So I went to Zenith that night as usual. I’d met Leylani for coffee the day before and given her something that would make her a bit sick. Nothing to harm the baby or anything (I figured out she was pregnant, with all the running to the bathroom she did), but enough that she wouldn’t be able to come in to work. I cozied up to Sal, saying I’d cover for Leylani that night. And I did. Vuk was in with a group of people. He didn’t notice me any more than usual. He knew I worked for the Ratel, but otherwise we didn’t interact. He was sad, wishing Leylani was there.

Eventually, most of the other partiers left, going to the main bar, and I managed to catch him.

“Adam.”

He flinched. “Come again?”

“Adam, it’s me. Tila. From the Hearth. I know I look a little different, but it’s me.”

He shook his head, as though batting away flies. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I moved closer. “You do. Some part of you remembers. Taema and Tila. T-and-T. We came to visit you. We brought green grapes.”

His face twitched. His body shook. It was like he was having a war with himself. I stayed close, keeping my eyes on him.

He fell down on his knees, his hands rising to his temples. His mouth opened in a horrible, silent scream. I went to him and clasped my hands on his wrists.

“Adam,” I said again.

At that, his entire body went rigid and he started convulsing, like he was having some sort of fit. Then he went completely limp. I thought he was dead. I wondered what would happen if someone opened the door in Zenith right then and saw him dead—they’d blame me.

Funny I worried about that then. Considering.

I pressed my fingers to his throat and he was still alive. I sat with him, holding his hand. It was his metallic one, though it felt just like cooling human flesh. I kept looking down at his face, trying to find the skinny boy I’d had a crush on in that blocky body, those different features. It really drove home how completely someone can change.

After a while he started groaning. I waited for him to wake up, and when he did and saw my face, he started crying. “Tila,” he said. “I remember you.”

“Hi, Adam,” I said.

He really looked at me and his eyes popped. “Where’s your sister?”

“They separated us.”

I started to say something else, but his body devolved into spasms again. “Adam?” I asked, scared.

Spittle began flying from his mouth, and I really thought he was going to die.