‘That was my directive, Technician. One that does not need to be justified to one such as yourself.’
Blake bolted upright, head spinning with the sudden movement. She pressed a hand into the mattress to steady herself. ‘Captain Nex?’ Surprise, and not a little dismay, pitched her words.
The captain strode into her glass-walled compartment in his usual determined manner, always appearing to be in a rush to get to his next destination, even if that destination was only paces away. Nex was shorter than several of the Syranians but still a formidable height, and his features were far less soft and feminine than the others. The air of ferocity he carried had taken Blake some time to adjust to. She prided herself on never taking a step back when the captain invaded her personal space.
As he did now.
‘Walk with me, Technician. Allow me to show you the result of your stupidity.’ The captain’s condescension arched his full eyebrows.
Swallowing against a paper-dry mouth, Blake met his gaze. ‘I don’t understand what you are referring to, Captain.’
Nex tilted his head, and his heavy silver braids shifted against the plating of his black chest armour. ‘Is that so? Come.’ He turned his back on her and quick-stepped his way across the black tiles to Perry’s compartment. Blake followed, as instructed. Nari and Reuben stood guard at the main entrance to the room, a not-so-subtle indication that Blake was both patient and prisoner.
The nurse tending Perry stepped back as the captain approached.
‘Where is Azrael, Technician?’ The captain moved alongside the bed. ‘Where has the Lesser taken him?’
‘The Lesser?’ Blake said.
‘Your sister,’ he hissed, moving to stand at Perry’s head and bending forward to place his face disconcertingly close to Perry’s own. ‘Where has Kira taken the gallu?’
The nurse muttered something and hurried out of the room.
‘You appear to overestimate the closeness between Kira and I, Captain. I spend most of my time having no idea where my sister is. This is no exception.’
‘The fact that your personal guard was located trying to extricate this man suggests this is most certainly the exception.’
The captain touched his lips to Perry’s forehead and breathed in so deeply the intake was audible from where Blake stood at the foot of the bed. Nex straightened, pushing up the sleeve on his right arm, revealing the mea stone dug into the flesh. He placed his fingertips in a circle on Perry’s forehead, thumb and little finger pressing into his temples. The remaining three digits sank into his dark curly hair. The captain released his breath. The soft sound seemed to go on forever. Blake searched for Cym, but the Syranian had removed himself from the ward. Nari and Reuben stood still as statues at the entrance.
‘It is as I suspected.’ Nex released his grip, dark marks on Perry’s skin where his fingers had pressed. ‘You would do well to tell me now where the Lesser has taken the gallu. Other methods we can use to pry the truth from you are far less pleasant than this conversation.’
‘I told you, I don’t know.’ Blake paused. ‘Just as we both did not know the last time she decided to remove someone from the Facility. What makes you so certain Kira was involved at all?’
The captain turned, head sweeping in a serpentine flourish to find her. Reminding him of Eron’s disappearance was a sure-fire way to rile the Syranian. And right now, anything to distract him while Blake’s tired mind tried to come up with a plan was welcome.
‘Footage was obtained of Kira entering the gallu’s containment area, just prior to the recording being interfered with.’
Blake balled her fists, pressing her ever-trembling hands against her thighs. Weylen’s editing abilities were impressive, but also a stark reminder of how deeply Blake had involved her sister in the deception. ‘I’ll admit, I was made aware of Azrael’s removal before advising either yourself or Tamas of the case. Weylen was making her usual checks and discovered the . . . issue. I chose to try to rectify the problem myself. You both were preoccupied with the Final Meld, and I didn’t want to disturb your preparations.’ The Meldings were teleportation events of some kind, fuelled by the Tier Waters’ nuclear-energy-like properties. Certainly not divine occurrences, but the amount of time the Syranians and Tamas spent worshipping their various gods before the events had been useful. ‘I sent Rossiter to the Wheel and Barrow; it seemed a logical first choice when I could not locate Kira on Facility grounds. As you know full well, that is where Kira took Eron several times. I had hoped I would find her there again, and Azrael would be returned before any alarm need be raised.’
Perhaps Cym’s remedy had actually worsened the effects of the Waters in her veins, because risking the ire of the captain once was foolish. To do it a second time, so blatantly, was insanity. Blake clenched her jaw, the overused muscles there protesting. The captain seemed intent on boring a hole in her skull with his stare, but she’d worked under that gaze long enough to remain visibly unfazed.
‘A fine story, Technician. Would not another logical choice have been to locate the vehicle? Or were you hoping I would waste my time and energies doing so?’
‘I wasn’t aware you knew of the disappearance, but I would have thought Eron would advise you on Kira’s adeptness at rerouting the Facility vehicles to suit herself.’
Blake’s body rocked, a very slight to and fro, and she hoped the captain’s determination to peer beneath her skull distracted him from her instability. He sniffed, the tip of his nose jabbing the air.
‘Tell me, what instruction had you given Rossiter regarding the human? What did you intend to do with a human who had suffered a possession by a supermundane? Was your guard taking him to a doctor?’
The smile that curled his lips turned Blake’s stomach, but she gave him a disinterested shrug. ‘I don’t understand what you’re
