der'

ay. Mr Moore has still

ied across the balc

in disciplined silence. Glass towers reflected the late af

he railing until the col

is he?"

e base

oo

thout another word. He

. Stainless steel. No mirro

oncrete and iron. A single overhead lig

centre of the room. I sa

clung to his thinning hair. His expensive s

d quietly, "I despi

mercy," he begged

shoul

useless to you

hat makes you think I care wh

d. "I will pay.

e out o

pointments, and companies that might still hire him

has saile

ickened. Panic s

he sa

ter. She will serve you.

ed slightly. Mar

ficking," I

rk for you without pay while I raise the money

him for a

inger," I

men steppe

mbling inside his jacket. "Loo

tograph with tre

st, but something about the

and, and the

n poor light. A young woman stood stiff

down to her waist. Her eyes, green, sharp even in

about the picture. I star

ng, but she was n

ked...

ld have, but I still wanted to see this

d my han

your offer

h's face so quickl

pleaded. "Allow m

," I agreed

or, I gave Marcus a brief

just as I exited. Seth's scream followed,

n properly administ

me office level, "please tell me you are

my cufflin

estioning m

he only woman within these wall

space. They never had

security will

N

re is no

meant he was think

rcus wo

" He paused carefull

e shar

ncompetent

ightened.

e does not beco

my L

ything about her. Every detail. And I want t

s,

r closed, si

brated agai

the

ekend," he said without

y we

ne wen

lson a

riage, to save their empire, which

sa Wi

once and only met once. She was wel

irst time. I quickly stepped back, keeping a distanc

e had been

unsett

ould be performance. My mother's smile was reserved for rooms where my fathe

rse watching the wom

ry remain

ing person aware of my

ot touch or entertain them. The idea of ph

rred c

control had b

in the hour and plac

ina Moore. Also, the Preside

s her name

receiving

s,

l

ed the

ina M

y yea

mal ed

deli

ur within her

minal

ial fo

isi

o the front, was clearer than t

een. Standing slightly behind another girl, i

w

was biological

sh

endu

ting," I

d not offered

ffered t

dged somewhere

of Vaelorin, p

Marble buildings. Press conference

ent signed

ich ones rea

nges. Corporate towers. Conglomerates st

answered

e

. Private docks. Restricted zones. Shipping manife

, I was a

ly, I was

had see

y knew

ey fea

the fil

r image un

ot an at

ribed it. I had listened to enough conversations i

women like

nderstand t

elphina Moore's photog

hu

gnit

e who had been managed

tood con

later, I

by my desk th

re you

cond floor

es

was a self-contained apartment. Two bed

ever occupi

e may access the third floor only under su

s,

Mar

pau

es not

erst

ed two virtual negotiations and

nced, "she has arri

oked

ion settled be

I told

st

though considering

down the

r unlocked with a so

tment wa

into the

ead across the pillow like silk brushed with warm

ller than in t

res

fra

iseptic lingered in th

the foot

th flickered beneath my skin, bu

was

gotiated their survival. I had ordered sa

never alter

it

oser despi

tly in sleep. There was a fa

w tig

d to re

t alone st

not t

not r

e that proximity often

ction before I force

ogical, I t

erage. Not

er stillness made the

ntro

oice came from be

back imm

go,"

ere the source of heat and I h

r shut, I ex

ars, I felt something da

of

mys

nations with

ad unsettled the arch