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“Can I …” He gestures to it.

“What?” Mustang asks.

“Can I have it?”

Mustang squints at him. “Oh! Uh. All yours.”

He scoops it up and jams it in his pocket, grinning merrily. He runs to catch up. “Collecting the set, hopefully.”

32

Die Young

Mustang insisted on seeing Tactus before the meeting. Theodora guides us. We find Roque sitting by his body in the ship’s medBay. The way he sits with his hands clasped together, you’d think Tactus might still have a chance at life. Perhaps in some other world where men like Lorn don’t exist.

“He’s been here since Europa,” Theodora says quietly.

“You didn’t tell me he was down here,” I say.

“He asked me not to.”

“You’re my servant, Theodora.”

“And he’s your friend, dominus.”

Mustang nudges me. “Stop being an ass, can’t you see she’s as exhausted as he is?”

I look at Theodora. Mustang’s right. “You should get some sleep, Theodora.”

“A prime idea, I think, dominus. Always lovely to see you, domina,” Theodora says to Mustang before shooting me a cross look. “Master has been rather moody in your absence.”

Mustang watches Theodora glide out. “You were lucky with her.” She gently touches Roque’s shoulder. His eyes flutter open.

“Virginia.”

They grew close in the year we all spent in the Citadel together. Neither could ever get me to join them at the opera. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in the music. Lorn simply demanded time.

She squeezes his hand. “How are you?”

“Better than Tactus.” He glances at me. I wager he’d say more if I weren’t here. He sees Mustang’s state of disarray, brow creasing in worry. “What went wrong?”

Once we tell him, he gently runs a hand through his wavy hair. “Well, that is bad. I never thought Pliny would ever be so thoroughly bold.”

“We’re meeting in ten to discuss plans,” I say.

Roque ignores me. “I’m sorry about your father and brother, Virginia.”

“They’re still alive, I hope.” She looks to Tactus and her face quiets. “I’m sorry about Tactus.”

“He went as he lived,” Roque says. “Only wish he could have lived longer.”

“You think he would have changed?” Mustang asks.

“He was always our friend,” Roque says. “It was our responsibility to help him try. Even if it was like hugging a flame.” He looks at me momentarily.

“You know I didn’t want him to die,” I say. “I wanted him to come back with us.”

“Just as you wanted to catch Aja?” Roque says, snorting at my expression.