought the guard would buy it. She would have.
    The guard took one look at the thermal stuffing falling out of Carly’s coat. Jennifer’s head poked out, the doll’s scraggly blond hair falling across Carly’s arm. He narrowed his eyes. “Turn over your wrist.”
    James released Skye’s hand gently. “Honey, I think it’s time to run.”
    Skye froze in shock as James’s fist arced up and hit the man in the jaw. The security guard went down, but another shouted from the room behind them. “Outsiders!”
    “Run!” James repeated, whipping out his laser.
    Adrenaline rushing, Skye picked up Carly and