Silence a second, and then Em settled carefully down next to her. When Orfeus risked a glance, Em was frowning. She held a hand peaceably in the air between them. “I know that wasn’t on you,” she said, speaking more like her usual careful and considered self. Em flaring in rage wasn’t something Orfeus had experienced firsthand before: more often that was directed at Bright when Bright did something foolish, like experimenting directly on herself or neglecting to eat. “I spoke in the heat of the moment.” Her arched brows drew down. “The Wolf was your doing, but as best as I can get from them, the others were set on you anyway by a third party. You know that situation wasn’t really your fault, right? The fires?”

So Em didn’t know it was. “I…” Orfeus said. This was an excellent chance to unburden and come clean, to tell the truth, to be a better person.

To make a friend hate her, maybe her last friend.

“There were a lot of factors involved,” she said.

Em huffed. She settled her helmet on her lap. “Tai’s damn combustion agents don’t always work like he plans,” she said. “We’ve talked about it.” Orfeus grinned despite herself, glad to think of Em’s formidable rage directed at someone other than herself.

She leaned back against the wall. Em very lightly rested a hand on her shoulder, then gave her a quick one-armed hug. Orfeus leaned into the contact, closing her eyes, and Em hugged her properly, fierce and hard.

Orfeus leaned back after too few moments, with a cough. She wasn’t used to letting her guard down here. “At least I’m famous,” she said, trying to grin, and Em’s eyebrows went right up.

She looked sceptically at the mask. “What, as the Fox?”

“No,” Orfeus said, vehement and loud. Em cocked her head, and Orfeus sighed out, rubbing at her neck. “I mean as me. Luga had heard of me. Ideally I’d like fans less murderous, but—” She stopped. “Em?”

Her friend had gone pale, shaken. “He what?” Em said, rolling her helmet restlessly across her knees.

“He said he liked my songs?” Orfeus said, puzzled, because this was a small piece of news; far more manageable than talking of blood spilling like wine and the slash of Faol’s claws. “Someone here showed him.”

“The Leader said that?” Em echoed. She still looked shaken, and Orfeus frowned and put a hand on her shoulder. Em didn’t seem to notice. “Orfeus, I—” But she cut herself off, and visibly pulled herself together. “That doesn’t matter. What are you doing here?”

Orfeus shrugged, dropping her hand to her side. “Someone put the hunters on me, like you said. And the Wolf, first and foremost. I wanted information…”

Em nodded, looking more composed. “And have you got it?”