Page 5

Anarchy Of Eleven

Their hour was almost up, and they still hadn’t come to a decision. Half of them were for it, and half of them were against it. With only ten minutes to go before their session ended, Kalen and Mikel shared a look and ended the discussion.

“You’re all making good points,” Kalen said. “On the one hand, you didn’t invent this system, but you’ve chosen an industry that utilises it whether you agree with it or not. On the other hand, can you really justify something you know is dishonest just because everyone does it?”

“I’d do it even if nobody else did,” Oscar said. He was firmly on the side of doing whatever they needed to do to win. “This is the easiest way to protect Isobel.”

“And who’s going to protect your conscience?” Isobel asked with a sigh. If Oscar was the leader of the “in favour” camp, then she was the leader of the opposite camp.

He shot her a blank look. “Conscience?”

She groaned. “It’s in there somewhere.”

“What does it feel like?”

Like you protecting Moses from all the attention you knew he didn’t want earlier, asshole. Instead of saying it, she just narrowed her eyes on Oscar’s expressionless face. “If you and Theo had to race, would you cheat just to beat him?”

Theodore shot her a look of dark betrayal, which forced her to quickly bite down on a smile.

“Depends.” Oscar eyed her. “What’s the prize?”

“It’s not a real race.” She slapped her palm against the mat beside her thigh, frustrated.

Oscar and Moses broke into identical grins, like her frustration was adorable and maybe even a little bit sexy.

“Fine,” Oscar brushed a dark curl from his forehead, flicking his eyes up to the ceiling. “I wouldn’t need to cheat.”

“But if cheating was the only way to win?” she pressed.

He blew out a breath. “This is different.”

“No, it’s not,” she insisted, her tone turning soft as she tried to encourage him to see her point of view. “You wouldn’t cheat because you actually care what we think—you care what Theo thinks. There would be no fun in beating him if you cheated. ”

“All you’re doing is convincing me I don’t care about the fans,” Oscar said, wincing. “And that much, I already knew.”

“But you should.” She inched toward him, the others watching their exchange. It wasn’t often she argued with any of them. It wasn’t often they argued with each other, either. Little jibes and digs here and there, but nothing with actual heat behind it.

“You see them as a means to an end,” she said, “like a cog in the wheel of this super corrupt system, but if you actually read some of their comments, you’d see they’re not like that.

They’re just normal people going through normal things who like to watch our group because we give them a sense of comfort.

You’re out there performing for the officials, but most of us”—she gestured to herself, and some of the bodies sprawled around her—“we’re doing it for the fans, for those normal people.

People like Lily, who just want to be comforted by our connections and inspired by how hard we work. ”

Elijah huffed out a sound, and she caught his slight shrug from her periphery. “I’m switching teams. She has me convinced.”

Isobel stayed focussed on Oscar, though she felt a pang of gratitude for Elijah, who had leaned toward the most logical option: The one that eliminated risk.

“Seriously?” Oscar shot him a look. “You’re all sentimental now? ”

“Sentimental as fuck.” Elijah leaned back on his hands, his legs stretched out on the mat before him. “I’m surprised that you’re surprised.”

Isobel waited for Oscar’s attention to return to her.

“You’re a role model to people like …” She paused and sighed, her fingers drifting down her face.

“Look, I’m not trying to play the sick sister card or anything; it’s just that Lily was the one who helped me realise who our fans really are.

She kept popping up in my livestreams, always trying to show her support.

And then I noticed Logan too.” She cut a look to Cian, indicating she was talking about his little brother.

“And Kilian’s mom, and Theo and Moses’ dad.

The more I looked through my own comments and went back through my old videos, the more I noticed them.

It’s people of all ages, all genders, all different types of situations.

Human and Gifted. They show up for me—and it’s not just me.

They show up for all of you. These are the people from the settlements you left behind, and it’s humans in need of comfort and connection and good role models too.

That’s the real reason we’re more popular than Hero.

It isn’t because we’re better singers?—”

“Even though we are,” Niko interrupted.

“Or dancers,” she continued.

“Even though we are,” Niko repeated.

She shot him an exasperated look. He met it with his own dead expression, a tiny edge of expectation creeping along the edges.

He had developed a fondness for pushing and challenging her when they were sparring, always teasing her attitude to the surface before he swept her legs out from beneath her.

