I stepped in with Mercury.

The place was packed. People spilled across the whole compound, the late afternoon sun casting long, golden shadows over the grass and stone paths. The house was big, a swimming pool out front with girls in bikinis splashing and laughing in the water, their skin glistening under the bright light.

The rest of the crowd moved to the heavy beat of the music across the yard, bodies swaying, drinks in hands, colorful outfits catching the sun as they laughed and talked in clusters.

"Let’s party." Mercury took my hand and pulled me inside, her fingers warm and firm around mine.

The music in the house was more controlled than the wall of sound outside, bass vibrating through the floors and walls, lights pulsing softly overhead.

"You ever been to a party before?" she asked, glancing back at me as we moved through the crowd.

"No. Grew up on the plain. We weren’t exactly throwing these."

She laughed, the sound cutting through the noise around us, her shoulders shaking lightly.

People filled every room. The party had no order to it. Everyone was for themselves and whoever they’d come with, bodies swaying, drinks in hands, laughter mixing with the thump of the speakers.

"Where do you think May is?" I asked as Mercury led me toward the stairs.

"No idea. But it’s her party, so she’s around. We’ll find her."

Wells was coming down with a girl, and our eyes met. A grin spread across his face and he reached for my hand. Mercury waited off to the side, unimpressed. So did his girl.

"Abram. You’ve been gone, man."

"Yeah."

"Heard you’re with CGI now." The grin held. "That’s beautiful."

I tapped his shoulder. "My girl’s waiting. We’ll catch up later."

"Sure, sure." His eyes flicked to Mercury, then back to me with a knowing look.

"Where’s May, by the way?" I asked quickly.

"At the beach. Whatever you did to that girl, man, it’s crazy. Nobody touches her."

I gave him a nod and kept climbing. Mercury waited a few steps above, arms crossed.

"Don’t do that again," she said as we climbed the stairs.

"Do what—"

"Just don’t." She cut me off. "Not when you’re with me."

Bodies streamed up and down the stairs. We got to the second floor and slipped into an empty bedroom at the end of the hall. Mercury started changing, digging through her bag for the right swimsuit, clothes landing on the bed in a colorful pile.

My mind was on the other girls. I wanted to enjoy the day, to get off the missions for one night, but I still needed to find the Veyron girl, and the one currently changing in front of me was at the top of the list.

"We’re getting in that pool, Bram." She pulled off a bra, reaching for another. "You need to live a little."

"We?" I stared as she stepped into the pink bikini bottoms, the fabric sliding smoothly up her thighs.

"You and me. We’re swimming." She adjusted the top, thin pink straps settling on her shoulders. The color popped against her smooth skin, the fit leaving very little to the imagination. "You need to live."

"Fine," I said.

I knew the others would be out there anyway.

Mercury straightened up, hands on her hips, and gave me a slow spin. "How do I look?"

I gave her a thumbs up. Words would’ve failed me.

I pulled off my shirt and stripped down to my black boxers. Mercury’s eyes dragged slowly over my chest and abs.

"Wow..." She caught her lower lip between her teeth, a hungry little smile forming. "You’ve got a body on you."

The music outside had shifted into something more like noise. Something was happening. I crossed to the window to look, and there was Vapour, completely naked, dancing like a madman in the middle of the yard, arms flailing, while a growing crowd of kids screamed and cheered around him.

"Let’s go," Mercury said, grabbing my hand again.

We headed down the stairs together. Every head turned. Eyes widened. Conversations faltered. The entire room seemed to pause as we descended—Mercury radiant in pink, me shirtless beside her.

For once, I was ready to live. A life I’d never had.

***

[Sophia Vale closed her school because she knows the clock is running. This should worry you.]

[The host cannot afford to be this reckless.]

I let it pass. Mercury’s hand was in mine as we moved through the crowd of dancers. For a moment my shoulders felt lighter, the weight of a whole world I never chose lifting off them.

"Bram. Bram." Vapour came running when he saw me, completely naked, water dripping from his body.

"Later," I told him, and we kept moving toward the pool.

I went in first, the cool water rising up my legs, then my waist, then my chest. I turned and lifted Mercury, lowering her into the blue water. Her hands found my shoulders as we met in the middle, the surface rippling around us.

The music played and we started to move with it, slow. Everything else could wait. For once, I let myself be here.

A group played volleyball at the far end of the pool while we danced. The bass dropped heavy and Mercury turned, her back to me, and we moved together on the beat, water splashing lightly against our skin.

"That’s my song," she shouted before turning back, droplets glistening on her shoulders.

The song slid into something slower. She held my shoulders, I held her waist, and we moved through the water with no space between us, the cool liquid swirling around our bodies.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked, her voice soft against the music.

"Go ahead."

"I couldn’t stop thinking about you after the Fallen City." She gave a small laugh, eyes meeting mine. "I know your head’s on May. Or Sherry."

"Mercury," I said.

"I keep asking myself one thing." She didn’t stop. "Would you have loved me as much as Sherry if you’d met me first?"

I drew her closer, water lapping between us. "You’re one of the few people I feel safe around," I said softly, still moving with her. "You have a real place in my heart. But there’s something I didn’t understand about myself until recently."

"Mhm."

"When it comes to a relationship, it’s Sherry. It’s her."

Her head settled against my chest, my hands at her waist, the two of us swaying gently in the water.

Behind her, at the edge of the pool, May and Harmione stood watching us. May was smiling when our eyes met, the sunlight catching on her hair.

"Mercury, I should go see May," I whispered. "Just don’t tell her what I said."

She chuckled softly against my skin.

Our fingers brushed as we separated. "I’ll be right back."

The track shifted into a bass groove and Mercury shouted, delighted, as I started out of the pool, water streaming down my body.

[So you’re defiant.]

[Fine. I’ll give you a clue toward the Veyron girl.]

Now we’re talking, I thought, looking at May.

[Don’t lose yourself in this moment.]