(eng) Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Retrieval Artist 12 by The Peyti Crisis

Author:The Peyti Crisis [Crisis, The Peyti]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-NINE

THE ELEVATOR DOORS opened, and Flint stepped onto the top floor of the United Domes of the Moon Security Building. He extended his hand so that Talia would join him, and so that the elevator door would remain open until she did so.

She looked at him from the back of the elevator, arms wrapped around her stomach as if it hurt. He’d already asked her if it did, and she had said no. She had eaten the lunch he picked up along the way, so he was less concerned about her physical well-being than her emotional one.

The closer the two of them got to this building, the more she shrank into herself. Just once, she’d asked to go home. He didn’t want her there without him.

Yes, he was being overprotective, but he didn’t know what else to do.

And, if he were honest with himself, he was terrified to leave her alone—not just for what she might do to herself, but because she had nearly died the last time he had.

And if he expanded that self-honesty even more, he had to admit that he was as much of a mess as she was. He had just learned over the years how to keep moving in the face of overwhelming emotion.

She raised her head, giving him what he would once have called “a teenage look,” sullen anger mixed complete contempt. She stared at his hand as if it offended her, then stood up and stalked out of the elevator as if coming here had been her idea.

The hallways here were active—people going in all directions, holding tablets and looking busy.

He rounded the corner and stopped at Rudra Popova’s desk. She had gone through a lot since losing her lover on Anniversary Day, but she was working her way through it—or she had been until the Peyti Crisis.

He had no idea how she’d been afterwards, since he hadn’t come up here at all since finding Talia.

Popova pushed her long black hair away from her face, her dark eyes glinting. She raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.

“Miles Flint,” she said. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Apparently, DeRicci hadn’t told her that he was coming.

Talia hovered just behind him. Popova leaned sideways and grinned. “Hey, Talia.”

Talia nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Popova’s expressive eyebrows went from mock surprise to a very real frown. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Talia said curtly. At least she hadn’t snapped, Why does everyone ask me that? like she had a few days ago.

Popova’s gaze met Flint’s, and he could read her questions. He didn’t have answers.

“Noelle is expecting me,” he said.

“Us,” Talia said.

Flint didn’t correct her. He knew how vivid her imagination could be. He figured it was better for her to hear his fears and know that the team was expecting something bigger than it was for her to make up things on her own.

He would also have supported her keeping her head down and remaining quiet if that was what she needed.

“I know,” Popova said. “I had to clear a bunch of very busy people out of her office.

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