From the hallway, we made our way to the stairs, moving relatively slowly.

People were running up and down the stairs. Civilians were out of hiding, the ones who hadn’t lost their minds, at least. Some had construction equipment, ladders, and toolboxes.

Good people. Good stuff.

I sure hoped that however the world ended, we wouldn’t be coming back to this fucking place ever again.

Please Sveta. Tell me you found someone. A tinker hiding where the Simurgh couldn’t see her. Even my sister… I’ll endure her for another conversation if it means that humanity gets to live and stay humanity.

I wobbled as we ascended the stairs, not because of any funny movement, but because of air pressure changes, or another bit of blood loss. I gave Rain’s shoulder a squeeze, stopped, then took a seat on the stairs with his help.

All out of gas.

“I’ll see if I can grab someone,” he said.

“Cool,” I replied.

Rain made his exit.

I watched the people come and go as they headed up and down. One woman stopped by me to give me a bandage to press to my shoulder, even though I already had the coagulant there. It would have been nice to see some familiar faces. Crystal in particular. Finale, Withdrawal and Caryatid. Even Tattletale, damn it.

“Victoria.”

I couldn’t bring myself to twist around to look up the stairs, but I leaned over to one side, using flight to stay steady, a grimace crossing my face as my ribs strained.

Sveta and Jessica came into view, sparing me the need to lean to one side to try and see them. I grunted for breath.

“Hey,” Sveta said.

“Hey.”

“Um. So your sister’s injured. She’s not up to helping us.”

“Falling rubble?” I asked.

“Um. Yes, but not like you’re thinking,” Sveta told me. “There were eyewitnesses. They saw you looking down from above and staring, they knew the prior relationship—the rubble fell after you left.”

She said it with such sincerity. Like she knew exactly what conclusions I’d draw.

I wasn’t sure I believed her.

It didn’t matter.

“You’re pretty beaten up,” Jessica said. “Can I sit?”

“Please,” I said, fighting not to let too much emotion into my voice. “Chris is leaving the building, I think. I don’t suppose you have any insights to share? Any tricks? Any ways to unravel the riddle that is… him?”

I felt a little lightheaded, rambly.

“I think he’s less of a riddle than… just about every other member of your team,” Jessica said.

“Oh. No magic words to convince him to change his mind, help us out?”

“I can’t imagine there are.”

“But you thought he was a decent person?”