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From their expressions, I half-expected them to argue the point, or start rattling off security protocols. Technically, they had grounds. The security team needed access to my light at certain levels due to my position as one of the construct pillars. Even Revik couldn’t interfere with that, not without a specific reason.

Neela and Declan didn’t argue it, though.

It definitely caused them to watch Revik more warily, however; Neela, in particular, who watched Revik’s light with an intensity that surprised me.

She’d always been so loyal to Revik.

I saw Declan watching him, too, if more discreetly.

I also overheard him tell Jorag via the construct to stay in the back room, which struck me as a good call, all things considered. I saw Torek mutter under his breath a few times, too, in a way that made me think he was talking to someone via the comm.

I didn’t really let myself wonder who.

Dimly, I figured Wreg.

Maybe Balidor. Or Jon.

I couldn’t help wondering how many ripple effects I’d be facing from my meltdown, or the fact that I’d taken myself off the grid entirely for three days. I wondered what kinds of stories were circulating to explain that. I wondered if some of them came from Angeline and the others I’d crashed with.

Whatever stories were going around, I increasingly got the impression they’d cast Revik innota great light.

It seemed to take a ridiculously long time to get the door to the tank open.

I only half-listened as they told Revik a few things that changed in the protocols, and reminded him we couldn’t stay inside for more than two hours, or sleep in there, or actively try to connect with the higher structures in Lily’s light––

I didn’t listen to all of that.

The speech irritated me more than usual, though. Especially the part about how I wasn’t supposed to get too close to my daughter’s light.

Revik seemed to be listening even less than me.

I could tell he had other things on his mind, and not all of them were about Lily. He had his own light tightly shielded, in addition to mine. He even seemed to be shielding his light from me to a degree. I couldn’t feel any pain at all on him anymore.

Eventually, they got the damned door open.

The instant they did, relief flooded my light, even before we were all the way inside. I could feel relief on Lily, too, even before she looked up. Once she had, she leapt to her feet from where she’d been sitting on the floor with Kali.

I stared at Kali, at the scattering of toys on the floor in front of her.

She’d been playing with my child.

A hard dart of fury slammed my light, making it difficult to breathe.

How had I missed that she was in here? Had Neela and Declan neglected to mention that? Or was I so completely fuckingout of it,I missed the part where they told me my biological mother, who abandoned me as ababy, somehow got full access to my kid?

Without anyone telling me? Or asking me about it?

Because apparently I didn’t even get a goddamnedvotenow?

She was here alone, too. Playing mommy with my fucking daughter.

She hadn’t even brought Uye.

Revik’s fingers tightened around mine.

She’s Lily’s grandmother,he reminded me softly.

I don’t give a shit.