He covered Nyx and Ahmed as they slipped back into the alley with Raine. As they went, he sighted Raine’s head in his scope, and remembered a hot room in Chenja, and the sound of his finger bones breaking under a mallet. A mallet held by the man Nyx was so keen on running across the world to save. For the good of Nasheen.

Rhys took a deep breath. He didn’t have a care for Nasheen. It could be swallowed up tomorrow. But Nyx cared. It was one of the few things she still pretended to care about.

Rhys didn’t take the shot.

“Don’t say I never did anything to help you,” he said.

“What?” Nyx said through the buzzing of the red beetles.

“Nothing,” he said. “You’re clear. I’ll meet you back at the safe house.”

43.

“We have him,” Nyx said. “I need a safe room.”

She saw Inaya’s mouth harden as they hauled Raine into her headquarters. She motioned Nyx toward the next room. “This way. Hurry. There’s a way through.”

Inaya brought them down a short flight of stairs and past a few storage rooms. Curious Ras Tiegans watched from the shadows, their own faces obscured by hoods. Too many witnesses for Nyx’s taste, but they didn’t have much of a choice at this point.

Behind her, Ahmed stumbled, so she stepped in and took his place at Raine’s left side. Rhys still trailed behind them. Ahmed leaned against a wall. She saw a long trail of blood behind him. His face seemed drawn. She gritted her teeth and focused on hauling Raine forward.

“Inaya, get somebody to help Ahmed, all right? Safiyah?”

“Coming, darling,” Safiyah called from behind them. “I’ll get him. Go on.”

Inaya unlocked a storage room door and palmed on a light. “In here,” she said.

A scattering of cloth sacks littered the floor. Nyx flopped Raine down on them. Rhys came up behind her. He was sweating heavily. She saw him wince as he drew up, and clutch at his side.

“You hurt?” she said.

“Just winded,” he said.

“You have a hedge witch or something for Raine?” Nyx said. “His knee’s blown out.”

“I’ll see what I can do. But we don’t have room for you here, Nyx,” Inaya said. “We’re going to be out tomorrow. I can let you stay the night, but not a day longer. You understand? I can’t have any more hell. Not here. Not with everything we still need to do.”

“Got it, sure,” Nyx said. “We just need to get patched up. I promise—we’re gone in the morning.”

Inaya didn’t appear convinced. Nyx couldn’t say she blamed her. “Come with me, Rhys,” Inaya said. She gestured for him to follow.