Something broke inside me. The wall I'd built to keep my emotions in check, the strength I'd maintained through Nytheris and void storms and everything else, it all crumbled at the sound of his voice.
I moved toward the barrier without thinking, my hand reaching out as if I could touch him through the air barrier. "Daddy…"
A guard stepped forward. "No contact with the barrier."
Marcellus cleared his throat. "I believe my documentation specified a physical meeting. No barriers."
The guards exchanged glances, then one nodded curtly. The barrier shimmered and disappeared, leaving nothing between me and my father. I flew into his arms. He was thinner, but his embrace was as strong as ever, his familiar scent of metal and polish still clinging to him beneath the institutional soap. I buried my face against his shoulder as tears spilled freely down my cheeks, not caring who saw.
"My brave girl," he murmured into my hair, his own voice thick. "My beautiful, brave Junie."
For several minutes, we simply held each other. I couldn't speak, couldn't do anything but cling to him and let the tears fall. All the fear, all the desperation that had driven me across realms and through the void, released in a flood I couldn't control.
Finally, reluctantly, we separated enough to look at each other. Dad cupped my face in his weathered hands, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. "Let me look at you." His eyes searched mine, taking in every detail. "You've changed."
"So have you," I managed, my voice wobbling.
He smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "The Dredge's accommodations leave something to be desired."
Marcellus cleared his throat politely. "Mr. Farren, I'm Marcellus Finn. I've been retained to secure your release."
Dad turned, keeping one arm around my shoulders as if afraid I might disappear. "Mr. Finn. Your reputation precedes you."
"We have much to discuss," Marcellus said, gesturing to the chairs. "But first, I'll give you a moment with your daughter."
As Marcellus stepped away to confer with the guards about something in his documentation, Dad's eyes shifted to Cypher, who still hadn't spoken a word. The tension radiating from him was almost palpable, his knuckles white where his hands gripped his crossed arms.
"And who is this?" Dad asked, sounding suddenly cautious.
"A friend," I said, not quite ready to explain everything. "He helped me... find what I needed to hire Mr. Finn."
Something passed across my father's face. "I see." He guided me to the table and we sat across from each other, his hands holding mine tightly. "Your mother? How is she?"
"Managing," I said. "The new tonics help, but she's not getting better."
"And you found enough money for both medicine and this?" He gestured toward Marcellus.
I nodded. "I took a job. A big one."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of job?"
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "Retrieval. For a collector."
"Juno…"
"I need you to trust me," I said firmly, leaning forward to meet his concerned gaze. "I know what I'm doing. This job was dangerous, yes, but it was worth it."
My father's weathered face creased with worry. "What kind of danger, Junie? What aren't you telling me?"
I glanced at Cypher, who remained stoic against the wall, then back to my father. "I traveled to Nytheris."
Dad's face went pale. "How did you even?—"
"With help," I said, nodding toward Cypher. "And a crew that knew what they were doing. I survived, Dad. I succeeded. And now I'm here to get you out."
He shook his head, looking suddenly exhausted as he ran a hand over his face. "You shouldn't have risked yourself for me."
"You would have done the same," I countered, squeezing his fingers. "You have risked the same, for others. That's why you're in here, isn't it?"
