“I’m not sure what he sees in you, or what he wants from you. Whatever it is, he’ll get it, little canary,” she whispers to me. “At the moment you’re interesting. He’s still figuring out what he really wants from you. And, once he gets it, you’ll be obsolete. If I were you, I’d make sure I was useful elsewhere, and prove myself trustworthy. To him. And especially to me. Or else you’ll find you’ll never flee your cage.”

She stays that way, almost nose to nose, staring into me. I worry that she can see everything—my treachery, my fear.

After a moment, an age, she pulls away, putting the sword back in its sheath, like an avenging Valkyrie. I don’t want to be against her, because I fear I’d have no chance.

She smiles at me as if she knows this, and then she leaves. I press the hollow of my throat three times, try not to look at the corpse of Nuala, and trail after her.

*   *   *

Back at the safe house, I can’t stop shaking.

I don’t cry, but I want to. So I sit in the living room, wrapped in a blanket, simply shivering. Nazarin sits next to me. I’ve told him everything that happened. We’ve transferred both of our recordings to Kim’s server. We told her not to watch them. I didn’t want her to see that girl murdered. It might remind her of what happened to her wife, just because she came too close to her quarry on what seemed to be just one more case.

“Do you know who Veli is?” I ask. Something about Malka’s body language made me think it was important.

“No. I’ll ask my superior, see if he knows anything.”

We trail off again. Nazarin’s eyes go distant and he pings his superior. His fingers dance as he types in the air. I lean against him, his arm warm against mine. It helps ground me. My eyes drift closed, and despite everything that’s happened, I doze.

A time later, Nazarin gently shakes me awake.

“What is it?” I ask. My brain is fuzzy. Memories of Nuala come back, and I want to vomit.

“My superior looked up the name, but it was classified. Even for him.”

“Shit. Really?”

“Yes. He’s gained access now, though, and he can share it with us.”

“All right.”