‘Funny you should ask,’ I say, lowering my voice. ‘Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?’ I have a wild hope that Doc, Raffe, and I might be able to sneak away.

‘No need for privacy,’ says Obi. ‘Doc told us all about his work on Alcatraz and his hopes for Paige. We’d all love to hear about your sister. Is she all right?’

I look at the faces around the table. All of them are older than me. Some of them look like grizzled veterans from previous wars. Others look like they’re recently off the streets. What would they do if they knew they had an angel in the room?

‘What do you want with her?’ I ask. I can’t help but sound suspicious.

‘Doc tells us she might be our best hope.’

‘Doc is an optimistic guy,’ I say.

‘There’s no harm in seeing, right?’

‘The last time you took a look at her, you had her tied in ropes like a rabid animal.’ I can’t help but glance at Martin. His hand still looks rope burned as he drums a pencil against the fingers of his open hand.

‘That wasn’t me,’ says Obi. ‘I came on the scene just before you did and was trying to figure out what happened. Look, people make mistakes. We’re driven by fear and exhaustion and outright stupidity sometimes. We’re not perfect like the angels. All we can do is rely on each other and do our best. I’m sorry for how your sister was treated. We need her, Penryn. She could turn this war around.’

‘Not if she starves to death,’ I say. ‘Make Doc fix her, and we’ll talk about what she can do for you.’

‘Fix her?’ asks Obi.

I glance at Doc.

‘I’ll see what I can do,’ says Doc. ‘I need to make sure she’s all right first, which means I need to see her.’ He gives me a pointed look.

‘Can you bring her to us?’ asks Obi.

I shake my head. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ I glance again at Martin, who is watching us with intense eyes.

‘Fine,’ says Doc before Obi can object. ‘Take me to her.’

I turn, hoping for a quick escape, but Obi calls out my name.

‘There’s been a rumor about a teenage girl who killed an angel,’ says Obi. ‘They say she has a sword that might be disguised as a teddy bear.’ He looks at Pooky Bear dangling off my hip. ‘You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?’

I blink innocently at him, wondering if it’s better to own it or deny it.

‘I can see we need to rebuild some trust between us. Let me show you around so you can see what we’re about. We could use fighters like the two of you.’