As I did, I blinked against the sudden brightness. Standing floodlights were positioned at intervals throughout the cavernous interior, illuminating dozens and dozens of cots lined up in neat rows, like this was some kind of field hospital. Many of the collapsible beds were occupied, the people lying on them either asleep, reading, or staring off into space. Some were bandaged here or there or had an IV attached. A handful of other people wearing mismatching scrubs moved around the area, looking after the injured and sick. Their patients seemed well cared for, but even so, something felt off. It was quiet in the makeshift hospital, but not in a peaceful sense. It was too subdued for that. It felt lonely.

“This is our hospital,” Dorman said, like it wasn’t obvious.

“I can see that.” I surveyed the area. I hadn’t considered that there might be anything like this here, but I supposed it made sense. People get sick everywhere; even a place like the Tent District needed some sort of infrastructure for allowing its residents to be cared for. It took a few seconds, but when the reason for the sense of loneliness struck me, it hit hard. “There are no visitors.”

Dorman’s eyes widened, like my observation surprised him. “Correct. We’ve had to take precautions to minimize exposure.”

“Exposure to what?” Dom said, and my eyes narrowed on Dorman. “Exposure to what?” I asked, repeating my half-brother’s question.

Dorman leaned in a little, like he was going to share a secret with me. “The infection.” He started down an aisle between two rows of cots. “Follow me,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll show you.”

I stared after him for a few seconds, then followed, strides quick so I could catch up. “What kind of infection?” I asked, glancing from side to side, my voice hushed. “And why are you showing me?”

Dorman glanced at me over his shoulder. “Because I’m pretty dang sure that this virus, or whatever it is, is part of the war.” He angled toward another, smaller door at the back of the hangar. “The first person to show signs of the infection—a human—escaped from an Ouroboros lab. The same lab, I daresay, that you helped Heru dismantle.”

My hands balled into fists. I really didn’t like the sound of this.

“Our doctors haven’t been able to figure out what the infection is, let alone how it works, and they’re at an absolute loss as to how to stop it.” Dorman spoke quietly, for my ears only. He reached the door at the back of the hangar and opened it, then gestured for me to go through.

Through the doorway, I could see that more cots were packed into this smaller room, each and every one occupied. I counted twenty-eight patients in there. I hesitated before going in. Normally, I wouldn’t worry about catching a disease—any disease—but Ouroboros had been experimenting on humans and Nejerets. What if they’d developed a pathogen that could take me down?