Page 131 of Alien Burn

She pointed. “There. Near the bottom.”

“Did you see anyone with her?”

“No. I couldn't see past the others.”

He passed that on. Sereya stood waiting, her bag pulling at her fingers, while he listened to the answer.

“Go inside with the housing staff. They're looking for her.”

“Is she⁠—”

“I haven't been told. Please stay with your group.”

He didn't invent reassurance. It frightened her more than if he had.

A hand slipped through her arm.

“There you are,” Roemary said.

Sereya turned. Silver-white hair caught the landing lamps. Roemary's eyes followed the direction Stron had taken, then came back to Sereya's face.

For a heartbeat the pleasant expression disappeared.

“Don't get any ideas.”

Sereya looked at the hand on her arm.

“Let go.”

Roemary's fingers tightened once.

“Everyone is watching.”

“Then let go.”

The guard turned back toward them. Roemary released her with a small laugh, as if Sereya had made a private joke at an inconvenient time.

Sereya went inside without her.

At the housing entrance, a volunteer was crying silently over a dropped bag. Sereya set down her own, picked up the scattered things, and put them back while they waited for names to be called.

It gave her hands work.

It did nothing to keep her from listening for every opening door.

19

DHOMHES

Stron's absence had become a terrible measure of time.

Dhomhes moved through the complex with four guards, listening to the search reports. The passenger line was being brought inside. One guard had Sereya's last sighting: Adryel near the bottom of the ramp, then hidden from view by other arrivals.

Not on the transport. Not among the passengers entering housing.

He had stood beside the ramp promising safety, and someone had taken a female almost within reach of his hand.

The first reports from the main corridor yielded nothing. A guard ahead turned toward a maintenance access. There were sounds beyond it: an impact, metal rattling, voices carrying unevenly through machinery.