His fingers twitched like he was thinking about tackling her.

She swallowed, tearing her attention away because she didn’t quite know what to make of that or the stirring in the pit of her stomach that grew warm with anticipation. “It’s because we’re more genuine.”

Elijah and Gabriel were both smiling at her.

Not smirking. Not little half smiles. They were flashing brilliant, wide smiles that crinkled their eyes and altogether transformed them from cold and hard to achingly beautiful.

She felt a little spark and prickle of something inside her chest, a burst of pride, because she had obviously won their approval.

She had succeeded at another special “Reed and Spade test.”

Oscar stared at her, hard eyes wandering over her features. “You really believe that,” he said after a moment.

She nodded. “How do you think I can work so hard? I’m not just doing it for myself. I’m doing it for them too.”

“Damn, Sigma,” he muttered, blowing out a breath. He turned his attention to Kalen and Mikel. “Fine, I forfeit.”

“Any more objections?” Kalen asked.

The others shook their heads, but Kilian spoke up. “What do you two think? ”

“If you all voted to take up Braun on his offer, we would have done our best to talk you out of it,” Mikel admitted. “Though we had hoped you would come to that decision on your own.”

Since half-bonding to them in her second year, Kalen and Mikel had made most of the group decisions, but now that they were in their fourth year, the two professors had begun to force the rest of them to think through the decision-making process with specific issues.

It wasn’t that they were taking a step back, but Isobel sensed they wanted them to feel the purpose of what they were doing instead of approaching every single day like they were just trying to survive.

“So, we’re in agreement? No fake accounts?” Kalen confirmed again, receiving another round of nods. “Good. Then, let’s discuss next steps. Eli?”

“Can I see the full analytics?” Elijah asked.

Kalen tossed him his phone, and Elijah began formulating ideas as he scrolled down the screen.

“Kilian and Isobel—people really like your chemistry. Do more touching and some flirty looks, but don’t go overboard.

Kili—you can flirt with her, but Isobel, don’t initiate; people might find that to be overstepping his boundaries.

” He scrolled further. “Cian, people really like that dance you did with Isobel last year in the practice room. So do another one, and make it sexier. Take your shirt off. Dim the lights. That kind of shit. Oh.” He paused, his brows twitching up .

“What?” Gabriel leaned over his shoulder, a similar expression arresting his features.

Niko leaned forward, frowning at the screen. “Speeder? The hell is that?”

“Spade, Reed, and Carter,” Gabriel answered. “They like me and Elijah with her as a trio.”

“I’ll figure something out for that,” Elijah said, moving on quickly. “Theo and Moses, you’re not going to like this, but?—”

“No,” Moses was quick to cut in. “I know what you’re going to say, and it’s a no?—”

“You were almost right,” Elijah continued undeterred. “Not that you have less chemistry with Isobel, but that people don’t see it as much. If we start trying to play it up now, it’ll look forced, but?—”

“No,” Moses tried again.

“But if we put you and Theo together with her?—”

“No.” This time, it was almost a growl. “This is the worst idea.”

“Watching the two best-looking men at Ironside fight over the most beautiful woman?” Elijah shot back sardonically. “Yeah, that’s awful television. Who would watch that?”

Cian raised his hand. “I take personal offence to that statement.”

Kilian also raised his hand. “I also take offence.”

Niko raised his hand. “I don’t really care. Just throwing it out there. ”

“Theo?” Elijah asked with a sigh.

“I’ll make it happen,” Theodore said, though he didn’t look happy about it.

Moses muttered something beneath his breath that might have been “Like hell, you will.”

“Oscar …” Elijah frowned, scrolling down and then back up again. “These results are a little confusing. It seems like people enjoy your … demeanour?” He seemed to doubt his own use of the word. “They like that you seem different only with Isobel. They think it’s cute.”

Oscar raised his hand. “I take great offence to that statement.”

“Actually …” Elijah ignored him, scrolling down a little further. “Moses, I also want you to spend more time with Isobel and Oscar.”

“Doing what?” Isobel, Oscar, and Moses asked at the same time.

Elijah looked up from the phone, giving them an exasperated look. “Figure it the fuck out?”

“We could—” Moses started.

“Not now ,” Elijah sighed heavily.

“Throw darts at pictures of Elijah,” he finished.

Cian was smirking at him. “What was your actual suggestion going to be?”