She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “Later.”

She finally stopped in one of the narrow streets, a short ways from a Yamaha Blade, exactly like mine, but the most expensive model, tricked out with a personalized paint job and actual gems embedded into its body and frame. The bike was painted a deep, seductive red, with golden flames decorating its front panel and sides. Inexplicably, two silver horns jutted from the handlebars. Daiyu saw where I was gazing and said, “Because I was born in the year of the goat.”

A year younger than me. No wonder she was so stubborn.

“This is your airped?” I said.

She approached the gorgeous motorcycle and the instrument panel lit up in neon blue. Golden lights hidden in its body illuminated the entire airped on the darkened street, creating a halo around it. “Yes, mine.”

She climbed on, and I simply stared, admiring the way her body moved, how she settled herself comfortably on the gold leather seat, straddling it with her long legs.

Damn.

Daiyu gave me a measured look, then smiled a slow smile. She knew exactly what I was thinking. “Come on. Climb on.”

“Won’t your father be looking for you?” I asked.

Her shoulders tensed, and her straight eyebrows drew together. “I messaged him good night hours ago. The door to my bedroom is locked. He’ll be too preoccupied tonight to think of me.”

I got on behind her, winding my arms around her waist, holding her close. I could feel the tension in her body, her muscles taut. “I thought you’d never ridden on an airped before?” I said against her ear.

She let out a sigh and relaxed against me. “I lied,” she replied.

Daiyu revved the engine, and the Blade purred as it sped down the empty street. “You seemed to enjoy showing off,” she said above the noise.

I rested my forehead against her shoulder and laughed as we lifted into the air, and my heart surged with it. She was absolutely right. I had enjoyed it.

•  •  •

Daiyu flew through the empty skies cautiously, as I was unsuited and hers was defunct. An accident would mean certain death. We weren’t near the center of Taipei, and at not yet three a.m., there was little air traffic in this area unfrequented by yous looking for a good time. To my surprise, Daiyu seemed to be headed toward Shilin and the Yangming mountains, back to where this all started—where I had kidnapped her last summer. I watched Taipei unfurl beneath me, a maze of narrow streets, dark alleyways and brightly lit boulevards. I loved this city, my city, and wondered if what my friends and I did tonight would help it in the way that we had hoped. Galvanize the nation.

Please don’t let Victor’s death be for nothing.