Director Estilon raises his hands to quiet the cheers. “I know, I know! Exciting indeed. There will be two tournaments: one in the morning, which will not have an entry fee, and one at night to compete for a grand prize of one thousand shims!”

He doesn’t make an effort to stop the next round of cheers. Instead he waves at a chef, who disappears into the kitchens. The Embassy crests fade and the banquet hall returns to its thick yellow aura.

Glacia spins around and looks at me and Jeremy.

“You guys are going down.”

Jeremy sucks some marmalade off his finger, then leans back and openly slaps his stomach. It jiggles below the table.

“I ain’t much of a Hologis guy, if you can’t tell.”

Glacia rolls her eyes. “You better play,” she says directly to me. “No excuses.”

I won’t lie: I’m looking forward to the tournament. It’s been too long since I’ve felt the rush of the game…and with a prize of one thousand shims, the stakes are worth it. But with Glacia watching me, I just shrug and drink the rest of my Glowbull. There’s no point in acting excited around her. She might start thinking we can be friends.

The doors to the kitchens slide open and the chefs walk out again, this time carrying glass dessert platters. One sets a chocolate cake between me and Glacia, but Jeremy reaches over without any hesitation and slices himself a piece. He drizzles on a thick layer of cherry sauce while another chef places a bowl of mint ice cream beside the cake. I manage to scoop some before he grabs it from me and plops three large scoops on his plate. He scarfs it all down and helps himself to a second serving before I can even take three bites. When he’s done, Jeremy wipes his face and tosses the cloth napkin to the side—which I now notice smells vaguely like perfume.

I pretend to wipe my face and take the chance to sniff mine: yes, there’s definitely some sort of sour, flowery scent that didn’t come from the food.

“I’d dress up every night if it meant we could eat like this,” Jeremy says, satisfied. “Now where’s that dance? Gotta find me a girl.”

As if to answer his question, the wall at the opposite end of the room splits apart to reveal the ballroom. Beyond it, I see what seems to be some sort of enclosed hallway with glass windows overlooking the city.