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He sensed he wasn’t the only one to feel unnerved by the silence of the surrounding Barrier space. Jax had been making jokes for the last ten minutes as the elevators descended?a nervous tic that used to be more pronounced in the young seer, but had become unusual since the assault on Gossett Towers in New York.

Jax had been injured in that assault.

He’d been shot by Shadow’s people while rappelling down an elevator shaft.

Loki already wondered if the Sword and Balidor assigned Jax to this mission for that reason. Jax had been noticeably changed by whatever happened to him in New York, and Loki suspected it wasn’t only because he nearly died of light loss and loss of blood.

All of them had noticed the difference in him.

More than one attempted to talk to him, but Loki couldn’t be sure to what success.

Jax had been ordered to see Yumi regularly as well, so she could assist him with any trauma he’d suffered. When the Sword put Jax under Loki’s command, he informed Loki of that fact, and told him they were monitoring Jax’s light.

Such disclosures were usual with commanding officers.

As for Yumi’s particular set of skills, the Adhipan apparently had a long history of seeing to its own in that way.

Holo had done the most to try and coax Jax back to his former, jovial self, but between the death of Garensche and his lingering injury, Jax still seemed to be in a kind of ongoing shock, months after they’d left the Tower and Manhattan behind.

Even now, his precise, nearly delicate features held a harder expression than the smile on his lips suggested. A haunted look lived behind those dark purple eyes. Hearing Jax attempt to joke with the rest of them, when his eyes, voice, light, and facial tics clearly showed him to be in pain, was more unnerving than it was reassuring.

Holo seemed to think so, too.

Instead of laughing, he only smiled at Jax’s comments, watching the other seer’s face.

Keep an eye on him,Loki sent.Let me know if you need us to help.

Holo looked up. He studied Loki’s eyes warily.

He’ll be fine,Holo sent.

It is not criticism, brother. Concern only, I assure you.

Something in Holo’s eyes relaxed, right before he gave a seer’s nod.

He’ll be fine.

Loki didn’t answer. He kept his light attuned to Holo’s, to Jax’s?to all of theirs now?as they continued to descend deeper underground.

When the elevator finally came to a stop on the lowest of the three sub-basements, the security protocol switched back on, bathing them in a dense electrical field as their physiological idents got scanned by the machines. They should all come up positive, thanks to the comp-hacks, but Loki didn’t move while the scans took place, and he glanced at Illeg where she continued to monitor the open back panel.

The electrical field clicked off.

Checking the specs the Sword provided, Loki nodded to Anale. Without a word, the team instantly split, four and five to either side of the doors, rifles up.

Anale triggered the correct tendrils in the squids.

The elevator doors opened.

Loki had a light tap on the construct now. He used that tap to give them a view of their immediate Barrier surroundings.

Mostly, he looked for life forms.

“You still with me, Yumi?” he subvocalized.

“We are here, brother. The Barrier space is clear where you are. Are you seeing anything different from your location?”

“No, sister,” he said. “We are not.”