Page 51 of Code Bound
“Fuck, I had the worst dream . . .” He says, pressing his hand against his forehead. “I swear that?—”
“It wasn’t a dream,” I murmur, eyeing the trees warily. “We move quickly. We don’t sleep in this forest again. I don’t care if we have to leave this zone entirely before we reach a safehouse.” I meet his eyes. “Understand?”
He nods and rubs at his legs again. “So, the tree . . .”
I nod, getting to my feet. “Let’s go.”
I just barely remember to pick up the man-eating house plant and stash it away in my inventory. Just before it disappears with a pop, the plant groans and says, “Ugh! Not the pri?—”
I stare at where it disappeared and decide to worry about it later.
We stand on the edge of the clearing for at least five minutes before we dare take a step out of it. When nothing comes ambling out toward us and the trees don’t suddenly reach toward us, we finally step out of it.
I hold my breath for a long time just in case.
A few hours later, we’ve finally relaxed. Apparently, the Killing Trees are only a nighttime threat, one I’d never like to meet again. We move quickly through the trees, heading toward the white line on the map. Locke has a feeling that’s where the Minor Boss will be. He has a hunch, he says. I give him until the sun is overhead to search for it before we change direction and head to the safehouse. I know we’re gonna have to grind to level up, especially with us so close to that one hundred XP level. I’m currently sitting at sixty-five. Locke is at fifty-five. If we can battle a Minor Boss and win with more pizazz, then maybe we can finally level up. I know I’m tired of feeling helpless against everything.
But if noon hits and we haven’t found the Minor Boss, that’s it. I’m not risking staying another night in this zone.
“What type of Glitch do you think you’ll pick?” Locke asks as we push through the foliage, giving a wide berth to what the description calls a Venus Fly Trap. It’s wide-open mouth keeps us far away from the thing.
“How would I know?” I reply, shaking my head as I give wide berth to another plant with large, sharp teeth. It grumbles as we stay too far away from it for it to eat us. “It’s not like we’ve been given a list of options and Cipher isn’t a well of information we can use.”
In fact, Cipher has outright refused to give us any information about Glitch options when we ask, claiming it goes against his coding. It’s the same reason he has purposely avoided answering questions about the Harrow, Luxe, and Dross. Whatever coding he has is limiting, though it feels like he resents that fact. A machine harboring resentment should be impossible, but so should most of the other shit in the Harrow we’ve stumbled across so far.
Locke shrugs. “I know I’m going to pick the most badass one,” he says. “The strongest one I can find. That’s what will get me through this place. If I’m strong as fuck, I’ll be able to pummel those bastards at the top, do the most damage.” He grins at me. “When I fuck them all up, I’m going to find a way to let everyone into Luxe, not just those risking the Harrow.”
It’s an admirable dream, even if I’m not certain it’s possible. Even the Luxe Guards have to go through the Harrow to reach Dross. From my understanding, there’s no other way.
I raise my brow at his words. “It’s probably better to choose something more strategic, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” Locke says, deadpan. “I’ll be strategically stronganda badass.”
Clearly, Locke and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to Glitches. I know nothing about them. I don’t know what sort of Glitches there are, how many, or even if there are ones that makes sense. The Ascendant Guards who show up to Dross aren’t exactly showing off their powers while they’re there, but there were a few I’ve seen who had strange features, like slitted eyes or scaly skin. Most of them are otherworldly pretty, insultingly so even. It’s unnerving to see how flawless many of them are contrasted against the grime of Dross. Of course, that flawlessness comes with some monstrosity that hides just beneath the surface on some, and is blatant on others. Ascendants hardly feel human by the time they make it to Dross again, as if the Harrow changed them into something new. Something other.
Cipher remains quiet during our conversation, but I can feel his disapproval through the weird connection we share. It’s like he’s waiting on me to tell Locke his idea is stupid.
“It is not a weird connection,” Cipher says. “It is science. The implant in your forearm allows a limited neurological link. We can converse and I can hear your thoughts unless I am blocked, but I cannot see your memories.”
I snort. “You keep saying I can block you and yet you never say how.”
“It benefits neither of us for you to block your thoughts from me, Vespera. I am an asset.”
“An asset,” I repeat, shaking my head. “More like an annoyance.”
“And yet, you still speak to me,” he points out.
He’s not wrong. Some part of me does enjoy talking to Cipher, even if he’s also incredibly frustrating.
“See,” he says. “There is a thin line between love and hate as the humans say.”
“I neither love nor hate you,” I point out.
He chuckles. “You will.”
“Which one?” I ask.
“Yes.”
