Odette hadn't spoken with Isaac for over a week now. He mostly left her to herself, which she appreciated. Her parents were much more nosey, but also tended to leave her to her own devices ever since she moved out. They would occasionally send a messenger after her, requesting to meet for dinner or attend a party. They were more like demands really; it's not like she had a choice. Her parents were the second most powerful people in the City after the Governor's family. So, when they expected her at a dinner party, she'd better be there.

Her parents hadn't done much to combat the wealth inequality in the City, but instead continued to charge ridiculous rent. They were a self proclaimed real estate monopoly.

But as a child, Odette would often slip outside to plan one of her grand adventures. She'd sneak about the City, never too far, of course, surely getting her nanny in heaps of trouble. But those days when she crept about the poorest parts of the City, she'd see the starving children and how the imagination had drained from their faces. Their parents were skeletons of themselves. There wasn't enough work for them, or food.

Since then, the Governor had succeed in expanding farming, greatly increasing job opportunities. Preparing City land for farming and raising livestock was a task in itself, but necessary for their survival. Her parents, however, had no hand in this.

But she couldn't pretend she wasn't their only daughter. When an invitation came knocking, she begrudgingly accepted.

Isaac was usually wherever her parents dragged her to. The two of them had been close as children and remained friends, but it was a much more casual relationship since she had moved out on her own.

So, when she called on him the next morning, it wasn't completely out of the blue.

Odette had left John sleeping, although she herself had not slept. Though she may not act like it, part of her was extremely nervous to fall asleep with a stranger in her apartment. She kept a knight under her pillow on the couch, just in case. Now she just hoped he wouldn't have robbed her clean by the time she got home.

The Governor's estate was only a fifteen minute walk away from her apartment. She left around 8 that morning, knowing she'd catch him just around breakfast, before he started his day.

She was let in as soon as she arrived. A guard escorted her into the dining room, where Isaac was having breakfast with his Uncle.

Isaac stood when she entered the room. His uncle, however, did not.

"Odette!" He clapped his hands together. "What a pleasure it is to see you."

He was a tall and lean boy of 24 years, with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes like his father's. His uncle took a sip of his tea and nodded his head in salutation. He was only about twenty years older than Isaac himself, being younger than his brother: Isaac's father.

"It's good to see you, too, Isaac." She smiled, "and you as well, Uncle Basil."

"Indeed," was all Basil said.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Isaac asked, still standing at the head of the table.

"I didn't mean to disturb your breakfast, but I was hoping to speak with you." She glanced at Uncle Basil, "in private."

"Of course." He smiled his crooked smile, "I hadn't even made a plate. Here, Uncle, we won't bother you. The drawing room, then?"

Odette nodded and followed him through the french doors, nerves swimming in her belly.

"How rude of me," he said as he shut the doors behind them, "I didn't ask you if you'd like a cup of tea?"

"Oh, I'm fine." She waved it away.

He walked toward the window overlooking the small garden in the backyard: the only patch of green in blocks.

"So, what is it you wanted to speak about? You seem anxious."

She knew exactly what he thought it would be, but she ignored it. She tried to loosen her shoulders.

"Well, I have a, uh, friend who I was hoping you would meet with."

He turned to face her, a curious look hung heavy on his soft features.

"A friend?"

"Yes." She tried to shake all the nerves from her voice as she spoke. "He has a proposition for you. One that I think would be good for the City."

"He?" Isaac lifted an eyebrow.

Odette gave him a knowing look, "Yes, he. Don't go getting all jealous now. It's just politics."

"Isn't it always?" He mused. She didn't say anything. "So, what is this proposition?" He breathed, the tension in the room breaking.

She stood taller, "I'm afraid that's for him to tell."

Isaac nodded, "fair enough. Of course I'll meet with him, if you request it. I trust your judgement."

I wish I could say the same, she thought.

===

"Oh, wonderful." Odette said as she opened the door to her apartment, "you're still here and so are all my things." She was just as serious as she was joking.

John sat up from the bed. He had taken his shirt off; it lay in a heap on the floor.

Dear Lord, she thought.

He smirked, almost a smile. She still hadn't seen him smile.

"Not exactly up to stealing at the moment."

She set the basket of food she bought at the market on the table in the center of the room. "Have you tried walking?" she asked.

"To the bathroom and back. That's it." He gestured to the door across from the bed.

"And how did that feel?"

"Painful."

"Well," she sighed, "I guess that's what happens when you get stabbed," and began emptying the contents of the basket on to the table. "So," she continued, "Isaac will meet with you next week. I told him you were, uh, ill."

"Probably best not to mention the whole stabbing thing, yeah," he suggested, a playful tone in his voice.

"Some other things not to mention." She stopped unloading the basket to turn and face him, trying to look only in his eyes. "Obviously you have to tell him where you're from, but don't mention staying here. We will have to make up some story about how we met while you were staying at the Barracks."

"The Barracks?"

"It's like a shelter," she explained, and began unloading the basket again, "with food and beds; it'd make sense you'd end up there. We will just say I was volunteering or something."

"Sure, makes sense." He nodded along, hair falling over his eyes, "I end up in a homeless shelter and you're the hero who drags me out of the hell hole."

"Well, let's be honest, it's not that far off from the truth," she teased.

"Touche." And he brushed the hair from his face.

"And don't mention anything, and I mean anything, about our deal. They would never let us out of here." She said, as she emptied the last of the basket onto the table. "I'm sure they will send guards with you, I'll just pose as one of them."

"Wait, guards? That wasn't part of the plan. And anyway, how are you going to keep their mouths shut?"

"I don't know, threaten them probably. My parents are important people," she said without thinking, beginning to rinse the apples she bought under the faucet. She bit her lip, but continued washing the fruit, her back to him.

"Oh. Well, I supposed that'd make sense if your parents were friends were the Governor." Without looking at him, she couldn't tell what the edge in his voice meant.

"Mhmm," she mumbled, "but it doesn't matter: moved out a year ago. Anyway, "she grabbed another apple, "yes, there will be guards. How else will the Governor know if you've been telling the truth? He can't negotiate without any evidence on your part."

He snorted, "you sound like a governor yourself."

Odette glanced over her shoulder, anger growing in her belly, a slow burning crackle.

"Well, yes, politics was part of my lessons. Did you not have lessons up in space?" And she turned back to her task.

He didn't respond right away, which made her worry. If they didn't have lessons, she'd feel like a right ass. But hadn't he mentioned students before?

"Of course we had schooling," was all he said.

"Didn't you say you were sent down here with classmates?" She turned off the water and grabbed a towel to dry her hands.

"Hmm?" He looked up at her, "Oh, yeah."

She turned fully and leaned back on the counter, crossing her arms. "That was a lie too, wasn't it."

"Yup," and he dragged his hand down his face, rubbing his eyes.

Half of her wondered how she could ever trust him, especially when traveling into dangerous territory. The other half didn't care.

"Do you want an apple?" She asked, grabbing one from the counter. He nodded and she tossed it to him before crossing the room to sit at the table. She ran a hand through her hair. "So, if the 100 weren't your classmates, who were they?"

He turned the apple over in his hands, studying it. "Delinquents... Expendable." Then he looked at her, to see how she'd react.

She didn't respond, but instead considered what this meant. This boy that'd she saved, that she'd let eat her food and sleep in her bed... he was a criminal.