Page 82 of Zenith Tower

Hale’s jaw tightened. “It won’t.”

Warmth moved through the unfinished line. I covered it before the stewards could see.

The administrator saw anyway. “That certainty is exactly what concerns them.”

“Where are you moving him?” Caspian asked.

“A room in the lower residential corridor. He will remain in the residential wing, but he will eat, exercise, and attend review on a separate schedule.”

“And the rest of us?” Kieran asked.

“You remain here for now.”

“For now,” he repeated.

She did not soften it. “The order allows Marrow to change that without warning me first.”

I folded the directive along its existing crease. “Why did you bring this to us?”

“You were entitled to read it before he enforced it.”

“That isn’t what I asked.”

The administrator looked toward the open door. The nearest steward stood far enough away to pretend he could not hear.

“Marrow intended the order to arrive with the stewards,” she said. “I disagreed.”

“You stopped him yesterday,” I said.

“I stopped a permanent alteration he had no authority to perform. Today he has the Council behind him.”

“And what do we have?”

Her gaze moved over the four of us. “A little time. Marrow meant to give you none.”

Kieran leaned forward, forearms on his knees. “Does the prohibition apply to Astra’s visits with Delphine?”

“All contact with other residents may now be restricted.”

“May be?”

“Marrow has already suspended the visits.”

Caspian’s anger went cold through our bond. Kieran’s flared hot enough to raise the hairs along my arm.

“Delphine had nothing to do with the bond,” I said.

“She asked Astra to consider altering her Mark,” Hale said from the wall.

The administrator looked at me. “Did anyone else hear that request?”

“A steward remained outside the door,” I said.

“Then Marrow knows.”

“He knows she asked. He also knows I cannot reach her Mark without the third bond.”

“Which makes her another reason to prevent it.”