Infinity Reaper by Adam Silvera (best new books to read txt) 📗

up with Brighton and Wyatt in the library. We gather around Brighton’s laptop, ready for Sunstar to show this country why she deserves to be the next president.

Fifty-TwoEclipsing

NESS

Ask me anything about Nicolette Sunstar.

She was born in bright lights at the zenith of the Dazzling Compass constellation. She has a birthmark shaped like an hourglass above her left knee. She received her middle name, Penelope, from the aunt who first got her interested in justice. She loves traveling to cold climates, especially Alaska when the aurora borealis paints the sky. She’s the daughter to a marriage counselor and bookshop owner. She has always filled her home with the greenest of plants, which she nurtures without using her power. She met her husband during karaoke night in college and Ash Hyperion was drunkenly singing a love song. She begins her day making breakfast with their daughter, Proxima, usually blueberry pancakes, and preparing her for school.

She deserves to be the president of the United States.

For the past week, I’ve been reviewing all the materials given to me about her.

I’ve read the three-hundred-and-eighty-four-page paperback about her life, Our Country, Our Universe, twice. I’ve been glued to an internet-less tablet and watching over thirty hours of interviews and speeches. I’ve been given the debates too, which I’ve rewatched ten times because of how Sunstar embarrasses the Senator on national TV as she recounts all his failures.

But she’s going to lose this election because I’m going to lie to the country while looking like a carbon copy of her.

I’m in a limousine with the Senator, Bishop, and Roslyn in the back and Jax and Zenon up front. Dione is tailing us in a town car with Luna and June. Since leaving New York and arriving in Boston for the debate, I’ve been hoping that some natural catastrophe would swallow all of us into the pit of the earth so some of the country’s absolute worst can die already, but unfortunately it’s a lovely night.

We arrive at the host site of the debate, Doherty University. Even though the college has historically favored celestial rights, that might die tonight after I hit them with Sunstar’s new celestial supremacy stance. Attendees are filling the campus grounds as we drive to the rear of the building.

“Showtime,” the Senator says. “Get rid of your face, Eduardo.”

I glow gray and morph into a white bodyguard with pitch-black hair. I’m given shades so the media will have a harder time identifying me if any of them bother to investigate. This twenty feet between the car and the building is the first time I’ve been outside since being held at the manor. It’s impossible to enjoy the fresh air without feeling like I’m suffocating under the Senator’s control.

The young greeter escorts us to a green room, rambling to the Senator the entire time about what a big fan she is and how she’ll be applying for internships if he gets into office. The Senator claims he’s honored, but I know he can’t wait to be rid of her. Unlike Sunstar, who spends her time getting to know everyone in the community, the Senator mostly aligns himself with those in power; a young woman directing us to a room hardly fits that bill in his eyes.

“I’ll come and grab you in fifteen minutes,” she says.

“Much appreciated,” the Senator says, shaking her hand with both of his. The moment the door closes behind her, he turns to Zenon. “Status?”

Zenon’s eyes glow. “The person running surveillance in the camera room has no eyes on us.”

The Senator’s forced smile drops. “Fantastic. Roslyn, notify Luna. Zenon, locate Sunstar. Time is limited to execute the swap.”

Bishop looks pleased, as if all this corruption is some surprise party he’s been planning for ages.

Zenon continues vision-hopping. The Senator must be paying a fortune for this former soldier who survived in battle and led his squad to numerous victories because of his abilities to orient himself from the perspective of others in situations like this. “Sunstar is in a room with her family and Senator Lu, though the senator appears to be on her way out . . . and she’s gone. Security is blocking the room number, but Lu has now passed the library. I would estimate twenty paces.”

“That will do,” the Senator says.

“Incoming,” Roslyn says while looking at her phone.

June and Dione appear out of nowhere. Jax looks as if he’d be ready to hurl her across the room if it weren’t for Roslyn’s warning.

The Senator stands tall, beaming with pride. “You all know your roles. Eduardo, you play yours wrong and Sunstar’s entire family will be killed. If I can’t be president, she won’t either.”

His ego will be the death of millions.

“Understood,” I say.

“I’m watching every move you make,” Zenon says.

“I said I understand.”

June is given instructions on how to find Sunstar before she holds on to me and Dione, and we disappear. As we all fade in and out of rooms, it feels like my body is coming apart every time, just like when June rescued me during the Blackout and then transported me to Luna. This trip is thankfully shorter, but still nauseating as all hell.

We appear inside Sunstar’s green room. They’re all holding hands as Sunstar leads them in prayer. Dione grows a third arm and grabs three wands from her belt and aims them at Sunstar, Ash, and Proxima. The family break into laughter at the end of their prayer, and then are stunned to find three uninvited guests in here with them.

“If anyone calls for security, you’re all dead,” Dione says.

Sunstar pushes her trembling twelve-year-old daughter behind her, and Proxima’s lips are quivering as she peeks around at us. She’s staring at us like we’re monsters, and she’s right. I’m just grateful she doesn’t see my actual face in this moment.

Ash’s eyes glow silver like coins and there are wrinkles in the air. I’m suddenly exhausted, and my rapid heartbeat has slowed down. This is his power to manipulate consciousness at work, and I welcome it.