“Right away.” More bowing, and a woman led me deeper into the suite. She held open the door to the inner corridor.

I strode past her, moving for the next set of doors, where two guards stood waiting. I pretend to ignore them as I filed their details away. I’d take care of them later. Now, anticipation hummed from the soles of my feet as I neared my target. After years of subterfuge, I was finally dropping my act.

This would be a clear attack against my family.

Finally.

Father sat behind his sprawling desk, surrounded by semi-translucent screens. He scowled at a data readout until I cleared my throat. Then he looked up with vague displeasure. “Altair. You’re late.”

“Security checkpoints.” I hadn’t expected a more affectionate greeting and I certainly wasn’t going to offer one. “Are you ready to discuss our strategy?” My nerves jangled. If he asked me to come back later, I’d have to change the plan, and any change would hurt my odds of success.

“A moment.” He flicked some of the screens away, and others off while I settled into the chair across from him. Glass and chrome glittered at the corner of my eye as sunlight reflected from the Citadel skyscrapers. The floor-to-ceiling windows gave a view all the way to the distant wall—a king’s view, looking out over it all from this secure position. Immortal. Invincible.

The Seligo thought they couldn’t be touched.

I wouldn’t change that in one day, but I finally had the chance to rattle them.

“Now.” Father eased back in his chair, but his dark gaze was as sharp as ever. “What have you remembered?”

“The details are still murky.” And I could almost feel the agonizing progression of time. I needed to stall a few more seconds. “I know I was consulting on some sort of human trial.”

“Yes.” Father tapped a finger against his cheekbone. “Thanks to our spies, we know the basics of several of Doctor Nagi’s projects. I’d assume he had you working with the soldiers or the girl. I’m told you were with her at the time of the accident.”

Spies and intrigues were more of the same, but soldiers were new to me. Now wasn’t the time. “A girl?”

“Yes. Nagi keeps a pet Red. A clairvoyant.”

Pet? I balled my fists at my side and worked to keep my voice neutral. “Yes. I think that was it.”

Father nodded. “He must have trusted you to let you in that far. If we can get you—”

An echoing boom cut off his words.

As a rumble vibrated the floor, the light fixture swayed overhead. This high up the spire, it might’ve been mistaken as a tremor in the Earth, but a growing plume of smoke from the base of the tower made the truth crystalline.