Locksleigh

Chapter Nine

It took all night a better part of the morning for Ash and Glitch to organise, recode and hand out the ID cards, and another two hours before we had all the newly minted Empire citizens on the surface and ready to start their new lives, and the few of us remaining could finally leave. By the time we finally reached the community the sun was beginning to set again. Ash had been unusually quiet on the way, and I waited until we were walking across the square, alone, before I commented on it.

“I’m just trying to understand it,” he said with a frown.

“Understand what?”

“Why that hacker never took your virginity before I did. He had every right and more than enough opportunity...” I stared at Ash, not understanding why he cared. Then it dawned on me that he was feeling a little jealous. I tried not to let my surprise show.

“Glitch is just a friend. He’s one of the rare few people who would actually ask for consent, and he’s never asked me.” I shrugged. Ash still looked at me suspiciously. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Would you find it hard to believe if I told you he wouldn’t have taken my virginity even if I offered it to him?”

“Why on earth would he not take that offer.” Ash looked utterly confused and a little angry. I tried not to laugh.

“He’s never actually confirmed it, but after knowing him as long as I did, anyone could tell you that he’s more interested in other men.” I really would have laughed at the surprised and slightly uncomfortable look on his face then, when the sight of long, raven black hair, green eyes and an achingly familiar smile stopped me dead in my tracks. Ash noticed and followed my gaze. I’d never truly believed Ash when he’d told me about her, but I couldn’t deny that we were both watching my supposedly dead sister tromp around the community as if she owned it.

“Edith…” The name escaped my lips before I realised, and although it was barely more than a whisper, she heard it and changed her course.

“Ash! There you are.” Hearing her voice made my chest ache. “I’ve been looking for you all day.” She didn’t notice me, but then again, who would bother with the random girl the leader of the bandits decided to drag along for the day.

“How is this possible?” I asked. Edith noticed me for the first time and sneered.

“Shut up, w***e. Go along and please some other brute while I talk to your master.” I couldn’t do anything other than stare at her. There was no hint of recognition, and I wondered if the thought of me being here was so impossible to see that she couldn’t see what was right in front of her. But still, to hear her talking like this to another woman, to anyone for that matter, was so disconcerting. It wasn’t like Edith.

“Are you dumb or something?” she asked when she saw I was still there. She glanced over my clothed body. “Though, looking at how well off you are, I guess they keep you on for other reasons. Now go.” I was shaken to my core at that. My relief at seeing her began to fade and unwelcome questions began to swarm my mind. If she was alive, why was she here? Why hadn’t she come back for me? And what was she doing in the bandit community.

“She stays with me,” Ash said, dragging me out of my morbid thoughts. “Now what do you want?” I noticed a slight tightness in his voice. Edit gave me one last look and scoffed before she turned back to Ash.

“To do business, of course,” she said as if I was never here. “I have some great new items to sell. I even managed to get some more paint for your roofs.”

“Where do you get all this stuff?” Ash asked, and I noticed it was more for my sake than his. She gave him a knowing smile and put a finger to her lips.

“You know I keep my sources a tight secret.” There was something unnerving about the smile she gave him. I took a closer look at how shiny her hair was and how pristine her clothes were. I’d seen clothes that neat and clean in only one place before.

“The wealthy district in the capital,” I gasped. Ash glanced at me in surprise, while Edith’s head whipped back to me. She frowned at me for a long time, still not recognising who I was.

“Guess your little tramp does have more than just one thing on the brain. Yes,” she smiled, “I manage to steal from the wealthy bastards who rule this world.” A thousand new questions flashed through my head, but I couldn’t get myself to ask any of them, so Ash asked for me.

“You’re an imperialist?”

“Of a sort. I managed to steal my way into their court. I was quite famous in my own district, and an opportunity to move up in life presented itself to me.”

“Your family must be quite proud of you,” Ash said cautiously. Edith waved her hand dismissively.

“I don’t have any family.” I tried not to show how much that stung.

“None at all?” Edith pondered this question for a few seconds.

“I used to have a younger sister, but she was holding me back and I couldn’t bring her with me to the wealthy district.” She laughed nervously as she saw Ash scowl a little. “I’m sure you understand. You’ve probably had to make hundreds of tactical choices before.” Tactical choices! I the pain in my chest began to turn to anger and I saw Ash’s fist clench, just as my own did.

“So you just abandoned her?” Ash asked. “I’m sure if you were as famous as you claim, you two were pretty well off.” Edith swallowed nervously. Obviously she was a little afraid of Ash and wanted him to have a good opinion of her.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it abandoned. We were doing ok, but I had an opportunity to get something better out of life, and I grasped that opportunity. Besides, I left the apartment and half of the money I’d earned.” Edith reached out a hand toward Ash, probably to give him some assuring or understanding touch. I grabbed her arm before she could.

“How long did you think that would last?” my voice was so low, I wasn’t sure if anyone could hear what I’d said.

“What…” I interrupted her before she could finish her question.

“How long did you think an apartment and a few lousy credits could last, Edith?”

“What are you talking about?” she demanded.

“Two weeks, Edith.” She stared at me blankly. “Two weeks before the food ran out and the landlord came to collect the rent. You didn’t leave enough money to pay for the month, so I was kicked out. And you never bothered to teach me any of your tricks, so I nearly starved to death before I finally learned enough to keep myself alive.” Then the truth finally hit her.

“Leigh?”

“Good of you to finally notice, sis,” I sneered. “Tell me, did you ever wonder how long the meagre possessions you left me would last? Did you try to find me the first time you came back to check up on me and saw I wasn’t there, or did you just assume I was fine? Or did you think I was happily living out the rest of my days in that apartment because you never bothered to check up on me in the first place?” When Edith just kept her piece and refused to meet my eyes, I realised she didn’t check up on me. The second she stepped onto those polished marble streets, she’d pushed me from her mind and couldn’t spare me a second thought. I let go of her armed, a little surprised but satisfied to see I’d bruised her.

“I mourned you, Edith. My entire life fell apart when your crew told me you’d been killed, and when I saw you just now, I was relieved and happy.” I saw my words had had at least a little bit of an effect on her.

“Now,” I spat as I turned away from her, “now I wish I still thought you were dead.” I stormed away then, not looking back.

I managed to keep relatively calm long enough to slam the door behind me. Then I let my anger and pain explode and took it out on the unsuspecting piles of books, papers and weapons, and it wasn’t long before the place looked like it had been attacked by a mini hurricane. When I finally managed to get all that anger out of my system, I was left feeling empty, exhausted and heartbroken, and I collapsed to my knees and cried late into the night.

Even when Ash came home, didn’t comment on the state of his home and left without a word when I didn’t respond to his touch, I was too busy crying to notice his kindness.