Page 13 of Ashes to New

He sat in front of a bank of computer screens—gifts earned through compliance and jealously guarded by his continued good behavior. The screen in front of Forest glowed with lines of bluetext. Squinting, she couldn’t make out intelligible words and wondered what project held his attention today.His game?

On the last day of school, a day that seemed like years in the past rather than a week ago, he’d asked her to look at his new game. With the arrival of Master John and all that had ensued, she hadn’t had a chance to make it back to his rooms. Master John’s visit had sent Forest into withdrawal. She tried to give him the space he needed, but she missed her Beanpole. She craved the easy interaction they’d always maintained in those few moments between waking, school, and the arrival of their foster father.

The screen to his left was an expanded display, easily the size of two monitors combined. It held a graph of ragged up and down lines. The screen to his right had a movie playing, some action flick involving a most unrealistic car chase through crowded city streets. He had the sound muted. One more monitor completed his workstation, elevated above the main working screen, one of his older games playing.

“Working on your game?”

“Nah, I’m trying something out.” He tapped the screen to the left. “I’m working on an algorithm.”

“For what?”

“Commodities and stocks. I’m trying to figure out the pattern.” With a flick of his mouse, his game disappeared. He pulled up a trading website. “I think I’m close.”

The speed with which his fingers flew over the keys astounded her, and she considered herself a fast keyboarder.

Elsbeth liked to think of herself as smart. Top of her class with straight As, she barely had to work to make good grades. Her chemistry teacher, Mr. Peterson, had said her GPA would open doors for her. With scholarship money available to children in the foster care system, she hoped to pay for college. Many had said shehad been blessed with brilliance, yet her abilities paled when compared to her most treasured friend.

Forest’s mind operated on another plane than the rest of humanity. He perceived the world in subtly different patterns, making it difficult for him to interact with his peers. Socially, he was a mess, an awkward outsider crippled by his uniqueness. Oddly, he struggled to maintain the Cs demanded by their foster father. It didn’t make sense why he failed when he should be leading the class.

“You’re trading? Is that even allowed?”

“I’ve been trading since I was fifteen, but there aren’t any laws against it—as long as you’re over fourteen.”

“Where did you get the money?”

Neither of them was allowed anything more than what was required for their school lunches. They depended on Clark Preston for everything.

His fingers stopped tapping, and his body stilled.

“Forest?”

“It’s our money, Elz.” He turned around to face her. “We earned it.”

The money was tainted, paid to steal their innocence, but that didn’t mean it belonged to them.

“How did you—”

“I cracked the lock. It’s a simple combination. Hardly a challenge.”

“When?”

“When he was sleeping.”

Oh, that had been a dangerous move.

“If he ever finds out…”

Her words of warning were wasted on Forest. He’d already taken the cash.

“Relax. He’ll never know.”

“He will.”

Clark Preston knew everything.

“Don’t worry; I put it all back.”

She pressed a palm to her belly and tried to stop the sinking sensation happening in her gut. “Why did you take it, only to put it back?”