Broker Chapter 252

Through the power of the Astral Eye, Sonya could witness things from far away. She’d intentionally only used it a few tis. She wasn’t sure if it had made her uncomfortable in the past or if she had been simply too stuck in her own head to take advantage of it, but she had no such compunctions now. Her lips spread into a smile as her mind's eye traveled past the boundaries of her physical body and arrived elsewhere.

Her gaze opened within a small space - the rear of a limousine.

Brian Caron sat back in his seat, holding the small envelope that contained the contracts she’d sold to him in his lap. He was running his hands over them almost lovingly. It kinda made her skin crawl a little bit. Across from him, the slightly portly Dwight dabbed his head with a handkerchief and glanced out the window. His lips moved and her cybernetic brain did the rest, tracing the movents and reading them in an instant.

“Are you sure about selling the Idol Isla to her?” he asked hesitantly. “The board won’t be happy about making an agreent like that without them. Not only that, she dismissed the staging crew.”

Brian snorted. “What does it matter if she wants to waste money? She paid more than enough,” he said with a sneer. “What’s in here is worth far more than all that and we can just move the staging crew to another project.”

How callous, Brian. I almost feel bad for those people. I don’t want your people on my ship, though, Sonya thought. At least that construction ability of yours is interesting.

“Without even a base crew, she won’t be able to get the vessel out of the harbor,” Dwight said with a sigh and a shake of his head. “This is why I can’t stand new money. They never think.”

“Not our problem,” Brian said with a shrug. “Once she realizes she can’t operate it without a skilled crew, I’m sure she’ll get bored. We’ll buy it from her at a used-item price and have made a profit, the board won’t complain at all after that. She’s cunning but young and a bit too-”

FWOOOOOOOT

The two n spun as the cruise ship docked at a distance from their window blew its horn and began to move. Sonya felt it shift beneath her as the engines went to work. Dwight was staring with horror on his face. “I thought you said she wouldn’t be able to get it to move!”

Brian’s eyes went wide and Sonya cut the connection, a satisfied smile on her face. “That’s what you get for underestimating , Brian,” she said. “Enjoy those contracts. I really do hope they smooth things over with your board of directors, or you’re in a whole lot of trouble.”

She stretched her legs out over the lounge chair set along the side of the artificial beach on the deck of the ship. She’d changed into a swimsuit, sarong, wide-brimd hat, and her favorite sunglasses. She reached for a can of soda in the chest of ice to her side and opened it with a crack, slipping a straw in and sipping rrily.

Amos’ voice popped into her head. he said.

Sonya said.

She sipped her drink again as the sound of hurried footsteps ca from around the central building of the cruise ship. Footsteps moving at superhuman speed. She turned and raised an eyebrow as Marta slid to a stop at the edge of the pool, kicking up a wind with her montum. She zipped over to Sonya and ca to a complete stop, her eyes sparkling. Sonya tilted her head and grinned as Marta practically bounced up and down. “What did you find?”

“Theater. Movie Theater,” Marta said eagerly. “Please? Please, please, please?”

Sonya laughed. “Work it out with Amos. Have fun!” she said and waved her hand.

Marta squealed and darted away again, rounding the corner like a rocket. Sonya shook her head and sipped at her drink again. “She’s so cute when it's just us,” she said and let out a relaxed sigh, stretching her arms over her head. “Sun feels nice! I could get used to this.”

Having fun? Ishtar’s voice rose up from her instincts.

“Sure am. Want to join ?”

I don’t think that marble body of mine is any good for swimming, Ishtar said. I do have so reading I want to do, so I might sunbathe a little.

“You? Relax?” Sonya snickered.

Well, I figured I might try it since I don’t have to worry as much about a certain silly girl I know, Ishtar countered as a Legionnaire portal opened to Sonya’s right, a marble statue of just over average human height stepping out. The air around it flickered for a mont before it took on the appearance of a woman that could have been related to Sonya. Short white hair and chilly eyes accompanied a muscular fra covered in scars. She was dressed this ti in a set of black swim tank top and trunks. She rolled her neck and looked down at Sonya. “I have catching up to do, if you recall?”

