I spotted Kenzie off to the side. Still with Monokeros. She gave me a small wave as she saw me. At the back, people were guarding Natalie along with the three heads of the prison staff. Two were Teacher’s. One was ours.

Behind Goddess… it looked like she’d collected most of the prisoners. I could see Seir and other Fallen. Coalbelcher and his second in command. I saw Damsel.

No Crystalclear. No Ratcatcher. No Sveta. No Ashley.

Lung stood by Goddess. He folded his arms as I brought the Pharmacist nearer.

Goddess approached, standing square in front of the Pharmacist. I lowered the point of the tine from the Pharmacist’s throat, then backed off.

The Pharmacist and Goddess stared each other down. Everyone around us seemed okay with this.

I started to approach Lookout. Rain got my attention, a motion of the hand, followed by a shake of the head.

I went to Rain and Byron instead, my arms folded. Breathing hurt. I was pretty sure the Wretch had filtered out a lot of smoke, but it hadn’t filtered out all of it. Even now, the smoke was heavy in the air.

“You serve me now,” Goddess told the Pharmacist.

“Yeah,” the Pharmacist replied.

“You’ll tell me about the drugs you brought into the prison.”

“Taken to the cafeteria, to be applied to the food. A berserker formula. Turning everyone he couldn’t use into ravening monsters.”

“She’s lying,” a woman in the crowd said.

I could see the Pharmacist tense.

“It’s a power nullifying chemical,” the same woman said. She stepped forward. Words were tattooed beneath her eyes, so they traced straight lines down to her jaw. ‘Crock’ and ‘Shit’. Colorful, for words in black ink. More ink put scales at her arms and neck. “Nullifying your influence, Goddess.”

“And you took some,” Goddess told the Pharmacist.

“She did. And she already got some to key prisoners,” undefined said. “The maximum security ones, who get meals delivered.”

Purple fire surrounded the Pharmacist’s hands. She reached for Goddess, and she made it one step before someone swung a guard’s baton into her throat. She fell to the ground, fire extinguished.

“If she doesn’t suffocate from that, let her live,” Goddess said. “The drugs will wear off.”

The crowd was pretty eager to drag the Pharmacist off. Goddess turned her attention to Lung. “Did you take the drug?”

He shook his head.

“Truth,” undefined said.

“He regenerates,” I said. “Drugs have reduced effect.”

Lung nodded.

Weird to be on the same side as him now.

“The guards are dealt with, but Teacher isn’t going to leave it at this,” Goddess said. “And we still have some loose ends to tie up.”

I didn’t miss the fact that she made eye contact with me, with Byron and Rain.

She was thinking about our teammates.

“Get organized,” she told us.

We hurried to obey.

Gleaming 9.12

“Antares,” Goddess said.