Poison Tree

“I was just trying to buy a co ee,” Alysia said, with the same innocent charm that had helped her talk her way out of interrogation rooms in the past. “I gave my card to the others because my organization works with trauma survivors, and being held hostage is a traumatic situation. Mary,” she said, turning to the receptionist, “would you help Ms.

Brooks here schedule an interview with PR? I’m sure she would love to hear more about our support groups.” With a smile, she turned back to Madeline and added, “It’s always great to get the word out.” She o ered her hand, which Madeline shook, because that was what common courtesy demanded. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for another appointment.

Madeline, thank you so much for your time.”

Alysia might have been at this particular Haven for less than an hour, but even a lowly member of tech support knew SingleEarth’s company line for reporters. The good people at public relations would feed Madeline Brooks an appropriate story about trauma survivors and the hardships faced by homeless shelters. They would also point her toward organizations that would make a better story for human prime-time news and appreciate the spotlight.

Lynzi followed Alysia into the o ce in the next room, as if she were the person there for the appointment Alysia had just invented.

“Don’t you think you should stay to make sure she’s effectively sidetracked?” Lynzi asked.

Alysia shook her head. “As long as I’m in her sight, she’ll want to make me the story.”

Lynzi nodded.

As a Triste, Lynzi could have just wiped Madeline’s mind of any interest in Alysia, but she had pointedly stepped back and let the newcomer handle it. That wasn’t trust; it was a test.

“So, did I pass?”

Lynzi feigned surprise for half a second before laughing and saying, “Yes, you passed.”

“How often do people around you forget that you’re the senior member here, and probably the most powerful?” Alysia asked. It was the most polite way she could think of to ask about what Lynzi was. Tristes were so rare; it had been surprising to nd one in this out-of-the-way spot.

“Most people do—once,” Lynzi answered. “It’s why my teacher chose me. Do you know much about Tristes?”

“A little,” Alysia answered. “I had a friend a while back who was offered training.”

Tristes were like vampires, in that they were not born but made. The process of training and initiating a student was much more intensive than with vampires, however, who were often made and discarded at a whim, only to be picked off by hunters not long after.

“Offered by whom?” Lynzi asked.

“Pandora,” Alysia answered, knowing exactly why the mention of that name made Lynzi wince. Pandora’s methods had left scores of survivors—if some of the worst could even be called that—in SingleEarth wards with broken minds and bodies.

“I was taught by Tatiana,” Lynzi said, “but I am familiar with Pandora’s ways. If you ever want to talk, I’m here.”

Alysia nodded, startled by the compassion and openness in Lynzi’s response. She shouldn’t have been startled—this was SingleEarth, after all—but though she had spent two years at

Central, that complex was a small city in itself, with lots of room to get lost in and many people minding their own business.

Lynzi must have sensed the awkwardness Alysia felt, because she turned away and set her hand on the windowpane as she remarked, “We should make sure all your belongings are inside and get your keys back from Sarik, before the storm breaks.”

CHAPTER 3

THE SLEET SLAPPING against the windows had woken Jason well before sunrise, two hours after he had fallen asleep at midnight. He slipped out of bed and away from Sarik, who muttered an incoherent protest, grabbed his pillow, and continued to sleep.

Sarik had been anxious the entire day before, so he was grateful that she slept now. She had asked for a meeting with Diana, only to be denied when an emergency came up at another Haven. The only thing she had confided to him was that Alysia looked familiar.

Alysia had admitted that she had been no angel before she came to SingleEarth, and everyone knew her le was full of unaccounted-for time. Alysia was a stranger to Jason, though, and unlike Sarik, he had a vampire’s regrettably perfect photographic memory to call upon as he looked at the newest member of SingleEarth Haven #4.

Still, Sarik’s anxiety had rubbed off on him, and now he felt restless.

He crossed soundlessly into the living room and left the bedroom door open a crack so

Sarik would know he was still nearby if she woke. It had been a long time since the night terrors had broken her sleep, but the way she tossed and turned before succumbing tonight warned him that they were a possibility now.

Normally, work helped him focus and calm himself, but tonight he was frustrated by an impossibly slow network that continually dropped signal and interrupted even the simplest

Web page or download.

Footsteps in the hallway drew him out. He discovered Alysia, bundled up and apparently about to brave the winter weather in the predawn darkness.

“Is the network always this bad in a storm?” she asked the moment his door opened, before she added, “I mean, hello. Is it good evening or morning?”

“Might as well be good morning, and no, the weather doesn’t normally affect it.”

“I gured I would head over to the admin building and see if I could gure out what’s going on.”

“I already called,” Jason said. “Mary has a tech support guy on the way.”

“I am tech support,” Alysia protested, “or I was two days ago. I might as well try.”

“I get that, but you’re human, and it’s nasty out there,” Jason replied.

Alysia didn’t inch at the reference to her species, like many SingleEarth members did.

Jason led that information away in the mental list he kept of what soothed or upset the people around him. He had already gured out that Alysia spoke diplomatically when she thought the situation demanded it but preferred bluntness from those around her.

“Let me leave a note for Sarik, and then I’ll check in the admin o ce to see what’s going on.”

Alysia nodded reluctantly. The spark in her eyes said she wanted to work out her frustration by fixing the problem herself, but she was trying to be reasonable.

The Haven guarded its land in a way that made it impossible to appear or disappear inside any of the secure buildings, but Jason only had to cross the threshold to the porch before he could will himself to the atrium of the administration building.

He found Mary still in the o ce. She had been there all night, trying to deal with the network issues, but now she was happily irting with some twentyish guy, who was almost on her lap as he tapped at her keyboard.

“Problem, Jason?” Mary asked, lifting a slightly exasperated gaze that said, Do you mind?

“I just wanted to check on the status of tech support,” he answered, trying to nd a way to back out gracefully.

“Tech support accounted for, though this might take me a while,” the guy at the computer answered.

“This is Ben,” Mary added.

“Let me show you—” Ben said, starting to speak to Mary before looking up at Jason dismissively. “We’re good here. Go get a coffee or something.”