He nodded and strolled on down the sidewalk till he came to the nearest entrance of the Complex. It was on the far side of the building in relation to the Biolab, closest to the government offices, a region that was somewhat unfamiliar to him. He wondered where Jex Zanlan was being held—in this quarter of the building, he thought, but undoubtedly not on the ground floor—and whether Chay Zanlan was anywhere in the vicinity. Probably not. Most likely, all the diplomats were out lunching with Ariana Bayless and the gulden king. In fact, these corridors seemed almost deserted.

Which was why the lone figure, sitting on the marble floor with her head in her hands in a pose of absolute dejection, caught his attention. She was a blueskin, though he could tell little about her caste from her clothing or her hidden face, and she looked as though she could weep until the world ended.

Unthinking, Nolan crossed the smooth stone in a few quick strides and put a hesitant hand to her shoulder. “Hela?” he said in a soft voice. “Can I help you? Can I get you anything?”

At his touch, her head had jerked up, and as he spoke, she scrambled to her feet. High-caste was his first thought, before he registered the wild, almost frightened look on her face. “Are you all right?” he asked more urgently.

She backed a step away from him and tried to push her heavy hair from her forehead. Her hands were shaking and the deep color of her face seemed bleached and insufficient. Nonetheless, there was something regal about her, something that scorned him for even presuming to aid her.

“Yes. I’m fine. Just go on.”

His training urged him to obey her curt words, but his compassion made him linger. “I can take you to a doctor if you need help. Or I can fetch you a glass of water—”

“I’m fine,” she said even more sharply. The color had returned to her cheeks on a wave of anger or embarrassment; she seemed to grow calmer and more assured as he stood and watched. “Thank you. You’re quite kind. But please leave me.”

Well, she seemed capable of speech and motion, and she clearly did not want him nearby, so he nodded once and turned away. He had only gone a few yards down the echoing hallway when quick footsteps hurried up behind him, and Melina fell in step beside him.

“What were you saying to her?” she asked incredulously. “I didn’t know you knew her.”

“I don’t,” he replied, surprised. “She was sitting all hunched up on the floor. I thought something was wrong and went over to offer her help. Which she didn’t want. Why? Who is she?”

“Anton Solvano’s daughter,” Melina responded. “The disgrace of the Candachi family.”