The note had been slipped under my door while I slept. No signature, no invitation to respond. I wanted to talk to Rhyanon about the conversation I had overheard at the party, but it seemed I would have to wait. Walking into Civil Obligations and demanding a meeting was probably unwise.

I headed for Major West. Millie expected me in half an hour. Following a Renewal, every Sister was supposed to meet with their counsellor at the Minor West Guidance Centre. Records would show that I had turned up at the offices with clockwork precision for the last eleven months.

In reality, I had only attended three sessions. It was one of the many benefits of having a counsellor who was also my friend; I got let off the hook when it came to formal mental health evaluations. Millie and I still talked, of course, but the Guidance Centre reminded me of the Sanatorium, so I preferred to spend as little time in the building as possible. Today, we were meeting on the stairs outside the Major West Civic library.

When I arrived, Millie was standing with her elbows propped up on the banister, talking to Daje. I hung back. The two of them were caught up in a serious conversation; Millie kept shaking her head, and Daje’s shoulders were slumped.

“… reason with her, but maybe she’ll listen to you?” I heard him say.

“I think I’d rather jump off the Edge,” Millie replied. “But yeah, I’ll try.”

She spotted me over Daje’s shoulder, and for an instant, I thought that she looked alarmed. Then her expression cleared and she smiled.

“Hey, El,” she said.

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Not at all.” Daje turned around. “Here to steal Millie away from me?”

Millie and Daje’s relationship had been going, on-and-off, for the past eight years. We weren’t exactly friends, but I liked him well enough, and certainly more than I liked Hanna. He didn’t seem to mind that I was a Sister either. Maybe he just hid it well.

“If she’s available to be stolen,” I said.

Millie grinned. “For you, I’m always available.”

“In that case, I’ll be off.” Daje kissed her cheek. “See you this evening.”

The library was a small yellow-brick building. Silver-leaf ivy covered the walls, and a neat row of orange trees cast shade over the patchy grass of the adjoining garden. Scholars read at the tables. A woman roasted candied nuts in a skillet and sold them to passersby.

“Sorry about that.” Millie’s hair was loose today, falling in waves over her shoulders. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Fine.” She grimaced. “I have an ex who’s making Daje’s life difficult, that’s all.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Really, it isn’t a big deal.” She took my hand and started toward the trees, but I shook my head.

“Can you get me a stress pass?” I asked.

Millie’s face fell.