“Stop.” Pain zinged my temple as Darren’s voice froze the program, holding my thought and sticking the image in place. A holographic man stood a meter away, arm half raised for a handshake. “Do you know this guy?”

I leaned against my restraints to check out the image. The figure was tall and lithe with a square jaw, perfect bronzy skin, and that flawless Seligo-esque perfection.

Except for his glasses. No one wore those anymore.

A guy from a catalogue?

Something about him poked at my memories, but I couldn’t stroll through the past while I was still strapped in. The familiarity was probably because he looked like so many of the handlers who’d come and gone from my prison.

Racially ambiguous. Physically perfect. Too pretty to trust.

Eventually I shook my head, making the wires clack. “I don’t know anyone.” Years of captivity would do that to a girl.

Darren made a noise at the back of his throat. I couldn’t quite read the sound, but this guy had him on edge. “Past?”

“Future.” The guy’s image looked wispier in my head—this would probably happen soon. Whatever it was. It didn’t seem so critical and I couldn’t see why Darren cared.

Am I missing something?

“Flesh it out,” Darren said.

“I don’t think I—”

“Flesh it out.” He shoved the chair back down further, voice hard.

I scrunched my neck, trying to get some distance from him and his choking cologne. If this were something important, I’d fight, but right now I just wanted Darren to go away. There was no harm in showing him. Squinting, I focused on the tips of glasses guy’s fingers. Who’s he reaching for?

Pain flashed through my head, blanking out my vision for a split-second. When I finished blinking, the rest of the image ballooned.

The guy reached toward—

My own face glared back from the holo screen, gray eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Me?

He was reaching for me?

“Shit.” Darren let go of the chair back and it snapped, shaking me. He paced away, running a hand through his hair.

“Who’s that?”

“The new guy.” Darren scowled at the screen. “Not that he’ll last.”

A new handler?

Curious, I squinted at the holo. With all the smooth skin and symmetry, he looked super cream of the Citadel, but I’d dealt with his kind a million times before. Just like Marco. All ego and no substance.

The glasses were weird though. So was the braided tattoo peeking past his cuff. Helixes didn’t ge—

A shimmer glinted between his thumb and forefinger.

My breath caught in my throat.

The angle of the holo didn’t show the full mark—thank Buddha—but it was enough that I could recognize it.

The same ink glimmered on the back of my hand.

Glasses guy was a Shadow Raven.

And we were about to be introduced.

Chapter Four

Chapter Four