“Ten,” Elizabeth snaps, reminding me I’ve overstepped my bounds yet again.

    I don’t care. This girl needs me. And I get it now. I understand why Troika will go to so much trouble to save a single soul. Everyone is precious. Everyone is someone’s child or loved one. Everyone has potential.

    “When is the last time you spoke with someone from Myriad?” I ask.

    Dior calms enough to say, “Three days ago.”

    I run my bottom lip between my teeth. “Killian?”

    “No. Rosalind Oriana and Zhi Chen.”

    Instant relief; Killian wasn’t involved. “Did they say or do anything unusual?”

    “Like what?” She wipes away her tears.

    “You tell me.”

    Now she frowns. “They came to my house and chatted about nothing for what seemed an eternity. Then they left.”

    I consider the timing and ask, “Why did you contact Troika afterward?”

    She bristles, as if I’ve insulted her. If I did insult her, it was unintentional. I only want answers.

    “Is this necessary?” Elizabeth demands.

    “Yes,” I reply without looking away from Dior.

    “I’d had enough,” she says. “I’d reached the boiling point. I remembered Archer told me to contact Elizabeth if ever I needed anything, so I called her.”

    But how did Rosalind and Zhi—assuming they did it—infect her? “Who else have you spoken with? Any strangers? Did you notice any odd behavior from your patients?”

    “No. I haven’t been to the hospital in a week. The only other person I’ve spoken to is my boyfriend, Javier Diez.”

    “Is he Myriadian?”

    “He’s Unsigned. Why?”

    I look to Elizabeth. —Does she know she’s sick?—

    —No. And we’re not to tell her.—

    Because she would freak out? Who wouldn’t? “Where’s Gingerbread?” Dior could use a special friend right now.

    Dior starts sobbing all over again.

    Zero! What’d I do wrong this time?

    “The dog was taken by her ML.” Steam practically curls from Elizabeth’s nostrils. Either I’ve pushed her too far or—“By Killian, in case you require clarification.”

    That.

    I flinch. “How long does it take to set a court date?” We’ve got to get Dior out from under Myriad’s control. Once she’s made covenant with Troika, we can safeguard her until she’s been cleansed, ensuring she doesn’t enter the Everlife with Penumbra, potentially harming the Grid.

    “Could take months, depending on how hard Myriad continues to fight us,” Elizabeth replies.

    “Well. You take care of that, and I’ll take care of the dog. And you,” I say to Dior, remembering tidbits I read about her. “You’ve been dealt a raw deal, there’s no question about that, but self-pity isn’t your friend. See past it and fight for what you want, like Elizabeth said.”

    She peers at me through eyelashes beaded with her tears, her face red and blotchy. “You can find Ginger? Really?”

    Elizabeth stomps over and gets in my face. —This is a watch and observe assignment for you, not a command and do whatever the hell you want.—

    I respond. —You are free to make your own choices, just as I’m free to make mine.—

    Stiff as a board—har har—she types a message into her keyboard. Probably contacting Meredith. Maybe even Levi. No...chain of command is important in Troika. She’s definitely contacting Meredith.

    Any second now, I should receive a message telling me to stand down. Well, I won’t. I absolutely will not! There’s hope in Dior’s eyes for the first time since we arrived. It’s fragile, and it needs tending. Doing anything but what I promised will destroy her, and she might not be able to weld the pieces back together.

    My palm glows, and Elizabeth smirks at me.

    Meredith has sent me a text. I brace myself to read it...and a fiery lance of shock nearly splits me in two.

    Proceed.

    Whooo hoooo! Thank you, Granny.

    Elizabeth growls as she reads a message of her own, one telling her I can do what I want. “This is why family shouldn’t work together,” she grumbles.

    Suck it. “A good plan is a good plan.”

    The front door swings open, and a determined Victor enters the farmhouse. “Killian and an ML-in-training found us. They’re just outside our security wall.”

    Everything inside me goes haywire. My heartbeat slips out of rhythm. My blood heats, melting my spirit inside my Shell. Different parts of me tremble...all the places Killian has touched... I ache in the most delicious way.

    Finally! He is nearby. The boy who 143s me is within reach.

    I smooth my hair, my clothing. How do I look? How will he react when he sees me?

    Dior pales. Her eyes chill to frostbite-cold.

    “How did he get past our guard?” Elizabeth demands. “How did he find us?”

    Dior’s fear, maybe? But I doubt she’s in the mood to hear my opinion.

    “I don’t know,” Victor replies.

    “Let’s go.” She grabs hold of Dior’s arm and pulls her to her feet. “I’m taking you to a new safe house.”

    “Stop and think this through.” Victor crosses his arms. “You take Dior away, and the Myriadians will leave. She stays, and we can send Ten out to talk with Killian. For her, he might let good intel slip. Like how he managed to track us. You still want to know, right?”