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“Alys.” Silver’s weary voice caught my attention. “If you don’t concentrate, I’ll put you on a performance plan.” He said it like I should care, which, unfortunately for him, I did not.
I relaxed into the metal chair, slouching in contrast to Silver’s painfully correct posture. I’d dropped my bag by the door, unlaced, so its occupants could find their new home on the floor. I’d just come back from a mission near the Dominion, and scorpions were plentiful by the Rio Grande. So, with any luck, the whole damn building would be full of them by the time I was done with this stupid meeting. How long did it take for their eggs to hatch anyway?
It was bad enough that Silver was my boss. I didn’t need to listen to him tell me all the ways I was failing him and being bad at my job. A job I didn’t even want. All of it was pointless, I’d learned that long ago. The best thing to do was just sit quietly and get out of this room as fast as possible.
“Out of fifty Indentureds and two hundred Interns, you’re the only one with a perfect history of violent incidents. Alys Stormdust-Quinn, have you ever found an issue that you haven’t solved by violence?” His low voice fell measured and even into the cool air.
Silly question. Subtle mockery seemed called for. I opened my eyes very wide, then furrowed my brow. After a pause, I smiled and answered, “Nope.”
Frowning, Silver folded his arms. White-blond hair framed an interesting but not handsome face, the skin pale enough he might never have seen the sun. He stood near enough for me to smell the subtle scent of the cologne he favored. And without him saying more, I already knew what he was thinking, that I had so much potential, and yet I was such a disappointment.
Too bad.
I stared up at the ceiling to avoid his gaze. Meeting his eyes made everything he said seem reasonable and right, a trap I’d ceased falling for. Not making eye contact was now my go-to move to not let the powerful man convince me of things I knew weren’t true.
Silver simply had skills, unlike most of my people. Unlike anyone I’d met before.
Three years ago, after I’d gotten loose from all the teams the Wardens sent to detain me, Silver was the one who managed to bring me in for judgment and punishment. Things could have gone really badly for me then. What happened afterward proved him an admirable man in his way, even though he represented everything I detested.
In a way, he was like a good cog working for an evil machine. Not that I’d ever tell him that.
At the edge of my vision, a projection of the Capitol sprawled across the wall, all glittery metal and shining buildings. The powerful, and those who worked for them, made their homes in its confines: Representatives, Senators, and Administrators from around the Guild.
My son lived here as well. Before he was even born, he’d been assigned to Elise and Robert Dumont, a Representative family. Elise Dumont-Rossi came from a First Family, a bloodline that could be elected to the Presidency. Her delicate exterior belied a low-key will of iron. I’d learned to deflect her towards other targets, but she still insisted I finish the entire meal before dessert would be served… and on some nights there was no dessert served. I only yielded because it was depriving their teenage daughter, Kara, of her chance at sweets. She didn’t get many; Elise also knew the value of appearances and watched Kara’s weight like a hawk.
Robert was a trained battlemage, sour, and overly concerned with discipline and good behavior. We’d gotten into a shouting match when we met while I was still pregnant, since he couldn’t admit that anyone but him was right. The only matter we all agreed on was that Dmitri’s potential required him to be protected from exploitation.
Elise and Robert were not the people I’d choose to raise my child. Hell, I wouldn’t want anyone but me to raise my child. But they also seemed to care about him and treat him well, so I knew things could be worse. And without me having any say in the matter, it was fortunate that he had it better than many young kids in the Guild experienced.
Besides, I was grateful for the agreement between Elise, Robert, and me. They would rear Dmitri in the correct, Guild mode, but I would be permitted contact with him, between my missions. A kindness that didn’t make up for the fact that Silver, to all intents and purposes, owned me.
But the thing that kept me up at night, the thing that scared me, was the fact that while Elise and Robert could protect my son in some ways right now, they wouldn’t always be able to. This made it a priority for me to break loose of the geas and run with Dmitri. The timing had some leeway. I had a few years to do it on my own, but I’d go into debt with my family to get him free before letting him be groomed to be a killer.
Even though no matter what I do, it won’t be easy. The Guild wouldn’t let a prize like my boy go unutilized.
I blinked away spots. The lights in Silver’s office, bright and harsh, always dazzled me when I used avoidance to deal with him. He was waiting for me to bring it up and I hated having to ask.
“When will you be available to escort me to the Dumont’s?” I straightened, ready for his answer. Normally, it meant a wait in the general area, but I was used to that.
A flicker disturbed his expression, gone before I could identify it. “They aren’t in residence.”
“Why aren’t they at home?” The chair clattered and fell as I stood. I kept my fists held behind me as if my hands were clasped rather than clenched.
One white brow rose. “You weren’t expected back for a week, at the minimum. You returned after three days. They took Dmitri on a short cruise.”
That flicker of an expression came again—I couldn’t read what it meant, and didn’t feel his emotions either, partly due to the haze over my vision and the blood that pounded in my ears. If it was amusement, I would rip it off his face and jam it down his throat.
I struggled for words. They’d taken my son out on the ocean? The virus that had mutated many freshwater fish into terrifying predators made the leap to saltwater species centuries ago. Ocean travel was dangerous. Even if Robert felt that his yacht was adequate, I didn’t. But how I felt didn’t matter, these people could do whatever they wanted with my child.
And it hurt more than I could understand knowing I couldn’t keep my child safe.
Silver raised his hand, as if expecting my protests. “Alys. Since you have a few days to fill, I have another request that you could handle. Then I can place your off time in a single lump and waive the requirement you only spend three days at a time in Capitol.”
I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself. Another mission would probably be the best thing right now rather than giving myself time to go crazy with worry about my son. Because, right now, I wanted to break things—the desk, the projector, Silver’s nose—but the geas clamped me in place when I tried to move on the impulse.
Forced to follow Silver’s orders: no non-compulsory violence; no sex with anyone who hadn’t qualified as a battlemage. Forced to obey orders from the Wardens within the Capitol. I struggled with the compulsions every day, but I hadn’t managed to slip out of the iron bands of Silver’s working. I’d beat it someday and pay back all the debts outstanding.
The soft whoosh as the door slid open broke the tense silence. Silver frowned, stiffening as he turned to face the door.