“So you do,” Sonya said and lay back onto the lounge chair as Ishtar sat down on the neighboring chair.

“My books?” Ishtar asked and Sonya gestured, blue sparkles condensed on Ishtar’s chair and took the form of a pile of books. She looked them over. “Thank you.”

“What are you reading all those for anyway?” Sonya asked, rolling onto her side and resting her chin on her palm. “You’ve been doing nothing but consu books since the after-party.”

Ishtar… hesitated? No, not just that, she blushed. Sonya sat up. What’s this? What’s this?

“It’s… um…” Ishtar cleared her throat and looked away. “Sothing I need to do for the future.”

Sonya leaned forward. “Oh no, I’m not letting you get away with just that, not after that reaction! What’s going on? Tell ! Oh my god are you studying poetry to write sothing for Pandora? Oh that’s so cute!”

Ishtar looked at her goggle-eyed. “Sonya! I’ve told you before, there’s nothing going on there! She’s just… persistent!” she sighed as Sonya’s eyes only sparkled more. “Don’t…” she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She peeked just as Sonya hopped off her seat and got closer. She had to know now. She needed to know. Ishtar let out a weary sigh.

“Well? Tell !” Sonya pleaded.

Ishtar looked away again and reached up to play with her hair, tugging at it absently as she stared off towards the widening sea. They were almost out of the harbor now. “I’m researching a na. For myself,” she said and looked down at the book in her hands, “You said you would help make docunts. I wanted to pick my na for when the ti cos. I thought it might be fun.”

If Sonya was capable of tears or contracting diabetes, she would be suffering from both right now. She held her hands over her mouth as she admired the adorable look on her big sister’s face. She never, ever imagined that Ishtar would be capable of being embarrassed and cute at the sa ti. She couldn’t help herself, she tackled Ishtar and clung to her. “You are so cute! I can’t wait to hear what you pick! Do you have any ideas yet? Oh, we should have a party when you pick one!”

Ishtar tried to pry her off. “I am not cute!” she barked. “Get off of , you madwoman!”

“No!” Sonya laughed. “Tell more!”

They wrestled for a minute before Ishtar sohow managed to end up with her head in Sonya’s lap. Sonya humd to herself, playing with her hair and trying to make little braids in the spots where it was long. “I didn’t think I would have this chance,” Ishtar said quietly.

“Mm?”

“To be able to go out and be my own person,” she said. “I still don’t experience things the sa way I would with a real body, but it’s close.”

“You wanted this?” Sonya asked quietly, tying off another braid.

“Yeah,” Ishtar said. “A little. In those monts where I thought it might be nice to stick around.”

“We’re stuck together now,” Sonya said softly. “And according to Old Man Set, you’ll be around even after I’m gone if I have any kids or sothing.”

Ishtar’s expression turned complicated before she nodded. “I’ll look after them, just like I looked after you.”

“So lots of snarky backseat driving?” Sonya teased.

Ishtar laughed. “If that’s what it takes to make sure they live up to their mother’s example, yes.”

“I wonder how that works,” Sonya said and made another braid/ “Maybe it’s ti to visit Loki and the others for a little while. We’ll have ti out here on the ocean.”

“Set has a lot he wants to teach you,” Ishtar said/ “You should definitely make ti.”

“You guys are talking while I’m busy?” Sonya asked.

“So,” Ishtar said.

A chi rang out in Sonya’s head and she glanced up towards the water. It was perfect, smooth, and blue. It went on forever.

he said.

She smiled and patted Ishtar’s shoulder. Her sister sat up and turned to her, the braids pointing out humorously on one side of her head. Sonya snickered and Ishtar scowled at her before rolling her eyes and smiling. Sonya got to her feet.