I sat on one of the chairs along the wall and ran my hands through my closely cropped hair.
Sable sat beside me, sighing loudly. “Seph’s awake.”
I sat up. “She is?”
Sable sent me a strange look. “Of all the people to run into, K.”
I chuckled. “You’re telling me.”
Sable bit her lip. “She seems… different.”
“She is,” I said simply.
“How?”
“I guess she is just a lot stronger than any of us gave her credit for.”
Sable was thoughtful and silent. “Will you go see her?”
“I …” I looked away. “I don’t know. I kind of fucked up pretty bad.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Oh, it’s not? Of course it is, Phantom.”
“K…”
“Sable?” Elliot stepped into the hallway, wiping his hands on a rag. “You want to try?”
Something dark and vindictive crossed her face. “About time.”
“Remember what we are looking for.”
“I know.”
Elliot hesitated. “Sable—”
She met his eyes. “I’ve waited years for this, Elliot. I can do it.”
Elliot stared at her, then nodded. “Go.”
A little smirk crossed her face and she stood up. I watched her leave and Elliot took her place beside me.
“So, K, how are you doing?” Elliot asked quietly.
“I’m fine, Elliot.”
“Are you?” he asked. “This was a big operation. And you nailed it.”
I smiled, but I knew it didn’t meet my eyes. “I just wish so many people didn’t have to die.”
“You meant the ferals?” Elliot asked. “You know we didn’t make them. We just released them from the Council’s horrifying holding pens. They were planning on dropping them on us like a plague. We just got there first.”
“They could have killed any of us, Elliot.”
“They weren’t meant for us alone,” Elliot said quietly. “They were being stockpiled. Transported. Labelled. Cities, K. Entire Dark districts, already in the damn schedule waiting for obliteration.”
I felt sick at the thought. “Fucking Council. They won’t rest until they wipe us all out, will they?”
