Page 27

A woman wearing clothes similar to those Helen had worn earlier sat in a chair behind a desk, and she stood when Locke and I stopped walking. I peered at her through the shadowed lenses, and I thought my eyes must really be adjusting to the light levels.

“Sylvia,” she said, and I assumed it was her name. But she didn’t add anything else, and she didn’t hold her hand out for me to take. Instead, she seemed to inch backward.

I nodded and opened my mouth to introduce myself, but Locke spoke first.

“This is Meira White. I believe you’ve been expecting her,” he said. “She’s wearing the sunglasses but dim the lights if you feel safer that way.”

I snapped my head to my right to look at him. Just when I’d thought he was the sanest one here, he came out with crap like that. Dim the lights soshefelt safer?Iwas dangerous? I opened my mouth to snap at him, but Sylvia spoke first.

“I might do that.” Sylvia skirted a wide circle around where I was standing and turned off the overhead light, favoring a lamp in the corner, casting little more than a low glow.

I was all but blind now, and when Locke suggested I take a seat, I stuck out my foot and waved my arms in front of me, moving until I felt my way into the closest chair. So much for my eyes adjusting to the light levels.

Sylvia sat behind the desk and adjusted her computer screen so the glow slightly illuminated her face. She was still a mass of shadows, though, and I couldn’t make out much else. It was like meeting with a parody of the Grim Reaper with a desk job.

“Hello,” she said woodenly, as though she was actively reading her greeting from a script on her screen.

“Hi.” I waved my hand a little, and she flinched at the movement.

“Welcome to the Facility. My name is Sylvia.” She paused and gestured around.

This was like a bad audition for the local theater company.

“As I mentioned, this is The Facility. I am here to get you all checked in.” Her voice rose and fell randomly over the course of her opening speech.

I gripped the arms of my chair. “Where am I?”

She snapped her mouth shut but didn’t change her position.

“Probably best to save any questions for after.” Locke spoke from beside me, and irritation pushed the air from my chest.

I nodded so slightly I doubted either of them saw it. “Fine. Continue.” I gave my permission through gritted teeth. How long did I have to wait to find out what was going on? No one had explained anything.

“Calm down, Meira,” Locke muttered. “Just go with the process. Nice deep breaths. Easy.” He spoke in a soothing voice, but my irritation only grew.

I clenched my teeth harder and glared at him from behind the glasses.

“First question,” Sylvia said. “What species do you identify as?”

I laughed. “That’s your first question? I don’t know. Um… Canine?”

“Meira.” Locke’s tone held censure. “The process.”

I ignored him. Condescending bastard. “Did you not see me when I came in? Or are those glasses on your face just for show? I’m human.”

“Meira’s very tired, Sylvia. It’s been a long day.” But Locke’s excuse for me irritated me further.

“No,” I said. “Meira is pissed off because of stupid fucking questions that don’t make any sense. You all keep acting like I’m something I’m not. And that was only the first one, right? There are more?”

“Question two.” Sylvia’s voice shook slightly. “What is your talent?”

I laughed. “I’m an artist. My talent is art. Paintings, hair color. I have an eye for color.”

She tapped away at her keyboard, the noises slow as she selected the keys she needed. Eventually, after she seemed to have entered my answer verbatim, she focused on her screen again, the glow illuminating her big round eyes behind her glasses this time. She lifted her hand and pushed the glasses back up her nose.

“Question three.” She sounded more confident now. “What is your human age?”

“For God’s sake. Do you people know nothing about the person you abducted?”